How to Run a Jog-A-Thon Fundraiser: 8 simple steps

Looking for a fun, healthy, and engaging way to raise funds for your child's school or community group? A Jog-A-Thon fundraiser offers the perfect blend of excitement, exercise, and community spirit! Kids get active, families come together, and everyone enjoys contributing to an important cause. Plus, a Jog-A-Thon fundraiser makes fundraising simple, fun, and effective! Follow these easy-to-understand steps to run a successful Jog-A-Thon fundraiser:

Step 1: Set Clear Goals

Your first question: how much you need raising? Learn or decide how much money your school or group needs. That amount is your goal. Clearly communicate this goal to parents, students, maybe even teachers, and your community. Everyone loves helping to reach an exciting target! Consider having small, achievable milestones leading up to your overall goal. This encourages participation and provides frequent opportunities to celebrate progress.

Step 2: Establish an Easy Donation Process

Choose an online fundraising platform that lets you create simple, clear donation pages. Using PledgeStar simplifies outreach for your Jog-A-Thon fundraiser. As a busy parent, you'll love how quickly you can set it up. Instead of typing contact details one by one, PledgeStar lets you quickly pick contacts from Gmail, Yahoo, or Microsoft address books. This saves you time and makes sure you don't accidentally leave someone out. Donors simply pledge either a flat amount or a certain amount for each lap your child runs.

Step 3: Reach Out to Donors

Once your fundraising page goes live, share the registration link with families. Using PledgeStar, parents follow simple on-screen steps to register their kids and quickly invite family and friends to support the Jog-A-Thon. PledgeStar automatically sends personalized pledge requests containing a direct link to each student's fundraising page. With PledgeStar, families with multiple children sign up just once, simplifying the entire process. Donors receive only one pledge request and can make a single donation covering all the participating children. Parents conveniently track all pledge activities and clearly see how donations split among their children.

Step 4: Promote the Fundraiser

Clearly communicate how donations directly support specific school programs, equipment, or activities. Excitement motivates everyone to participate, so regularly share stories or examples of how past fundraising has benefited the school and the students. Spread the word through flyers, emails, social media, and even community bulletin boards. With PledgeStar, families can also easily share their fundraising pages through social media, extending their reach.

Step 5: Simplify Donation Collection

Make donating for your Jog-A-Thon fundraiser quick and easy for everyone. PledgeStar’s One-Step Donation feature sends each donor a personalized link directly to their own donation page. Donors simply enter their donation amount, credit card number, and expiration date—no complicated steps needed! For those who prefer other methods, PledgeStar also lets donors pay by check or PayPal. Donors receive an immediate payment receipt that includes your school's tax ID number, making tax season easy. If donors have questions, PledgeStar’s friendly support team quickly helps them online or by phone, ensuring every donation counts.

Step 6: Keep Everyone Updated

Regularly share exciting updates about your Jog-A-Thon fundraiser. Use social media posts, school newsletters, emails, or even bulletin boards at school to show progress clearly. PledgeStar provides easy-to-understand reports, like the Prize Report, helping you quickly see when students earn prizes and what awards they already received. Your treasurer easily accesses the Deposit Report, clearly showing donations by credit card, check, or cash, organized neatly according to PTA standards. Plus, the Outstanding Pledge Report clearly identifies pledges made but not yet received, so you know exactly who to follow up with.

Step 7: Show Gratitude

Send personalized thank-you notes or create a special announcement expressing appreciation for everyone who donated and participated in your Jog-A-Thon fundraiser. Gratitude builds goodwill, encourages future support, and shows the community their contributions have a meaningful impact. Celebrate the generosity of family, friends, and community members who helped your school. And although your child will probably want to thank family and friends who donated personally, PledgeStar automatically sends donors a receipt with your school's tax ID and a friendly thank-you note, making everyone feel appreciated. When donors feel valued, they'll happily support future fundraisers.

Step 8: Celebrate!

Once your fundraising goal gets reached, hold a simple celebration event for everyone involved. Hand out certificates or small awards, have snacks available, and publicly acknowledge top fundraisers. Celebrating success together creates wonderful memories and reinforces community bonds.

Final Thoughts

Follow these easy steps and watch your Jog-A-Thon fundraiser succeed beyond your expectations! You'll raise more, keep more, and build stronger community connections—all while kids enjoy a fun, healthy activity. With PledgeStar’s easy-to-use platform and fantastic customer support, you'll quickly realize there's no better choice for your next fundraiser. Start now and make fundraising simpler, more rewarding, and enjoyable for everyone involved!