Danceathon fundraisers are a fun, simple way to help organizations raise the money they need while ensuring that every volunteer and participant has an excellent time. Read on to find out more about what danceathons are, the benefits of choosing to host a dance marathon for your next fundraiser, and the exact steps you’ll need to follow as you plan your next super fun, super engaging, super money-raising danceathon.
What is a Danceathon Fundraiser?
A danceathon is a fundraiser in which donors pledge a certain amount of money to participants for completing a set amount of time dancing. For example, donors might pledge $1 for every minute danced or $5 for every song the dancer boogies to.
What are the benefits of hosting a danceathon?
There are many benefits of hosting a danceathon fundraiser.
- Danceathons are memorable and fun. When you want to engage your biggest supporters, it’s important to plan fundraising activities that will be enjoyable. Danceathons create opportunities for people to come together (if you choose to host an in-person danceathon) or to boogie at home to their favorite tunes.
- Dance marathons are great for kids and teens. If your organization works with kids or teenagers, a danceathon allows them to get involved without having to sell anything door-to-door or attend a boring (to them) gala.
- Danceathons are flexible. When you choose to host a danceathon, you can choose to host it in person, host it totally virtually or host it as a hybrid event. When you host a danceathon in person, you’ll have all your donors come together to move and groove at a designated time. When you host a virtual danceathon, your donors will pick their tunes and count their dancing minutes all on their own. If you choose to host a hybrid danceathon, you’ll ensure your donors have the option to participate in-person or virtually.
- Danceathons are cost-effective. Unlike other large fundraising events like galas or concerts, there’s relatively little you’ll need to pay upfront to ensure a high-quality event. When you choose to host a virtual danceathon, your costs will be even lower. Danceathons tend to have a very high return on investment and make for a cost-effective and fun way to raise money.
How do you host a danceathon?
Danceathons are generally simple to run, but you’ll need to make a plan and stay organized! Check off the steps below as you plan, and you’re sure to have a fantastic danceathon!
1. Choose a danceathon fundraising website
Before you start publicizing your event or recruiting participants, you’ll need to identify a danceathon fundraising website that meets your needs. The platform you choose matters because that’s where you’ll create both your fundraiser’s landing page and where participants will direct the people sponsoring them to give. When looking for a platform to host your danceathon, consider the following questions:
2. Secure your danceathon day-of details
Your day-of details will look different depending on whether you’re hosting an in-person danceathon, a virtual danceathon, or a hybrid danceathon but, for each, you’ll want to consider the following questions and make sure you have answers before you begin to recruit participants or publicize your event.
For an in-person danceathon fundraiser, you’ll want to consider:
- Where will the danceathon be held?
- Who will be DJing the event, and what sort of music should they play?
- How will we manage event parking and logistics?
- Are we able to provide snacks, drinks, or other refreshments to participants and observers?
- How can we meaningfully engage sponsors throughout the event?
- Where will we recruit volunteers to assist with event logistics?
- What sort of swag do we want to offer danceathon participants?
- Are we offering incentives or prizes? If so, what are we offering incentives and prizes for?
For a virtual danceathon fundraiser, you’ll want to consider:
- How will we foster a sense of togetherness despite being physically apart from the event?
- Will you provide the music and a live link so people can dance ‘together,’ or will people be completing the event individually on their own time?
- How will we provide day-of support and encouragement to our participants?
- Will we provide swag to our participants? If so, how will we ensure it’s in their hands prior to the event day?
- How can we meaningfully engage sponsors throughout the event?
- Are we offering incentives or prizes? If so, what are we offering incentives and prizes for?
For a hybrid danceathon fundraiser, you’ll want to consider all of the questions listed for both the in-person danceathon and virtual danceathon. You’ll also want to determine how you can foster a sense of connectedness between virtual and in-person participants to ensure that individuals in both groups have an experience they’ll enjoy.
3. Recruit participants
After you choose your fundraising platform, customize your danceathon page, and secure your day-of details, you’ll need to recruit your participants. Your participants, the people that will be dancing their way to dollars on your behalf, are a vital component of your danceathon. If you’re working with kids (say, at a school), recruiting your participants will be easier since you can host the event during your regular program hours and simply send home a flyer with information. If you’re working with a community organization, you’ll have to be more intentional as you recruit participants.
Reaching out to all your active donors and volunteers is a good first step towards recruiting danceathon participants. An email appeal that lets them know about the event and calls them to participate can be effective. In your email, let your donors know that you appreciate all that they’ve done for your organization in the past and share the “why” of your danceathon (do you have a new project you’re hoping to fund? Do you need to serve more individuals than in years past? Have you formed new partnerships that demand more resources to make a change in your community?)? You’ll also want to share the basic details of your event, including the different ways they can participate. You’ll also want to share the ways you’re going to make it simple for them to raise money on your behalf.
After you reach out to your existing donors, you’ll want to spread the word more widely. Many organizations have success spreading the word and recruiting danceathon participants via the following channels:
- Social media.
- Local newsletters.
- Local event round-ups through the newspaper, news stations, or websites.
- Sororities, fraternities, and alumni groups.
- Aligned professional organizations.
- Other nonprofits that work in the same area or with the same population.
- Businesses and corporations with aligned strategic giving initiatives.
- Former volunteers and donors.
- Individuals currently or formerly served by the organization.
4. Help your participants secure donors.
In order to raise money, your participants will have to recruit donors who will pledge their financial support. As an organization, it’s your job to make sure that your participants have everything they need to make securing donors easy. Ensure that they each have access to instructions about how to set up and share their individual fundraising page, provide sample social media posts that they can copy and paste and send out frequent reminders to them to be sure they’re reaching out to their friends, family members and other connections for donation and support.
5. Host an awesome danceathon
With all the prep work behind you, it’s time to host the danceathon everyone has been looking forward to for months! Be sure to fully staff your danceathon with volunteers who know what they’re doing and create lots of opportunities for participants to have fun and document the experience. Some “extras” that can make participants feel extra special (and make your danceathon feel extra memorable) include:
- Costumes or themes.
- A photo booth or station with silly props.
- Playing any special songs or doing any dances that are special to your group.
- Leveled prizes that offer everyone the chance to bring something home.
- Snacks, drinks, and other refreshments.
- Raffles or drawings for prizes between songs.
- Water elements (if you’ll be doing your danceathon outside in warm weather) like a water balloon toss or hydration station.
- Special guests to lead dances.
- Performances by professional-level dance groups.
6. Say thank you (to everyone)!
Your danceathon won’t be complete until everyone who danced, gave, or volunteered receives a sincere thank you from the organization. Before you even invite participants to dance with you, you can automate thank-you emails to donors through your fundraising platform. Send a sincere email or letter letting them know how much their participation meant and the difference their contributions will make in the community. Be sure to thank your volunteers too, without them , there’s no way most nonprofits could pull of large-scale events like danceathons with success!
Danceathons are highly effective fundraisers that help supporters join in the fun and have the power to raise a lot of money. With the right planning and passion, your next danceathon can be your best fundraiser yet!
