Colour run or fun run

Outdoor: weather matters

Students run or walk laps (with colour powder in a colour run) and collect sponsorship, usually online.

Typically raises

$20,000

$5,000–60,000 per campaign

About $444 per organiser hour

Based on one primary school

Is it right for us?

Money: $10,000–50,000
Work: A team for weeks
Helpers: 16–40 people
Lead time: 1–2 months
Red tape: Some

Common: colour runs and fun runs are a school favourite

People: 15-30 on the day
Organiser time: 30-60 (estimate)
Lead time: 6-10 weeks
Up-front cost: $0–$800. Providers offer no-upfront kits; DIY needs powder, signage, water.
Risk: Very low with a provider. Fees come out of funds raised.

Suits: Primary or intermediate school

Less usual for: Kindy or early learning, High school, Sports club or team

When: Summer (Dec–Feb), Autumn (Mar–May), Spring (Sep–Nov), End of the school year

How big a job: A small team for weeks, 16–40 people

How it works

The money, as an example sum

Take about $20,400, pay about $400 of costs, and you keep about $20,000 per campaign: the typical result for one primary school.

From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.

Where the money figure comes from

Scoop (2021, Go Raise It release): Hukanui School's online move-a-thon collected $40,000+ in three weeks; Cornwall Park District School nearly $20,000; another school over $61,000. These are provider-reported figures, not audited.

Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.

Step by step

Decide DIY or a provider; compare fees.
Set a school target and a clear purpose.
Open online sponsor pages per child.
Run class competitions and progress updates.
Plan the course, water stations and first aid.
Run the event.
Chase pledges for a short, fixed window.
Report the total and what it will buy.

Getting the word out

Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.

Ask for help: Participants to collect sponsors from family, friends and workmates.
Ask people to buy: Sponsors to pledge, then pay up after the event.
When to start: Ask for helpers first, as soon as the date is set. Start the public ask about 3–4 weeks out, and book newsletter and paper notices before that: small newsletters close early.

Where to put it

Community newsletters and magazinesResidents’ newsletters, village magazines and other churches’ bulletins often run community notices free. Small ones close early.
Other groups sharing itAsk the school, kindy, church, sports club or marae down the road to share it in their newsletter or page. Offer to share theirs back.
Free notices in local papersMany local papers print some community notices free: ask what they offer. Not every town still has one, so check what comes to your letterbox, and book early.
Writing a press releaseA one-page story the paper can use: what’s happening, why, a quote and a photo. Coverage is up to them, not you.

The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.

What you’ll need

Place: NeededYour own grounds or hall
Landowner’s permission: Not needed
Council permit: CheckCheck with your council
Food rules: CheckNo registration if you sell food to fundraise for a good cause up to 20 times a calendar year. It must still be safe and suitable, and your council may need a stall permit
Alcohol: Not neededNo alcohol sold
Gambling rules: Not neededNot gambling
Health and safety: CheckA simple risk check and briefing
First aid: NeededA first aider and kit on site (recommended)
Insurance: CheckCheck your cover

On school grounds no council permit is needed. A route on council parks needs an event permit, and any road use needs a council-approved traffic management plan. Check colour powder for asthma and allergy risks.

Make more from it

Online sponsorship page per participant
often $50-300 per participant (estimate)
each participant brings in their own network
Sausage sizzle or food stall
often $200-800 (estimate)
people on site for hours get hungry
Business matches donations for a set window
can double gifts up to the cap
donors give more when each dollar counts twice

Stack it: on its own, about $20,000. With the 2 priced add-ons above, roughly

$20,700est.

What you can get donated

Water, fruit, prizes for top fundraisers, sponsor for the powder.

Tips

A specific project (new turf, playground) lifts giving.

Watch out for

Prize programmes that cost more than they add.
Long pledge collection tails.

Also pairs with: Sausage sizzle on the day, Class competition, Read-a-thon later in the year

Free tools for this

Volunteer roster plannerPrefilled with the usual roles (registration / packs, course marshal, colour station thrower, water station and first aider) in 3-hour shifts.
Goal and thermometer posterPut the thermometer up where participants will see it climb.
Checklist for any ideaBefore, on the day and after, built from this idea’s own steps and rules.

Typical rules

Online sponsorship pages: Givealittle charges a 5% fee (incl. GST) plus 1.5% card fee to donors; commercial school platforms charge more (Go Raise It: 10% + GST all-inclusive).
Provider fees and prize programmes vary; read the terms (some take a percentage, some charge parents a card fee).
Venue and council: events on council land or roads usually need a council event permit, traffic management plan and public liability insurance; rules differ by council.

Check the details

Sources

Researched October 2026. All fundraising ideas

* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide