60 Profitable School Fundraising Ideas to Raise More
A school fundraiser can help fund extracurricular activities, scholarships, resources to enrich students’ academic experiences, and so much more. With so many areas to benefit, having a fundraiser in your school’s yearly schedule is a must.
The best kind of fundraiser will appeal to your entire donor base. Whether it be parents, teachers, current students, community leaders, or school alumni, your fundraising efforts should be engaging and exciting across the board.
To unleash your fundraising potential, you’ll need a strong fundraising strategy that will support your school’s goals while meeting your audience’s interests. Let’s dive into the top school fundraising ideas so you can build a well-designed fundraising plan.
- Our Favorite School Fundraising Ideas
- Simple School Fundraisers
- Creative School Fundraising Ideas
- Best School Fundraising Event Ideas & Challenges
- Online School Fundraising Ideas
- Cost-Friendly School Fundraising Ideas
As you scan through this list and gather inspiration, keep in mind that you can mix and match ideas and even add your own custom touches to create the ultimate school fundraiser. Let’s begin.
Our Favorite School Fundraising Ideas
Get your community fired up and ready to raise funds for your school with these classic fundraiser ideas.
1. Auction
Schools and auctions go together hand in hand. A school auction is a great way to add fuel to your fundraising engine and drive your mission forward.
Auctions are flexible in both timing and format. You can host one in-person or virtually any time of the year, or even several times per school session (think Christmas auctions or summer break auctions). An auction is a fundraiser that can fit seamlessly into your fundraising schedule no matter the season, but you’ll need to start planning months in advance. Here’s an example of how a school might plan an auction scheduled for April:
Once you’ve decided when you’re going to have your auction, your next step is to procure popular auction items. Include items that you know will perform well. Some ideas may include:
- Parent getaway packages
- Signed sports memorabilia
- Donated lessons
- Theme park tickets
If you want to add a personal touch to your school’s event, consider auctioning off student artwork. This can save you money, while giving your students a way to participate in fundraising in their own way.
For a complete look at how to plan your school auction, check out our ultimate school auction guide!
2. Fundraising gala
A fundraising gala is the perfect way to celebrate the hard work of your school while connecting with parents and other members of the community who want to know more about your school’s efforts. Through emotionally compelling speeches given by your school’s staff and volunteers, your gala attendees will learn about your mission’s unique goals and how they can help you reach them.
When you think of a gala, a lavish ballroom decorated to the nines may come to mind. However, your gala can be personalized to fit your school’s unique audience. You can host it in person to invite more members of the community right in your school’s gym or add a virtual component to allow alumni or past parents to join in on the festivities.
To excite and engage your audience looking to support your school, consider:
- Theming your gala around a school mascot or sports team.
- Providing entertainment that ties back to your school, such as the pep band or choir.
- Asking students to bake goods or provide other touches to bring your mission to life.
These small touches can help supercharge your gala into an interactive and fun giving experience.
3. Text-to-give
Not all of your supporters will have time to drop by and donate during an event or school function. Leveraging text-to-give is an easy way to increase awareness and donations throughout the year. The process is simple: your donors opt-in to your texts, you send out a donation request, and they complete the donation process all from their phones.
Promote your text-to-give keyword and code widely at school functions, sports games, and other fundraisers. You should also market your keyword widely across your social media, website, and email newsletter so you can build your contact list quickly.
4. DIY fundraiser
One way to gain excitement around your school’s fundraising efforts is to involve your community. Do-it-yourself (DIY) campaigns put the fundraising power in your supporter’s hands, boosting engagement and fun for all involved.
Consider asking your school board members, parents, or community leaders to lead their own fundraising campaigns. Examples of this include:
- A class reunion
- An event-a-thon, such as a walk-a-thon or read-a-thon
- A virtual challenge, such as the ice bucket challenge
By asking parents or other members of the community to pitch in and create their own campaigns, you can ignite giving and expand your network at the same time. You never know what may go viral!
5. Raffle
Raffles are another tried and true school fundraiser. They’re an excellent way to generate revenue and drive engagement with your supporters.
Putting on a raffle is simple. Sell tickets to participants who have a chance to win prizes through a random drawing, with the proceeds going towards supporting your school’s initiatives and projects.
To make the raffle more exciting and drive more sales, get connected with local businesses and ask them to pitch in a gift certificate or discount on service and advertise your auction to their customers. In return, you can showcase them as an event sponsor. It’s a win-win!
6. 24-Hour giving challenge
Your school has more than likely heard of GivingTuesday, a 24-hour giving opportunity for mission-driven organizations to raise as much funds as possible. Take a leaf from the nonprofit world and ignite school spirit by creating your own 24-hour giving challenge. This exciting online event can connect passionate donors with community members, students, and teachers.
Create a fundraising site and challenge students and families to raise as much money as possible in 24-hours. To sweeten the deal, create fundraising incentives! Perhaps the class that raises the most wins a pizza party, or a field trip to a bowling alley.
Make sure to optimize your campaign for social media engagement. Allowing your participants to share your fundraising site with their own networks is an absolute must!
7. Fun run
Getting active is an excellent message for a school to promote year-round. That’s why a fun run is the perfect way to raise funds for your school!
From Halloween costume fun runs to color runs, fun runs encourage movement while promoting your mission to your community. Plus, they offer a variety of different revenue-generating opportunities, such as:
- Registration or participant fees
- Corporate sponsorships
- Concession stands
- Event apparel and swag
Encourage your students to collect pledges per minute or lap to empower them to raise their own funds. Have your students, teachers, and parents show their school spirit by wearing school-supporting clothing or cheering along the path!
8. Read-a-thon
With an audience already dedicated to furthering education and accomplishment, a read-a-thon makes perfect sense.
Read-a-thons are virtually free to host, easy to organize, and have a large impact on fundraising goals. Students can set up individual reading goals and have family members or friends donate on their behalf through pledges.
Personalized donation pages or peer-to-peer pages individualized to each participant make it easy for supporters to donate continuously throughout the event. Make sure to offer a prize to the students who hit their goals!
9. Corporate fundraising challenge
Looking to grow your funds while creating a meaningful community partnership? A corporate fundraising challenge may be right for you!
Connect with a local business to combine the power of corporate support with peer-to-peer fundraising. Use your peer-to-peer software to launch an online fundraiser that allows individuals, teams within a company, or multiple companies to compete to see who can raise the most for your school.
Ignite competition by showcasing the competing teams on a leaderboard on your fundraiser’s website.
10. Product fundraiser
Consider a product fundraiser to boost student participation and community engagement. Whether it’s gourmet popcorn, cookie dough, or chocolate bars, your students can offer valuable products to friends and family while earning donations for your school in the process!
Students and parents can promote this campaign in person and on social media to maximize their reach, and even compete with one another to sell the most products.
Simple School Fundraisers
Fundraisers are valuable for every school, no matter the class size or age group you’re educating. Getting everyone involved, from young students to faculty, is important to build school spirit and community. Here are some simple fundraising ideas you can tap into.
11. Penny drive
No one thinks twice about tossing a penny into a wishing fountain. Why not toss it into a bucket labeled Penny Drive instead?
A penny drive not only gets your school some fast funds – it also builds spirit and promotes competition among students. Encourage students to bring spare change to school for a set period of time – usually a week or two – and add it into a container for their class. The class that collects the most money wins a special prize!
12. Art sale
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – or in this case, the fundraiser! An art sale is a perfect way to foster students’ creativity while raising funds for specialized programs.
Encourage students to make paintings, drawings, and more during art time and sell their art to parents. Consider having students focus their art on a common theme, such as Under the Sea or Outer Space. You can rotate themes throughout the year for continuous sales.
13. Book sale
Encourage students and parents to curl up with a good book through a book sale. A used book sale fundraiser is a great way to raise funds without a large upfront cost.
Start by collecting gently used books from the community and sell them to students and parents. Consider asking for donations from the library, community college, or other used bookstores in the community. You can even partner with a local coffee shop or grocery store to set up collection boxes for book donations!
Make sure to advertise your event to the whole community, and not just members of your school. You never know who is on the hunt for their next read.
14. Walkathon
Not only are walk-a-thons easy to organize and bring together the community, but they are also accessible for many age groups and ability levels. It’s a great way to have your students get involved with your fundraising efforts!
Host the event around your school track and charge a fee to participate. Get your students in on the fun by adding a peer-to-peer element that encourages them to tap into their personal networks and ask their family or friends to donate.
A walk-a-thon’s simplicity and effectiveness can boost revenue, community engagement, and student participation.
15. Lemonade stand
When life gives you lemons, why not create a lemonade stand fundraiser?
Have your students set up a lemonade stand in front of your school and collect donations in exchange for a sweet drink. Schedule it so that the stand is open during a sports game or other event to maximize surrounding foot traffic and start serving up some lemonade! Consider adding additional baked goods such as cookies or brownies to round out your sweet offerings.
Make sure there are plenty of signs and posters advertising the stand and what the proceeds are going to. This can make donors more inclined to purchase a glass!
16. Bake sale
There’s no sweeter way to raise funds for your school than a bake sale. They can happen any time throughout the year and serve as an excellent way to get students involved in fundraising.
Have your students and their families bake delicious treats and then sell them to community members. Make sure to time your fundraiser around a sports game or parent-teacher conference for optimum foot traffic.
17. Birthday pledge drive
Encourage your students to celebrate their birthday with a cause. On students’ birthdays, ask them to set up a donation page and collect donations for your school as gifts.
Make sure you have the right software that makes it easy for them to share the donation page with friends and family. Once a donation is made, have students write a thank you note to those who donated!
18. Pajama day
Who doesn’t love to get cozy and spread school spirit? With a school pajama day, you can do both at the same time.
To host a pajama day, charge a small fee for students to come to school in their PJs. These funds can be as little as $5 per student and donated per class, or on a school-wide scale. Make it an annual fundraiser to gain excitement from every grade!
19. Community picnic
What better way to combine a love of food, nature, and community than a picnic fundraiser?
Host your picnic fundraiser at a local park or nature reserve. Make sure the spot you pick has plenty of picnic benches, tables, and open space for blankets!
Sell tickets to enter on top of any additional fees, such as food or picnic blanket rentals. To make the event more memorable, you can partner with a local musician or band to play during your event and spread yard games throughout the space for supporters to enjoy.
20. Movie night
Grab the popcorn, it’s time for a movie night! A movie night is a low-cost way to gather parents, students, and teachers together for a night of entertainment and fun.
Show a movie in your school’s auditorium and charge a fee to enter. Make sure to have popcorn, drinks, and other movie-like snacks available at a concession stand to raise additional funds. From there, it’s time to sit back and enjoy the show!
Creative School Fundraising Ideas
Looking to spice up your yearly fundraising event? Check out these creative ideas to get your students, staff, and parents excited about your initiatives.
21. Dance-a-thon
Get on the floor – the dance floor, that is. A dance-a-thon is an excellent fundraiser that brings together students of all ages to get moving and grooving for a cause. They can happen anytime during the year and are perfect for entertaining both large and small audiences.
Dance-a-thon participants dance for an extended period, seeking donations for their endurance and performance. Schedule a time in your school’s auditorium and promote the event through a local radio station to have tunes blasting the whole time.
Charge a fee to enter, or have your students create fundraising pages they can share with friends and family for support.
22. Talent show
Let your students’ talents shine with a talent show for the whole school.
Have your students come up with exciting acts and charge a fee for parents and community members to attend. To bring in more funds, offer concessions of food and drink, or let attendees vote on their favorite act by selling tokens and placing them in a jar on the judges’ table. Whichever class or student has the most tokens in their jar at the end is the winner!
23. Treasure hunt
If you’re looking for a creative and exciting fundraiser, X marks the spot! Treasure hunts are an innovative way for your students to showcase their teamwork and problem-solving skills.
Have your students pay an entry fee to participate. Then, hide items around the school and encourage students to work in teams to solve riddles and find them. Teams can be made up by classes, grades, or sport teams.
Make sure to offer a prize at the end for whoever finds the treasure!
24. Trivia night
Test your supporters’ and students’ knowledge with a fun and engaging evening of trivia.
A trivia night is an engaging event where participants answer trivia questions, often in teams, with entry fees contributing to your school’s fundraising efforts. You can rent a local space like a brewery or coffee shop or host it in your school’s auditorium to cut down on cost.
If you open it up to the whole family, consider tying your event to a common theme, such as Disney trivia or sports trivia. Offer prizes that tie into your theme that the winners can take home!
25. Family photo day
Photos say a thousand words and are memories that can always be looked back on with fondness. Knowing your photos were taken in honor of a good cause only sweetens that memory.
Set up a family photo day for your students and their loved ones. By partnering with a photographer and charging an upfront fee, a photo day allows families to have professional portraits taken, with a portion of the proceeds going to support your school.
26. Pie-in-the-face fundraiser
For a fun and memorable way to raise funds on a budget, look no further than a pie-in-the-face fundraiser. In a pie-in-the-face fundraiser, participants pay to throw tin foil plates of whipped cream (or “pie”) into a willing teacher or staff member’s face.
This not only is sure to draw a crowd in the community but can also be engaging on social media as well. By sharing your campaign online and on social media, you can get the attention of alumni or past school employees who would want to participate. Make sure to record the event for those who donated and won’t be able to attend!
27. Food truck festival
Calling all foodies! A food truck festival fundraiser is a perfect way to enjoy an after-school event while raising funds for your school.
This fundraiser features a variety of food trucks offering great food options, with a portion of the sales benefiting your school. Make sure to have a wide variety of culinary and dietary options available!
28. Cooking classes
A high-end cooking class with a professional (or local!) chef in your community is a great fundraiser for your school.
To get started, contact culinary schools, notable local restaurants, or the best chef in town to discuss your event. Then, market your event, charge an entry fee, and include a donation appeal during the cooking class to bring in the most funds possible to support your school!
29. Fashion show
Engage your school’s community by hosting a fashion show fundraiser. Partner with a local boutique or stylists and have them showcase their clothing and accessories. It’s the perfect way for them to get their name out there and gain publicity while supporting your cause!
Charge an entry fee and raise additional proceeds by selling the clothes featured in the show.
30. Silent disco party
A silent disco is a unique opportunity for everyone in your community to get energized for your cause. During this unique fundraiser, attendees wear wireless headphones and dance the night away! Hire a DJ or throw on a dance playlist to get grooving.
The proceeds from ticket sales can go toward your school, along with any additional swag sold at the door. Think glow sticks, LED party favors, glow-in-the-dark glasses, etc.
Advertise your event on social media, local radio stations, and through flyers for maximum impact. The best part is this event can be family friendly or adult only. Either way, you’re sure to draw a crowd!
Looking for another way to take this event to the next level? Combine event ideas and add a dance-a-thon to your silent disco party. Simply encourage your students to create peer-to-peer fundraising pages, collect pledges for how long they spend on the dance floor, and watch your fundraising results skyrocket!
Best School Fundraising Event Ideas & Challenges
Looking to bring some excitement and friendly competition into your school fundraising? Check out these ideas and challenges.
31. School carnival
Grab your popcorn and cotton candy! A carnival is the perfect event theme for engaging both students and parents.
This fun-filled fundraiser can feature games, rides, and concessions, with proceeds supporting school activities and initiatives. Games can be DIY, such as darts, ring toss, bean bag toss, or tug of war.
If you host your event outside, there are several ways you can elevate your event to bring in more funds:
- Partner with an equestrian club and offer guided pony rides for guests.
- Connect with a local farmer and offer a petting zoo.
- Set up a “tractor ride” by putting some hay bales on the back of a pickup truck.
Depending on seasonality, you could include bobbing for apples or even a dunk tank. The possibilities for carnival fun are endless!
32. Bingo night
Go back to basics with a simple and easy bingo night fundraiser. This inexpensive event involves playing bingo games, often with prizes and entry fees contributing to your school’s fundraising goals.
Consider spicing things up with a tournament or making it a regular occurrence every month to raise funds. The more opportunities for guests to contribute, the better!
To cut down on costs, host your event in your school’s gymnasium or local community center. Additionally, you can reach out to a local business to see if any are willing to donate prizes.
33. Field day
What’s not to love about a day with games, food, and friendly competition? A field day can be an excellent way to get your students and their families outside and active while raising funds for your school.
Make sure to select outdoor games that appeal to both children and adults. You can sell full day tickets as an entry fee, or charge by game to collect funds.
Pro tip: while field days are typically held outdoors, keep a backup location or rain date in mind in case the weather isn’t on your side.
34. Ice cream social
Show how “chill” your school is by hosting an ice cream fundraiser. An ice cream social provides a one-of-a-kind experience for any class, grade, or entire school.
Sell tickets for entry or charge per scoop. Have your volunteers get in touch with a local ice cream shop to procure your sweet treats. Don’t forget about having a variety of toppings available to choose from.
35. Spelling bee
Get students buzzing with the opportunity to show off their spelling prowess. Not only does a spelling bee give the opportunity to engage younger students as well as teens, but it also provides an entertaining spectacle for parents and teachers to support.
Charge a competitor entrance fee as well as spectator tickets. Provide concessions the day of the event, which could be bee-themed snacks or desserts that feature honey. You can even bring in a peer-to-peer element and ask your competitors to ask for donations via a personalized donation page.
36. Guess the number contest
Looking for a simple fundraiser that tests the brainpower of your students and supporters alike? Try a “Guess the Number” contest.
This event is low cost, easy to plan, and gives participants the opportunity to guess the amount of an item in a container for a good cause. All it takes is school supplies and a jar – think jellybeans, coins, marbles, candy, beads, or anything of the sort. Using different sized items makes it more interesting and difficult.
Have each participant drop a dollar per guess, and watch the funds come in. Whoever guesses correctly wins a prize!
37. Car wash
School fundraising and car washes go together hand-in-soapy-hand.
Partner up with your school’s football, soccer, or other sports team to shine the wheels of your community. Charge a wash fee per car or make the event free with a suggested donation. You can gather additional funds by offering other car-related goodies for purchase such as:
- Sponges
- Car wipes
- Snow scrapers
- Gas gift cards
Find a local business to sponsor the event and help you advertise. Then let the fun begin!
38. Teacher-student baseball game
Hosting a student-teacher baseball game is sure to be a homerun for your supporters and students as well.
Stack the bases by having teachers play against the students or mix and match the players so students and teachers both get in on the fun. Charge an entry fee to the game, sell concessions, and ask for donations during every inning.
Promote the game on social media and connect with a local newspaper or sports broadcast station to give a fun play-by-play of the event. Play ball!
39. Social media contest
Put the “fun” in fundraising with a social media contest.
Create a unique hashtag and challenge for your students to complete, then encourage your students and parents to post to social media. The hashtag will point back to your school while the eye-catching video or social post will encourage their followers to participate or donate funds.
Contests can range from pushup challenges to scavenger hunts. The possibilities are endless!
40. Dunk tank challenge
Dunk tanks are an amazing way to turn some old fashion slap-stick fun into a fundraising opportunity.
There are several key components of a successful dunk tank challenge; most importantly, the person being dunked. Ask your principal or a well-known school staff member if they’re willing to take a dive. You can either charge a fee for tickets or allow a donation per throw.
To keep things fair between younger students and adults, set up two throwing points, one closer and one farther from the target respectively. Your school is sure to make a splash with donations while creating class memories for years to come!
Online School Fundraising Ideas
In today’s digital age, raising funds doesn’t always have to be in person. Opening your school’s fundraisers to an online audience will let you connect with a wider network of donors.
41. Virtual book club
Book club fundraisers are excellent ways to get connected with like-minded readers while raising funds for your school.
Contact your local library to see if there are any willing participants ready to join. Encourage participants to join virtual book discussions about their favorite stories. In return, charge a membership fee or ask for monthly donations benefiting the school before each meeting.
42. Crowdfunding campaigns
Harness the power of your school’s social network through a crowdfunding campaign. Similar to peer-to-peer, a crowdfunding campaign relies on your supporters donating a small amount to help your larger cause. For example, you may ask for 100 supporters to donate $5 each to help you purchase a new Smart Board for your 3rd grade classroom!
Set up a campaign page and encourage your school supporters to donate a small amount. Collections in small amounts can add up to big revenue for your cause.
43. Online merchandise sale
Looking to spread school spirit and make a buck at the same time? An online merchandise store is the perfect way for you to offer school-related products or branded items for purchase while raising profits for your initiatives.
Consider selling school branded mugs, T-shirts, water bottles and other swag that your supporters can purchase with pride all year round. Be sure to spread the news on social media for a larger impact!
44. Viewing party
A virtual viewing party is the perfect way your supporters can show their support for your school. Easy to set up and fun for the whole family, organize a viewing of a movie, magic show, or something else of interest online.
Before you can get started, make sure you have software to support a virtual live stream. Charge a fee for the live stream link and ask for additional donations throughout the event. Promote the event on social media with a specific hashtag for the event and encourage supporters to tag your school for any post they make.
45. Online Zumba party
Encourage your school’s supporters to get fit for a cause! A Zumba party fundraiser can be fun for the whole family. Participants can show off their virtual dance fitness skills while donating money to the school.
Because these classes are virtual, you can host them throughout the year for continuous revenue.
46. Virtual game night
Gather your supporters for some whole-hearted online fun with a virtual game night!
Hosting this fundraising event can be an inexpensive and creative way to involve the whole family and raise funds for your school. Choose between online video games or virtual board games, then set up a live stream link and have your players join.
To keep the fun going and spark friendly competition, host a gaming tournament. This can be held between individual players or can include one class vs another. Make sure to offer exciting prizes for the winner of each game!
47. Shopping fundraiser
Have your shopaholic supporters raise funds for you from the comfort of their own home. By partnering with an online shopping fundraising platform, the proceeds of all of supporters’ online purchases can go back towards your school.
Share the dates and instructions widely on social media, so even supporters from outside of your community can join in on the fun.
48. Online concert
Offer the opportunity for your supporters to see a concert without leaving the comfort of their home.
An online concert fundraiser can feature a local band, music group, or well-known personality your students recognize. Streaming the event live opens the door for anyone to join, allowing people to tune in anytime, anywhere.
A portion of ticket sales and additional donations can contribute to your school’s funds. Ask your musical guest to request donations throughout the evening to make sure attendees are reminded of your cause!
49. Matching gifts
A matching gift campaign could be the missing piece to your school’s fundraising efforts.
Partner with a local business or corporate sponsor who is willing to match the donations during a certain period of time. For example, they can match every dollar donated up to $5,000 or during the first 24-hour period of your fundraiser.
Encourage your sponsor to spread awareness of the matching donation to their own network of employees, customers, and followers. Watch as the donations soar thanks to your partnership!
50. Scavenger hunt
Break out the magnifying glass and detective hat! It’s time for your students to host a scavenger hunt – in the comfort of their own home.
Create a list of common household items your students can easily find and charge a fee for each sheet. Then, encourage your students to look for those items. Once they find one, they can post about it on social media to share their find and encourage others to participate.
Cost-Friendly School Fundraising Ideas
Schools are often on a budget, but that doesn’t mean your fundraising efforts can’t happen. We’ve picked out some easy and impactful ways to keep raising for your school initiatives even on a tight budget.
51. eCards
Let your students send a digital hello via an eCard purchased to support your school!
This fundraiser can happen a few times a year. Think around holidays, student birthdays, or even school events such as homecoming or spirit week. Parents and community members can customize these cards and send them to loved ones in exchange for a donation, all while bringing awareness to your school’s efforts.
52. Shoe drive fundraiser
Students go through shoes quickly as they grow. Why not ask them to donate their used shoes to help support your school?
Host a shoe drive fundraiser to collect gently worn shoes and donate them to a shoe drive partner. Once the organization has the shoes, they will calculate the total of funds raised based on specific factors, such as the number of pairs collected or pounds of shoes.
This is an excellent fundraiser to do annually, as it will encourage parents to save the shoes their children grow out of to help you raise funds.
53. Recycling drive
Educate your students on being responsible stewards of the environment while raising money for your school’s initiates. A recycling drive fundraiser encourages participants to collect recyclable materials with profits earned from recycling going to your school.
There is a lot of flexibility when it comes to what kind of materials you can request for a recycling drive. A few examples include:
- Cans and bottles
- Electronics
- Clothing
- Inkjet and toner cartridges
This fundraiser is perfect for year-round giving with a cost that is practically nonexistent to you.
54. Candy grams
Your students likely love candy – and they’ll love it more if the purchase is being used to help their school.
A candy gram fundraiser offers students and school staff the chance to send personalized messages with small treats attached. For the largest impact, this fundraiser should be scheduled around a holiday that promotes candy, such as Halloween, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day.
This fundraiser requires only a few supplies (small candies, notes, and ribbons will do the trick) but will bring in lots of contributions with a smile.
55. Homemade jewelry sale
Give your supporters the ability to accessorize in style by hosting a homemade jewelry sale.
Connect with a local craft group or jewelry artist to see if they have any pieces they’d be willing to donate. Make sure the pieces will interest both students and adult community members! You can even ask your students to create their own jewelry in their art class. The proceeds of each sale will go toward your school’s initiatives.
To take up a level, offer a jewelry-making class before the sale. Connect with a local rec center to see if they have any instructors available and have a portion of ticket proceeds go back to your school.
56. Host a sports tournament
Ignite friendly competition between your students and raise money for your school at the same time through a sports tournament.
This doesn’t have to be an officially regulated event. Students of all skill levels should be encouraged to participate, even if they don’t regularly play the sport. It’s about having fun and raising funds! Host after-school soccer, basketball, and flag football games and charge students to participate.
You can schedule it over a few weeks to hype up the games and encourage non-participating students to show up and support their favorite teams. Whichever team wins the final game gets a pizza party!
57. Themed dress-up day
Who doesn’t love to dress up like a superhero? What about movie characters? Or animals? Give your students the chance to be creative with their look by setting up a themed dress-up day fundraiser.
Establish the themes ahead of time and charge participants a small fee to join in. It can last from one day to one week, every day with a new theme. This could be an excellent tie-in to a spirit week or homecoming festival.
58. Used clothing sale
Similar to a shoe drive, a used clothing sale is a great way to encourage parents and community members to hang on to the clothing they don’t use anymore.
Connect with high traffic areas of your town such as grocery stores, libraries, diners, and town hall to optimize advertising exposure to the whole community. During the event, you can ask for donations on top of the sales to get the most bang for your buck.
59. Community service fundraiser
Let your students give back to their community through this engaging fundraising event. Just like a walk-a-thon, create a fundraiser where members of the community come together to do service-oriented tasks, such as mowing the lawn or picking up trash.
Participating students can ask for additional donations once the task has been completed. Making this an annual event day for your community can start a ripple of giving for your school!
60. Pet parade
Children love to show off their pets. Why not give them an excuse to do so while raising funds for their school? A pet parade is a fun event students of every age can enjoy. Invite students and their parents to come with their pets and walk laps in support of your school.
Consider categories such as:
- Silliest pet
- Cutest pet
- Most creative costume
Add a peer-to-peer element and have your supporters create their own donation pages to tap into their individual networks.
Get Started with OneCause
Successful school fundraisers need powerful fundraising software! The OneCause Fundraising Platform makes giving modern, flexible, and seamless to drive deeper engagement and grow your fundraising. Take a look at this versatile all-in-one fundraising software that meets the expectations of today’s donors, supporting any event—in-person, virtual, or hybrid.
Wrapping Up
Whether it’s starting fresh with a new event or adding some flavor to your existing fundraising efforts, there are countless ways you can raise funds for your school.
A well-rounded yearly fundraising effort should offer a diverse number of events that resonate with your community and supporters. Use some of these ideas to connect your initiatives with students, parents, and community members, and make sure you have the right fundraising software to help you reach your goals.
Check out these additional resources to make your next school fundraiser the best one yet!
- Back to School Auction Planning Guide: Thinking of planning a dynamic school auction? Check out this complete guide so you can reach and exceed your fundraising goals.
- 50 Best School Auction Ideas: The Ultimate Guide: Procure the best items and packages for your school auction by drawing inspiration from this list.
- 30 Top Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Ideas: Boost your reach and revenue by using one of these profitable peer-to-peer fundraising ideas.
