75 Fun School Fundraising Ideas to Raise More Money

Best of all, you could easily combine a shoe drive fundraiser with other school fundraising events—both in-person and virtual! Just tell your invitees to bring their spare pairs for in-person events or set up drop-off locations around the community for virtual events.

Partner with Funds2Orgs to get all the resources you need to execute a revenue-generating shoe drive fundraiser. From collection boxes and bins to strategy sheets to social media post templates, you’ll be collecting shoes (and funds!) in no time. You can also trust our expert YouTube explainers to answer any questions you may have.

#2: Bake Sale

A bake sale is a traditional, surefire way to raise extra cash during any other fundraising event. Have student volunteers provide baked goods, then just set up a stand! Or, you could hand out cookies, cupcakes, and other delicious snacks during lunch.

Bake sales (and other concession sales) are a classic fundraising tool because they work perfectly with many different events. Include bake sales in field days, festivals, sporting events, parades, and community events—all perfect opportunities to raise funds.

#3: Pajama Day

Roll out of bed and raise funds with a Pajama Day fundraiser! Collect a small fee from each student to let them enjoy a uniform-free day. 

A fundraising Pajama Day works as a standalone or add-on fundraising idea, and it’s easy to get kids excited about this one. Offer pajama days as rewards for your competition fundraisers. For instance, the class that raises the most on their peer-to-peer fundraising page or reads the most pages in a read-a-thon wins pajama passes!

#4 Gift Card Fundraiser

Gift card fundraisers allow your school to receive year-round support by asking your community to do something fun and convenient: Purchase a digital gift card from their favorite business.

To launch this fundraiser, simply partner with a gift card fundraiser platform. They’ll help you set up your school’s account and provide an app for community members to buy gift cards, all at no cost to you. Then, when someone purchases a gift card, a portion of the sale goes directly to your school.

Digital gift cards make this fundraiser even more convenient—once the card is delivered to a community member’s inbox, they can simply forward the email to give the gift to a loved one. Over time, the contributions from each sale add up to make a significant difference for your school!

#5 Car Wash

A car wash is an easy way to get your students engaged and help you raise some extra funds.

However, always consider what additional strategies you can incorporate to boost revenue. Perhaps your car wash customers would like a bite to eat from a local food truck while they wait, or maybe they’d like to buy a raffle ticket at the same time. Provide some intuitive ways to pay, such as giving kiosks, text-to-donate tools, or even shoes to recycle for your shoe drive fundraiser!

#6: Talent Show

Collect funds and let your students show their skills with an entertaining talent show. Sell early bird ticket specials and offer concessions to incentivize more attendees. 

Parents of young children will especially enjoy these events since they get to watch their kids showcase their unique talents. Consider ways to gather additional support during the show. For instance, text-to-give tools could make it easy for friends and family to submit votes while they donate.

#7: Raffle

Have participants test their luck with a fundraising raffle. Host an event where your school community can purchase raffle tickets at a fundraising auction, carnival, or field day. Or, simply host a standalone online raffle for added convenience and participation.

Ask local businesses to donate a compelling prize, such as a hotel getaway or free coffee for a year, to boost participation. When promoted effectively, this fundraising idea can help you raise substantial funds quickly.

#8: Carnival

Host a fun-filled carnival event by renting a large outdoor space, planning engaging activities, and promoting a collective theme. For instance, you may plan a fall carnival with apple bobbing, pumpkin carving, and an autumn bake sale.

Sell tickets as well as refreshments, crafts, and donated goods. Any festival or carnival event is an excellent opportunity to incorporate other fundraising elements, like shoe drive fundraisers and giving kiosks.

#9: Auction

If you’ve never attended a school fundraising auction, these events are simply in-person or digital events where your school offers donated items up for bidding.

Your guests for these events are usually parents and other community members who bid on items, packages, and experiences in hopes of winning them. Your school receives funds when a winning bidder pays for their item.

You can pull off a successful auction that keeps everyone fully engaged with the right combination of items, supporting software, and strategies. However, remember that auctions require a heavier investment of time and resources than other school fundraising ideas, so get started early!

#10: Movie Night

A classic draw for young children is organizing a special movie night for your students! Consider borrowing a projector or buying an inexpensive one, then choose an ideal location. The cafeteria or outside against a blank wall (weather permitting) might be perfect.

Pick family-friendly, popular, or classic kids’ movies, then promote your event to students and parents. At the movie screening, offer concessions as an additional way to boost funds.

School Fundraiser Ideas for All Ages

#11: School Picnic

Perfect for the springtime (when students are excited to get outside), a school picnic is a great way to raise some funds while bringing your school’s community together.

A picnic fundraiser is also very adaptable, so your event can be as large or as small as you’d like. You could pick a Friday and offer students tickets to enjoy lunch outside in a practice field. Or you could invite parents to register and bring food, and arrange a memorable field trip to a community park.

#12: Library Fundraiser

Another easy educational idea, a library fundraiser, involves asking your students to raise donations to earn access to their favorite books! Students solicit donations from friends and family through peer-to-peer fundraising tools or a dedicated library fundraising platform.

Based on how much money they collect, students can receive chapter books, graphic novels, and other exciting titles either digitally or in person. You can even reward your top fundraisers with additional prizes or enter them into a raffle.

#13: Scavenger Hunt

Take the time to plan a great scavenger hunt that is not too easy or too difficult, and write some clever clues. Then, have your students form teams and compete in a timed scavenger hunt competition across the school!

Scavenger hunt events can be hugely successful, especially when incorporated into other large outdoor fundraising events. Just be sure that the treasure at the end (and whatever reward you offer to the winner) is exciting for the student teams.

#14: Parents’ Party

Toward the beginning of the school year, host a mingle event for your students’ parents and guardians!

You could do this at your school or arrange a percentage night with a local restaurant. Most importantly, this is a chance to meet parents and introduce them to your donation tools, such as online fundraising campaigns, text-to-give, shoe drive fundraisers, or giving kiosks you’ll leverage throughout the year.

#15: School Calendars

School calendars are a tried-and-true method of bringing money into schools. What makes this school fundraiser so great is that you can go about it in several ways. For instance, you might choose to feature:

• Students’ pictures or drawings
• Class or school photos
• Photographs from around the school and its sports fields
• Pictures from key moments or events throughout the year

Especially if you’re using an external vendor, compiling and printing your calendars can take some time, so get started early. You might host it as a standalone school fundraiser or even pair it with one of your other events, like a fall festival or community yard sale.

#16: Dog Wash

Give parents a break by offering a dog wash. For the best results, host this school fundraiser on a warm spring or fall day so everyone is comfortable—including the dogs!

Be sure to have a few water bowls for thirsty pups waiting their turn. Chances are, a local pet shop may be willing to donate these and any other items you need (like dog shampoo and towels), so you won’t have to worry about covering extra costs.

For a few extra dollars, sell homemade dog biscuits for the pups and lemonade for owners while they wait in line, and encourage tips as well. You might even host a car wash at the same time as a 2-in-1 school fundraiser. That way, those who don’t own a pet can still support your school.

#17: Hike Day

Encourage students to stretch their legs and experience nature with a hike day as your next school fundraiser.

Charge students a few dollars to go on a hike near campus during school hours. If there aren’t any trails nearby, no worries! Host a park day, lake day, or just a go-outside day. Not only will students enjoy getting fresh air, but you’ll also raise a fair bit of money for your school.

Consider coordinating a shoe drive fundraiser with your hike so students can take off their shoes and stretch their feet once the day wraps up! Remember to let students know in advance so that they can bring a change of shoes.

#18: Concessions Stand

Sell snacks to your school’s fans at all your sporting events. From soccer to basketball to football, this school fundraiser is perfect for arena and stadium sports. Families will enjoy supporting their favorite sports team in exchange for a tasty treat or a refreshing beverage.

Encourage parents to take charge by asking them to volunteer to run your concessions stand, and request in-kind donations of snacks and drinks from your local sponsors so you don’t have to worry about any out-of-pocket costs.

A classic school fundraiser is selling discount cards to your community after partnering with a variety of local businesses.

#19: Business Partnership

Corporate philanthropy is a powerful phenomenon. Take advantage of these generous initiatives by seeking out partnerships with local businesses.

These companies will power many of your school’s efforts by providing everything from generous donations to in-kind gifts, such as:

• Classroom items for your teachers
• Concessions for sports games
• Venues for your events
• Sports equipment

They’ll also have connections throughout the community to ensure you have everything you need for your events and create an awesome learning environment for your students.

#20: Wishlist Drive

Gather support in the form of tangible gifts rather than financial contributions. Wishlist drives are popular fundraisers for all types of organizations, especially schools. Simply ask teachers to provide a list of items they need for their classrooms, such as:

• Art supplies
• Books
• Writing supplies
• Printer paper
• Note cards
• Sticky notes
• Erasers

From here, share the list with your community and encourage them to donate items at a predetermined drop-off location. Of course, you can still promote financial donations, but the purpose behind this school fundraiser is that people can see the tangible difference they’re making.

Plus, this presents another perfect opportunity to coordinate a shoe drive fundraiser. Alongside your school supply drop-off boxes, have another specifically for shoes. That way, families can give what they already have rather than only buying new things to donate. You can also leverage your local partnerships that offer the items you need.

#21: Costume Party

Students of all ages will love the opportunity to dress up like their favorite characters from books, TV shows, or movies. As part of your school’s Spirit Week or other ongoing event, ask students, parents, or guardians to donate to school causes in exchange for attending a costume party. 

Your teachers can even tie this party into their lesson plans and ask students to dress up as historical figures or characters from the books that they read in their literature classes!

#22: Silly String Day

Everyone loves Silly String and other messy fun toys like it, so take advantage of the end-of-the-school-year clean-up and get a little silly before the students clear out for the summer. Parents and students can donate in exchange for the option to spray their teachers with fun string. Just make sure it won’t stain before aiming at anyone’s clothes.

#23: Sing-Along

If you’re considering a movie night as an event fundraiser, why not make it even more interactive and turn it into a sing-along? Choose well-known movies like Frozen or Moana for little kids, and Encanto for older ones. Get the whole school involved in a musical extravaganza. Combine this event with a potluck or a concession stand for even more fundraising potential.

#24: Open an Art Museum

At the end of the school year, your students have likely created tons of exciting art projects. To show off their efforts and raise money for supplies, turn your auditorium or gymnasium into a gallery of their achievements for a weekend. Charge ticket sales and offer glasses of sparkling juice to the parents and siblings who come to ooh and ah over their family member’s stunning creations. 

To add even more fun, ask your students to name their pieces and write placards explaining their inspiration and meaning! It will make them feel as though they’re really part of a museum collection.

#25: Sell Candy-Grams All Year

Give your students the opportunity to do something kind by creating a permanent candy-gram station in the front office. For a dollar or two, students can buy a candy bar and have it delivered to their friends for their birthday or after a special event. 

You can hype up the station before holidays like Valentine’s Day and remind students that they can send candy bars to their teachers for Teacher Appreciation Day too!

#26: Trivia Night

If you’re hosting an evening event, spice it up with a little competition by adding a trivia component. The options are unlimited when it comes to themes: 

• Help your students study by turning their history lessons and science classes into trivia questions to answer with their parents.
• Spotlight the principal or a beloved sports coach by creating trivia questions about their careers at the school.
• Ask questions about the history of your school or town to let long-time residents show off their memories!

Trivia pairs wonderfully with fundraising events like galas or auctions, as well as with other types of campaigns like shoe donation fundraisers.

Elementary School Fundraising Ideas

#27: Easter Egg Hunt

Many of your elementary schoolers will likely participate in an Easter egg hunt somewhere, so why not ask their parents to bring them to your school’s hunt to support the community? This is a particularly great idea for Christian schools, as it helps students connect with their faith in a fun way.

You’ll need supplies like plastic Easter eggs, candy, and prizes to execute this school fundraiser. Recruit a teacher to dress up as the Easter Bunny to make the event more enjoyable for the kids!

Stage the hunt in an outdoor space like your school’s playground, courtyard, or sports field (but have plenty of hiding spots). There are a couple of options for the payment structure at an event like this:

• Ask parents for a flat donation of $3-$5 for their kids to join the hunt.
• Set up a pledge system where parents agree to pay a certain amount for every egg their child finds.

Either way, an Easter egg hunt fundraiser is fun for everyone involved, making it incredibly effective. If all goes well, consider making it an annual event that families look forward to every year.

#28: Straw Draw Fundraiser

As one of the easiest school fundraisers out there, you’ll wonder why you haven’t done a straw draw before.

All that’s involved in this school fundraiser is purchasing a pack or two of colorful straws and thinking of prizes that your students and teachers might be interested in getting. Then, write the rewards down on small pieces of paper, tape them to the bottom of the straws, and place them in an opaque container, such as a plastic cup, so no one can see the prizes.

Prizes for students can include perks like extra recess time, an ice cream delivery, or front-of-the-line privileges for a day. Charge $1 to $2 for every straw draw.

#29: Ice Cream Social

This fundraising idea is simple but effective for exciting your elementary school students. Pick a special free period for your students to enjoy the event, then either offer them tickets for a fee or simply sell ice cream during that period.

Ice cream socials make a perfect incentive or reward for participation in other fundraising campaigns, especially toward the end of the school year when students are excited to get outside and enjoy warm weather.

#30: Bingo Night

Another classic school fundraiser, bingo nights, will take parents back to their elementary school memories. Plus, they’re fun for kids, too!

Offer concessions or ask a local pizza chain for a discounted rate. Incorporate some new giving elements, too. For instance, let parents send a text donation to pay for bingo cards or use a giving kiosk tool. These events are also great for promoting ongoing projects like shoe drive fundraisers.

#31: Principal Challenge

Young students will love seeing their principal doing something silly as a reward for meeting school fundraising goals!

It might mean a pie to the face, a cold bucket of water over the head, or anything else that’s sure to entertain your students. These challenges make great incentives for students in the context of more extensive fundraising campaigns. Use it as a reward for selling tons of coupon books or reading a combined thousand pages.

#32: Penny Contest

Penny contests are a great way to engage your young students and let them help raise some funds.

When elementary classes learn about money and coins, give each classroom a large glass jar and ask the students and their parents to donate some change for a fun contest. See which class can fill their jar with change the fastest, then reward the winners with ice cream, pajama passes, or a special picnic lunch!

#33: Dunk Tank

A classic fundraising staple, the dunk tank is a perfect way to get young people excited to raise money. Students need to see that their authority figures are willing to have some goofy fun to help their school.

Incorporate a dunk tank fundraising challenge into your other fundraising events, or use it as a reward or incentive for reaching fundraising goals, as in principal challenges or outrageous bets.

Choose your victim and find a dunk tank either rented or donated for the day!

#34: Lemonade Stand

A warm spring day is perfect for setting up a lemonade stand for your school. All you need is a table, cups, a sign, and lots of refreshing lemonade!

Either buy lemonade mix or bring homemade lemonade. This type of school fundraiser will work best if there is a specific cause the lemonade stand raises money for, such as a particular construction project. They’ll see the difference they can make!

Simply charging a dollar can quickly add up because students and parents can easily justify the low cost. Share your school’s text-to-give number with individuals who don’t have cash on them.

#35: Jelly Bean Count

A jelly bean count is a classic school fundraising idea. Students love guessing games like this, and they’ll jump at the opportunity to prove their superior guessing skills—especially if an epic prize (and bragging rights) is on the line!

Simply get a jar and fill it with candy—although jelly beans are a classic, any kind will do. Make sure to count each piece of candy as you put it in the jar and write down the total number out of your students’ sight. Then, charge a dollar per guess and watch students’ guesses roll in. The student with the closest guess wins the full candy jar!

#36: Big Bowling

Turn your gym into a bowling bash by taping lanes and asking the kids to stand like ten-pins. Then, give teachers or parents soft objects, such as beach balls to bowl at them! Ask adults to pledge a certain donation for every pin or strike that the teachers get. Or, switch it around: ask the teachers to be the pins, and let the children try to bowl at them. Play some fun music over the speakers, and everyone will feel like they’re really at a bowling alley.

Middle School Fundraising Ideas

#37: Read-a-thon Fundraisers

If you’re looking for a simple, low-risk fundraiser with high rewards for your middle school, then read-a-thons may just be your best bet. Read-a-thons are considered among the top school fundraising ideas due to their convenience, high earning potential, and educational value.

Like most school “a-thon” campaigns, read-a-thons involve students participating in an activity in return for pledged donations. However, instead of hitting a ball or dancing, students spend time reading and cultivating their education.

For best results, seek out a dedicated read-a-thon platform. You can have your campaign up and running in minutes, market your fundraiser, and potentially earn thousands of dollars with minimal planning and work. Students and parents should also be able to easily log reading progress, identify potential supporters, and share their fundraising pages through email and social media!

#38: Box Tops Campaign

A classic school fundraising promotion, box tops for education programs are still a reliable fundraising opportunity.

Your students and their families already buy eligible products. Just start a campaign to raise awareness and encourage participation! Think of ways to motivate students to bring in their box tops, like offering a special treat at lunchtime. Incentivize these campaigns for parents as well with raffle tickets or other rewards.

#39: Spelling Bee

A spelling bee is a popular and profitable fundraiser. Similar to a read-a-thon, students will gather pledges from their friends and family before the event. However, instead of receiving each pledged donation for each page read, participants will accept donations for each word spelled correctly.

Make it a school-wide event and separate the competition by grade level to ensure fairness. You might even feature an exhibition category for teachers. Keep things interesting with themed categories like:

• Music
• Sports
• History
• Science

Not only will you earn some extra cash, but you’ll also promote literacy to students! Be sure to offer concession breaks for your audience and post flyers with your text-to-give number for last-minute donations.

#40: Fundraising Night Out

Find a popular local restaurant that caters to families and discuss arranging a percentage fundraising night!

Tired parents will appreciate a reason to avoid the hassle of cooking, plus they can support their child’s school at the same time. Many restaurant chains have percentage fundraising programs in place, but be sure to consider other popular independently-owned restaurants, too!

#41: Hula Hoop Contest

An easy fundraising add-on for your other events, a hula hoop contest, is a fun way to engage middle school-aged students.

Ask friends and family to pledge to donate a small amount for each minute (or second!) a student can keep their hula hoop moving. Get the school’s cheerleaders to lead the contest, then stand back! Hula hoop contests are terrific for outdoor events, pep rallies, or sports event halftimes.

#42. Pie-in-The-Face Fundraiser

What better way to encourage your middle school-aged students to donate some spare cash to their school than giving them the chance to throw a pie in their teacher’s face?

The pie-in-the-face gag is a classic outrageous bet for student engagement and quick fundraising, but get creative! Use it as a standalone fundraising event or as a tool in another campaign. If your students sell enough coupon books or collect enough pairs of shoes, for instance, reward them with the chance to ‘pie’ their teacher or principal.

#43: Pet Party

Everybody loves pets. That’s why a pet party is a perfect option for a fundraiser for students of any age. For a pet party, let students and parents know ahead of time that there will be a designated “pet party” during the students’ lunch period on a specific day for a small donation per pet.

Your students’ parents can bring their cats and dogs (and possibly other animals!) for a round of show-and-tell. Just make sure they’re all leashed and friendly, and consider inviting parents to participate and help look after their pets. This is the perfect event to have outside in a courtyard or on a sports field on a warm day.

Don’t forget to set up donation tables at the party. You might even assign a donation box to each pet and have parents give it to their favorite furry friend. Students will love seeing which pet wins the most donations!

#44: Obstacle Course

Your school likely has an outdoor area perfect for an obstacle course!

While you can certainly rent large inflatable equipment, it’s easy to create an obstacle course with some things closer to hand, like traffic cones, kiddie pools, and rope. Have participants pay to register or incorporate your obstacle course into a larger fundraising event. You can even have homerooms compete for a tempting prize, such as a movie day.

#45: Sister Schools

Consider teaming up with another middle school in your district to raise money together! More people = more power. This is especially useful when you have similar sports needs or extracurricular programs, because you can share resources and ideas. This works year-round, too; if you have summer programs, such as camps through sports teams or the arts, consider giving your students opportunities to learn and make friends with students participating in similar programs at other schools.

#46: Field Day

A large field day event is a perfect way to celebrate the end of a school year, engage your community, and raise some funds!

Plan out what events you’ll offer and decide an ideal time for both students and parents to attend. Offer registration tools to parents for a suggested donation or solicit in-kind donations from local restaurants or rental businesses. Consider ways to entertain and reward your students while fully engaging their parents and encouraging contributions.

Plus, you can coordinate this event with a shoe drive fundraiser and encourage students to donate their gently worn, used and new shoes in exchange for a reduced entry fee. Just remind students to bring a change of shoes, so they don’t have to go home shoeless!

#47: Make-a-Snake Fundraiser

A make-a-snake fundraiser is undoubtedly a unique fundraising idea that’s sure to garner interest from students.

For this school fundraiser, divide the students into teams by classroom, allowing them to compete with one another to raise the most money. Each class will outline a squiggly line on their classroom floor. It will serve as the foundation of their “snake.” Each day, students will bring in spare change and dollar bills they happen to find, which they’ll then place along the squiggly line.

Give students a week or two to complete their legless reptiles. The class that winds up with the most money wins a pizza party, a movie day, or a pajama day! Or incentivize them by letting them dare the principal to complete a silly challenge.

#48: Midsummer Mixer

The transition from elementary school to middle school can be a little scary: students are suddenly meeting many more people than they’ve seen before! You can help ease this transition and support your PTA or other programs by hosting a midsummer mixer before the school year starts. Ask parents and guardians to chip in with snacks and drinks, and get the new students together at your school, either outside or in the gym, for a low-key way to make some new friends before the school year starts. They’ll feel a little better about moving to a new school if they see familiar faces.

High School Fundraising Ideas

#49: Off-the-Screens Challenge

Motivate teenagers to reduce their screen time and raise funds for your school simultaneously! It’s a win-win-win: for your school, the students, and certainly parents, too.

Students are sponsored to spend time away from their smartphones, tablets, and laptops in this challenge. Students collect pledge forms from contacts in their communities that indicate how much the sponsor will pay per hour of “off-the-screen” time that the student logs during a given period.

While students might not necessarily enjoy this challenge, they tend to get competitive, so offer great prizes for the students who raise the most money and the students who log the most hours.

#50: Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaign

Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns are an excellent choice for high school fundraising because they allow your most dedicated student or parent volunteers to take an extremely active role in raising funds on your behalf.

They’ll set up their donation pages for your school or project and then promote their pages to their friends and family. It’s the perfect way to engage social media-minded teens and the broader community.

Plus, great peer-to-peer fundraising platforms make it easy to brainstorm and create exciting fundraising contests for your volunteers. Maybe each class could have a dedicated fundraising page, or perhaps each contestant in a contest!

#51. Food Truck Percentage Day

Everyone loves food trucks, especially high school students! If there are any food truck businesses in your community, ask them about arranging a special event during which they’ll donate a percentage of their profits to your school.

If you’ve got access to an open field or blacktop, invite a food truck or two to your upcoming outdoor fundraising events! They’ll appreciate the promotion, and your attendees will love enjoying some hot food while supporting their school.

#52. T-Shirt Fundraiser

T-shirts are a tried-and-true, consistently reliable fundraising tool. Perfect for practically any fundraising campaign, it’s easy to sell custom t-shirts at your special events.

Find a t-shirt provider that lets you design stylish shirts that high school students will love. Ensure you have the option to either offer t-shirts through a crowdfunding-style online campaign or wholesale purchase.

#53. Battle of the Bands

A classic high school fundraiser, a battle of the bands event is a surefire way to excite your school’s musicians, music fans, and everyone in between.

Your school likely already has most of the sound equipment you’ll need, and your contestants should already have their own instruments. Charge a registration fee and a small ticket fee (or a pair of shoes for your shoe drive fundraiser!), but be sure to offer fun add-ons. Unique voting systems, concession sales, and t-shirts are great additions to musical battle events.

#54. Viral Video Challenge

Your viral video might not be the next “Ice Bucket Challenge,” but it’ll most likely still get a lot of attention in your school’s community!

Brainstorm some wacky challenges (that are safe and age-appropriate), write a script for participants to use, and get started! Promote your viral video campaign on your school’s social media page, and be sure to provide viewers and participants with clear instructions on how to donate. Viral video campaigns can be great additions to boost your peer-to-peer fundraising or promote your shoe drive fundraiser.

#55. Summer Sports Camp

Allow your student athletes to stay active with their team throughout the entire summer break by hosting a summer sports camp.

Promote your camp to younger students in the community, like middle schoolers who plan on joining a high school team, and be sure to give them plenty of time to register and pay. Recruit volunteer athletes and coaches to teach exercises and run drills. Not only is this a great fundraiser, but it’ll also keep students active and boost team spirit by building some new relationships.

#56. Serve-a-thon

Have each class or student organization in your school choose a volunteer activity that benefits the broader community, then promote your serve-a-thon with some online donation tools!

Your community can then pledge money to the individual classes or clubs to reach their volunteering goal, and the group that achieves its goal first wins a grand prize. Serve-a-thons are a great way to raise funds and get your students more excited to engage with their community in new ways.

#57. Board Game Tournament

From word games to complex strategy and fantasy games, all kids’ board games are rising in popularity as a pastime for people of all ages.

Games are an excellent opportunity for an inexpensive and engaging fundraising event! Pick some board games, invite students to register, and then provide some pledge forms for family and friends to show their support. Parents might even want to play, too! Find out who’s the master of each game and offer them some great prizes.

#58. Coupon Books

Your whole community could go crazy for your coupon books if you find the right partners!

Identify some popular businesses or services in your area that would be willing to offer a special promotion to customers with a special coupon, then print them all up in a handy coupon book. Or save time by partnering with a coupon book vendor that creates pre-made books for fundraisers. Encourage your students to sell them to their friends and family, or offer the coupons as crowdfunding campaign rewards or raffle prizes.

#59: Video Game Tournament

A video game tournament is an awesome high school fundraising idea that’s perfect for getting students amped to support your school.

Chances are, some of your students’ own consoles they’d be willing to let your school borrow for a night. If not, rent some consoles from a local video game store. Conduct a poll to find out which games your students would enjoy playing. Just make sure your final selections are age-appropriate and bring classic ones like Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Charge an entry fee to compete, and let the games begin!

Offer an epic prize for each of your winners to spark some serious competition. Your high schoolers will love hanging out with their friends for the night and seeing who comes out on top while playing their favorite games.

#60: School Dance

Dances are timeless school fundraisers. While this could work for any age group, you’ll have the most luck hosting it for high schoolers.

Additionally, school dances provide a great venue to pair with other school fundraisers to increase fundraising dollars. From raffles to silent auctions to concession sales, there are plenty of options. Consider leveraging your business partnerships by seeking sponsors who can provide funds to cover event costs, offer in-kind contributions such as drinks and food, or send a few employees to volunteer.

Get students involved by hosting a contest to choose the dance’s theme. Of course, your primary source of revenue at this type of event will be ticket sales, so be sure to price them appropriately.

#61: Scratch Card Fundraiser

Schools are the perfect organization for scratch card fundraisers because of the large number of “volunteers” (students!) available.

You’ll first need to purchase some fundraising scratch cards from a fundraising company for this school fundraiser. They’re similar to lottery tickets in that each card has a series of scratch-off ovals or squares with amounts listed underneath. Except in this case, instead of winning the given amount, participants agree to scratch off a square or two and donate the amount underneath to the school.

Students will have fun bringing the scratch cards to their families, friends, and coworkers and seeing what amounts they get! Of course, make sure the donation amounts are reasonably limited, usually between $1 and $20.

#62: Senior Sleep-In

Once finals are over, give your students a chance to give back to their school as well as catch up on some Zzz’s by hosting a Senior Sleep-In day. If they raise a certain amount of money, they get to come to school after the first period of the day (with their teacher’s permission, of course!).

#63: Underclassmen vs. Upperclassmen

Leverage your school’s competitive spirit for your fundraising efforts by creating two teams: the freshmen and sophomores versus the juniors and seniors. Create challenges like the most money raised or the most doors knocked on, and then see who can outperform the others. No matter which team wins, everyone benefits!

#64: Groove with your Grade

Another fun way to ask your students to help your school raise money is through a dance-a-thon. Each grade gets its own goals, and students can ask their parents, guardians, or other adults in their community to pledge a certain amount of money if they dance for a certain amount of time. This can be a fun way for them to get their own, smaller dance in between the larger prom and homecoming dances, and raise money for their sports or extracurricular activities at the same time.

#65: Parents’ Night Out

Multiple schools can come together to support this idea: ask your high schoolers to donate an evening or two so that parents of younger children can leave them in trusted hands and have a date night out. For a small donation, parents can enjoy a child-free dinner, and the little ones can spend a fun evening with the cool older kids. This idea pairs especially well with a percentage night at a nearby restaurant, where even dinner can mean extra support for your school!

Online Fundraising Ideas for Schools

#66: Matching Gift Drive

If your school receives regular donations, you likely have numerous matching gift opportunities in your donor base. According to our unique fundraising ideas guide, “matching gifts are a powerful, simple way to maximize the donations you’re already receiving.”

Go about your matching gift drive in one of two ways:

1. Have your fundraising team scour your online donor database and reach out to any match-eligible donors.
2. Encourage your school’s recent and potential donors to research their eligibility and submit their match requests.

Ensure you leverage a matching gift database to make sure opportunities don’t get overlooked. All donors have to do is search for their employers’ names. Then, the system will compile all available information regarding their eligibility, and they’ll receive instant access to any available next steps or forms.

#67. Fundraising Web Store

Schools have been selling fundraising products for ages, and you can breathe new life into a typical product fundraiser by launching a fundraising web store. Your school’s supporters can share a link to your store however they like! With a fundraising web store, you can sell fundraising products like branded merchandise, cookie dough, popcorn, and more—all online. 

To get started with a fundraising web store, you’ll need to partner with a fundraising product company like ABC Fundraising. They understand the challenges of school fundraisers, and they’ll take care of everything by designing an easy-to-use store customized to your school.

#68: Online Shopping Fundraiser

School fundraisers can get a bit hectic, so it’s fortunate that there are a few fundraising options that make contributing to your school as easy as possible for you and your supporters. And one of the top options is online shopping fundraisers. 

Online shopping fundraisers earn money for your school when your supporters make everyday purchases at retailers who are participating in your program. Your supporters just need to download your program’s app or browser extension and then shop like normal. A percentage of their sales total will be sent directly to your school. 

The best part about these fundraisers is that all contributions come from retailers, meaning your supporters and your school won’t need to pay an extra dime! Plus, your online shopping program should have connections to popular retailers that members of your community already shop at, making contributing as easy as possible.

#69: Fundraising Letters

Fundraising letters are a tried and true way to solicit funds from your supporters. They are ideal because you can quickly reach your school community in a personalized and tangible way. Whether you choose email or direct mail for your letters, it’s important to keep a few essential tips in mind:

• Personalize each fundraising letter as much as you can. Using your donors’ names will make the letters more meaningful than if they start with “Dear supporter.”
• It’s a standard best practice for fundraising appeals to catch the reader’s attention with a meaningful story or anecdote before you get to the ask.
• Don’t forget to clearly state the impact a donation can have, so the recipient can visualize their impact.

No matter if you’re raising funds for a specific project or just want to increase your programming budget for the year, fundraising letters are a classic way to reach out to your supporter base.

#70: Online Pledge Drive

While pledge drives sometimes take place as a direct response to a crisis, it’s not necessary. We’re all familiar with the seasonal pledge drives that local radio stations and open-content websites implement a couple of times a year—consider doing the same for your school.

Fall and spring online pledge drives could be just what you need to sustain programming throughout the year. Ideally, a pledge drive needs about a month or so to ramp up awareness, so October and March are ideal months. Consider structuring your campaign around a virtual event, such as a walk-a-thon, where donors can pledge a certain amount per lap that their child walks around the event course.

A month or so before your event, disseminate online registration forms to parents and have students send pledge requests to their family and friends. The pledge requests should link directly to an easy-to-use, well-optimized donation page, so you don’t lose any donations to donor exasperation!

#71: Online Crowdfunding Campaign

Crowdfunding campaigns are a great way to make it easy for your community to support your school, whether for a specific project or more generally.

Teens will enjoy sharing your crowdfunding campaign on their social media pages with their extended networks. There are plenty of great crowdfunding platforms to choose from, specifically designed for nonprofits and educational institutions.

Be sure to offer your online donors some incentives or incorporate your crowdfunding campaign into other fundraising projects. Coupon books and t-shirts make great donation rewards!

#72: Virtual 5K

Chances are, you might already hold an annual 5K for your school because they make for fantastic school fundraisers. These powerful events get students and their families up and moving, all while raising money for your school. 

For a traditional 5K run, participants simply register and run the specified route on the day of the event. For a virtual 5K, participants complete the race independently and report their results back to your team. There are two ways to go about this:

1. Have participants run at their preferred location on the same date and time.
2. Have participants run on the date and time they choose, so long as they complete it within a specified period (such as two weeks).

Just ensure your participants have access to a way to measure their results, whether through a free smartphone app or a fitness watch. Then, incentivize others by featuring the top participants on your social media.

As with any athletic fundraiser, consider pairing this idea with a shoe drive fundraiser. You could place collection boxes around your school and community as your virtual event approaches. Bring in some extra fundraising dollars by lining up sponsors as well.

#73: Online Donation Page

At the core of any successful online fundraising strategy is a well-designed donation page. This page serves as the foundation of your digital approach, as it is where you’ll drive traffic to any of your school’s fundraising campaigns.

When designing your donation page, ensure it’s:

• Branded to your school. The last thing you want is for your community to think they’ve somehow wound up on an untrustworthy third-party site. Combat this by featuring your school’s logo and colors. These subtle, branded cues can make a huge difference!
• Mobile-responsive. According to Statista, mobile devices generated 61.8% of all web traffic in the last quarter of 2024, meaning mobile usability is crucial for your school’s donation page. A responsive form will easily adjust page elements (e.g., form fields, text size, buttons, and graphics) to any device.
• Accessible. Your donation form should comply with web accessibility guidelines, allowing people with disabilities to interact with it. For instance, you’ll want to use high-contrast colors, clearly label fields, and add alt-text to images to help users who use screen reader technology.

These are just a few of the ways you can create a great online donation page for your school. An online donation page pairs perfectly with any other school fundraising idea—virtual or not.

#74: Text-to-Give Campaign

Text-to-give capabilities are now an essential part of modern fundraising. If your school hasn’t considered them, check out the top text-to-give service providers to get started.

You can promote a standalone text-to-give campaign or easily incorporate your text-to-give options into other activities, like sporting events. Text-to-give tools are a great way to engage attendees at any live event quickly. However, ensure that your students (and their parents) fully understand how the mobile donation system works to avoid any confusion.

#75: Online Giving Day

Online giving days are a type of school fundraiser that leverages the power of social sharing. These online days of giving have proven to work for all kinds of organizations—big and small! In short, these are fundraising challenges that aim to reel in as many donations as possible within 24 hours.

All you’ll need to do for this school fundraiser is share your giving page and text-to-give number, urging individuals to contribute. Ensure that you leverage social media, email, and any other platforms where your school’s supporters are active. 

Plus, you can pair this with your matching gift drive to encourage even more donations. After all, 1 in 3 donors says they’d give a larger gift if a match could be applied to their contribution.

Conclusion + Additional Resources

Knowing where your school funding is going to come from isn’t always straightforward. However, with these proven school fundraising ideas, you’ll be prepared to plan and execute effective fundraisers that can really turn the needle.

Remember to analyze your school community before settling on one fundraiser. Ask if it’s an idea that’s performed well in the past or if it engages both parents and students. Refer to our list to look for ways to combine fundraising ideas for maximum impact! 

Interested in learning more about fundraising? Check out these top resources:

• 13 of the Most Profitable Fundraisers for Your Organization. Maybe you’ve run your fill of fundraisers and are ready to know which ones really make a difference. Read this guide for inspiration.
• 25+ Seasonal Fundraising Event Ideas to Stock Your Calendar. Align your fundraising plans with the seasons! Check out this list of 25 ideas to get started.
• 100+ Amazing and Unique Fundraising Ideas for Everyone. Looking for some offbeat and cost-effective fundraising options? Refer to this guide to learn our top picks.