Fundraising Tips and
TrIcks for Parents

All Jog-a-thon proceeds will support Peabody's enrichment programs and events, including drama, movement, ceramics, and P.E. 

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Raising money for the Peabody Jog-a-thon can be simple for both you and your student’s donors. We're here to give you the tools that will maximize your fundraising efforts.

 

Tips before starting:

• Who is participating? Every Peabody student!

• What is a Jog-a-thon? A 30 minute (K-1grade) or 40 minute (2nd-6th grades) run where students track how many total laps they run in the time period.

• When is the Jog-a-thon? Thursday, February 9th

• Where is the Jog-a-thon? On our Peabody school field.

• Why are we doing the Jog-a-thon? To raise money for our school to support our enrichment programs. Bonus- students can earn great prizes!

• How can friends and family help? By giving a pledge per lap or pledging a flat rate.

 

How to get started:

• Start by making a list of all the people who you think might give  a pledge to your student.

• Have your student  set a goal. A good goal might be to set the number of pledges they hope to receive, as opposed to a particular amount of money they hope to raise. Example: “I want to have 20 people sponsor me for the Jog-A-Thon.”

• Have a conversation with your student about how to ask someone to sponsor them and have them practice what they say. See more about this below.

 

How to connect with potential sponsors:

• An effective way to get sponsors is for your student to make a personal connection with who they are asking to donate. People may be more inclined to say yes to donating and increase the amount when the student speaks with them directly. 

• It’s understandable if your student is shy doing the talking, so it might be easier for them to ask close family and friends first. Once a few people say yes, it becomes easier! 

• If your student is going to see a potential donor in person leading up to the Jog-A-thon, that is a great time to ask. However, a phone call can also work very well.   

 

Getting a pledge is a simple as 1-2-3

1. Send a text message to the potential donor
   Example Text Message:
   Hi (Potential Donor), (Your Child) is preparing for their school’s Jog-A-Thon and she’d love to give you a call and ask you to be a sponsor. If you’re comfortable with it, when would be a good time for her to call you? 

2. Call the person or speak with them in person
   Example student script:
   Hi (Potential Donor) I’m getting ready for my school's Jog-A-Thon. We do this every year to support our enrichment programs and events, including drama, movement, ceramics, and P.E. I was wondering if you would be willing to sponsor me. 

3. If they would like to sponsor, the easiest way is PledgeStar. Ask them if they would like you to text them the link and then you can send them your child's link directly. 

 

Using Social Media

• If you use social media, this can be a great way to get the attention of people who might want to donate. 

• Example Post
  Post a picture of your child running or shoot a video of them explaining what they are doing on Facebook or Instagram.
  Example Caption: (Your Child) is getting ready for her school Jog-A-Thon to support Peabody’s enrichment programs and events, including drama, movement, ceramics, and P.E. If you would like him/her to give you a call and ask for your support, please let me know! 

• The more times you post in the weeks leading up, the more your followers will know how important it is to your student. It’s a great way to gain donations from people you might not have thought to ask. 

 

Utilize PledgeStar

• Set up a PledgeStar account at https://pledgestar.com/peabodycharter/

• Have your student write a personal email to family and friends through PledgeStar. 

• See the PledgeStar document in your student’s Jog-a-thon packet for more information