| by Howard Gottlieb, President, Easy
Fundraising Ideas
Event Fundraising: The Merits of Walk-a-Thons and
Their Ilk
Part Nine
Walk-a-thons are one of the most popular fundraising events
held today. Large organizations and small groups alike have
learned that friends and family will gladly reward active/demonstrative
effort with generous donations.
In fact, relatively short distance walks and charity runs
have become extremely popular ways to raise money. Not only
are they popular with fundraising groups, many people - even
entire families - enjoy participating in different events.
People often look for walking or short running events as
weekend entertainment.
Walk-a-thons and charity runs are easy to organize and fun.
Participants might be rewarded with t-shirts, as well as
some exercise and the knowledge that their effort raised
money for a good cause. Money can be raised through entry
fees, which might range from $10 to $50, but most walk-a-thons
depend on donations from sponsors. People are asked either
to make a flat donation or to pledge support per lap, mile,
or other measure of completion.
The most successful walk-a-thons are the ones that are creative
and contact the largest audience to ask for donations or
contributions. Your organization can use online resources
to bolster your event fundraising. Choose-a-thon offers
free administrative and marketing tools for walk-a-thons.
Instead of calling people or mailing information requesting
pledges, contact can be made and information disseminated
online.
Many groups choose to ratchet the walk up a notch and hold
5K running events. During the spring and fall, you will find
5K runs advertised in local businesses, especially shops
that sell running shoes. These events require a little more
planning and promotion than a simple walk-a-thon. The main
source of income for 5K runs is registration fees, which
vary according to the extravagance of the event itself and
the items an organization plans to give participants. Money
is also raised through sponsorships. If your organization's
event is large enough, you can offer food and beverage vendors
the opportunity to sell products. You might even consider
selling refreshments yourself as an additional revenue stream.
If you want to draw large crowds, in addition to the main
event, you should include a fun run for kids and the less
athletically inclined. If you have longer events, you should
be prepared to have some timing equipment. Experienced runners
like the challenge of competing against the clock.
Read-a-thons Work Well
Read-a-thons are a great way for schools to raise money
and promote reading at the same time. This event is similar
in nature to a walk-a-thon, but participation is limited
to members of the fundraising group, so additional revenue
is not generated through registration fees.
Typically, read-a-thons are fixed unit events. In other
words everyone in the group will be challenged to read a
specific number of books in a designated period of time.
For example members will read ten books in five months. Many
times, the actual book titles will also be assigned.
Armed with that information, participants gather pledges
from supporters. People are asked to pledge an amount per
book read as incentive for participants to read all the books
or, alternatively, to make a lump sum donation to the group
based on its effort.
Groups holding read-a-thons are also encouraged to supplement
their efforts by using online resources like those offered
by Choose-a-thon,
which allow sponsors to pay donations and pledges online
with credit cards, eliminating the need to collect checks
and cash after the event.
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