Papamoa Primary School
Spellathon
FUNDRAISING CASE STUDY
Papamoa Primary School partnered with Go Raise It to deliver their 2025 Spellathon fundraiser, raising an impressive $23,876.50 to support the development of their new school library, including books, furniture, games, and literacy resources.
Students received word lists aligned with the school’s Structured Literacy programme, and donations were requested as general contributions rather than per-word pledges, making the process simpler for teachers and staff to collate and mark.
Regular targets, prize draws, and school-wide challenges created excitement and strong engagement from students, teachers, and families.
Why Papamoa Primary Chose Go Raise It
Papamoa Primary School selected Go Raise It for its simplicity, flexibility, and ability to deliver an engaging online fundraising experience.
- Simple donation model – Online donations kept the process hassle-free and low admin for both staff and families.
- Easy for families – A user-friendly platform made it quick to sign up, share pages, and donate.
- Industry-low 10% fee Papamoa Primary retained significantly more of their fundraising total compared to providers charging 30–40%.
- High student engagement – Weekly targets, Random Wheel Spinner prize draws, and fun milestone challenges kept motivation high using the ‘Your Go Raise It’ portal
The Results
The 2025 Spellathon delivered outstanding outcomes for the school:
- $23,876.50 raised
- High engagement across all year levels
- Strong participation from families and whānau
- The school maintained consistent momentum through use of videos, notices, and teacher involvement
- A show-stopping finale that students still talk about!
What Worked Well
Papamoa Primary identified several factors that made their fundraiser highly successful:
- Exciting launch event – SLT were surprised when announced as the “Target Prizes” for early fundraising goals, including the winter sea dip and the principal/DP sliming!
- Fun donation targets – Milestones like ice dips and staff sliming helped keep students enthusiastic and drove donations significantly.
- Prize draws that created buzz – The Go Raise It Prize Spinning Wheel was a huge hit, with students eager to hear their names called during prize announcements.
- Strong communication – Frequent updates through Facebook, Seesaw, and Student Notices kept families informed and engaged.
- Class competitions – Low-cost but high-impact class rewards motivated teachers and students alike.
- Memorable finale event – The “Great Secret Squirrel Sliming Kidnap” was a highlight, complete with a van ride, a custom-built sliming contraption, and the whole school watching. This moment generated huge excitement and boosted donations.
Prizes
The school allocated approximately $600 to purchase prizes, offering a mixture of small and larger items such as stationery, toys, headphones, speakers, and sports equipment.
The value of the prizes mattered far less than the experience, students loved hearing their names read out over the speakers on “Prize Days,” which helped maintain enthusiasm throughout the fundraiser.
Sponsorships
Papamoa Primary School did not seek external sponsorships for this event.
“We had such fun! It was a powerful way of uniting across the school and working together to raise funds for a specific need. It was important for the parents to know what we were fundraising for and to choose something that is relevant and exciting for the kids. This year we bought new books and cool furniture for our Library Space.”
