Making It Fun!

Keeping the "Fun" in the fundraising event is the key to it's success

Emphasize that the Birdathon is Fun

Every aspect of the Birdathon, from drafting humorous pledge letters to celebrating the bird tallies, can be made enjoyable.

Birdathon Teams

See below for ideas about different types of Birdathons and teams which can help in enlisting a diverse range of participants. Your chapter could win National's prize for the 5 Best Named Teams! Publicize the teams in your newsletter; this is a great way to both add new participants and offer positive reinforcement to your current Birdathoners.

Encourage Competition

Motivate participants by urging teams and individuals to compete against each other. Create your own competitions or borrow some of these ideas: most money raised, most improved, most species seen for least miles driven, most species of bird seen, most unusual bird seen, and most __ (pick a species of bird -- perhaps your state's bird?) seen.

Monthly Meetings, Newsletter and Board Promotion

Every monthly membership meeting, from March until your Birdathon, should include an announcement and the circulation of a participant and pledge form sign-up sheet. Use your newsletter to recruit birders and sponsors.

Recognize Participants

Provide prizes and certificates, and host both a kick-off party and a post-Birdathon banquet/pot luck for birders. Rainier Audubon hosts an awards dinner and pool party that their membership looks forward to all year. Ed Bristow from Atlantic Audubon advises chapters to contact local businesses for prize donations -- books, art prints, meals, or binoculars. Thank participants, prize winners and donors in your newsletter.

Birdathon Teams -- Involve birders of all levels in teams or as individual participants. Here are some suggested types of Birdathons and teams:

Traditional Twenty-Four Hour Marathon

Many chapters have 4-6 people form teams, get sponsors and identify as many birds as possible over a 24 hour period. Some chapters compete with themselves and try to break previous records of species seen in 24 hours. The New Hope Audubon Society has used airplanes in an attempt to see over 200 bird species in one day! Still other chapters challenge another chapter over who will see the most species.

The Official Team

Form an official chapter team and solicit pledges for the team. Include a picture of the team in the chapter newsletter.

Beginning Birders

Use the Birdathon to get more people involved in your chapter! Provide a leader willing to encourage novice birders to participate in your Birdathon. Make the outing fun by taking rest and food breaks.

Busy People

Only have time before work? Bird from 6-9am or during your lunch break! One chapter Birdathoner took her lunch break at the local park and asked for pledges of $1 per species. She raised $100!

Bird on Your Bike

Ask the Boulder Colorado chapter -- their biking team spotted 80 species and won the award for "Most Species seen for Least Miles Driven." Why not have non-motorized Birdathon teams?

Back Yard Birdathon

The Back Yard Birdathon is a great alternative for chapters with both retirees and very busy people. Just be sure to ask prospects for donations based on a the smaller number of species you'll see from your yard, or take a full month to identify as many species as possible.

E*Mail birdathon@audubon.org
or phone 1-800-524-2748 for more info.