15 “A-Thon” Fundraising Ideas for School Groups

Updated: December 2024

Summary: 

• A-thons are a great way to get students, PTA/PTO members, and other school groups motivated to raise money for school causes. With the right tools, they’re easy to plan and affordable, too.
• Options like move-a-thons, walk-a-thons, dance-a-thons, jump-a-thons, and jog-a-thons get people excited about exercise. Read-a-thons, spell-a-thons, chess-a-thons, and math-a-thons work out the brain instead.
• Sports-related a-thons for baseball, volleyball, and biking can be a great choice for warmer weather or schools with pre-existing teams. Bowl-a-thons, swim-a-thons, and sing-a-thons let kids show off their talents for a good cause.
• A-thons like these are easy to adjust to fit the needs of your school. Get creative and adjust the rules, guidelines, or location as-needed to make them work.

A-thons are all about getting participants to commit to an activity—like running, dancing, playing chess, or singing—in exchange for donations from their friends, family, and the local community. This makes it easier for schools to reach a larger pool of donors in less time.

The most complicated part of an a-thon is deciding which activity is best. But we’ve got ideas that can help! Find out how FutureFund can help your K-12 school group fundraise for free, then browse the list below for a little inspiration.

Move-a-thon

Move-a-thons are easy to organize and can be adapted to almost any fitness level, location, or age group. Like jog-a-thons and walk-a-thons, they’re all about getting people moving for a good cause—but participants get to choose their preferred activity.

How to make a move-a-thon work

• Stay on track while planning with our free move-a-thon checklist.
• Set goals and incentives for fundraising to help motivate students.
• Use FutureFund to collect signups and communicate with parents.
• Promote your event locally and online with our free poster and email templates.
• Collect donations online to make it easier for donors to chip in.

Because move-a-thons are so scalable and school-friendly, they’re a great choice for schools with tight budgets. See how our free tools can help you get results in our move-a-thon guide.

Chess-a-thon

Chess-a-thons let participants flex their mental muscles and learn new skills in a brain-boosting activity for a good cause. To take part, people commit to playing chess for a specific period of time—for example, three hours every Tuesday for one month—and collect pledges to support their progress.

How to make a chess-a-thon work

• Scale the event to align with age, skill level, and other important factors.
• Use FutureFund’s built-in pledge campaign leaderboard to track each participant’s progress.
• Make it educational by pairing it with in-class lessons on chess for students.
• Use our free Chess-A-Thon Sign-up Template to help spread the word.

For very young students, simpler alternatives like checkers—or Story Time Chess, if your PTA/PTO has the budget for it—may be better.  Get access to more tools and tips in our guide to chess-a-thons.

Read-a-thon

Read-a-thons are perfect for schools because they bring in money for important school causes and encourage kids to develop a lifelong love of reading. They’re also easy to customize to any grade or skill level, especially if you give students the freedom to read what they love. Comics, picture books, textbooks, chapter books—it all counts!

How to make a read-a-thon work

• Set a duration—we find that between 2-4 weeks works best.
• Coordinate with your school library to create a read-a-thon home base.
• Set up a pledge campaign on FutureFund to manage signups and donations.
• Promote it with our free printable flyer and Instagram post templates.
• Highlight top readers each day during in-school announcements.

Reading might be its own reward, but students are more likely to take part if you schedule this event in early fall. To keep them engaged, try to set clear goals and include incentives or prizes. Get examples and ideas in our read-a-thon guide.

Walk-a-thon

Walk-a-thons are a classic for a good reason—they’re accessible, don’t come with any upfront costs, and encourage healthy activity. Like a standard 5K or marathon, participants agree to walk along a set course, but they collect pledges from their family and friends first. Donors can settle up online right on your free FutureFund campaign page.

How to make a walk-a-thon work 

• Set a date—one day or multiple—for participants to walk.
• Set up a course on school grounds to keep everyone safe.
• Set goals for total distance, time, or laps per pledge.
• Add a fun theme like a color walk, pajama walk, or superhero day.
• Celebrate achievements with medals, snacks, or a post-walk event.

You can customize almost every aspect of a walk-a-thon to better suit your school. Use our free Canva templates to get a jump start on student signups, donor emails, and final push messaging to get better results.

Dance-a-thon

Dance-a-thons are high-energy fundraisers that encourage everyone to cut loose and have a little fun while raising money for your school. They’re especially useful for PTA/PTOs who want to engage older students who may be more difficult to engage. Use our free social media templates to get their attention.

How to make a dance-a-thon work

• Pick a format: go with a one-day event or multiple sessions.
• Go virtual if you want to let people dance for pledges from home.
• Set goals for total dancing time per pledge, session, or dance-a-thon.
• Use FutureFund’s tools to track signups, pledges, and donors—it’s free!
• Make it more exciting with themed dance-offs or fun costume contests.

Dance-a-thons work even better if you pair them with a school dance. If you have the budget for it, go all-out with live music or a DJ and make it a yearly event. Get access to more tools and customizable templates in our dance-a-thon guide.

Sing-a-thon

Sing-a-thons are another creative way to raise funds for your school while giving talented students the chance to show off their skills. If your school already has a strong drama or music program—or wants to create one—that’s even better!

How to make a sing-a-thon work

• Use FutureFund’s tools to manage signups, pledges, and messaging.
• Keep costs down by using equipment from your school music room or gym.
• Use our email script templates to communicate with participants and donors. 
• Collect song info in advance and use it to build setlists for performances.
• Amp up the excitement by inviting local celebrities to join the sing-a-thon.

Ultimately, sing-a-thons are as flexible as they are fun, so don’t be afraid to get creative with the theme or format. Whether you go with a concert or karaoke showdown, our sing-a-thon fundraiser guide can help you get results.

Jog-a-thon

A jog-a-thon follows the same structure as a walk-a-thon, but it’s a little bit more intense. The slightly higher degree of challenge often translates into more donations, but it’s still accessible enough for people of almost any fitness level to take part.

How to make a jog-a-thon work

• Customize the distance, length, and theme to fit your needs.
• Set goals for total jogging time—this can be laps, minutes, or hours.
• Use FutureFund to track pledges, donations, signups, and more.
• Promote it with our free Instagram post and printable poster templates.
• Keep it accessible by giving out incentives for fundraising goals, not activity.

Jog-a-thons work best during warmer seasons when it’s possible to jog outside or around your school’s outdoor track. Get other ideas in our guide on how to run a jog-a-thon.

Bike-a-thon

Bike-a-thons are a great choice if you want to make the course a bit longer, mostly because it’s easier to cover more distance. You can also customize the race for specific ages or specify styles. For younger kids, a training wheel friendly flat, paved area works best. For older kids, amp up the challenge by biking a local trail.

How to make a bike-a-thon work

• Pick a safe route—for older students, you may need to go off school grounds.
• Use FutureFund to keep parents and students in the loop and track pledges.
• Set guidelines early by customizing our sample bike-a-thon rules template.
• Check with your city to see if you need a permit for bike-a-thons on local roads. 
• Ask local police and EMTs to help keep everyone safe on bike-a-thon day.

Safety is the number-one consideration for any bike-a-thon, but don’t let that scare you away from being a bit creative with the theme. From Tour de France to Disney, see a few of our favorite ideas in our how to run a bike-a-thon guide.

Bowl-a-thon

A bowl-a-thon is a fun way to raise money if you have a bowling alley in your town or city. This time, students and other participants form and sign up in teams to compete with each other on event day. Donors can pledge their support in exchange for pins hit, strikes, or wins.

How to make a bowl-a-thon work

• Ask your PTA/PTO to rent out the bowling alley and arrange transportation.
• Set fundraising goals for each participant—like $200 or $400 in pledges.
• Use toy bowling sets in the classroom to help very young students take part.
• Promote it with our free printable flyer and social media templates.
• Ask about cosmic bowling to turn your bowl-a-thon into an all-out experience.

FutureFund’s campaign tools can help you plan, organize, and execute your bowl-a-thon. Plus, they’re always FREE for schools to use. Get more tips that can help you get results in our how to run a bowl-a-thon guide.

Baseball hit-a-thon

A baseball a-thon—sometimes called a hit-a-thon—is essentially a baseball tournament that helps make money for your school. Participants form baseball teams, then fundraise as teams. Parents, teachers, students, and PTA/PTO groups can all take part! Donors can pledge a certain amount per hit or home run, or just support a team’s participation.

How to make a baseball hit-a-thon work

• Set a date—go with a single day or schedule multiple sessions.
• Keep it safe with clear guidelines and plenty of volunteer support.
• Launch a campaign on FutureFund to manage pledges and track progress.
• Ask local leagues to provide equipment, sponsorships, or expertise.
• Accept donations online to make it easier for donors to chip in.

If you aren’t sure how to approach getting the word out, we can help. Check out our free printable poster template for a little inspiration. Or, learn how to run a successful hit-a-thon from the ground up in our full-length guide.

Math-a-thon

For this type of a-thon, students collect pledges per math problem solved. They can ask for anywhere between a few cents to a full dollar per math question. The easiest way to run this fundraiser is to use grade-adjusted worksheets and let participants solve problems within a specific time frame, like a day, week, or month.

How to make a math-a-thon work

• Set a timeframe—multiple sessions over at least two weeks works best.
• Make time for practice during math class or study periods so kids feel supported.
• Promote it early and often with our free social media and flyer templates.
• Plan a closing ceremony to announce the winners and funds raised.

Remember: this should always be about making math fun for students. Teachers can and should provide support without giving away any answers. If you’re looking to crunch numbers and raise funds, check out our math-a-thon guide.

Spell-a-thon

A spell-a-thon works very similarly to a math-a-thon—but this time, students will flex their language skills instead. Kids get a list of between 10 and 100 grade-adjusted words to study in advance of an in-person or virtual spelling bee. They collect pledges for each word they get right.

How to make a spell-a-thon work

• Choose a date for your spelling bee—a weekend works best.  
• Provide word lists early to give students lots of time to prepare.
• Use FutureFund to manage pledges and collect donations online.
• Promote it with our customizable poster and social media templates.
• Give awards to high achievers who raise the most money.

The most important factor in a spell-a-thon is how well you tie it into what kids are already learning. Coordinate with teachers to support learning in-class and students will naturally perform better when it’s go time. For more tips, see our spell-a-thon guide.

Jump-a-thon

A jump-a-thon is all about jumping rope in support of heart health, your PTA/PTO, or just about any other school cause. It’s easy for students to participate, encourages kids to be active, and requires almost no up-front investment. Participants can collect pledges for anything from the total time jumping to successfully pulling off tricks.

How to make a jump-a-thon work

• Use what you have or ask local businesses to donate jump ropes.
• Set rules—our free rules template is a great place to start. 
• Recruit volunteers to help with planning, scorekeeping, and safety.
• Set up stations for double-dutch, criss-cross, or double jumps.
• Track your success right from your free FutureFund account.

Jump-a-thons require very little planning, so this is an ideal option if you’re looking for something spontaneous that kids can do indoors or out. See how we help schools get results in our free jump-a-thon guide.

Volleyball serve-a-thon

A volleyball a-thon, or serve-a-thon, is essentially a tournament that’s dressed up in a way that helps students and other participants raise money for your school. Like a baseball hit-a-thon, people usually participate as a team and collect pledges for meeting certain goals—like serves or wins.

How to make a serve-a-thon work

• Set a date for the tournament at least three months out.
• Use FutureFund to collect and manage signups, pledges, and volunteers.
• Set clear guidelines for the event with our sample rules template.
• Ask your volleyball team to referee or provide skill-boosting lessons.
• Promote it with our free social media and printable flyer templates.

Setting a theme for your serve-a-thon can help students who aren’t already into volleyball feel more interested and engaged. Get a little inspiration in our in-depth serve-a-thon guide.

Swim-a-thon

Swim-a-thons might take a little bit more planning, but they’re a great choice for warm weather or schools that have access to a pool, lake, or ocean. Participants spend a certain amount of time in the water, or swim a specific number of laps, in exchange for pledges.

How to make a swim-a-thon work

• Pick a date as early as possible to allow for planning.
• Ask your PTA/PTO to confirm any compliance or insurance needs.
• Use our email templates to call out to students and donors for support.
• Keep young kids safe in the shallows by letting their family join in.
• Set incentives for funds raised, total laps, or just participation.

For swim-a-thons in your school pool, school administrators may already know what you need to do to run an event like this safely. Get more great tips, tools, and templates in our swim-a-thon guide.

Get results with these a-thon ideas for school groups

FutureFund makes it easy for K-12 school groups to raise funds for important school causes year-round. Launch your next campaign in minutes and get instant access to fundraising tools that can help you do more with the time you have.

FutureFund is always 100% free for schools, PTAs, and booster clubs to use. Start as many fundraisers as you like, sell spirit gear, or just manage volunteers throughout the year—we have your back every step of the way.

Launch your FutureFund campaign now.