School Fun Run Fundraiser Guide

Simple steps for planning a great fun run

A school fun run, also commonly called a color run, walkathon, or jogathon, can be a great way to raise thousands of dollars for your school. It promotes community and builds school spirit, and most important, it gets students excited about raising money. Because a fun run fundraiser or other pledge drive fundraiser involves the whole school, it requires a lot of up-front planning. But don’t worry—whether your event is in-person, socially distanced, or virtual, we have you covered!

Our free School Fun Run Fundraiser Guide covers the key steps for planning a walkathon or other similar fundraiser at your school. You’ll get tips on motivating students to collect pledges, ideas to make your event more fun, and lots of free downloadables to promote your event (like pledge sheets, Facebook/Instagram Canva templates, and more).

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Inside the School Fun Run Fundraiser Guide:

Planning a Fun Run
Pros and cons of working with a service provider, plus information about volunteers, collecting pledges online, and following up after your event is over.

Detailed Planning Timeline
From setting your fun run event date through thanking sponsors and volunteers when it’s over.

Ideas To Amp Up Your Fun Run
Add excitement to your event with a theme—such as a zombie run, superhero dash, color run, glow run, warrior obstacle course, mud run, or bubble run. And build community spirit with a T-shirt specific to your event.

Getting Sponsors
Business sponsors can help reduce the cost of holding a fun run or other -athon so your group has a higher profit.

Motivating Students
Students are key to the success of any fun run, -athon, or pledge drive event. The more students are motivated to collect pledges before the event, the more profitable your event will be.

Event Setup
Information on planning your track, student safety, audiovisual equipment, and liability insurance—plus ways to keep excitement high on race day and how to track laps.

Tips for a Virtual Fun Run
You can hold a fun and successful event even if it’s not in person.

Downloadable Forms, Graphics, and More
Free flyers, lap cards, pledge sheets, race-day bibs, and Canva templates to make social graphics for six different popular event names.

@ptotoday Bubble run - such a fun spin on a school fun run! #schoolfundraiser #funrun #ptolife #ptopresident #schoolvolunteerlife ♬ Chichiquetere - HCTM

How Does a Fun Run Work?

Fun runs and other “-athon” events follow a simple structure: Students are encouraged to collect donations or pledges, either as a lump sum or for each lap that’s run, each word that’s spelled, etc. After the event, students get prizes depending on their performance or level of financial support. At some schools, the event is held during the school day, with each grade participating during a set time. Other schools hold their -athon event on the weekend to make it easier for the entire family to attend. For a fun run-type event, both setups require volunteers to track laps, hand out water, and cheer on runners.

After the running is over, you’ll need to collect pledges, calculate final tallies for students, classes, and grades, and recognize students for their hard work. Don’t forget to share your achievements with the entire school community! Spread the news about how much money your event raised and some of the ways it will be used to benefit the school. Last but not least, thank everyone who supported your event: volunteers, donors, school staff, the principal, and, business sponsors.

Five Steps for a Great Fun Run

1. Set your event date and choose a provider

2. Recruit committee volunteers

3. Make plans to rent or borrow additional equipment needed

4. Recruit day-of-event volunteers

5. Collect donations!

Get in-depth help on each of these areas in the guide.