Everyone is getting creative this year, especially schools. Nothing is the same as pre-pandemic times. School fundraisers will look different this year too – or not exist at all. We aren’t going door to door selling magazines! I just learned of a new school fundraiser is 100% socially distanced and safe! READ-A-THON started 6 seasons ago and has already raised $50 Million with over 1 Billion reading hours logged by students! Some schools have been able to raise $50,000 in just 2 weeks for their schools! Amazing, right? There are Ohio schools already taking advantage of this cool fundraiser.
Not only is this a safe way to raise money for schools but it encourages reading and education. Basically, students commit to 10 reading sessions over a 2-week time period. Instead of asking family and friends to buy unwanted items from a catalog, they ask them to make a one-time donation to the school to support the child’s reading imitative. Kids ‘earn’ that donation with their reading. Plus READ-A-THON makes it easy by providing materials (virtually even) and they take care of tracking everything. They provide reminder sheets and other items to make it fun, exciting, and successful. You can even set up a rewards system where kids can earn prizes like traditional school fundraisers with their online reward store.
READ-A-THON was made for such a time as this. Kids don’t have to be in person asking for donations, they don’t have to physically handle money or items for sale, and everything can be done virtually, if necessary.
As I said, there are Ohio schools already participating in this program, including as close as Brunswick, Ohio where Saint Ambrose Catholic School raised $15,320 one year and $24,548.13 another year and $20,748 another!
If you are a teacher, school administrator, PTA or PTO member, talk to your school about READ-A-THON this year! It might be a really good solution for your school.
