Read-a-thon Fundraising
Run a read-a-thon with a donation page built for the event. Students collect pledges for what they read, classes compete on the leaderboard, and there is no all-or-nothing target. No monthly fees, no minimum.
Reward Reading and Raise Money
A read-a-thon gets students reading while their supporters back them online. Raised gives you an event-ready page, optional class competition, and secure payments, set up in minutes. Readers collect pledges through their own page, so there are no cash tins or paper forms to chase.
- Free to set up with no monthly fees
- Keep everything you raise, with no minimum target
- Live progress tracker with your fundraising goal
- A page and QR code for every reader
- Sponsors choose a set amount or type their own
- Secure payments via Stripe (cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay)
Aroha sponsored Mia
$50 · Room 12 · just now
How It Works
Create Your Campaign
Add your read-a-thon details and set your fundraising goal. Takes about 2 minutes.
Add Readers and Classes
Turn on Teams mode so classes or year groups can compete, each reader with their own page and QR code.
Share and Collect
Readers share their page via email, social media, or messaging apps. Sponsors pledge securely through Stripe.
Get Paid
Funds go directly to your connected Stripe account. No waiting for the event to finish.
Running a Read-a-thon
Students can read anywhere, so most of the planning is about what counts and how families keep track.
Books, Pages or Minutes
Minutes suit mixed ages best, since a picture book and a novel take very different times to read. Older students may prefer counting books or pages. Pick one measure for each class.
Send Home a Reading Log
A simple log that a parent signs each day is enough. Teachers collect the logs at the end to confirm totals and hand out certificates or prizes.
Explain the Pledge
Sponsors on Raised give a set amount. To back each book or minute, they can estimate the total and give that up front. Put your counting rule in the campaign description.
Bring the Library In
Ask your school library for book lists or a display for the event. A read-a-thon also works over the holidays, when students have more time to read.
A page that looks like the event
A modern picture book. Sunshine yellow, a shelf of chunky books along the bottom, and a bookworm in glasses peering over them.
- The donate form is a book, and every amount is a little cover
- A row of picture book spines across the hero
- A progress bar that grows like a bookworm
- A countdown to when the last page turns
- Want your school colours instead? Pick another colour scheme and the whole page recolours to match.
Not ready to sign up yet?
Leave your details and we'll email you an overview of running a read-a-thon on Raised. Reply with any questions and we'll help you plan it.
Turn It Into a Class Competition
Optional Teams mode is what makes a read-a-thon take off. Enable it from your dashboard to add classes, individual reader pages, and leaderboards.
Classes and Year Groups
Group readers into classes or year groups, each with their own fundraising total.
Individual Reader Pages
Every reader gets their own page with a shareable link and a QR code they can print or post to collect pledges.
Live Leaderboards
Class and individual leaderboards drive friendly competition and keep everyone motivated to read and raise more.
Built-In Features
Progress Tracker
A live progress bar shows sponsors how close you are to your goal, updating as pledges come in.
Flexible Donations
Sponsors choose from preset amounts ($15, $30, $50, $100, $250) or enter any custom amount from $0.50 to $10,000.
Secure Payments
All donations are processed through Stripe with bank-level encryption. Supports Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
No Cash to Handle
Readers collect pledges online through their own page, so there are no cash tins, envelopes, or paper forms to chase.
Works on Any Device
Your campaign page looks great on phones, tablets, and desktops. Sponsors can give from anywhere.
Team Fundraising
Optional classes and individual reader pages with leaderboards to turn your read-a-thon into a competition.
Have questions before you start?
Leave your details and we'll email you an overview of running a read-a-thon on Raised. Reply with any questions and we'll help you plan it.
Choosing a read-a-thon platform
Get practical guidance on student pages, class teams and the work your school needs to organise.
Read the school planning guideFrequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about running a read-a-thon on Raised
Can we import a class without students creating accounts?
Yes. Choose Team Mode, create each class team and import members from CSV. Students can be added with an approved display name and no email address. A caregiver or teacher shares each student's link; students without email do not log in or receive onboarding emails.
Can student names and rankings be hidden from public lists?
Yes. Privacy mode hides public teams, member lists, leaderboards and the checkout picker. Direct student links still show the approved display name and team, so use first names, initials or school-approved aliases. Keep Team/member selection required on if every donation must be credited to a student. Public leaderboard can also be turned off separately.
Does the class leaderboard adjust for class size?
The standard team leaderboard ranks total raised. It does not automatically calculate an average per student. If your school wants an average-per-student award, agree the class counts and calculate it separately. You can also celebrate activity participation or use a shared school target without public rankings.
What is a read-a-thon?
A read-a-thon is a sponsored reading event. Students collect pledges for the books, pages, or minutes they read over a set period. It rewards reading and raises money at the same time, which makes it a favourite for schools and libraries.
How much does it cost to run a read-a-thon?
There are no setup fees, monthly fees, or subscription costs. By default a 5% platform fee and standard Stripe processing fees are added to each donation and paid by the supporter, not you. You can choose to absorb fees yourself in your payment settings.
How do students collect pledges?
Each reader gets their own page with a shareable link and QR code. Friends and family sponsor them with a set amount. To back each book or page, a sponsor can estimate the total and give that up front. Every donation rolls up into your event goal and the leaderboards.
Can classes compete against each other?
Yes. Turn on the optional Teams mode from your dashboard to group readers into classes or year groups, give each student their own page, and show team and individual leaderboards.
Do I need to reach my goal to keep the funds?
No. You keep every donation regardless of whether you hit your target. There is no all-or-nothing requirement.
How quickly do I get the money?
Funds are paid out through Stripe, typically within a few business days depending on your country and bank.
Running a different event? See athon fundraising, walk-a-thons, and fun runs.
Ready to Run Your Read-a-thon?
Create a free read-a-thon campaign and start collecting pledges in minutes.