Anything-A-Thon Fundraising
Raise 50% More.
No Platform Fees.
Spell-A-Thon, Math-A-Thon, Hoop-A-Thon, or a simple Pledge Drive: whatever you can dream up, PledgeStar helps you work less and raise more, with zero platform fees and no coding required.
No upfront cost. No commitment.
An Event That Fits Every School
PledgeStar supports Spell-A-Thons, Math-A-Thons, Lift-A-Thons, Home Run Derbies, Hoop-A-Thons, Goal-A-Thons, Dance-A-Thons, and just about any other event you can dream up. Works great for simple Pledge Drives too, no event necessary.
Spell-A-Thon
- Pledge Per Word
- Classroom Fun
Math-A-Thon
- Pledge Per Problem
- Grade-Level Fun
Lift-A-Thon
- Pledge Per Rep
- Team Spirit
Home Run Derby
- Pledge Per Hit
- Big Team Energy
Hoop-A-Thon
- Pledge Per Basket
- Court Time Fun
Goal-A-Thon
- Pledge Per Goal
- Field Day Ready
Dance-A-Thon
- Pledge Per Hour
- All-School Party
Build Your Own
- Any Idea Works
- Custom Goals
Versatile Support for Every Idea
Whether you want to hold an event or run a simple online Pledge Drive, PledgeStar helps you work less and raise more.
An Anything-A-Thon is any pledge-based fundraiser built around an activity your students already love. Instead of forcing your school into one fixed format, PledgeStar tracks individual participants, groups, and program-wide donation progress with an innovative, straightforward monitoring dashboard, so any idea can become a fundraiser.
Participants and groups love seeing where they stack up against each other in a friendly group competition to raise the most money. PledgeStar supports:
- Spell-A-Thons
- Math-A-Thons
- Lift-A-Thons
- Home Run Derbies
- Hoop-A-Thons
- Goal-A-Thons
- Dance-A-Thons
- ...and just about any other event you can dream up
PledgeStar also works great for simple Pledge Drives, no event necessary.
After entering your event details, share the registration page with your families so they can create their own personalized fundraising pages. The personalized invitations invite friends and family to donate by email, text, and social media, each with a secure link. PledgeStar grows your donor pool, simplifies the collection process, and offers easy reporting so you can focus on your event.
Promote the Event
Spreading the word about your A-Thon genuinely impacts its success, and PledgeStar makes promotion easy. Families mobilize friends and relatives with customizable emails and social media sharing options, improving your event's visibility and encouraging more participation and contributions.
Raise Money
Participants raise money by collecting pledges before, during, and after the event, whether it's per word spelled, per rep lifted, per basket made, or a flat donation. With PledgeStar's easy-to-use platform, parents and students track donations in real time, keeping the excitement and momentum high.
Hold Your Event
Any Anything-A-Thon creates a sense of teamwork and achievement. Every point, problem, or basket takes participants closer to their goals and to making a difference for their school.
Receive Donations
Unlike other fundraising platforms, with PledgeStar donations land directly in your account and are available immediately: no waiting. Easy reporting and real-time tracking help you stay on top of every donation.
It's easier than you think to ask more people to give. Just follow these steps.
1. Pick Your A-Thon
Choose the activity that fits your school's personality, whether it's academic, athletic, or purely for fun. Set a per-unit pledge (per word, per rep, per basket, per hour) or a flat donation, and decide whether to run a single event or a simple online Pledge Drive with no event at all.
2. Get the Word Out
After your site goes live, send your families the registration link. They follow the simple on-screen instructions to register their students and enter their family and friends.
3. Get $$$
Family and friends follow the link they receive, enter a donation amount, and choose whether to pay securely by credit card, PayPal, or check.
4. Get Real-Time Reports
Administrators can log in to PledgeStar any time to track the fundraiser's real-time progress with our easy-to-use event overview dashboard and reports.
5. Say Thank You
After the event concludes, thank everyone involved, donors, participants, and volunteers. Strengthen relationships with personalized thank-you notes and share updates on how contributions are making an impact.
Streamlined Setup
PledgeStar offers a quick and seamless setup process, so your school can start fundraising in no time. Our platform guides you through every step, from creating the event page to managing donations, so you can focus on making your A-Thon a success.
Customizable Fundraising Pages
Each student or team creates a personalized fundraising page with unique messages, photos, and progress updates. This personal touch helps participants connect more effectively with their supporters.
Reach Non-English Speakers
With support for over 50 languages, family, friends, and neighbors can easily donate and participate in your fundraiser, regardless of where they live or what language they speak.
Transparent and Capped Fees
You choose the plan that fits your event. Go FREE and pay nothing to use the platform, with donors able to add a small amount at checkout to help cover costs. Or choose our standard plan, with a low 7% fee that never exceeds a $1,195 cap, and let donors cover that fee through Donor Fee Coverage so your school keeps 100% of what's raised. Either way, funds deposit directly into your own account right away, so you never wait for funds to be released.
Real-Time Tracking and Reporting
Track donations and participation in real time with PledgeStar's reporting tools. Schools can monitor individual and overall fundraising progress, making it easy to recognize top performers and keep the community updated on the event's success.
Promotional Tools
PledgeStar provides social media integration, text messages, and email templates to help you spread the word about your event. These tools make sharing pages simple and encourage more people to donate.
Increased Participation
PledgeStar's accessible, easy-to-use system helps more students and parents participate. A simplified setup and user-friendly platform help schools boost engagement and raise more.
Simplified Donation Process
Making a donation has never been easier. PledgeStar offers a hassle-free process that lets supporters give online in just a few clicks.
Comprehensive Support
With PledgeStar, you work with a dedicated Pledge Drive Specialist focused on helping you squeeze every last dollar from your fundraiser. If you need help, we're always a quick call or email away.
Ever wonder how to boost your school fundraising efforts in a fun and effective way? PledgeStar transforms any A-Thon, making it easier than ever to raise money. Our platform simplifies the entire fundraising process, so schools can focus on fun and excitement while maximizing donations. Whether you're a parent, teacher, or student, PledgeStar's easy-to-use system ensures a smooth and successful fundraising experience for everyone.
- Easy-to-set-up fundraising pages
- Personalized pledge requests
- Works with any event format, or no event at all
- A simplified donation process
- Real-time tracking
- Social sharing and engaging promotional tools
- Group and individual leaderboards to fuel friendly competition
PledgeStar helps maximize fundraising while boosting event participation and management. It makes donation collection easy and efficient, leading to higher overall contributions. With PledgeStar, your Anything-A-Thon stays a super-successful, fun, and stress-free event for you and your school.
Keep More of
What You Raise
Pick the option that fits your event best, whatever the "thon." With PledgeStar FREE, you're live in minutes and pay $0 platform fees. Your group keeps everything raised minus standard credit card processing fees, and donors can optionally add a small extra amount at checkout to help keep it free.
Prefer our standard plan instead? It carries a 7% fee, capped at $1,195 per campaign. With Donor Fee Coverage, donors can optionally cover that fee along with processing at checkout, so your event keeps 100% of every donation at $0 out of pocket.
Everything Your School Needs
Raise 50% More
Schools using PledgeStar consistently raise more through easy, fun outreach by automated email, text, and social media.
Fee Plans Built for Schools
Choose the free plan or our standard plan with Donor Fee Coverage, whichever fits your event best. See pricing details →
Running a different kind of event? Explore our Jog-A-Thon, Walk-A-Thon, Read-A-Thon, Fun Run & Color Run, or Pledge Drive pages.
Effortless Setup
Launch your campaign in minutes. Families enter names and contacts, and our platform sends emails, texts, and social posts for them.
Personalized Pages for Every Student
Every student gets a personalized fundraising page to share with friends and family via text, email, and social media.
Reach Every Family, Any Language
With over 50 language options, families and friends near and far can participate and donate, no matter where they are.
World-Class Support
A dedicated specialist guides you through every step, from setup to launch to your final event report.
3 Simple Steps to Game-Changing Results
Your site goes live instantly. Send families the registration link and they follow simple on-screen instructions to enter their supporters.
Friends and family follow the link they receive, enter an amount, and pay securely with cards, digital wallets, and more. All major payment methods supported.
Log in any time to monitor your fundraiser's progress with our easy event overview dashboard and reports.
What Schools Are Saying
"PledgeStar made fundraising effortless, not just for us, but for our families too. It was easy to set up, intuitive to use, and powerful in results. We raised over $40,000 and didn't have to give nearly half of it away like we did before."
"PledgeStar completely transformed our jog-a-thon. What used to raise $17,000 now brings in over $85,000, without third-party vendors taking a massive cut. It is incredibly easy for parents and grandparents, and we keep 100% of the money for our school."
"PledgeStar was a game-changer for our school. Families tapped into relatives and friends across the country, and even overseas. We more than doubled our fundraising, jumping from $32,000 to nearly $60,000, and kept almost every dollar."
How to Raise 2x More
for Your Next Event
Get the expert tips used by thousands of schools to boost participation, raise more, and keep more for classrooms and programs.
It's absolutely free. No commitment required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can donors give from out of town or internationally?
Is there support available if I get stuck?
What if a family has multiple students participating?
Do we need to hold an event to raise money?
What if our event isn't in your list?
Start Raising in Minutes
With no platform fees. Tell us a bit about your school and we'll take it from there.
Why Schools and Teams Choose PledgeStar
Thousands of groups trust PledgeStar to run their "a-thon" fundraisers with less work and bigger results, all without paying platform fees.
- No platform fees, ever. Donors can optionally help cover costs.
- Automated emails and texts do the asking for you.
- Real-time dashboard to track every donation as it comes in.
- Dedicated support team to help you launch and grow.