How Sands Montessori's Fun Run Fundraiser Raised Over $40,000

Sands Montessori in Cincinnati, Ohio is just like every other elementary school out there, fundraising is a vital part of their year-to-year. That’s why the Sands Montessori PTO is such an important part of their school, coordinating events and helping with fundraising activities. 

The school which serves kids Pre-kindergarten through sixth grade students was looking to raise money for:

• Bussing for field trips
• Unique programming beyond the classroom
• Updated Montessori materials
• Classroom resources
• Awards and student/staff celebrations

To do this, they wanted to do a fun run fundraiser. Why? This fundraising variation is one that got kids excited to raise money and got them active. Fun runs, similar to our a-thon fundraisers and walk-a-thons, combine digital fundraising tools with in-person community engagement — making them especially powerful for elementary schools.

Their goal? Raise $17,000. To do this during their fundraiser they knew two things:

1. They only had 14 days. Fundraisers with clear deadlines help raise motivation.
2. They needed the entire school community involved.
3. To hit their goal, they needed to incentivize the kids and their families.

What happened next exceeded every expectation.

By combining incentive-based motivation, a little physical activity, and Teamfi’s digital fundraising platform, Sands Montessori blew away their goal, raising over $40,000 during their fun run fundraiser.

That’s double their original goal and then another $6,000 beyond that.

Clear Fundraising Goal. Short Timeline.

From the beginning, Sands Montessori’s PTO communicated exactly what they were trying to do and why.

Students were encouraged to invite up to 20 supporters, but participation was never mandatory. Whether a student had one donor or twenty, every effort was celebrated. As with most elementary fundraisers, parents played an essential role, helping manage outreach and communication so every family could participate in a way that felt manageable.

Because the fundraiser ran through Teamfi’s digital platform, donors were not limited to the local Cincinnati area. Family and friends anywhere could contribute quickly and securely.

Sands has six lunch periods. During the fundraiser, staff visited each lunch period daily with music and announcements to keep students engaged and aware of progress.

By the Numbers: How $40,000 Became a Reality

Out of 266 total participants who raised money, 247 families uploaded at least one contact, meaning 93% actively used the contact feature.

Families who used the contact feature added an average of roughly 9 contacts per participant. So while it is recommended to add 20 contacts, you don’t need to in order to fundraiser effectively.

Two things stand out clearly: donation volume and contact usage.

Most donations fell in the $25, $50, and $100 range, with average gift sizes landing roughly between $40–$75. Why do these numbers matter? $25, $50, and $100 were incentivized individual milestones. Kids received prizes for hitting these totals.

Participants who received 5–8 donations routinely reached $250–$400. Those who reached 10+ donations pushed into the $500–$750 tier.

Participants who were near the 20 contacts were frequently among the highest totals. More contacts did not guarantee success, but they expanded the ceiling. More contacts meant more automated messages and reminders sent to supporters, creating more opportunities for donations.

This fundraiser was powered by consistent mid-sized gifts multiplied across a high percentage of engaged participants.

Incentives Drove Participation.

We’ve seen it with countless other elementary schools, incentivization really drives donations with elementary students. Kids get excited, they tell their parents. Parents are excited to support their kid. 

Instead of one large prize, Sands built multiple incentive levels.

Individual Incentives

Rewards were tied to the most common donation milestones:

• Gift for registering on day one
  
• Gift for first $25 donation
  
• Gift for raising $50
  
• Gift for raising $100
  

Prizes were simple and affordable: fidget spinners, squishy balls, water bottles, toy cars, small makeup kits, stuffed animals. Sands invested roughly $1,000 in these tier-one rewards.

They did not need high-ticket items. Small prizes were enough to keep students engaged and asking.

Group & Age-Based Incentives

They also built in classroom and age-group competition. These are larger prizes, but still pretty budget-friendly. A pizza party for 20 kids? 5 pizzas? Nothing too crazy. Popsicle party for 20 kids? Again, maybe a couple boxes of popsicles? The trend is budget-friendly incentives to get kids excited and driving fundraising totals.

Classroom Competitions

• Most donors: Popsicle party
  
• Highest total raised: Pizza party
  

Age Group Recognition (3–6, 6–9, 9–12)

Top fundraiser in each age group chose:

• Pizza party with friends and administrators
  
• Principal for the Day
  
• DJ at the Fun Run
  

Each age group winner also received a major prize:

• Ride-on toy
  
• Bluetooth scooter with lights and music
  
• Ride-on glider
  

This layered structure allowed broad participation while still recognizing top performers, which of course provided additional motivation.

Running The Fun Run

Sands incorporated a school-wide theme of “All Together.” That message was a huge part of the event itself which took place on Friday, October 17th, 2025.

Fun Runs do cost money to host. A timing system, prizes and awards, and if you don’t have a space, a place to host. Larger prizes were purchased through community partnerships. Fresh fruit and water for the Fun Run were donated. Sands already had a space in mind.

Families were invited to attend the event and support their students in person along with staff.

This reduced overhead and kept more of the funds raised directed toward school needs.

How Teamfi’s Digital Platform Helped

According to Sands leadership, Teamfi’s platform simplified tracking and communication.

They were able to:

• Monitor individual and classroom totals in real time
  
• Track progress toward their goal
  
• View projections based on current donations
  
• Use QR codes and automated reminders for families
  

Teamfi does not take a platform percentage, so the school retained over 96 percent of what was raised after standard payment processing.

As Sands shared in their review:

“This platform not only doubled our goal, but we went over the double goal by almost $6,000 dollars. My only question is… Why isn’t everyone using this company to fundraise? It really doesn’t get any easier than Teamfi.”

Could Your School Do the Same?

Final Numbers

Goal: $17,000
Raised: $40,440
Timeframe: 14 days

The numbers here were not driven by one or two major donors. They were driven by participation, mid-sized gifts, and consistent outreach.

With clear goals, incentives that fit your student body, and a platform that removes manual tracking and paperwork, a two-week campaign can scale quickly.

The question is not whether it is possible. The question is whether you’re ready to raise more?