How a 47-year-old fundraiser feels more magical than ever
Most campaigns peak and fade, but the MS Readathon is still thriving in Australia after nearly 50 years.
What began in 1978 with paper tally sheets has become a fully digital, gamified experience that introduces thousands of kids to fundraising, most for the very first time.
Parents who once scribbled book titles onto crumpled sheets are now watching their children log books online, unlock avatars, and raise money for people living with MS and neurological conditions.
For fundraisers, it’s proof that legacy campaigns don’t have to get stale if you’re willing to evolve. With Donor Republic on hand for their design and Funraisin creating their fundraiser flows, the brilliant MS Readathon team have built a world that children love to be in.
Keep reading to see how they keep making it so magical!
MS Readathon Australia: inspiring over 15,000 young fundraisers in 2025
Across Australia, 15,786 young readers signed up to take on a reading challenge, diving into 139,813 books between them and raising an incredible $1,092,776 to support families living with multiple sclerosis.
It’s a campaign that thrives in classrooms as much as in living rooms. Teachers use it to spark a love of reading, bring whole classes together, and show students how their efforts can make a real-world impact. Kids get to set their own goals, track progress, and celebrate milestones—whether it’s their first book or their fiftieth.
So, how has this challenge remained a schoolyard staple for so many years? They're committed to evolving, and in doing so, have captured the hearts of a whole new digital-native generation.
Here are some of our favourite features:
It's safe, smart, and built for kids
Plus, as more books are read and more funds are raised, beautiful new avatar backgrounds and fun accesssories are unlocked so children can customize their avatars, rewarding children for their progress!
It's the perfect combination of safe and fun:
Customizable avatars instead of profile photos protect children’s identities.
Name scramblers and display names keep personal details off public pages.
Parent or teacher-managed dashboards give families full oversight.
It captivates first-time fundraisers
For many kids, MS Readathon is where their fundraising journey begins—and where the magic of giving first takes root. The platform is designed to make that very first step feel exciting, rewarding, and easy to share with friends and family.
The children's dashboard is packed full of gamified features that help them track their progress and stay motivated:
Digital bookshelves show progress at a glance as kids log every story.
Badges celebrate every achievement, keeping motivation high.
Simple dashboards make it easy for children and parents to navigate.
“The personalized, gamified fundraising dashboard is a standout. Kids can log books in an online bookshelf, unlock avatars like Red the Unicorn or Sir Readsalot, and see their progress in a fun and engaging way. It blends education and fundraising with play—which is key to the campaign’s longevity and appeal.”
— Inga Robinson, National Campaign Manager, MS Queensland
It keeps parents, kids, and schools all on the same page
Behind every child taking part is a parent managing the logistics—and often a school encouraging participation at scale. The Readathon team knew growth relied on making the experience seamless for both.
That’s why the 2025 campaign focused on making the journey easier for families and teachers.
The result was a smoother sign-up process, more classrooms getting involved, and far fewer support requests to the MS Readthon team, freeing them up throughout the campaign:
One-click sibling sign-up so parents can add more kids at any time, without starting over or making multiple accounts.
Automatic family team creation when multiple children join, keeping everyone in one place.
Simplified school registration flows so teachers can set up and manage their own fundraising pages.
"The shift to digital has allowed us to scale more efficiently, improve the participant experience, and drive higher engagement. Innovations such as gamification, Facebook fundraisers, multi-channel payment options, and mobileoptimised platforms have helped boost activation and average gift size."
- Inga Robinson, National Campaign Manager, MS Readathon
A classic campaign that keeps turning pages
The magic of MS Readathon is its ability to feel both nostalgic and new. And it continues to evolve, with new features already on the roadmap:
Live prize draws built directly into the platform with automated winner updates
Deeper school, publisher, and library integrations to expand reach and participation
Here's the takeaway:
Campaigns won't age out if you're willing to keep dreaming, creating, and evolving. The MS Readathon team's commitment to creating a beautiful, digital world that combines fundraising and education with play will mean it comtinues to captivate generations to come.
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