50+ Fundraising Ideas to Try at your School

Happy Back-to-School Season! As you label backpacks, sharpen pencils, and lay out clothes, you’re probably planning for this year’s fundraising. Schools across the US raise billions annually to fund “extras” for their students and staff.  

If you raise money for a school, you know many of those “extras” are really necessities, and you also are aware that there are many ways you can fundraise to support field trips, programs, technology, scholarships, and more!  

Whether you’re looking to better involve students, alumni, the community, parents, or teachers in your fundraising efforts, this guide offers 50+ fundraising ideas to help your school’s fundraising efforts. 

Student-Focused Fundraisers 

No one understands the impact of your school better than your students. By involving students, you can raise much-needed funds for the programs they care most about! 

It’s best to set goals for student participation and offer a fun prize if your students meet that goal. For example, consider offering an end-of-year field day as a reward for meeting their goal(s). 

Here are some top fundraising ideas that allow for student participation: 

1. A-Thons  

The best thing about “a-thons” is that you can make a fundraiser from any activity: read-a-thon, dance-a-thon, spell-a-thon. Students encourage people to pledge money for every book they read, every hour they dance, or every word they spell. You raise money while students are learning and having fun! 

2. Art Show  

Show off your students’ talents with a hosted art show at school. You can host a special night and auction off their projects, or you can add their projects to your existing auction or gala.   

3. Concert or Showcase 

Support your music and theater programs with a concert or showcase featuring your upcoming year’s performances. Selling tickets, concessions, program ad space, and flowers are great ways to generate revenue for your needed arts programs.   

4. Contest 

 Let each grade or class create its own reward for achieving a fundraising goal. Some fun ideas include: 

• Choose a brain break, music, or the schedule for the day  
• Extra recess 
• Hat day  
• Homework passes 
• Pie a teacher 
• Tech day 
• Trade seats 
• And more!  

 Have a school-wide reward – such as a pizza party, ice cream social, or movie day –  for the group that raises the most! 

5. Dance 

Use ticket and concession sales as a way to fundraise. Ensure the tickets aren’t too expensive, so that every student can participate. 

6. Field Day/Carnival 

These are ever-popular options that get students excited! You can charge students for different carnival games or field day activities. If you’d like to involve the community, consider hosting the event on a weekend and inviting families to attend. 

7. Game Night/Day 

If you don’t have the necessary resources for a field day or carnival, consider hosting a smaller event, such as a game day. This is a great option for parents’ night out, too! Ask kids to bring games or puzzles, and let the games begin! 

8. Host a Tournament  

Any bracket-style tournament makes a perfect school fundraiser. Students can create teams for the sport of their choice. You draw the teams, and let the play begin! You can offer prizes to the winner and the best team’s name, costume, and more.     

This is an excellent option for basketball, dodgeball, volleyball, roundball, and more! 

9. Ice Cream Social 

Add an ice cream party to an existing fundraiser or your upcoming back-to-school night or curriculum night. Sometimes, local ice cream parlors will donate three-gallon tubs or Dilly Bars to support your school.   

10. Out of Uniform Passes 

Sell out-of-uniform passes to allow students to dress down. Take payments online for $20, which includes five passes, and move closer to your fundraising goals!  You could dedicate one day a month to a themed day or allow students to individually choose which days they want to be out of uniform. 

11. Scavenger Hunt 

Provide registered students with a list of places or items that participants must find and take a selfie with. They then upload or share their photos with the judges.  

Consider setting this up as a peer-to-peer fundraiser, giving mulligans or a head start for top fundraisers.

12. Student “Coupon” Books 

Convert the popular local business coupon books into something students will want to purchase. Include coupons for a no-uniform day, extra-long recess, or first-in-line privileges for the bus. 

13. Stuffie Sleepover 

A Stuffie Sleepover is a FUN fundraiser for your youngest students. Families purchase a sleepover ticket for their kids’ stuffies, and your staff and/or older students show them a good time!    

The fun begins after the youngest students leave for the day, and their stuffies stay behind! Take photos of stuffies playing, getting ready for bed, and all tucked in! In the morning, consider offering donuts and coffee for the reunion.   

14. Talent Show 

Think about the ways you can get your students to show off their passions and talents, all while raising money: battle of the bands, talent shows, karaoke competitions, and more. You can sell tickets to the show and/or have people vote on the winner using donations! 

15. Theme Nights at Sporting Events 

Host special theme nights at your sporting events and charge a premium for tickets to those games. For example, you can have a Star Wars night at your football game or a Space Jam night at your basketball game. Let attendees know ahead of time and ask your students to vote on ideas!  

You can host costume contests, fun halftime activities, and other special events to make it truly memorable.   

Classic Sales 

Classic sales have been a cornerstone of school fundraising for many years. While magazine and wrapping paper sales may be declining, there are still several popular sale options available for schools. 

While you might want to break out of the mold and do some less traditional fundraising, too, don’t feel like you have to abandon the classics completely. 

16. Bake Sales 

Depending on the ages of students, have students or parents bring in baked goods to sell at a sports game or during lunch. 

17. Candy Grams or Flower Sales 

Around the winter holidays or Valentine’s Day, consider selling candy grams or flowers at school. Hershey Kisses, candy canes, daffodils, or carnations are affordable options that your students can send to other schoolmates and classmates.   

18. Class Arts and Crafts 

Offer class art projects for sale in auctions or individual art projects for sale on a piece-by-piece basis. 

19. Dress Drives  

Ask students to donate past homecoming and prom dresses and save them to sell the following year. This is an excellent way for students to support the school and purchase dresses at a bargain.  

20. Give Back Programs 

Partner with companies that let you get cash back when your students or parents make purchases. Kids’ clothing companies, pizza restaurants, coffee roasters, and more offer a portion of sales in a set period of time. These opportunities may offer cash back, all of the money from coupon/card sales, or a percentage of sales of goods.  

21. Greeting Cards 

If you’re raising money for your art programs, consider having students create greeting cards that are available for purchase by parents, grandparents, teachers, and the broader community. 

22. Neighborhood Discount Cards 

Neighborhood discount cards allow purchasers to earn discounts at local stores, eateries, and shops. Cards are sold annually for $10 to $20 and are valid for one year. It is beneficial for businesses, and they set their participation parameters. 

Year-Round School Fundraising Ideas 

Having a couple of big events throughout the year is great. However, some fundraising ideas enable you to set it up once and continue fundraising throughout the year.  

23. Coin Wars 

Have a jar in each classroom and let the students put their loose change in it. Create prizes, such as an extra recess, for the class that raises the most money each week or month. 

24. Online Donations  

Create a donations page on your website, allowing people to make online donations at their convenience. You can also establish a monthly giving program for individuals who wish to make a more significant contribution to your school. 

25. Raffles 

Host raffles at any event where you have a large crowd, like a sporting event or concert. You can offer a 50/50 raffle, where the winner receives half of the total, or you can offer a raffle for a specific prize.   

26. School Store 

Set up a school store on your website where people can purchase school spirit items, gear, or other items. 

27. Text-to-Give  

Reach donors where they’re the most active: on their phones! Use a text-to-give campaign to aid fundraising efforts throughout the year. 

Parent-Focused Fundraisers  

Give the parents a night out with a fun event hosted at the school. There are many ideas, ranging in formality and ticket price, so you can mix and match types of events throughout the year to create a fun year of fundraising. 

28. Cakewalk 

Another casual fundraising event option is a cakewalk. In this event, people play a musical chair-style game, walking in a circle of numbered spots. When the music stops, the host pulls a number, and the person with that number wins. People pay to enter each walk. Local businesses or parents donate cakes. 

29. Dinner and a Movie 

Do you have a great outdoor space or an auditorium and a projector? Host a BYOB and BYOF picnic movie night. You can include the students in this and play a family-friendly film, or make the event just for parents and play something that’s just out of theaters. 

30. Gala 

A more formal fundraising option, a gala is an opportunity for parents to dress up and spend a night mingling with other parents and teachers. At a gala, you can host various other fundraising opportunities, such as a silent auction, live auction, raffle, and other fundraising games.

31. Paint and Sip 

Can your art teacher host a guided BYOB and BYOF paint night or afternoon? You would need to obtain supplies, such as paint and canvas, but it can also serve as a revenue generator and community builder for your school. 

32. Parents’ Night Out  

Sometimes, getting a babysitter costs more than a night out. If you have a high school committee, club, Scouts, or sports team, offer a Parents’ Night Out! Students can earn service hours, and your organization or school can raise money.    

Offer babysitting at school, in the gym, or as a movie, game, or sports night. For $25-$40 per family, parents can find an affordable babysitter in a safe place they trust, and the kids will have a great time! 

33. Silent, Live, and/or Online Auction 

An auction can be hosted either in person or online. You can incorporate a silent auction into a gala or into a more informal event, such as a wine and cheese night.  

34. Wine and Cheese Night 

Ask local businesses to donate wine, cheese, fruit, and other snacks, and allow parents to purchase “tasting tickets” so they can try the different types of wine and cheese. 

Community-Wide Fundraisers  

Your town is invested in your school’s success – especially if you’re located in an energized community. This allows you the opportunity to involve the community in your fundraising events. 

35. Annual Appeal 

Sometimes, the best approach is a direct approach – meaning direct mail. E-mails can get lost, but if you get a letter or postcard in the mail from a student you know, donors may be more likely to open it. Consider sharing student testimonials and mailing them out to your list of past supporters and current families.  

36. Crowdfunding 

If you have a specific project, team, update, or other purchase your school needs to make, consider using crowdfunding. This allows donors to support specific initiatives, increasing their feeling of impact.  

37. Golf Tournament 

Hosting a golf tournament will allow parents to compete for a good cause. You can even combine a golf event with a sit-down meal to create a day of fundraising for parents and other donors. You can learn more about golf fundraising events in our helpful guide here. 

38. Matching Gift Programs 

Many businesses offer matching gift programs, where, when an employee donates money to an organization, the company will match it. There are also volunteer grant programs. On your donation form, ask if your donor’s company offers this so you (and the donor) can claim these funds. 

39. Races 

Host a 5K or 10K in your community that benefits the school. You can use the school grounds as a course and ask for local businesses to donate snacks and water for finishers.  

40. Restaurant Percentage Night

Many restaurants are willing to host percentage nights, where a certain percentage of sales on a specified night is donated back to the hosting organization. Contact local favorites and see if you can host a night around another school event. 

41. Sponsorships 

You have more advertising space than you think. For example, you could sell space in your yearbook, on your field fences, or on your painted school windows to a local business willing to make a set donation to the school. 

42. Student Services 

Allow the community to participate in your fundraising efforts by purchasing a car wash or lawn mowing service. The students can then provide these services with their supplies and tools, or you can provide the necessary materials at a low cost. 

Fundraising Involving Teachers/Admin  

Getting teachers and administrators to participate in your fundraising helps build excitement among your students. 

43. Coffee Cart 

Offer parents, teachers, and high school students a weekly or monthly coffee or snack cart in the morning. For a nominal purchase price, individuals can get their morning caffeine fix right on campus.    

44. Teacher Challenge 

What student wouldn’t love to see a favorite teacher shave their head or be dunked in a dunk tank? As long as the teachers agree to it, you can set up fundraisers where, if you raise a set amount, a teacher will do something pre-determined and embarrassing. Alternatively, you can have multiple teachers, and the one who raises the most will perform the “embarrassing” action.  

45. Teacher vs. Student  

Consider hosting a game or tournament – such as sports, trivia, or another activity–with students competing against teachers. 

46. Teacher Talent Show 

Karaoke, talent shows, and more. Who wouldn’t want to see what talents their teachers and admins have? 

47. Teacher for a Day  

With proper guidance, encourage kids to raise money through sponsorship or sell raffle tickets, where the highest raiser (or raffle winner) gets to be the “principal/vice principal/teacher” for the day. You can also offer it as an auction item! 

48. Teacher Wishlist

Teacher Appreciation Week is in May. Honor your hardworking staff with a teacher wishlist campaign, where parents, community members, alumni, and other supporters can give to fulfill specific teachers’ needs. Set up your wishlist as items within your fundraising software and share it with your network.     

 

Scholarship Funding 

49. Ask Alumni 

Get donors – often alumni – to support a scholarship named after them or their graduating class. There are opportunities to allow them to use your fundraising platform to do their own event or online giving campaign. 

50. Associations  

Many associations have established foundations, and it is not uncommon for these foundations to offer scholarships through an application process. There are thousands of associations, and they may want to come present the selected scholarship winner with an award and your end of year awards ceremony.  

51. Chamber of Commerce and Community-Based Organizations 

Get a community organization to sponsor a scholarship for a local student. There is an opportunity for the community-based organization to review applications and select the winner, which they can present at your awards ceremony.   

Last But Not Least… 

52. Direct Ask 

Have you ever simply asked for donations without a fundraising event involved? You may be surprised at how many parents would rather merely “write a check” than have to help organize a carnival. It never hurts to ask, and make sure you have an easy way for folks to donate setup! 

With so many creative and proven ways to fundraise, there’s no shortage of opportunities to bring your school community together in support of students and staff.  

Whether you’re rallying parents, engaging alumni, or giving students a chance to lead, each effort strengthens your school while making an impact where it matters most. Start with a few of these school fundraising ideas, adapt them to fit your community, and watch your school’s fundraising success grow!