10 classic a-thon fundraiser ideas that still raise big in 2025

With the right idea and plan in place, an a-thon fundraiser can do it all—raise funds, rally your community, and drive real results. Whether you're hosting your first fundraising event or leveling up an annual tradition, these ideas will help you launch your most successful a-thon yet.

From tried-and-true themes to unique spin-offs, you’ll find concrete ideas, real examples, and expert tips to spark engagement, boost signups, and hit every fundraising goal.

10 classic a-thon fundraiser ideas that still deliver 

A-thons come in all shapes and sizes—from low-lift school fundraisers to community-wide fitness challenges. The key is choosing a format that aligns with your mission and motivates your supporters to take action. 

Below are ten flexible a-thon ideas, each with a note on who they work best for and how they can be customized to fit your cause. 

1. Read-a-thon 📚

Participants collect pledges and log reading minutes or books over a set period of time. It’s a great way to encourage learning while raising funds.

💛 Best for: Elementary schools, libraries, literacy nonprofits

2. Bike-a-thon 🚴‍♀️

Cyclists raise money based on miles biked. You can map out a route for in-person races or host a virtual event where participants ride in their own locations.

💛 Best for: Health nonprofits, environmental causes, fitness groups

3. Dance-a-thon 💃

From ballroom to swing, participants dance for hours to raise funds. Bonus points for themed playlists, costume contests, or dance battles!

💛 Best for: Youth groups, schools, arts organizations

4. Walk-a-thon 🚶‍♂️

Whether they walk solo or as a team, supporters collect donations for every mile (or step!). This timeless format is easy to personalize with themed routes, local partnerships, or virtual participation options.

💛 Best for: Health organizations, schools, community centers

More to explore

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5. Knit-a-thon 🧶

Crafters unite! Participants knit (or crochet) for a set number of hours to raise funds, often creating items for shelters or community programs.

💛 Best for: Shelters, community organizations, senior groups

6. Game-a-thon 🎮

Gamers play video games or board games for pledges over a set period of time. It's a perfect fit for youth organizations or tech-forward nonprofits.

💛 Best for: Youth programs, STEM nonprofits, gaming communities

7. Clean-a-thon 🧹

Volunteers clean parks, beaches, or community spaces, earning donations for every area cleaned or hour served. This idea works great for Earth Day.

💛 Best for: Environmental organizations, community service groups

8. Swim-a-thon 🏊

Swimmers take their fundraising efforts to the water, gathering pledges for every lap. Add excitement with fun challenges like themed relays, team competitions, or lap goals tracked in real time.

💛 Best for: Swim clubs, schools, health and wellness nonprofits

9. Cook-a-thon 🍳

Participants cook up their favorite recipes (or even compete in a cooking challenge) while raising funds for hunger relief or nutrition initiatives.

💛 Best for: Food banks, hunger relief efforts, culinary programs

Dive deeper

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10. Pet walk-a-thon 🐾

Invite animal lovers and their furry friends to walk, strut, or parade to raise money for animal-related causes.

💛 Best for: Animal shelters, rescue groups, pet welfare nonprofits

5 standout a-thon fundraiser examples

These organizations took classic a-thon formats and brought them to life in new, engaging ways. From simple signups to live donation feeds, each example shows how a few smart updates can turn a tried-and-true fundraiser into something unforgettable.

"I Love to Read" William Byrne Read-a-thon 📚 

ByrneReads2025 invited students, teachers, and the community to contribute to their collective reading goal of 60,000 minutes!

With a leaderboard, supporter feed, and easily shareable link, this a-thon is a great example of how to motivate donors and track progress in real time.

Knit for Food Knit-a-thon 🧶 

Knit for Food 2025’s 12-hour knitting marathon raised funds and awareness for food insecurity using a few fun tools to boost engagement.

Their campaign page features a supporter feed and a leaderboard—plus, they offer a calendar integration so supporters can mark the occasion with just a few clicks.

LODL Read-a-thon 📕

LODL Read-A-Thon 2025 invited community members to participate in their school fundraiser to fund various programs and activities.

With a fundraising thermometer, a leaderboard, a simple registration button, and a matching gift request, this campaign made raising funds a breeze.

TMHA's Strike Out Stigma! Bowl-a-thon 🎳

BAT 2025’s bowl-a-thon invited participants to raise $600 each and bowl to eliminate mental health stigma and promote recovery through housing, employment, community, and family support services. 

With tiered registration, an embedded video, donation thermometer, and strong storytelling, this fundraising page made supporters feel connected to the mission.

Cubberley Elementary Spring Jog-a-thon 🌈 

Cubberley Elementary’s Rainbow Run turned a simple run into a full-on celebration. 

With fun prizes, leaderboards, and inclusive messaging, this campaign inspired supporters to get involved and give back!

How to host an a-thon fundraiser in 7 easy steps

Planning an a-thon can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re juggling outdated tools, tight timelines, and big fundraising goals. 

This step-by-step guide is designed to simplify the process, with practical tips and tools to help you get organized, drive participation, and hit your target with less stress. 

1. Choose your a-thon format 🏃‍♀️

Baseball hit-a-thon fundraiser, read-a-thon, hack-a-thon—or something totally out of the box? 

Your a-thon format sets the tone, so pick one that aligns with:

• Your mission 💛 What type of challenge naturally ties into your work? A fitness-related organization might host a bike-a-thon. An animal shelter? Try a pet walk-a-thon or jog-a-thon!
• Your audience 👥 What do your participants actually want to do? Will kids be involved? Is it open to remote supporters?
• Your goals 🎯 Are you aiming to raise funds, build awareness, or boost participation? Your format should support your biggest objective from the start.

Dive deeper

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2. Set the rules of engagement 💸

Determine and clearly explain exactly how your fundraiser will work. Outline how your peer-to-peer fundraising participants should collect donations, what they’ll receive in return, and how those funds will support your mission.

• Pledge format 💸 A-thons are all about pledges—so how will yours work? You can choose per-action pledges (like $1 per lap, book, or hour) or flat donations. Or you might offer both for maximum participation!
• Mission alignment 💛 Tie contributions to measurable impact (e.g., “$25 provides school supplies for one student”) so donors know exactly where their money goes.
• Incentives 🎁 What will participants get when they reach certain fundraising goals? Offer prizes, shoutouts, or other motivating perks.

3. Build your campaign page ⚒️

No matter what kind of a-thon you’re hosting, your fundraising page will act as your central hub—a place for supporters to get involved, excited, and connected. 

Your page should:

• Allow supporters to easily sign up ✅ Your campaign page should offer seamless individual and team fundraising registration and the ability to accept donations online via multiple payment methods (credit/debit card, ACH, Apple Pay, and more).
• Provide direction and motivation 💪 Include a clear explanation of the a-thon format, how donations work, and add interactive elements like a fundraising thermometer and leaderboards to keep the competition fierce.
• Create connection and community 🫶 Include a mission story, information about impact (with videos or photos!), and a supporter feed so participants and donors can cheer each other on.

With Givebutter’s registration fundraising feature, participants can register and create their personal or team fundraising pages in one seamless step—reducing drop-off and boosting engagement from day one.

Givebutter was extremely easy to use for the read-a-thon at our school! — Nicole S., Givebutter user

4. Equip participants with fundraising tools 💬

Your participants are your best promoters—so set them up for success! Don’t forget to provide all the peer-to-peer fundraising tools they need to spread the word and raise funds with confidence:

• Fundraising pages 💰 Allow supporters to create personalized fundraising pages where they can tell their story, collect donations, and track progress.
• Shareable links 🔗 Make it simple for supporters to share their page via social media or text message in just a few taps.
• Outreach templates 📩 Equip participants with templates for social media posts, emails, or texts to help spread the word faster!

5. Promote your event early and often 📣

A great a-thon needs great visibility. The more people who know about your fundraiser, the more support you’ll generate—so let’s get the word out!

A simple (but powerful!) promo plan might include:

• Countdown posts ⏲️ Build anticipation with “coming soon” teasers and countdown graphics across your socials.
  
• Reminder emails 📩 Send a few short emails to your list inviting people to join, donate, or form a team.
  
• Press and partnerships 🤝 Reach out to local businesses, community groups, media, or influencers who can help spread awareness about your event.
  
• Hashtags 🏷️ Create a fun, memorable event hashtag so participants can follow along and generate buzz.

6. Track progress and celebrate wins 🎉

Once your a-thon is live, build momentum and celebrate every milestone with:

• Live updates on social media 🤳 Share photos and videos of participants in action. Repost their content and tag donors to keep engagement up.
  
• Real-time donation feeds and goal tracking 🌡️ Let your Givebutter page do the heavy lifting! Live donation feeds and progress bars get supporters excited to help you hit your goal.
  
• Shoutouts and spotlights 🥳 Highlight top fundraisers, new donors, and creative participant stories to inspire others and foster community.
  
• Friendly reminders 🔔 Send automated email or text nudges to remind participants to share, thank donors, and keep going strong.

7. Say thank you (and keep in touch) 💌

The end of your a-thon isn’t the end of the journey—it’s the beginning of building lasting relationships with your supporters. Gratitude and continued connection are key to turning one-time donors into long-term champions. 

Be sure to:

• Send thank-you messages 🙏 Personally acknowledge every donor, participant, and volunteer, and let them know the impact of their contribution.
  
• Share impact stories 🫂 Follow up with a story, photo, or video showing how the funds raised are helping to advance your mission.
  
• Keep the momentum going 🗓️ Invite supporters to your next fundraiser, volunteer opportunity, or recurring giving program. Include a call to action like “Join us next time” or “Sign up to become a monthly donor.”

Get the tools you need to power your next a-thon fundraiser

A successful a-thon fundraiser starts with a strong concept, clear communication, and the right tools to keep everything on track. With a bit of planning—and the support of your team and community—you can turn any idea into an engaging, mission-driven fundraiser.

That’s where Givebutter comes in. With built-in registration, customizable fundraising pages, and easy-to-use features for tracking progress and managing teams, Givebutter makes it simple to run an a-thon from start to finish—no extra tools or tech expertise required.

Participants can register for your a-thon and launch a fundraising page in one seamless step. This all-in-one flow helps you:

• Boost fundraiser participation 📈
  
• Simplify event management for organizers 🛠️
  
• Customize team sign-ups and participant info 💬

Planning your a-thon fundraiser doesn’t have to be complicated. From first-timers to seasoned pros, Givebutter gives every team the tools to reach more donors and raise more funds with less hassle.

Create a free Givebutter account and start your a-thon fundraiser today →