Walk-A-Thon Fundraising
Raise 50% More.
No Platform Fees.
Step by step, PledgeStar makes your Walk-A-Thon fast, fun, and profitable, helping your school go the extra mile with zero platform fees.
No upfront cost. No commitment.
A Format That Fits Every School
Thousands of Schools Choose PledgeStar because it adapts to any Walk-A-Thon format. Here are the most popular ways schools bring theirs to life.
Color / Fun Walk
- Costumes Welcome
- Spirit Points
Timed Walk
- Set Time Limit
- Flat Donations
Flat Pledge Walk
- Fixed Amount
- Simple to Ask
Grade-Level Relay
- Staggered Heats
- Age-Safe Groups
Virtual & Hybrid
- Walk Anywhere
- On Your Own Time
Build Your Own
- Custom Course
- Custom Goals
Ready, Set, Walk!
Join the fun and help your school go the extra mile!
A Walk-A-Thon helps students raise funds in a fun and engaging way by walking together for a set time, no competition involved. Most Walk-A-Thons rely on simple flat donations, making it easy for students of every age to join in. The Walk-A-Thon promotes physical activity and boosts students' confidence while bringing the community together in a fun and healthy way: through walking!
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 link for secure flat donations. PledgeStar grows your donor pool, simplifies the collection process, and offers easy reporting so you can focus on the fun.
Promote the Event
Spreading the word about your Walk-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. With PledgeStar's easy-to-use platform, parents and students track donations in real time, keeping the excitement and momentum high.
Walk!
The Walk-A-Thon creates a sense of teamwork and achievement. Every step walkers take gets them 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.
Walk-A-Thon organizers engage, excite, and inspire students by encouraging them to be physically active, set personal walking goals, and pursue pledges from family and friends. Clear rules and objectives create a fun and inclusive event, motivating students to challenge themselves while enjoying the shared experience with their classmates.
Duration
The Walk-A-Thon typically lasts twenty to thirty minutes per group, depending on the school's schedule and objectives. Different age groups walk at different times, so younger students, such as first graders, don't walk alongside older students, like fifth graders, for safety reasons. This lets each group enjoy the event in a controlled and safe environment.
Walking Objective
Students set a personal goal for how long or how far they would like to walk during the Walk-A-Thon. Whether experienced walkers or first-timers, each participant works toward their own walking objective with support from classmates, family, and friends, no competition involved.
Walking Path
Participants typically walk on the school's track, field, or playground, and schools customize the course to fit their needs. Whether it's a loop around campus or a straight route, schools ensure safety and accessibility for everyone.
Guidelines
Walk-A-Thon organizers set clear guidelines to help the event run smoothly, including participation rules, the length of the walking course, and minimum fundraising goals. Offering incentives, such as prizes for top fundraisers, encourages greater involvement.
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 Walk-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 walk-a-thon. Go FREE and pay nothing to use the platform, with donors able to add a small amount at checkout to help keep it free. 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 Walk-A-Thon. 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 in the Walk-A-Thon. 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
Our team supports your Walk-A-Thon every step of the way, from setup to troubleshooting, so your event runs smoothly and successfully.
Ever wonder how to boost your school fundraising efforts in a fun and effective way? PledgeStar transforms your Walk-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
- A simplified donation process
- Real-time tracking
- Social sharing and engaging promotional tools
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 Walk-A-Thon stays a super-successful, fun, and stress-free event for you and your school.
Keep More of
What You Raise
Set up your walk-a-thon in minutes and choose the FREE plan to pay nothing to use PledgeStar. You keep everything raised minus standard credit card processing fees, and donors can choose to add a small amount at checkout to help keep the platform free.
Prefer more flexibility? Our standard plan charges a low 7% fee, capped at $1,195 per event. With Donor Fee Coverage, sponsors can optionally cover both platform and processing fees at checkout, so your walkathon keeps 100% of every donation.
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 walk-a-thon best. See pricing details →
Running a different kind of event? Explore our Jog-A-Thon, Read-A-Thon, Fun Run & Color Run, Anything-A-Thon, 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 Walker
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 Walk-A-Thon 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 Walk-A-Thon
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?
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.