Advantages Of Reading Fundraiser

The basic foundation of a reading fundraiser is that the kids are funded by reading as many books as they can within a stipulated period of time. It is like a challenge of reading books. Before the challenge starts, sponsors set the amount for a certain book. When the stipulated time ends the money is raised depending on the number of books read in that time.

Advantages of Reading Fundraiser

There are several benefits of reading fundraisers that can bring positive outcomes for the children.

• It encourages the students to read more and more
• It can be done at the premises of the house, campuses, or a hybrid combination
• This exercise is suitable for the children of different age groups
• Minimal or no up-front cost and you can raise as much money as you can
• It builds a community of reading (highly beneficial for the mental development of children)

Suitable Time To Hold a Reading Fundraiser

They can be done at any time of the year but the most suitable time is the winter months when there are relatively lesser options available for raising funds. You can also link this activity with the ‘Book Week’ that comes in August every year.

Most of the groups run their reading fundraisers for a time period of two weeks. The style of conducting a read-a-thon depends on if you are carrying it out during schools hours or outside schools hours.

For instance,

• Five to ten 30 minutes sessions during class, for over 2 weeks
• Fifteen to twenty minutes sessions in class, for over 3 weeks
• Complete-time of 2 weeks out of the class
• One-hour session in the afternoon (after the school time) for 4 weeks
• A full-day occasion dedicated only to reading
• If you succeed in maintaining the required motivation level, you can carry on this exercise for an entire term

Pledge System

Most of the reading fundraisers work on pledge systems. In this system, once the stipulated time is set every child is provided with a pledge form to fill. The pledge form carries some personal information such as the name of the donor, the donor’s contact details, and the money pledged for a certain book.

Read-a-thon doesn’t work on the pledge system. Instead of using pledges for a book or minutes, it prefers to ask the donors for a lump sum amount. The biggest benefit of collecting the lump sum amount is that you can see how much you have actually raised.

Rules Of Holding a Reading Fundraiser

Rules are, generally, made to monitor which book is suitable for children of different age groups. For instance, a simple and small book of around 20 to 30 pages with pictures is suitable for kids of 1.5 to 2 years. But, the very same book is not eligible for kids of three years and above.

The second major rule is the allocation of reading minutes based on the age of the kids. All decisions are made prior to starting the challenge so that the whole reading process can take place without any ambiguity and uncertainty.

Also, Read-How Does the Future of Education Look Like?

Incentives – The Best Part Of The Reading Fundraiser

Kids love incentives to be involved with reading and what is better than if you can raise money for school expenses with the habit of reading. These incentives serve as a catalyst to maintain the required level of motivation toward reading and meeting deadlines.

Prizes are distributed on the basis of a number of books read by the children. Most of the ventures have instant reward systems and some have reward stores that upgrade the kid’s level urging him or her to read more to attain advanced levels.

Involvement Of Administrators, Teachers, And parents

Read-a-thon-style fundraisers have been here for years. Here, there is a close collaboration between administrators, teachers, and parents. Although the involvement of teachers is not required it is highly encouraged as they can help kids to process in an organized way.

As an administrator, you have your dashboard where you can get all the real-time information. Administrators also have access to the class and reader’s data.

As a parent, you will only require around 2 to 3 minutes to sign up for the fundraiser. Parents help to keep the kid on track and monitor the process through smartphones.

As a teacher, you get a dashboard similar to that of an admin’s dashboard. These dashboards are highly beneficial to maintain a piece of real-time information. When conducting the reading sessions in class, teachers can record the sessions. Teachers can also access the information related to funds raised.

When selecting the best reading fundraiser, it is significant to look for fundraisers that have a team of professional experts, a well-organized system, and a pool of resources to offer quality services and facilities to execute a successful reading fundraiser.