How to Plan Your Spring Color-A-Thon Fundraiser

 

It’s been a long, snowy winter here in the Midwest. Let’s warm up for spring with a Color-A-Thon fundraiser!

Spring is the perfect time to host a Color-A-Thon fundraiser because it is a fun, active, colorful event for participants and a great fundraiser for your school or organization.

People have been cooped up inside and have extra energy to burn off – many want to do it outside. The warmth of a spring fundraiser makes the event perfect for a first day of outdoor fun in the new year. Color-A-Thon fundraisers are also upbeat and colorful, which is sure to bring excitement and happiness to participants bored from a stretch of white winter woes.

Your community will be excited to participate and motivated to help raise funds for this fun, outdoor event. You can create up to 70% profit with your Color-A-Thon event!

You may be wondering though: where do I start to plan this fundraiser? We can sure help with that, because the time to start is now!

Here’s a run-through of the work you need to begin planning:

1. Donation-Based or Entrance Fee-Based Fundraisers

We have two variations on our most popular Color-A-Thon event: donation-based and entrance fee-based. The donation-based event uses a pledge site developed for each person to raise funds individually. We will provide you with donation envelopes and a prize reward program that gives people incentive to raise funds. This setup is ideal for elementary and middle school fundraisers.

Your other option is to have an entrance fee-based fundraiser which opens the event to the larger community. In this fundraiser, you choose the entrance fee cost (minimum of $30) which will include a color pack and t-shirt. We will provide a custom registration website for your event and will include a money management software to help you keep track of your profits.

2. Form a Planning Committee

The best events are never planned alone. Form a group of people that can help with the fundraiser planning tasks and delegate the work. This will ease the burdens of planning from one person’s shoulders and make the planning a team-oriented process.

3. Make a Schedule

Ensure you are meeting your fundraiser planning deadlines by making a timeline for when certain tasks need to be completed and assigning the tasks to a single member of your planning committee. Doing this will keep you organized and create timely goals for your team to accomplish.

4. Plan Time to Promote Your Event

You need time to get the word out and get people excited for your Color-A-Thon fundraiser. Start distributing materials or plan an outreach campaign far enough in advance that you give participants time to raise funds or commit to your event. We give you the posters and materials you need, you just need to use them in a timely manner to reach your community.

5. Find Volunteers to Manage and Facilitate the Event

Plan volunteers and their specific roles in advance to help at your event. Members of your community will be happy to support a fun and successful fundraiser, but give notice so there is no confusion on your fundraiser day. To stay organized, document your volunteers and their roles to track the remaining volunteers you need and coordinate volunteers the day of the event.

Spring is the best time to host a successful Color-A-Thon Fundraiser, and thankfully, it’s also just around the corner! Visit our website to get started.

4 Questions to Help Your Kids Clean Out Their Closets

The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and the bees are buzzing. It’s enough to entice anyone to “spring” outdoors and enjoy the fresh air. The clutter that is lurking in your child's closet when spring arrives is a compilation of an entire season’s worth (or more) of belongings. School-a-thon will help you dive into your spring cleaning and get your kid’s messy closet sorted. Here are some questions to ask yourself and your little helper when starting this endeavor.

Can I Live Without This?

Instead of thinking of what you could use something for, think if you could get away without it. You can probably think of a million and a half crafting projects or other uses for your child’s hoarded odds and ends, but odds are you’re just delaying the inevitable, which is throwing it away or adding it to a future garage sale. Remember, it’s spring cleaning, not spring “Oh, I remember this thing-ing.”

Could We Donate This?

Living without something doesn’t always mean you need to toss it in a landfill and forget about it! Donating a seldom used item can be a wonderful thing and will lead to some pretty nifty tax write-offs. Some of the most sought after belongings to donate are:

• Jackets
• Sleeping bags
• Toys
• Glasses
• Clothing

Could This Space be Put to Better Use?

Maybe your cluttered closet could be a new home for arts and crafts supplies, or maybe storing clothing in the closet could allow you to get rid of a dresser and open up the room for more activities. Check out some of these organizational tips to make the most out of your soon-to-be clean space.

When Did I Use This Last? Do I Plan to Use it Soon?

It’s likely that the tennis racket you bought in 2004 that you used twice isn’t going anywhere. Maybe your little trumpet player didn’t make it to Louis Armstrong’s level, and that’s ok. While there are objects of value you’ll find, think about their practicality. Lower stress, greater happiness, and increased self-esteem have been associated with minimalism, so if you don’t have plans on using it, it might be better off for sale or donated.

If you’ve asked all these questions, and followed through with constructive answers, your closets should be organized and in tip-top-shape. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe for more parenting, fitness, and life tips!

How To Prepare For A Race

As the weather gets warmer, it is time to start enjoying the outdoors again! Fundraising organizations across the nation are already planning spring and summer events - the most popular being a 3K or a 5K. Color runs, especially, have become very popular in the last few years and are a successful way to raise money. Participants vary in experience and often times have never participated in a running event before. Thankfully, that doesn’t stop those of us who just want to help! If you’ve decided to take part in a 3K or 5K fundraiser, check out the tips below to get you started:

Register

There are a variety of different races that have their own format, including donation-based and fee-based runs. To begin, register with the organization setting up the event because there are many ways to enter and many ways to show your support. Fundraising runs not only help you with your fitness goals but also help the community at large.

Get the right equipment

It is important to find the right type of running equipment to make your race a success. Visiting a local running specialty store can help you with a professional fitting, as well as other accessories that will help make your race a triumph.

Make a plan

Making a plan requires creating a training program that best fits your level of fitness. Beginners should start off with walking then work their way up to running and walking intervals. The eventual goal should is to be able to run without stopping. Make sure to listen to your body and find a pace that fits your abilities.

Begin training

Start your training one step at a time. Make sure to do a proper warm-up of one to three minutes before your run and always stay hydrated before and after. Most newbie runners make the mistake of running too much too soon, which leads to injury and discouragement. A little progress goes a long way. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.

Breathe

Breathing is extremely important when running. It is best to breathe through both your mouth and your nose to help your working muscles. Breathing in every two to four steps and out every two to four steps will help train your body to have an effective breathing pattern.

Recovery

The body grows stronger at rest after a run. Do not push yourself to run if you feel your body isn’t ready. Your body will tell you when it is ready. What you can do during your recovery periods is get a good amount of sleep and eat well-balanced meals. And, of course, stay hydrated.

You now have the tools you need to successfully complete a run. Now it is up to you to challenge yourself and start your 3K, 5K, or other running adventure. Visit schoolathon.org to learn more about hosting your own fundraiser.

Fresh Springtime Money Saving Activities for Family Fun

Springtime is finally in full-throttle! How can you make the most of exciting and memorable experiences with your family without draining your wallet? While camping, baseball games, frolicking on the beach, and barbeque cookouts are what come to mind for spring and summertime activities, what other opportunities can you enjoy?

Get Outdoors

After a long and cold winter, what better way to spend time with your family then to get outdoors and bask in the sun. Walk to your neighborhood park. Find the best local nature preserves to walk, hike, swim, and explore. Visit botanical gardens. Camp in your own backyard on a clear spring night. Checkout if there’s geocache excursions available in your area for a fun, nature-filled scavenger hunt.

Explore Local and New Cultures

Culture and new experiences are all around you. Help your family embrace culture by visiting museums and walking around local festivals. Both museums and festivals often offer school vacation discounts or admission based on a small donation. Explore the farmers’ market, and try out local delicacies. Rather than adventuring to a new (and perhaps pricey) ethnic restaurant, pick out a dish to create in your own kitchen.

Explore Your Backyard

Your own backyard can hold a treasure trove of activities for you and your family. Think big and finish plans for a brand new tree house or play set. Try creative, smaller projects and build a birdfeeder, wind chime, or compost bin. Paint your mailbox a brand new color or have your kids paint garden stones for your garden bed. Teach your kids about sustainability by having them help plant vegetables for your garden.

Good Ol’ Spring Cleaning

While some people love cleaning, others will want to save this project for a rainy day. After freshening up your backyard, take the productivity inside and tackle spring cleaning. Clean out closets, and get rid of excess junk. See what you can renovate and reuse, and what you can recycle or donate. Put your family to work and let your house breath lighter. Not only is this project free, you can actually make some money if you sell what you don’t want in a garage sale!

Do Some Good

Volunteering is an excellent way to spend time together as a family. Organize a neighborhood or park cleanup and get the neighbors involved, or pick a cause you support as a family and find ways you can help locally. Adopt a pet from a shelter or encourage your kids to become mentors to other kids in your community.

Teach Your Kids

Just because school is out doesn’t mean that your kids can’t keep learning. Teach them how to swim, swing a bat, or ride a bike. Take a step in the silly direction and learn with them how to juggle, how to make a mud pie, how to plant a fairy garden, or how to speak a gibberish language.

Let Your Kids Teach You

Connect with your family and find your inner child by enjoying carefree, nostalgic activities. Cloud watch, bird watch, play in the rain, run through the sprinklers, fly a kite, create sidewalk chalk art, chase bubbles, puddle jump, make pinwheels, braid flower crowns, pick wildflowers, tie dye something- tie dye everything! The opportunities are endless. Don’t miss a chance to be with your kids and let them remind you how fun it is to be a kid again.