Library budgets are often the first line a school trims, yet the cost of keeping a collection current never stops - new titles, replacements for worn favorites, databases, and programming all compete for a shrinking pool. Too many librarians end up covering the gap out of pocket or going without.
A Read-A-Thon closes that gap with the very activity you're trying to grow: reading. Students log the minutes they read, family and friends sponsor them online, and your library keeps 75-80% of every donation in cash - money you direct straight to the shelves.
Why school library budgets fall short - and how to fix it
Library budgets are often the first line trimmed when a school tightens its belt, yet the cost of keeping a collection current never stops. New titles, replacements for worn favorites, databases, and programming all compete for a shrinking pool. Most librarians end up funding the gap out of pocket or going without.
A Read-A-Thon closes that gap with an activity you're already trying to grow: reading. Students log the minutes they read, their family and friends sponsor them online, and your library keeps the large majority of every donation in cash - money you direct straight to the shelves.
Up and running in 10 minutes
No contracts, no minimums, no boxes in the back room.
1. Sign up free
Create your page in a few clicks. Our team sets up your main fundraiser and hands you the dashboards - no credit card, no setup fee.
2. Readers log minutes
Readers pick what they read and track minutes - not pages - so everyone can take part and succeed, at any reading level.
3. Donations roll in
Family and friends donate online from anywhere. We handle payment processing; you watch totals climb in real time.
Ideas to maximize your library Read-A-Thon
Layer these on top of your main campaign to lift participation and totals.
Set a whole-school minutes goal
A shared target with a visible tracker turns the fundraiser into an event the whole building rallies around.
Tie rewards to reading milestones
Small milestone rewards keep readers motivated through the full two weeks. In a Read-A-Thon, readers earn RAT Bucks they redeem in an online prize store - you never handle prizes yourself.
Run a "fund a shelf" recognition wall
Let donors fund a specific subject or set of titles and recognize them on a display. It pairs naturally with the donation totals you're already collecting.
Anchor it to a reading holiday
Schedule around Read Across America or National Reading Month so the campaign has a built-in theme and date families remember.
Want a book-themed event alongside it? Auction donated books and experiences free on 32auctions.