Read-a-thon

A Read-a-thon is fundraising at its smartest. Students read books and collect donations for doing it. Supporters love backing something educational, and kids get genuinely excited about reading when there's a goal attached. It's one of the few fundraisers that parents, teachers, and students all enthusiastically support.

With Raised, you set up a free crowdfunding campaign where supporters donate online toward your school's reading goal. No paper sponsor forms, no chasing cash. Just a simple link that families share with their network.

Why Read-a-thons Are Brilliant Fundraisers

• Parents Love It: Unlike selling chocolate or pies, a Read-a-thon promotes something every parent values: reading. That makes it one of the easiest fundraisers to get buy-in for.
• Educational Value: Students build reading habits and develop a love of books while raising money. Teachers champion it because it aligns with learning goals.
• Highly Shareable: "My child is reading 20 books this month to raise money for school" is the kind of thing grandparents and family friends love to support. Online donations through Raised make it easy for anyone, anywhere to contribute.
• No Products Needed: Zero inventory, zero deliveries. Every dollar raised goes straight toward your goal.
• Inclusive: Every student can participate regardless of reading level. Set goals by books, chapters, pages, or reading minutes, whatever works for your school.

How to Run a Read-a-thon with Raised

1. Set Up Your Campaign

Click "Start This Fundraiser" above to create a free crowdfunding campaign on Raised. Set your school's fundraising goal, add your campaign dates (typically 2-3 weeks), and write a description about what the funds will support.

2. Set Reading Goals

Work with teachers to set age-appropriate reading targets. This could be:

• Number of books read per student
• Total pages read as a school
• Reading minutes logged over the campaign period
• Chapters completed in a class novel

3. Launch and Share

Send the Raised campaign link to families through your newsletter, app, and social media. Each family shares with their own network: grandparents, aunties, family friends. Online donations flow in as students start reading.

4. Track and Celebrate Progress

Update the school community regularly: "As a school, we've read 500 books and raised $2,300!" Display a reading thermometer alongside the fundraising progress. Celebrate milestones publicly.

5. Wrap Up and Thank

At the end of the campaign, announce final reading totals and funds raised. Thank donors through Raised and recognise top readers. Consider a school assembly celebration or special reading event.

Pro Tips for Read-a-thon Success

• Themed weeks: "Mystery Monday", "Fantasy Friday". Themed days keep excitement high throughout the campaign.
• Class vs class: Friendly competition between classes drives both reading and donations. Display a leaderboard in the school hall.
• Guest readers: Invite local celebrities, sports stars, or community members to read to classes. Great for social media content and donor engagement.
• Reading buddies: Pair older and younger students for buddy reading sessions. It builds community and gets more kids involved.
• Library tie-in: Partner with your school or local library to display featured books and create reading lists.
• Celebrate all levels: Recognise effort and improvement, not just volume. Every student who participates is a winner.

Why Use Raised?

Raised is free for NZ schools. No setup fees, no monthly costs. Your crowdfunding campaign page is live in minutes, donations are collected online, and you track everything in real time. For bank transfer donations, there are zero fees. For card payments, a small processing fee is added at checkout and paid by the supporter.

It's fundraising made simple, so you can focus on the reading, not the admin.

Ready to launch your Read-a-thon? Click "Start This Fundraiser" above to set up your free campaign on Raised.