Should I Charge A Registration Fee For My Walkathon Or Pledge Fundraiser?

No.  We are asked this question quite often and our response is nearly always, no.  Here's the rationale;

1. For pledge events where people are supposed to raise money, organizations should give an opportunity to raise money to as many people as possible.  This means eliminating all barriers to participation.  It's a numbers game and the more people there are that ask for money on your behalf, the more that the event will raise.  So, eliminate registration fees and all other barriers.
2. Do the math.  Once people pay a registration fee, they feel like they have done their part.  Organizations should put the emphasis on the number of donations that people generate.    Is it better to get a $25 registration fee from one person or 2 $20 donations from their donors?
3. Develop a culture of fundraising.  From the beginning, you need to set expectations.  Participants in your event are expected to raise money.  Once you've set that expectation, then you can foster it in the future by  asking people to raise more each year.