Successfully Promote Your Color Powder Event | Color Fun Run Fundraisers

Promoting a color fun run is one of the most important aspects to making it a fundraising success. If the community is not EXCITED about attending and joining the color fun run fundraiser for your cause, it doesn’t matter how much color powder you have, or how great the prizes are.

Getting Started With Your Fundraiser

When to Start – Start promoting the event at least 3 months prior. As soon as you have the date and place secured and all of your permissions in place, start getting the word out there to make the parents, students and school staff aware of the event. As you get closer to the big day you can do weekly and then daily reminders and updates.

Where to Promote – Promoting your fundraising campaign to parents, students and staff is essential. If you can, use all of the elements listed below. Some people will only read the newsletter, others will only see it on social media, and some will see it everywhere! That’s ok – it just shows the community how important your fundraising campaign is.

Fun Run Fundraising Ideas | Know Where To Start

School Calendar – Make sure it is listed on the school calendar at least 3 months in advance
School Website – promote it on the school website on the home page and the activities/events page.
PTO Website – Add it to your PTO Calendar and events list. Also consider having an ad for it on your home page with a link to a specific menu page with detailed information regarding the event.
Social Media – Post it on the PTO and/or School Facebook and other social media pages.
Consider making a sticky post – that always stays at the top of the page with all of the main information. Create weekly posts about the race. Once you are about 2 weeks out you may want to do daily posts.
PTO Newsletter/Emails – If you have a weekly email that goes out to parents – make sure to include it EVERY single week. In the beginning you may be providing basic information – what, when, where, why etc. But each week you can add information to it – perhaps give them an update on why you need the funds – how is it going to benefit their child. Update them on the progress reaching the fundraising goal – perhaps include a goal thermometer in each email. Always make sure to include a link to where they can sign up.
School Bulletin Boards – Put flyers on school bulletin boards. Make sure the bulletin boards are in areas where students, staff and parents will see them. If you have a bulletin board that is in a high traffic area, see if you can make it a dedicated Color Fun Run Billboard running up to the event.
School Announcements – Make weekly announcements that the big day is coming up. Let students know how they can participate.
School Marquee – if you have a marquee or digital sign in front of your school make sure to post the event there.
Pickup/Drop off Line – this is an excellent place to capture parents attention. Have posters posted along the pick-up line. Have flyers available to hand out to parents as they are waiting in line. You can recruit student or parent volunteers to create and hold up signs promoting the Color Fun Run before and after school. They can make noise, create cheers etc.
Pep Rally – Hold a pep rally when you are ready to kick off the fundraising campaign. Some schools have held a pep rally outside and ordered sample color powder packets and thrown them on the principal or P.E. teacher. The kids love it and it gives them an idea of what they will experience at the Color Fun Run.
Other School Events – consider having the upcoming race announced at other school events. The orchestra concert, baseball game, etc. Ask if the announcer can make an announcement about it.
Neighborhood Schools – let your neighborhood schools know about the race as well. If you are in an elementary school, make the middle and high schoolers aware of your event – you never know who might want to participate or donate to your cause.
Local Community – if you are opening it to the local community, consider posting flyers at local businesses that are friendly to your school’s fundraising.
Sponsors – If you have local businesses sponsoring the event, ask them if they will put your event on their social media pages, website etc.

Getting the message out requires a multi-pronged approach. There’s no such thing as too much promotion!

Spread The News About The Color Fun Run Event

First, consider the basics – Who, What, Where, When and Why. If everyone understands the basic concept and purpose of your fundraising, they will be excited to attend and help you raise funds.

The first announcements in the beginning may be as simple as the event, the date, the place and time with information about how much you want to raise and what the funds will be used for. The posters, flyers and bulletin boards can keep the information simple as well.

In letters addressed to parents, email blasts, and social media posts, you can start giving out more information. What is a Color Fun Run? What is the objective and goal of the fundraiser?

Be specific –are you raising funds for a new science lab or P.E. equipment? Let them know how it will benefit the school and the students. People are much more likely to rally behind a cause if they understand it.

Consider weekly updates. As you get closer to the race day, you can send daily reminders on how much time is left to register and fundraise as well as give updates on how you are doing to date.

A Little More Color Can Save The Day!

Color Blaze offers a variety of color packets and bulk colored powder depending on the needs of your event. We also provide assistance on how to organize a fun run to newbie organizers and share fun run fundraising ideas that have worked for many of our clients. Don’t hold back and make your color fun run a runaway success!

Call Us! We’re Happy to Help! (888) 252-6567