FAQs - Introduction


  1. What is Readafun?

    We are an online Read-A-Thon fundraising organization that encourages higher level reading and writing, promotes critical thinking and comprehension, and facilitates family interaction.

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Timing


  1. How long should the Read-A-Thon last?

    The length and dates of your Read-A-Thon are completely up to you. The most successful schools run our fundraiser for 4-6 weeks.

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  2. When is the best time of year for a Read-A-Thon?

    Fall and spring are excellent times to host a Read-A-Thon.

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Account Set Up


  1. What do you need to get started?

    To create your Readafun fundraising account, you will need to provide some basic information and sync your organization's bank account to Stripe.com (Please see question What is Stripe.com?).

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  2. What is Stripe.com?

    Stripe.com, which is similar to PayPal, is a third party credit card processing company also used by Evite.com, Twitter, and the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

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  3. What if my school will not provide a student roster?

    A student roster is required for a successful fundraiser. Please contact us for options if your school will not provide it.

  4. How much does this cost?

    There is an initial setup fee of $99.95 for every fundraiser, and Readafun receives a 20% service fee for each donation fulfilled.

Limited Computer and Internet Access


  1. What if computer/internet access is limited, do you provide paper materials?

    Yes!

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Donations and Payment


  1. How does the payment process work?

    Sponsors can make a donation by credit card, cash, or check. Cash and check are sent directly to you, and credit card payments are immediately deposited into your Stripe account (Please see question What is Stripe.com?). If your organization holds 501(c)(3) status, sponsors will receive a tax receipt. Please note that Readafun does not handle any money.

  2. I can't connect to Stripe.com. Can I do this with just cash and checks?

    Use of Stripe.com is highly recommended for a successful fundraiser. Please contact us for other options if you can't use Stripe.

  3. What happens if a sponsor would like to donate more or can't fulfill a donation?

    If a sponsor made a pledge on a per book or per hour read basis, he or she will have the option to modify that pledge at the end of the event.

  4. What happens if we don't raise the amount we set to raise?

    Although our hope is that each participating organization exceeds its reading and raising goals, we understand that is not always possible. If for whatever reason you do not meet your goals, nothing will change in regards to the percentage your organization receives.

Reading and Raising Goals


  1. How many minutes would you recommend as our goal?

    Most schools already require students to read a certain number of minutes per day. Multiply this number by the number of students and by the number of days in your Read-A-Thon.

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  2. How much money can I expect to raise?

    Each school will vary in the dollar amount raised. Factors such as the time of year and how well you promote your fundraiser to parents, teachers, and students will significantly impact your result.

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Site Use


  1. How do students log in?

    Readafun creates the student accounts from the provided student roster. The Read-A-Thon coordinator must print and distribute the students' usernames and passwords.

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  2. How are sponsors invited?

    Parents and students can invite sponsors via text message, email, and social media.

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  3. May I turn off the social features?

    Yes, you may turn off social features.

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Services Readafun Provides


  1. Do you provide incentives?

    We provide virtual incentives but not physical incentives.

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  2. Do you have any incentive ideas that you can share with me?

    Absolutely! We've compiled a list of incentives from schools who have run successful fundraisers and we are happy to share them with you.

  3. Do you send Readafun reps to schools?

    We are a small organization, located in San Diego, CA. At the current time, we're unable to send our Account Managers to personally meet with coordinators in their home state. However, our Account Managers are easily accessible via phone, email, text, Skype, etc.

  4. Do you host pep rallies to get the students excited about reading?

    We highly recommend that you organize a 'kick off' event for your Read-A-Thon, whether it is a pep rally, read-in night, or book fair.

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  5. Do you send the Starter Package to my school?

    If you requested a Starter Kit and weren't prompted to download it, please email support@readafun.com and one will be emailed to you.

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Security


  1. How secure is your website?

    Student security is our top priority. Our site is encrypted with industry-standard SSL protection and we are compliant with the Child Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

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Teachers


  1. Do teachers need to be involved?

    The more people that are involved in your Read-A-Thon, the more successful the outcome.

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  2. Can teachers authorize a student's account?

    Only a parent can authorize their child's account.

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