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How to run a

Telethon Fundraiser

Gather your team for a night of food, calling, texting, and reaching out to the community that wants to support you! A telethon is a crowdfunding fundraiser that allows supporters to easily make donations without the expectation of receiving anything in return.

Hands holding smartphones around a table

SuccessFund's campaign template makes it easy to:

  • Accept online payments of all kinds (including Venmo) without taking payments into personal accounts.
  • Track progress toward your goal and aggregate results by student or group so you know who's participating.
  • Create your page, share the link, and watch your results come in.

How-to video: Create and customize this campaign

Podcast interview of others who found success

In this podcast, Ayesha tells us how the Alta Football Team crushed their goals in just one evening for her Telethon.

Some of the best ideas we've seen

  • Prepare the Space & Use Time Effectively: Set up a comfortable room where your team can gather, eat pizza, and work together. Split up the team into groups at tables. Keep the event under two hours.
  • Equip with Smartphones: Ensure everyone has a smartphone to send donation links to their supporters. SuccessFund makes virtual donations easy for everyone.
  • Offer Prizes: Motivate your team with individual and group prizes for those who raise the most funds. You’ll be surprised at what your students will do for pizza and prizes.
  • Track Progress: Keep a scoreboard to show how close you are to your goal, boosting morale. You can even ring a bell or use a noise maker every time a goal is met or a donation of a certain amount is secured.
  • Encourage Personalized Messages: Share a message template in advance, but urge team members to add a personal touch when texting supporters.
  • Use Social Media: Spread the word on social platforms to reach more potential donors and target school alumni who will have more reason to give.
  • Provide Training: Teach effective communication skills and fundraising techniques before the event and provide guides for faculty, staff & parents.
  • Promote Team Spirit: Foster a sense of teamwork and friendly competition among participants. When an individual has reached their goal, have them help the others at their table who haven’t finished.
  • Celebrate Achievements: Recognize and thank donors and team members for their efforts promptly.
  • Highlight Impact: Share how donations make a difference to the team, parents and donors, inspiring more generosity at future events.

Every SuccessFund campaign is built with

  • Sell products and track inventory
  • Modern online payments (including Venmo)
  • In-person payments (including Venmo)
  • Credit the student you're supporting at checkout
  • Custom checkout questions, forms, and waivers
  • Log and track cash and check transactions
  • Automatic receipts
  • Scanning receipts for fulfillment and admissions
  • Customizable colors, calls-to-action, and imagery
  • and more...

Create a draft to get started

SuccessFund makes it simple.