A good Fun Run letter to parents says what the event is, what the money pays for, the goal, the deadline and exactly what to do next: set up the student page and share it. Below are free templates for parents, donors and sponsors, plus reminders, thank-yous, texts and a social caption.
Everything here is free to copy, edit and send. Replace each [BRACKETED] field. For where these messages fit in the event, see the complete guide to school Fun Runs.
Rules that make these work
- Page link in every message. Don't make anyone search for it.
- A real deadline. A date, not "soon". Your active window is about two weeks.
- A specific goal. "$[AMOUNT] for new playground equipment" beats "support our school".
- One ask per message. Set up the page, or share it, or donate. Not all three.
Direct texts and emails from parents, with the page link and a deadline, drive the most online giving. The Fun Run marketing guide covers the full promotion calendar.
(a) Parent announcement letter or email
When: kickoff day, the same day as the assembly. Who sends: PTA/PTO president or Event Promoter, through the school's parent email.
Subject: Our Fun Run starts today — set up [STUDENT FIRST NAME]'s page Dear [SCHOOL NAME] families, Our [YEAR] Fun Run kicks off today! On [EVENT DATE], every student will run laps with their class to raise money for [SPECIFIC PROJECT]. Our goal: $[SCHOOL GOAL] by [DEADLINE DATE]. Here's what we're asking you to do this week: 1. Set up your child's fundraising page (it takes about 5 minutes): [SIGNUP LINK] 2. Share the page with family and friends by text and email. Prefer paper? A pledge sheet is coming home in backpacks today. Cash and checks (payable to [PTA/PTO NAME]) are due [RETURN DATE]. Classes that reach [PARTICIPATION GOAL]% participation earn [CLASS REWARD]. If we hit our school goal, [WHOLE-SCHOOL REWARD]. Questions? Reply to this email or contact [NAME] at [EMAIL/PHONE]. Thank you for supporting our students, [NAME] [TITLE], [PTA/PTO NAME]
(b) Donor ask email families forward to relatives
When: the day the student page is set up. Who sends: the parent, to grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends.
Subject: [STUDENT FIRST NAME]'s Fun Run is on [EVENT DATE] Hi [RELATIVE NAME], [STUDENT FIRST NAME] is running in [SCHOOL NAME]'s Fun Run on [EVENT DATE]. The school is raising money for [SPECIFIC PROJECT], and [he/she/they] set a personal goal of $[STUDENT GOAL]. Would you support [him/her/them]? Here's [his/her/their] page: [STUDENT PAGE LINK] Giving closes on [DEADLINE DATE]. Any amount helps, and you can pay by card, PayPal or Venmo. [He/She/They] will be so excited to hear you're cheering [him/her/them] on. Love, [PARENT NAME] and [STUDENT FIRST NAME]
(c) Business sponsor outreach letter
When: 4–5 weeks before the event, so logos make the shirt order. Who sends: Financial Planner or a parent with a connection to the business. For who to ask and how to set tiers, see finding Fun Run sponsors.
Subject: Sponsor [SCHOOL NAME]'s Fun Run — [NUMBER] students, [NUMBER] families Dear [BUSINESS OWNER NAME], I'm [YOUR NAME], a parent at [SCHOOL NAME] and [ROLE] on our [PTA/PTO]. On [EVENT DATE], our [NUMBER] students will run in our annual Fun Run to raise money for [SPECIFIC PROJECT]. We'd love [BUSINESS NAME] to be part of it. Sponsorship puts your business in front of our families at school, on event day and online: - [TIER 1 NAME] — $[AMOUNT]: [BENEFITS, e.g. logo on the back of every student shirt, banner at the finish line, thank-you in the parent newsletter] - [TIER 2 NAME] — $[AMOUNT]: [BENEFITS] - [TIER 3 NAME] — $[AMOUNT]: [BENEFITS] - In-kind: [e.g. water, prizes, printing] To appear on the shirt, we need your commitment and logo by [LOGO DEADLINE]. Checks can be made out to [PTA/PTO NAME]; our tax ID is [EIN]. I'll follow up by phone on [FOLLOW-UP DATE]. Thank you for considering it. [YOUR NAME] [TITLE], [PTA/PTO NAME] [PHONE] | [EMAIL]
(d) Mid-campaign reminder
When: about halfway through the window. Who sends: Event Promoter, to all families.
Subject: We're at $[CURRENT TOTAL] — halfway through our Fun Run Hi [SCHOOL NAME] families, One week in, we've raised $[CURRENT TOTAL] toward our $[SCHOOL GOAL] goal for [SPECIFIC PROJECT]. Thank you! [NUMBER] students still don't have a page. If yours is one of them, it takes about 5 minutes: [SIGNUP LINK] Already set up? Send your page to three people who haven't seen it yet. Class leader so far: [TEACHER NAME]'s class at [PERCENT]% participation. Giving closes [DEADLINE DATE]. [NAME], [PTA/PTO NAME]
(e) Final 48-hours reminder
When: two days before giving closes. Who sends: Event Promoter, to all families, plus a text the same day.
Subject: 48 hours left — help us reach $[SCHOOL GOAL] Hi [SCHOOL NAME] families, Giving for our Fun Run closes [DEADLINE DAY AND TIME]. We're at $[CURRENT TOTAL] and need $[AMOUNT REMAINING] more to reach our goal for [SPECIFIC PROJECT]. If we get there, [WHOLE-SCHOOL REWARD]. One thing to do today: send your child's page link one more time to anyone who meant to give and hasn't yet. Find the link here: [PARENT LOGIN LINK] Thank you for pushing us over the line, [NAME], [PTA/PTO NAME]
(f) Thank-you to donors after the event
When: within a week of the event. Who sends: the parent (or the student, for a handwritten note), to each donor.
Subject: Thank you from [STUDENT FIRST NAME] Dear [DONOR NAME], Thank you for supporting my Fun Run! I ran [NUMBER] laps on [EVENT DATE]. [ONE DETAIL, e.g. My class wore capes and our principal got slimed.] Together our school raised $[SCHOOL TOTAL] for [SPECIFIC PROJECT]. Your gift is part of that. Thank you, [STUDENT FIRST NAME] [OPTIONAL: photo from the event]
(g) Thank-you to sponsors
When: within a week of the event. Who sends: PTA/PTO president or Financial Planner, with a photo showing the sponsor's logo.
Subject: Thank you, [BUSINESS NAME] — here's what you helped do Dear [BUSINESS OWNER NAME], Thank you for sponsoring [SCHOOL NAME]'s Fun Run. On [EVENT DATE], [NUMBER] students ran [with your logo on their shirts / past your banner at the finish line]. Together we raised $[SCHOOL TOTAL] for [SPECIFIC PROJECT]. [ONE SENTENCE ON WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, e.g. The new equipment goes in this spring.] We've attached a few photos, and we'll thank you by name in our [NEWSLETTER/SOCIAL POST] on [DATE]. We hope you'll join us again next year. With gratitude, [NAME] [TITLE], [PTA/PTO NAME]
(h) Text message examples
Keep texts short, with one link and one date. Each example is under 300 characters.
Parent to relative
Hi [NAME]! [STUDENT] is running in [SCHOOL]'s Fun Run on [DATE] to raise money for [PROJECT]. Would you support [him/her/them]? [STUDENT PAGE LINK] Giving closes [DEADLINE]. Thank you!
PTA/PTO to parents at launch
[SCHOOL] Fun Run starts today! Set up your child's page in about 5 min: [SIGNUP LINK] Then share it with family. Goal: $[GOAL] for [PROJECT] by [DEADLINE]. – [PTA/PTO NAME]
Final day
Last day! Fun Run giving closes tonight at [TIME]. We're $[AMOUNT] from our goal and [REWARD] if we make it. Send your child's page to one more person: [PARENT LOGIN LINK] – [PTA/PTO NAME]
Thank-you
Thank you, [NAME]! [STUDENT] ran [NUMBER] laps and [SCHOOL] raised $[TOTAL] for [PROJECT]. Your gift helped make it happen.
Sending these without the copy-paste
On FundHub, parents share their student page by text, email or social in one tap, and a sharing report shows which families haven't shared yet. The FundHub Event Toolbox also includes 100+ guides, templates and printables. For paper collection, pair these messages with the free Fun Run pledge sheet.
Get your messages and timing planned for you
Every Get Movin' school gets a free Personal Event Coach, a former PTO/PTA volunteer, who helps schedule each message across your two-week window.
Frequently asked questions
What should a Fun Run letter to parents include?
The event date, what the money pays for, the school goal and the giving deadline. Then one clear next step: set up the student page and share it. Add how paper pledge sheets and cash or checks are handled, any class or school rewards, and a named contact for questions. Keep it to one screen on a phone.
When should we send Fun Run reminders?
Plan four messages: the announcement at launch, a first-48-hours reminder to families without a page, a mid-window update, and a final push in the last 48 hours before giving closes. Pair each email with a short text. Send thank-yous within a week of the event, while the day is still fresh.
How do you ask a business to sponsor a school Fun Run?
Start with businesses connected to your families. Send a short letter that names the event date, the number of students and families reached, clear sponsorship tiers with what each includes, and a logo deadline. Lead with visibility to local families rather than charity, then follow up by phone on a set date.
Are these Fun Run templates free to use?
Yes. Every template on this page is free to copy, edit and send, whether or not your school runs its Fun Run with Get Movin'. Replace each bracketed field with your school's details, and trim anything that doesn't fit your event.