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Does your company have the resources to help organizations host a bird-a-thon?

The Basics of a Bird-a-thon

A bird-a-thon is a wonderful way to encourage your organization’s supporters to get outside with friends and family. Unlike many fundraisers, this event is not limited by location. After all, birds are everywhere, from cities to suburban neighborhoods to peaceful woodlands. To ensure that you have everything you need to organize a successful bird-a-thon, consider the following questions:

  • When is the best time to host your bird-a-thon? Depending on your location, there can be different times of the year most suited to an engaging bird-a-thon. While birding can certainly take place year-round, some of the best times are during the spring and fall when birds are migrating.
  • How long should your bird-a-thon last? This is ultimately up to your organization, your understanding of your supporters, and your fundraising goals! A bird-a-thon can last anywhere from 24 hours to an entire month.
  • Do you have the proper fundraising software to succeed? Since you’ll primarily be generating revenue through peer-to-peer fundraising, be sure your fundraising software has the necessary features to carry out a bird-a-thon. For instance, your teams should be able to create individual fundraising pages for their sponsors to visit and make donations.
  • How else can you engage supporters during the bird-a-thon? Aside from collecting contributions through peer-to-peer fundraising, consider incorporating text-to-give alongside your bird-a-thon so supporters can conveniently give through their mobile phones whenever they desire.

Birding is a well-loved hobby for many people because it allows them to appreciate their local wildlife with little more than their eyes and ears. In today’s fast-paced society, taking time away from digital screens to enjoy the outdoors is often a welcome break for many people. Bird-a-thons take this to the next level—getting out into nature and raising funds for a good cause.

3 Steps for Hosting a Bird-a-thon

Take flight with your organization’s bird-a-thon by following these three essential steps!

1. Assemble birding teams.

Before your bird-a-thon can take place, you’ll first need to recruit birding teams for your donors to sponsor. When you announce this opportunity to current and new supporters, be sure to emphasize that no experience is necessary to become a peer fundraiser. You can provide field guides or simply point them to free bird identification apps that will make birding easy and engaging for all participants.

2. Promote your bird-a-thon and secure pledges.

Your organization’s peer-to-peer fundraising software should enable each of your birding teams to create their own fundraising page. Before the event, they’ll direct people from their personal networks, such as friends and family, to the page to make pledges and donations.

Equip your bird-a-thon fundraisers with everything they need to secure sponsors for their birding. Provide ready-made graphics and messaging templates to guide their online communications and keep everything consistent in your efforts to acquire support.

3. Host your bird-a-thon.

Depending on the length of your bird-a-thon, there are many more ways to engage your organization’s fundraisers and donors to make the event a memorable and rewarding experience. For instance, you can invite birding experts to guide a few sessions with teams and sell branded merchandise such as water bottles and hats.

With thoughtful planning and execution, you’ll have people flocking to support your organization’s cause in no time!