A walkathon is one of the friendliest fundraisers there is. Nobody has to be fast, nobody has to sell anything, and everyone who gives can see exactly what their support paid for: a walk with friends for a cause that matters.
This page is a list of ideas to help your walkathon raise more and feel like a day people want to come back to. It's for any group: a women's group, a nonprofit, a sorority chapter, a church group or a team at work. If you're starting from scratch, read our step-by-step guide to walking for a cause first, then come back here for ideas.
What a walkathon fundraiser is
A walkathon fundraiser (also written walk-a-thon) is a walk where each walker gathers support from the people around her. Friends, family and coworkers give a set amount or pledge an amount for every mile or lap, and the money goes to the organization. Most walkathons are a single day on one route, with a party feeling at the start and finish.
The ideas below fall into three groups: how people give, how walk day feels and what happens before and after.
Ideas for pledges and giving
Give every walker her own giving page
A group page is good for showing your total. A personal page for each walker is what raises the money. Supporters give to people they know, so each walker should have her own link, her own goal and a line about why she's walking. Set the pages up on a fundraising account in the organization's name so donations go straight to it.
Offer a flat gift and a capped per-mile pledge
A flat gift is the easiest yes. A per-mile or per-lap pledge feels more tied to the walk itself, and some supporters love it. If you offer pledges:
- Let supporters set a cap, so they know the most they'll give.
- Collect right after the walk, while it's fresh. Send each supporter a short note with what the walker did and a link to pay.
- Keep it simple. One kind of pledge is easier to explain than three.
Ask about employer matching
Many employers match their employees' charity gifts. Add one line to every ask: "Does your employer match gifts? It could double yours." It costs nothing and it's often missed.
Set a group goal and show it
A shared goal gives everyone something to cheer for. Share progress in the weeks before the walk, and put a simple tracker poster at the finish line. Announce when you pass a milestone, and thank the walkers who got you there.
Sell honor and memory signs
Invite supporters to give in honor or in memory of someone, and make a small sign with that name to line the route. Walkers pass them along the way. It's often the part of the day people remember most.
Ask local businesses to sponsor a stretch of the route
A café might sponsor the water stop. A local shop might sponsor the finish line or a sign at each turn. Sponsors get a thank-you on the signs and in your posts, and your walkers get water, snacks and a few more reasons to smile.
Add a registration fee, or don't
A small registration fee can cover water, signs and shirts so more of the pledges go to the cause. A free walk lowers the barrier for families and new walkers. Some groups do both: free to walk, with a suggested gift at sign-up.
Ideas that make walk day fun
- Start with why. A short welcome from someone at the organization about what the money will do.
- Pick a color. Ask everyone to wear the cause's color. It makes a great group photo and lets passers-by know something's happening.
- Add a cheer station. A few volunteers with music and signs halfway round lift everyone's pace and mood.
- Walk through a finish line. A ribbon, an arch of balloons or two friends holding a banner. Everyone finishes, so everyone gets the moment.
- Make a photo spot. A simple backdrop at the end. Ask before you post photos of anyone.
- Offer a shorter loop. Families, strollers and anyone who wants a gentler walk can still finish together.
- End with food and thanks. Even water and fruit under a tent gives people a reason to stay and talk.
A RuckGirl twist: carry for a cause
At RuckGirl, many women carry a little weight on their walks, in a backpack or a weighted vest. We call it carrying for a cause, and it can give your walkathon something people notice and talk about.
- Carry for someone. Walkers pin a name tag to their pack for the person they're carrying for, the same names as your honor signs.
- A food drive carry. If your cause is a food bank, walkers can carry a few cans in their packs and drop them in a bin at the finish. Keep it light: a few cans, not a full bag.
- A weeks-long carry challenge. Walkers carry on their own walks for a few weeks before the walkathon and share each one with their supporters. Every walk is a fresh reason for friends to give.
Carrying is always optional. If walkers do carry, start lighter than you think, and don't try a new or heavier load on walk day. New to it? Start with how to start rucking.
Ideas for before and after the walk
Before
- Give walkers words to share. Many people find asking for money awkward. A ready-made message with a space for "why I'm walking" and the giving link makes it easy.
- Ask early, then remind. Share the walk a few weeks out, a reminder the week before and a last call on the morning of the walk.
- Walk together beforehand. A few group walks before the big day build the team and give walkers something to post. Our guide to starting a walking group has tips for keeping them going.
After
- Thank everyone, walkers, volunteers, sponsors and supporters, ideally by name.
- Share the total and a few photos, with permission from the people in them.
- Ask the organization to say what the money will do. A specific thank-you is the best way to bring people back next year.
Keep it safe and welcoming
- Ask anyone with a health condition to check first. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist before training if you have osteoporosis or osteopenia; bone, joint, heart or pelvic floor concerns; or if you're pregnant or postpartum.
- Know the stop signals. Anyone who feels sharp pain, pain that changes how they walk, pelvic heaviness, dizziness or chest discomfort should stop and rest.
- Plan for the weather. Water, shade or a warm place to wait, and restrooms on or near the route.
- Check the route. Ask the park or local council whether a group your size needs permission, and ask the organization about waivers and insurance.
Host a ruck with RuckGirl
If you'd like a ready-made plan, we built one for groups: a 4-week walking challenge that ends in a group ruck, for nonprofits, women's groups, sororities and employers. The free starter kit includes a fundraising toolkit with a pledge-per-mile calculator, ready-to-send posts and a story template, and donations go straight to your organization. See how it works on our host a ruck page, or browse more ideas in our For a cause hub.
We started RuckGirl to give women a simple, social way to carry for themselves and for something bigger. A walkathon is a lovely way to do both.
Your next step
Want to be ready for walk day? Our free 4-week plan helps you build up gently, so you'll enjoy the walk and the party at the end.