How to Organize a Cartwheel-A-Thon Fundraiser

If you’re looking for a new and exciting way to raise funds for your organization, consider a cartwheel-a-thon. A fun twist on the sponsorship idea for making money, kids and adults alike can get into the action. Don’t be the last club to take part in this playful event that will become an annual affair.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Decide on the amount of money a sponsor will be required to pledge for each cartwheel. Set a maximum donation fee because some participants may perform hundreds of cartwheels, especially if your club consists of athletic youths.
2. Design and print out pledge forms to distribute to all the members in your club. Decide whether they will perform their own cartwheels or if they may choose an athletic “proxy” to execute the cartwheels for them. If your club is mainly adults, many will want to take advantage of a proxy.
3. Plan the format of your fundraiser by determining how many participants will do cartwheels at the same time, and deciding upon a time period. Some kids can seemingly cartwheel non-stop, but for health reasons, set a time limit.
4. Find a highly visible location to hold your cartwheel-a-thon. The parking lot of a large grocery or department store is a good choice. Get permission from the business and ask if they would consider matching the funds raised, up to a certain amount.
5. Contact the local newspaper about your upcoming event and ask to have a publicity photo of the team published. Be sure to include a contact number for local citizens who want to sponsor a participant.
6. Locate safety mats for the participants. Call the local gymnastics' club or public school athletic department. You will need thin mats that fold in three or four panels and adhere to other mats for safety. Plan on requesting enough to make a runway wide enough to accommodate at least three cartwheel participants and long enough that they can perform at least five cartwheels before reversing direction. (See Resources)
7. Provide plenty of drinking water on the day of the cartwheel-a-thon and extra chairs for observers. Enlist one club member, per participant, to count cartwheels and a timer who will start and stop each session.
8. Give participants a collection form with the amount due from their sponsors after the fundraiser is finished.

Tips & Warnings

• Offer prizes for the top fundraisers. Purchase them from club funds or even better; ask for donated items from businesses in exchange for making publicity posters to display at the cartwheel-a-thon.
• Consider raising more money by having t-shirts printed commemorating the event and selling them during the cartwheel-a-thon.

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