Sing-a-thons are out-of-the-box fundraisers that are engaging and effective. Participants have fun and help fundraise for their school, extra-curricular program, or club.
Here, we’ll show you the A-Z of sing-a-thons, including planning, tracking donations, and ideas on how to organize and promote it.
1
Everything you need to know about starting a sing-a-thon from A-Z.
2
A quick introduction to what a sing-a-thon is and how it works.
3
Thon’s can be a powerful fundraising tool.
4
The tools, support, and volunteers you’ll need for a successful sing-a-thon.
5
How to raise money with sing-a-thons.
6
Kickstart your sing-a-thon using curated templates and tools.
7
Feel inspired with our sing-a-thon theme examples.
Schools that sign up get full access to all of FutureFund’s features—it’s always free and it always will be.
Use these templates to keep your Sing-A-Thon planning on track:
Use FutureFund to create a Pledge-A-Thon campaign and provide your campaign details.
Make sure your campaign has the following elements:
Here’s a Canva template of sample Sing-A-Thon rules. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Subject: Raise Your Voice at [School Name]’s Annual Sing-A-Thon!
Hello Students,
Get ready to showcase your vocal talents at our upcoming Sing-A-Thon! This event isn’t just about singing; it’s an opportunity to express yourself, support our school, and enjoy a day filled with music and joy.
Why join the Sing-A-Thon?
How to Sign Up:
Joining is simple and fun! Click on this link [insert FutureFund link], follow the easy registration steps, and start warming up your vocal cords. You’ll also get a link to share with friends and family for pledges based on your performance.
Whether you’re a budding singer or just love music, this event is for everyone. Let’s make some beautiful melodies together!
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[School or Name of School Group]
You can also use this Canva template to keep a copy of your email script handy. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Subject: Your Support Strikes a Chord – [School Name] Sing-A-Thon Update!
Dear [Donor’s Name],
Thank you for supporting our Sing-A-Thon! Your contributions are key to providing an unforgettable experience for our students and reaching our fundraising goals for [insert specific goal or cause].
Current Update:
It’s not too late to support our performers through FutureFund at [insert link]. Your generosity is crucial to our success and is deeply appreciated by our entire school community.
With heartfelt thanks,
[Your Name]
[School or Name of School Group]
You can also use this Canva template to keep a copy of your email script handy. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Subject: The Stage is Set! Final Day Before [School Name]’s Sing-A-Thon!
Hello [Name of School] Students & Families!
The curtain is about to rise! Our Sing-A-Thon is just a day away, and the excitement is palpable. Our students are ready to charm you with their voices and performances.
Here’s what you need to know:
Your support and encouragement are vital to our students and help make a significant impact on our school community. Let’s sing our hearts out!
See you at the show,
[Your Name]
[School or Name of School Group]
You can also use this Canva template to keep a copy of your email script handy. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Here are some Canva templates to help you spread awareness for your Sing-A-Thon on social media and in your community! Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Canva Sing-A-Thon Template for Instagram Story
Canva Sing-A-Thon Template for Instagram Post
Canva Sing-A-Thon Template for Printable Poster
Example caption: Support [insert school name]’s Sing-A-Thon from [insert date]. Help our school community raise money for [insert cause] by registering to sing!
Ask local businesses to sponsor the Sing-A-Thon. This can help your PTA reach your fundraising targets while business owners get exposure and positive PR.
Make sure to explain how each sponsor’s contribution will be recognized. For example, you could:
Finally, the day of the event will arrive—and if you’ve followed all the steps above, you should have everything you need to make it successful. Here’s a sample event schedule:
Morning Session
Afternoon Session
Evening Session
Post-Event Tasks
Sing-a-thons are unique, but they follow the same basic format as other a-thons, like read-a-thons or dance-a-thons. Participants sing for a certain amount of time and gather donations in the form of pledges.
You can build a sing-a-thon into a school concert and turn it into a fundraising opportunity. Because the money is going back to the school, most people are happy to support it.
Treat these as a base and feel free to tailor these to suit your specific event.
Sing-a-thons can follow a few different formats: a one-time event, multiple singing sessions, or virtually/at-home. Most sing-a-thons are held as one-time events, similar to any concert.
As a one-time event, the sing-a-thon should last between 2 and 4 hours. If you’re doing your event in multiple sessions or at home, then the event can be anywhere from 4 to 10 hours.
The goal will be largely dependent on the length of your sing-a-thon. A one-time event should have a shorter time goal than multiple sessions or an at-home event, for example.
Typically, singers should set a goal of singing at least 1 hour per session. For one-time events, participants should try and sing for at least 2-3 hours.
Sing-A-Thons are appropriate for all ages—but you’ll probably want to choose songs for younger students and let older students choose their own (as long as they’re appropriate for schools).
Start telling students about the Sing-A-Thon at least two weeks before it starts.
Students should be signed up in your fundraising system so they can gather donations for at least seven days before the fundraiser starts (although it’s still okay to take last-minute sign-ups).
On the day the fundraiser starts, be sure to re-explain the rules and encourage students to continue fundraising.
If your Sing-A-Thon takes place over multiple days, take an opportunity halfway through to remind students how many days they have left to participate.
ups).
A sing-a-thon is a type of peer-to-peer fundraiser. In exchange for their time singing, people pledge donations to the singers. Donors can be family, friends, and coworkers (or parents’ coworkers).
The exact rules for your sing-a-thon are totally up to you, so you can customize the event to fit your school. Sing-a-thons can be done as one continuous event, split into sessions, or at-home.
Most sing-a-thons are between 2 and 10 hours. There are a few different ways you can split the time:
Sing-a-thons can be held any time of year. However, since sing-a-thons are usually held inside, they’re a great winter fundraiser. That way, you can save the summer months for fundraisers that can only be held outside.
Sing-a-thons require a bit of event coordination. You’ll want to look into the following at least a few months in advance:
Sing-A-Thons are great fundraisers, especially if your school has a music program, choir, or musically-talented students. If your students are passionate about singing, this is an excellent way for them to show off their skills and raise money doing it.
You can also gather donations through ticket sales and pledges, increasing the fundraising potential.
FutureFund gives you the ability to generate financial reports for fundraising campaigns in just a few clicks. To do this, navigate to Store and click the Reports tab near the top of your screen. Then choose Campaign Summary from the drop-down menu and click Generate Report.
Yes—FutureFund lets you create a list of the volunteer positions you’ll need to fill, then add a volunteer page to your registration portal so parents can sign up in just a few simple clicks. See the steps for signing up volunteers here.
Schools that sign up get full access to all of FutureFund’s features—it’s always free and it always will be.
An “a-thon” is a peer-to-peer style fundraiser that involves participating in a certain activity and gathering donations for participating in said activity.
The activity can be almost anything, from reading to running to bowling. No matter what activity you choose, the premise is the same. Participants commit to doing the activity (reading a certain amount of books, running a certain distance) and ask their friends, family, and coworkers to support them.
A-thons work great because you reach a huge donor pool through peer-to-peer fundraising. People are also more likely to donate since participants are “working” in return for the donations.
FutureFund’s built-in pledge campaigns allow you to easily collect money and keep donations/pledges organized. Since parents cover payment processing fees, 100% of the funds raised go to your school!
FutureFund makes running a sing-a-thon easy for everyone. Easier for PTAs and PTOs to run, for students and parents to participate, and for donors to donate.
Instead of dealing with paper pledge forms and cash and cheques, FutureFund takes the process online. Donors can donate instantly online with their credit or debit cards.
FutureFund makes it easy to track how the fundraiser is going. Easily view how much money has been raised and more with detailed reporting.
Consider the below when organizing your sing-a-thon. Spending a bit of time up front getting organized from an admin and donation perspective will save a lot of time and potential frustration later.
Each student will sign up as a participant in the fundraiser. Then, they can collect pledges individually by credit or debit card. You can also accept cash pledges, but be mindful of properly storing and tracking cash you collect.
If you are using FutureFund, you can record these pledges and they will automatically count towards the student’s total and the grand total for the fundraiser.
Before launching your fundraiser, confirm what records you need to collect from donors.
If you are using FutureFund, it’s easy for students to sign up, especially if their information is already in the system. You can bulk sign up entire grades or classes. All donor payments are automatically entered into the system, so you can instantly see each student’s total and the grand total.
Fundraising campaigns that accept online donations perform much better than fundraisers that only accept cash or check.
If you are using FutureFund, you can accept payments online. Donors are given a donation link and can pay by credit or debit card. Any cash donations can also be noted in the system to be collected later.
Use these templates to keep your Sing-A-Thon planning on track:
1. Objective
2. Participants
3. Registration
4. Song Selection
5. Pledges and Donations
6. Performance Schedule
7. Equipment and Accompaniment
8. Health and Safety
9. Awards and Recognition
10. Publicity
11. Code of Conduct
12. Cancellation Policy
Or, here’s a Canva template of sample Sing-A-Thon rules. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Unsure of where to start? Use this sample student and parent messaging to get the ball rolling!
—
Join us for our sing-a-thon! On [date], [school name] will be hosting a sing-a-thon to help fundraise for [cause]. You can help by singing as much as you can! Parents, each student will be collecting pledges online through FutureFund: [link].
Please spread the word to your family, friends, and coworkers to help make this fundraiser a success!
Let parents and supporters donate online with FutureFund’s online pledges. Try it out for free!
—
Make your donation easily and instantly! Click this [link] to make your donation through secure credit or debit card payment.
If you prefer to donate by cash or check, just donate directly to the student you’re supporting. Thank you for your support!
Use these Canva email script templates to call out for Sing-A-Thon participants, donations, and to keep your fundraiser top-of-mind. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Canva Sing-A-Thon Student Sign-up Email Template
Use these Canva templates to help you spread awareness for your Sing-A-Thon on social media and in your community! Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Canva Sing-A-Thon Template for Instagram Story
Canva Sing-A-Thon Template for Instagram Post
Canva Sing-A-Thon Template for Printable Poster
Example caption: Support [insert school name]’s Sing-A-Thon from [insert date]. Help our school community raise money for [insert cause] by registering to sing!
A holiday or Christmas concert is a classic theme, and it works great for sing-a-thons. Incorporate Christmas carols and songs for other holidays like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
This historical theme allows you to incorporate songs from any era. You can even take guests through the decades with songs from the past to the present.
Take a trip around the world without leaving home. Choose songs from around the world and take guests on a musical journey.
This theme lets you have fun with your sing-a-thon fundraiser. Choose funny, goofy songs to entertain both your singers and your guests.
You can pick almost any music genre for your sing-a-thon: county, pop, hip hop, and more. Just make sure you can find clean versions of the songs you choose.
FutureFund is used by over 1,000+ organizations, including:
Bollinger Elementary & Iron Horse Middle School
"FutureFund is always responsive to questions and suggestions, and added new corporate matching features based on my feedback. We rarely had to wait more than 24 hours for support and always felt taken care of."
Tassajara Elementary
"FutureFund provides excellent onboarding and support for our organization. The FutureFund Team is based in America and easy to get on a call with to help us troubleshoot problems. Most issues are resolved within 24 hours!"
