What Is Athons Fundraising?

Imagine this: you're passionate about a cause where you believe everyone should have access to clean water (or any other cause) no matter what part of the world they live in. You really want to do something about it but don't have the funds to make an impact.

Then, one day, you come up with an idea to make use of your love for physical activity like running, hiking, or swimming to raise funds for the money. Now that you've imagined this, join these two thoughts together, and you have A-Thons fundraising for you.

A-Thons fundraising is an event where individuals raise funds for a cause by centering it around one physical activity.

The campaign could involve individuals coming together for a physical activity like a walk-a-thon, where they set a fundraising goal and invite people (through social media or word of mouth) to pledge money for each mile they walk.

If you're looking to make your A-Thon fundraiser a success, join BetterWorld, where thousands of nonprofits have already hit their campaign goals. You would also want to scroll on as we do a breakdown of an A-Thon fundraiser for you.

How A-thons Fundraising Works

#1 Choose the Type of A-Thons Fundraiser

Determine what type of A-Thon fundraiser you want to go for. You can choose anything that aligns with your cause, resources, and participants' needs. It could be a dance-a-thon, walk-a-thon, swim-a-thon, or any other type of A-Thon that best fits your campaign goals.

#2 Set a Fundraising Goal

Once the type of A-Thon is decided upon, you need to set a realistic fundraising goal. This way, you can create a budget to pull off the event. Once you have a number, you can set a target for the participants and keep a track of your goals.

#3 Create a Fundraiser Page

Next, set up a page on your website or a fundraising platform. The page should include details about the event, the cause you're raising funds for, and the fundraising goal.

You can sign-up with BetterWorld, and let us help you create a page that will make fundraising easy for you.

Before you set up a page, make sure you use a tool like BetterWorld that has the following features:

• Mobile friendly
• Easy-to-use donation forms that provide secure payment options
• Donor management system to store donor information for future correspondence
• Customizable fundraising pages
• Integration with other tools like email marketing software, CRM systems, and social media platforms
• Easy accessibility and security for donors despite their location or device

#4 Promote the Fundraiser

Once all this is sorted, spread the word to potential participants, donors, and sponsors. You can choose email, word-of-mouth, social media, or advertisements like fliers to promote the cause. Use creative and engaging images, videos, and texts to generate interest.

#5 Find Sponsors

The next goal should be to find a sponsor that's willing to support your event. Many corporations are interested in unique charity events, so you need to find one that's willing to support your cause. The sponsors can have a booth set up or a video playing at the event to promote their company.

Providing a space to donors will further motivate them to sponsor the cause. This way, not only do sponsors support charitable causes, but they also encourage their employees to participate in them. You can then use their gifts to encourage other individuals to support the cause.

Make sure to keep a goal tracker on your page for donors to see and also to encourage other individuals to help you reach the milestone or more.

#6 Manage the Logistics and Engage Participants

The time of the actual event arrives once the pre-event planning is all taken care of. Now your organization has to manage the logistics, including the route, venue, date and time, equipment, and volunteers. Set up booths where you sell the tickets and collect donations to keep track of all the progress.

You need to ensure that you have all the necessary permits, insurance, and safety measures in place.

Even during the event, you need to make sure that you promote the event to gain more traction. Live streaming the event on social media is a popular way to spread the word about your cause.

You can sell branded merch, refreshments, and goodies to donors and sponsors to reach your fundraising goal.

#7 Thank Donors and Participants

Once you've successfully pulled off the event, make sure to send thank you notes, certificates of recognition, or other forms of appreciation to donors, sponsors, and participants. Provide updates on the cause and the impact of the funds raised.

Tips for Organizing a Successful A-Thons Fundraiser

Here are some tips you can follow to make sure your A-Thons fundraiser is a massive success:

1. Make sure you set realistic fundraising goals based on the size of your organization, the nature of your cause, and the resources available.
2. Make a team of volunteers and dedicate tasks to them to help you with the planning, promotion, and execution of the event.
3. You need to give yourself ample time before the commencement of the event. Plan three to six months ahead of the event date.
4. Use technology to streamline registration, fundraising, promotion, and communication processes.
5. Make the event engaging for participants. You can provide incentives, rewards, and other forms of recognition to keep them motivated.
6. Offer multiple options to ensure maximum participation. Keep different options available, like hybrid, virtual, or physical events, to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
7. The most essential part of a successful fundraiser involves thanking the donors, participants, and sponsors for making them feel appreciated. This also encourages them to participate in and donate to future events.

Types of A-Thons Fundraising

As we mentioned at the beginning of this blog, there are different types of A-Thons that you can choose from for your cause. Here are a few of the options.

Walk-a-thons

Walk-a-thon is a popular event where participants walk a designated course or distance to pledge money for the miles covered. The participants often collect donations from the attendees for the distance they've covered.

Bike-a-thons

A bike-a-thon is an event where participants ride their bicycles for a specific distance to raise money for a charitable cause like free education for lesser privileged people in the world. It is a great way to combine physical activity with philanthropy.

Dance-a-thons

A dance-a-thon is another fun activity that involves participants dancing for a set amount of time --- like 12-24 hours --- to raise money for a noble cause. The participants often form groups or teams to make the activity more engaging and fun.

Swim-a-thons

Swim-a-thon is another type of fundraising event in which participants swim a set distance in a pool or lake to raise money for charity. Swimmers can participate individually or as part of a team. The event typically takes place over the course of a weekend.

Spell-a-thons

A spell-a-thon is a competition in which participants take turns spelling words aloud, intending to spell the most words correctly. The competition can be held individually or in teams and often serves as a fundraiser for schools or charitable organizations.

Benefits of A-Thons Fundraising

A-Thons fundraising events offer numerous benefits, some of which include the following.

Generating Funds

A-Thons provide an effective way to raise funds for charitable organizations, schools, and other causes. You can typically seek sponsors who pledge to donate money based on their performance at the event.

Building community

Charitable events can bring people together in a fun and engaging way, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose among participants and supporters.

Raising awareness for the cause

Through A-Thons, nonprofits can raise awareness for the cause they support, as participants and supporters spread the word about the event and its purpose.

Encouraging physical activity

You get to promote physical activity, which is beneficial for participants' health and well-being. Walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons, and other similar events also provide an opportunity for people to get outdoors and enjoy the fresh air and scenery.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, fundraising events such as A-Thons are a great way to effectively raise money for charitable causes, schools, and other organizations.

They offer plenty of benefits, from building community and raising awareness to promote physical activity and generating funds.

Whether it's a walk-a-thon, bike-a-thon, spell-a-thon, or another type of event, they can all be a fun and engaging way to make a difference and support a cause that you care about.

By participating in or supporting a-thons fundraising events, we can all help to make a positive impact in our communities and beyond.

Choose an A-Thon platform like BetterWorld to ensure your fundraising event is a success. BetterWorld provides all the necessary tools to run your A-Thon with ease. Select a name, set a fundraising goal, and spread the word to your network and beyond to get your fundraiser started.

Are you ready to A-Thon?