5 Things You Need to Know Before Your Color-A-Thon:

Color-A-Thon is a great event for students and adults of every age. This 3K race/walk is a color craze that allows your group to have a successful fundraiser that benefits your school. Before you start, check out these 5 things you must know before you start your School-A-Thon event planning!

1. What is a Color-A-Thon? Color-A-Thon is a colorful fundraising event that the entire family can enjoy. Students are not required to go door-to-door when fundraising. A School-A-Thon representative will walk you through the entire event set up process.

2. Who Can Participate? Everyone is able to participate in a Color-A-Thon Event- this is a fundraiser that the entire family can enjoy together. Even if you’re not into running, you can walk, skip or strolldown through the course!  

3. What Should You Wear? Not sure what to wear for the Color-A-Thon race? Color-A-Thon recommends that you wear a bright white so can show off your tie-dye shirt at the end of the course. We recommend coordinating the rest of your outfit with neon socks, headbands or wristbands. If you are with a group of people, try organizing a theme for everyone to follow.  

4. What is the Color Blast Dust Made of?
Color-A-Thon has an eco-friendly, non-toxic, plant-based powdered dye that is washable. Although, if you have a participant in your group that has asthma or dust allergies, Color-A-Thon recommends that you limit their exposure to the dust.  

5. Are there different types of Color-A-Thons? Yes, there are two different types of Color-A-Thons; choose from donation-based or entrance fee-based events. When you speak to your School-A-Thon planner, they will be able to find the best event for your organization.

To get started, pick your event date, plan, promote and have fun in full color! For more information about Color-A-Thon, visit them on Facebook.

10 Tips for Promoting Your Fundraising Event

We have run over 20,000 fundraising events. In our professional experience, we know how crucial publicity is to the success of your event. It doesn’t matter how noble the cause or how organized you are…if people don’t know about your fundraiser, your participation will be affected.

With that said, we’ve put together a list of 10 thoughts to get you thinking critically about your event, which will hopefully lead to a ton of success.

1. Focus on the benefit of the fundraiser.
2. Remember - parents, teachers and community members are more likely to participate if they truly understand how money raised will be used for the school. 
3. Along the lines of #2, highlight the benefits your students will receive as a result of the fundraiser.
4. Remind people of what great gifts fundraisers items are; for example, encourage them to shop now for the holidays and beat the store crowds! 
5. Parents should be notified if you choose to extend your sale. Send a flyer or letter home and keep them up-to-date.
6. To get the most awareness and participation for your fundraiser, consistent communication with your supports is key. It’s going to take more than just one flyer to get your message to hit home. People may plan to join in, but as per usual, we all get busy and forget. A gentle reminder may really be appreciated and give your group a better chance for success!
7. Consider parents who may have formerly had their children attending your school. They may really want to support your fundraiser – but will only have the chance to do so if you let them know about it. 
8. If your school, PTO or other group has a newsletter, make sure to include your fundraiser in the news/events bulletin.
9. Create a special posting on your Facebook page dedicated to your fundraiser. 
10. The principal or teacher who gives the morning PA announcements can keep your school updated on the progress of the fundraiser. Even better? Let the students who have raised the most give the morning announcements!

Of course, these are just a few ideas on how you can spread the word about your fundraiser. If you have any questions, our team is here to help. Good luck and go raise those funds!