Running an a-thon online allows you to hold a “pledge-per” fundraiser without the need for paper forms or tracking people down for payments. Here’s how it works: donors visit your fundraiser and make their donation to a participant on your experience. They can pledge to donate a certain amount per each unit of activity completed; for example, they might agree to donate $5 per mile in a jog-a-thon, or $3 per word successfully completed in a spell-a-thon. If they prefer, they can also make a flat, one-time donation. After the actual a-thon event, you’ll enter activity results. Once the experience is finalized, the donors’ credit cards for per unit of activity donations are charged.
An a-thon can have a single participant performing the activity. Or, you can add team/peer-to-peer fundraising to allow more than one participant to raise funds on your experience. When team fundraising is enabled, each participant and team will receive their own personal fundraising page to share with their network. MemberHub Fundraisers will calculate the amount raised for each participant and team and display this on their respective pages.
To spur some friendly competition and excitement for your a-thon, you can also offer prizes to participants to award them for their fundraising efforts. Or, for a less competitive approach, consider offering a prize for anyone that raises a set amount, such as $5, so everyone is a winner. Learn more about team fundraising here.
How much does it cost?
There are two pricing options for running an a-thon. Visit our MemberHub Fundraisers to view available pricing options, including our free pricing model funded by optional donor tips.
How to promote your experience
To begin making progress towards your fundraising goals, spread the word about your a-thon to as many people as possible. Sharing your fundraiser with the greatest number of potential donors increases exposure and may make others more likely to share your cause with people in their network, too. You can share the link to your fundraiser on social media, and send an email to your donors, family, and friends to get the word out.
How to find and share your experience link
Additionally, our free text-to-give tool is an ideal way to generate donations at live events. It allows you to promote a designated keyword and number so people can text and receive a link to the experience on their phone. They can then make a donation at their convenience on their mobile device. Find out more about how to use this innovative feature in the article below:
Promote your experience with text-to-give
Finally, you can also live stream your event to allow anyone who can’t attend to still participate. People can watch your event unfolding as it happens on your fundraiser page, which can help to incentivize real-time donations. Learn more about this option below: