In this episode, Stephanie Davern, Vice President Sales and Marketing for Read-A-Thon, shares insights on school fundraising and the importance of fostering a love for reading among students. She delves into the challenges of promoting reading in today’s digital age and how making it fun and inclusive can make all the difference. Read-A-Thon offers a unique platform that helps schools track reading minutes and donations, all while students participate in a global reading event. The built-in competition and incentives motivate kids to read more while raising money for their schools. Stephanie also highlights the effectiveness of peer-to-peer fundraising and how a little friendly competition can boost donations. The discussion shifts to the rise of virtual fundraisers and their advantages over traditional in-person events. With platforms like Read-A-Thon, fundraising becomes easier and more successful, thanks to the simplicity, engagement, and ease it brings to everyone involved. From the use of incentives to the power of competition, this episode explores how to maximize participation and fundraising results. Takeaways Promoting reading in the digital age requires making it a fun and inclusive activity.Read-A-Thon provides a platform for schools to track reading minutes and donations.Competition and incentives motivate students to read more and raise funds for their schools.Peer-to-peer fundraising and friendly competition can drive donations and increase participation. Virtual fundraisers have proven to be successful and sometimes even more effective than traditional in-person fundraisers.Read-A-Thon offers an easy and efficient way for schools and organizations to raise funds through reading.Providing incentives and creating a sense of competition can motivate participants and drive fundraising efforts.Making fundraising easy for everyone involved, including schools, students, and donors, is crucial for success. Main Topics 06:23 Changing the Fundraising Narrative08:13 Read-A-Thon's Platform and Features11:27 Inclusivity and Participation in Read-A-Thon15:55 Competition and Leaderboards20:30 Overcoming Resistance to Change in Fundraising24:13 Read-A-Thon: Easy and Efficient Fundraising27:10 Motivating Participants with Incentives and Competition29:38 The Importance of Easy Fundraising Episode Links: https://www.read-a-thon.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-davern73/  If you enjoyed this episode please subscribe and leave us a review in the Apple podcasts app. Listen, rate, and subscribe! Apple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle Podcasts