A school Fun Run budget has five cost lines: shirts, prizes and incentives, event supplies, printing, and platform cost. Many schools cover shirts and prizes with sponsors. With Get Movin', a usage fee applies only to online donations, averages around 4% after donor credits, and schools keep 100% of cash and checks.
A Fun Run has no product to buy and deliver, so costs stay small and mostly optional. The budget's job is to decide which ones sponsors cover before you set the goal. For the rest of the plan, see our Fun Run fundraiser guide.
Fun Run budget worksheet
Fill in the last column with quotes from your vendors. Prices vary too much by region and quantity to list here.
| Line item | Typical approach | Ways to cut or cover it | Your number |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-shirts | One theme shirt per student, with sponsor logos on the back | Sell shirt sponsorships for logo placement; many schools cover shirts fully this way. Or make shirts a milestone prize instead of a giveaway. | |
| Prizes and incentives | Small items at dollar milestones, class rewards, one whole-school unlock | Favor experiences over items (extra recess, pie the principal). Ask businesses to donate prizes for recognition. | |
| Supplies | Water, cups, signage, cones or course markers, music and sound, theme supplies such as color powder or glow gear | Ask for in-kind sponsors (water, signage). Borrow the school's sound system and cones. | |
| Printing | Flyers, rosters, lap counters, banners | Send parent messages by text and email instead of paper. Ask a local print shop for an in-kind sponsorship. | |
| Platform cost | A usage fee on online donations only; nothing on cash and checks | Donor credits collected at checkout are applied to the fee. The average group ends up around 4% of online donations; with enough credits, a group can pay nothing. | |
| Total event costs |
Full platform details are on the Get Movin' pricing page.
How to calculate Fun Run profit
Count sponsor money only once it is committed in writing. Count in-kind sponsorships as a cost you no longer have, not as income.
Worked example (illustration only)
These are hypothetical round numbers chosen to show the math. They are not Get Movin' data or a prediction for your school.
| Line | Hypothetical amount |
|---|---|
| Online donations | $10,000 |
| Cash and checks | $1,000 |
| Sponsor money | $1,500 |
| Event costs (shirts, prizes, supplies, printing) | − $1,200 |
| Platform cost (around 4% of the $10,000 online) | − $400 |
| Net profit | $10,900 |
In this illustration, sponsor money more than covers event costs, so nearly every donated dollar reaches the goal. For what real schools raise, see how much a Fun Run raises.
Three margin rules
- Sponsor your costs. Aim for sponsors to cover shirts and prizes so donations go to the goal. Finding Fun Run sponsors shows how to ask.
- Push giving online. Online pages reach relatives who never see a paper form, which is where most schools find new money.
- Right-size prizes. Tie prizes to milestones and whole-school unlocks, not piles of items. See Fun Run prizes and incentives for low-cost ideas.
Check your numbers with a coach
See how FundHub and your Personal Event Coach support your budget and goal in a free 15-minute demo. No obligation, no contracts.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to put on a school Fun Run?
It depends on how many costs your sponsors cover. The main lines are shirts, prizes, supplies such as water and signage, printing, and the platform cost. Many schools cover shirts and prizes with sponsors. With Get Movin', the platform cost is a usage fee on online donations only.
How does Get Movin' charge for a Fun Run?
A usage fee applies only to online donations. Optional donor credits collected at checkout are applied to that fee, so the average group's cost ends up around 4% of online donations. With enough donor credits a group can pay nothing. Schools keep 100% of in-school cash and checks.
Should we buy T-shirts for every student?
Only if sponsors cover them. Many schools pay for them fully by selling logo space on the back to local businesses. If you cannot find shirt sponsors, make the shirt a fundraising milestone prize instead of a giveaway, or skip shirts and put the money toward the goal.