Read-A-Thon for Libraries

Library directors and admin staff alike understand the transformative power of reading. However, to continue providing your community with vital services, libraries need fundraisers. The answer? A fundraiser centered around reading!

Read-A-Thons empower libraries to connect with their communities by challenging participants—particularly local children—to read.

With the Read-A-Thon platform, your library can turn these fundraisers into community events that bring everyone together to support their children and your library.

What is Read-A-Thon?

Read-A-Thon is an online software solution for hosting Read-A-Thon fundraisers. Through Read-A-Thon, libraries can effortlessly host engaging, organized fundraisers that generate revenue while instilling a love of reading in your community’s children.

With Read-A-Thon backing your fundraiser, your library can:

• Create a convenient online space for children to track their reading progress and collect donations from their friends and family.
• Track overall reading progress to encourage participants and adjust your library’s fundraising strategies if needed.
• Make getting involved easy by ensuring that anyone with an internet connection can access your participants’ Read-A-Thon pages and support them.

Why Read-A-Thons are Perfect for Libraries

We believe that Read-A-Thons are a great fundraiser for any organization that supports children’s literacy, especially libraries. By hosting a Read-A-Thon, your library can:

• Earn revenue that will support your library through our zero start-up fees platform.

• Encourage literacy and a lifelong love of books by rewarding children for reading the books that interest them.

• Connect with your community by hosting a fundraiser that supports the skills families want their children to learn and highlights the value your library provides.

Run a Read-A-Thon in 3 Easy Steps

With Read-A-Thon, you can get your fundraiser up and running in just three simple steps:

• Sign up for a free account. Read-A-Thon is free to get started with. Just fill out a simple form to create your account and start setting up your Read-A-Thon. There are no contracts or hidden fees—we’ll only collect a percentage of the donations your library earns, so you’ll always make a profit.
• Promote your fundraiser. Through the platform, you’ll get access to marketing and outreach tools so you can start spreading the word about your library’s fundraiser. Once you get started, Read-A-Thons essentially run themselves, with your library’s staff only needing to worry about marketing.
• Track fundraising progress through Read-A-Thon. Stay up-to-date with real-time reports from the Read-A-Thon platform on dollars earned, minutes read, total participants, and more.  

Discover How Much Your Library’s Read-A-Thon Could Raise

Hear From Libraries That Love Read-A-Thon

Discover how Read-A-Thon is helping libraries like yours:

Empowering Minds, Building Community: Read-A-Thon's Impact at Furr Elementary

"Read-A-Thon is a really great fundraiser for helping students set small goals, involve people in their lives, and engage in the adventure of reading."

Library Read-A-Thon FAQ

How can libraries start a Read-A-Thon?

To start a Read-A-Thon, libraries need just two things: participants ready to read and a way to track reading and donations. Connect with your community’s kids by partnering with a school, organizing family-centered reading activities, or reaching out to families in your community. Then, look for a fundraising platform like Read-A-Thon that can handle all of your tracking, management, and marketing needs.

Should my library offer prizes during the Read-A-Thon?

Whether your library offers prizes to Read-A-Thon participants is up to you, but we recommend it since exciting prizes can be strong motivators for many children.

To simplify your prize model, Read-A-Thon offers two flexible profit options. If your library decides to handle prizes itself, then you’ll receive 80% of the donation total. If you’d like Read-A-Thon to handle prizes, you’ll gain access to our prize store, where participants can select prizes based on how much they’ve raised for your school. In this approach, you’ll receive 75% of the donation total.

How can my library support students during our Read-A-Thon?

In addition to providing them with a platform where they can track their donations collected and time read, libraries can support Read-A-Thon participants by providing them with two things you likely already have: books and spaces to read! Encourage Read-A-Thon participants to browse your library and even set aside books that are popular for student readers to help jumpstart their search.

How long should my library’s Read-A-Thon last?

We recommend hosting your Read-A-Thon over the course of two weeks. This timeframe gives participants plenty of time to read and collect donations, without dragging the fundraiser out and losing momentum.

Start Your Library’s Read-A-Thon Today

Read-A-Thons boost literacy, rally communities, and earn funding all at the same time. Start your library’s journey with Read-A-Thon today.