Swim-a-thon
Club swimmers swim lengths for a fixed time and collect sponsorship.
Typically raises
$2,500
$500–8,000 per eventest.
About $167 per organiser hour
Based on one club swimathon
Is it right for us?
- Money
- $2,000–10,000
- Work
- A few evenings
- Helpers
- 3–6 people
- Lead time
- 1–2 months
- Red tape
- Light
Fairly common: a classic swim club fundraiser
- People
- 6-12 including lap counters and lifeguard
- Organiser time
- 10-20 (estimate)
- Lead time
- 4-6 weeks
- Up-front cost
- $0–$300. Lane hire if not your club's own time.
- Risk
- Very low.
How it works
The money, as an example sum
Take about $2,650, pay about $150 of costs, and you keep about $2,500 per event: the typical result for one club swimathon.
From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.
Where the money figure comes from
Estimate. Port Chalmers Swim Club runs an annual Givealittle swimathon but the total was not visible.
Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.
Step by step
- Book lanes and a lifeguard.
- Open sponsor pages per swimmer.
- Assign lap counters to each lane.
- Swim for a fixed period.
- Certify lap counts.
- Collect pledges and thank sponsors.
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
- School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
- Local Facebook pages and community groupsPost in your town’s community page and local groups (check their rules), and share from your group’s own page.
- Facebook events and what’s-on listingsMake a Facebook event people can say they’re going to, and list it on your council’s or town’s what’s-on page.
- 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.
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
- NeededA hired venue
- Landowner’s permission
- Not needed
- Council permit
- Not needed
- Food rules
- Not neededNo food sold
- 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
Pool operators set the supervision rules; a qualified lifeguard on deck is the norm. Use your own club lane time where possible.
Make more from it
Online sponsorship page per participant
often $50-300 per participant (estimate)
each participant brings in their own network
often $100-300 (estimate)
families sit poolside for hours
Stack it: on its own, about $2,500. With the 2 priced add-ons above, roughly
$2,900est.
What you can get donated
Pool time from the facility, prizes for top swimmers.
Tips
- Invite parents to swim a relay; it widens the sponsor pool.
Watch out for
- Per-length pledges that donors later balk at.
Swim-a-thon: checklist
0 of 15 done
Before
On the day
After
Pool operators set the supervision rules; a qualified lifeguard on deck is the norm. Use your own club lane time where possible.
Also pairs with: Sausage sizzle, Raffle
* 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