Discover school fundraising ideas that can help teachers and kids get the resources they need. CharityAuctionsToday offers 21 fresh school fundraising ideas.
Fundraising is an essential part of supporting schools, helping to provide resources, programs, and opportunities that may not be covered by traditional funding. Whether it's raising money for new classroom technology, extracurricular activities, field trips, or sports equipment, creative and effective school fundraisers can bring students, parents, and the community together for a common goal.
The right fundraising ideas can make the process enjoyable, engaging, and profitable while fostering school spirit and teamwork.
You’ve Got the Ideas — Now Turn Them into Dollars
From bake sales to read-a-thons, you’ve explored 21 ways to raise funds. Launch an auction and multiply your returns — engage your community, maximize participation, and simplify fundraising.
Launch Your School AuctionFrom classic bake sales and car washes to modern digital fundraising campaigns and sponsorship opportunities, there are countless ways to raise funds for schools. The key is to choose fundraising methods that align with your school’s needs, audience, and available resources.
Whether you're organizing a small-scale fundraiser for a single classroom or a large event for an entire school district, a well-planned approach can make all the difference in reaching your financial goals.
More Than Just a Way to Raise Money
School fundraising ideas are more than just a way to raise money for various school needs. They are also valuable opportunities for students, teachers, parents, and the community to work together and learn from each other. These great fundraisers for schools you're about to discover benefit schools in other ways, like strengthening community ties, offering learning opportunities, and fostering a sense of pride and accomplishment.
We have some broad tips that apply to pretty much every school fundraising idea:
- Make tech work for you: Make sure you have an online donation page or portal that's easy to find and use. Make it as simple as possible for people to donate to your school: this page or portal needs to be mobile-friendly, so people can give from their phones.
- Make it evergreen: Keep that page or portal up even after your event is done, so that people can donate all year round. Consider creating an Amazon Wishlist for the items your school will need more of every year.
- Make it accessible: If you plan a bake sale, make sure you have some options that avoid common food allergies. And make sure that people feel welcome to bring recipes from their culture. Color runs should be set on courses that mobility devices can navigate, and movie night should include subtitles. It's important to show kids that all of their peers and community members deserve to be included.
This isn't just another list of school fundraising ideas. They're a treasure trove of activities that build character, strengthen relationship building, and foster learning about responsibility and leadership. Enjoy your fundraising adventures and all they have to offer beyond money!
21 School Fundraising Ideas that Rock!
Cookie dough sale
Sell cookie dough to parents and community members who can enjoy freshly baked cookies anytime. You can buy cookie dough in bulk or request donations from local bakeries. You can also turn this into a peer-to-peer fundraiser by creating online fundraising pages for each student or class.
Art to Remember
What a great fundraiser idea for school age kids! This website helps parents and schools preserve children’s artwork and support art education through custom-printed keepsakes. You can choose from various products, such as mugs, magnets, ornaments, and more, that feature your child’s original artwork. You can also create an online gallery and order online.
Bake sale
Bake delicious treats like cookies, cakes, brownies, muffins, and pies and sell them at school or online. You can also request donations from parents, teachers, and local businesses. Make sure to label your baked goods with ingredients and prices for this traditional school fundraising idea!
Game night
Host a fun night of board games, card games, trivia, bingo, or video games at your school or online. Charge an admission fee or ask for donations from participants. You can also sell snacks and drinks or have a raffle or silent auction.
Pajama Day and pancake breakfast
Let students come to school in their pajamas for a day and serve them a delicious pancake breakfast. Collect donations from parents and students in exchange for this special treat. You can also have a contest for the best pajamas or the most creative toppings.
Virtual trivia night
Test your supporters’ knowledge and have fun with a virtual trivia night. You can use a platform like Kahoot or Quizizz to create and host your trivia questions and charge a fee for participants to join. You can also offer prizes for the winners, such as gift cards or merchandise. Of all the student fundraising ideas, this one is a consistent earner.
Read-a-thon
Encourage students to read as many books as possible in a given time and ask them to collect pledges from sponsors for each book or page they read. You can also have prizes for the most books read, money raised, or genres explored.
Fun run or walk-a-thon
When we think up school fundraising ideas, there are so many that deal with running that walkers sometimes get left behind. But not with this school fundraising idea. Organize a fun run or walk-a-thon where students run or walk a certain distance and collect pledges from sponsors for each mile or lap they complete. You can also have prizes for the fastest runners, the most laps completed, or the most money raised.
Virtual scavenger hunt
Add some excitement and adventure to your fundraiser with a virtual scavenger hunt. You can create a list of items or tasks your supporters must find or complete within a specific time limit. For example, you can ask them to find something blue, take a selfie with their pet, or make a funny face. Then, you can ask your supporters to submit their photos or videos as proof and award points for each item or task. You can charge a fee for participants to join the scavenger hunt and offer prizes for the winners.
Need a fundraising thermometer?
Download our fundraising thermometer image and add it to your poster in your classroom or school entrance to show your progress. Download Here
Color run
Add some color to your fun run or walk-a-thon by throwing colored powder or water at the participants as they run or walk. You can also have stations where they can spray paint their hair or clothes with washable colors. Charge an entry fee or ask for donations from participants and sponsors.
Art show
Showcase the artistic talents of your students by hosting an art show at your school or online. You can display paintings, drawings, sculptures, crafts, photos, or any other type of art your students create. You can also sell or auction the artwork to raise money for your school.
Talent show
Let your students shine by hosting a talent show at your school or online. You can have categories like singing, dancing, comedy, magic, or anything else that showcases their skills and talents. Charge an entry fee or ask for donations from participants and audience members. You can also have judges and prizes for the best acts.
Movie night
Turn your school auditorium or gym into a movie theater and screen a popular or classic movie for your students and their families. Charge an admission fee or ask for donations from attendees.
Dessert Day
Your class can bake treats at home, or you can buy desserts, or both. A simple way is to take the desserts for a trip around the school on a cart. Students pay a small amount to enjoy the treats of their choice.
Candy bar sale
Contact a fundraising company that offers chocolate bars your students can sell. Students can sell to friends, family, and neighbors. This school fundraising idea helps students develop their leadership, entrepreneurship, and marketing skills.
Online Garage Sale
Great way for all the grades to pitch in garage sale items to be auctioned off online with CharityAuctionsToday’s auction software. It’s a fun and smart way to conveniently make easy money, selling no longer needed items in everyone’s houses and garages.
Kids cookbook
What a treasure this is. Another terrific school fundraiser idea! Have moms write down their kids' favorite recipes. Gather all the recipes to have them designed and printed at a print-on-demand website like CafePress to have them printed. Determine the price of the cookbook and start taking pre-orders. Pro-tip is to have a web page where the cookbook can be ordered directly. While you're at it, have a contest for students to design the cover.
Fridge Magnets
Make your school fridge magnets with the name of your school, school mascot, sports logo, or funny sayings. Visit websites such as CafePress, where you can try their print-on-demand service to design and purchase stickers in bulk at low prices.
Pet Costume Pageant
Pets of teachers and students dress up and vie for the King and Queen of animal beauty. Local pet stores are prime sponsors. Charge an entrance fee. At the event, sell drinks and snacks. Of all our school fundraising ideas, this is the staff's favorite.
Good grades
Everyone wins in this dual-purpose fundraiser that ensures good grades and fundraising! Create a pledge sheet for students to approach donors (mom, dad, grandparents) and ask for a donation for each A or B. The higher the grade, the higher the donation. This ensures that students put extra effort into their studies to get good grades. Good grades mean more funds.
T-shirt design contest
Hold a contest for students to design a t-shirt that promotes the school or a school program. After selecting the winner(s), sell the t-shirts at a print-on-demand shop like Printful. Consider selling matching fridge magnets. This is one of our team's favorite fundraising ideas!
Final Thoughts
Hosting successful fundraising events for schools is about more than just raising money—it’s about building community engagement, fostering teamwork, and creating memorable experiences for students and families.
By choosing creative and effective fundraising ideas, schools can not only meet their financial needs but also strengthen connections between educators, parents, and local businesses.
No matter the size of your school or the scope of your fundraising efforts, careful planning and enthusiastic participation can lead to great results. By leveraging innovative ideas and community support, your school can continue to provide enriching experiences and valuable resources for students.
Start exploring fundraising options today and turn your school’s next campaign into a success!
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a school fundraising idea effective?
The best ideas are easy to join, fit your school culture, and have low costs. Aim for simple signup, clear deadlines, and activities that families actually want—then promote across email, socials, and QR posters at school.
What are quick fundraising ideas we can launch with a few volunteers?
- Dine-out night with a local restaurant (give-back percentage).
- Digital “tip jar” with QR codes and a short URL.
- Reserved parking/seat auction for concerts or games.
- Spirit wear preorder pop-up (print-on-demand).
Which fundraiser types typically raise the most for schools?
- A-thons: walk/fun run, read-a-thon, dance-a-thon.
- Auctions: online or gala with teacher/coach experiences.
- Community events: carnival, trivia night, talent show.
- Merch: limited-run spirit wear with preorder to avoid inventory.
How do we keep school fundraisers inclusive and low-pressure for families?
Offer multiple ways to participate (share, volunteer, donate), use suggested amounts with a custom option, focus on participation goals over dollar quotas, and provide bilingual materials where relevant.
What should our digital setup include for easy giving and registration?
- Mobile-friendly page with Apple/Google Pay and minimal fields.
- Short URL and QR posters around campus and at events.
- Progress bar, deadline, and clear pickup/shipping info when applicable.
How can students help without putting pressure on families to spend?
Invite students to create posters, record short promo videos, staff check-in tables, and earn recognition for outreach or volunteer hours—not just dollars raised.
When should we schedule fundraisers during the school year for best results?
- Early fall: kickoff event (fun run or online auction).
- Winter: small campaigns (read-a-thon, merch drop).
- Spring: community event or gala auction tied to year-end needs.
Can you share a list of creative school fundraising ideas by category?
- Experiences: principal for a day, teacher lunch, VIP parking.
- Events: color run, carnival, movie night on the field.
- Sales: plants, coffee, custom stickers, student art.
- Services: car wash, yard sign delivery, tutoring marathon.
What auction items work best for elementary, middle, and high schools?
- Elementary: class art, teacher experiences, birthday party packages.
- Middle: sports/arts clinics, gaming night, museum passes.
- High: test prep, prom packages, parking permits, team experiences.
How do we run a read-a-thon or fun run—pledges or flat donations?
Offer both: families can give a flat amount or pledge per minute/lap. Keep tracking simple, celebrate participation, and provide teacher scripts and classroom posters.
How do we attract local sponsors quickly for school fundraisers and events?
Create 3–4 sponsor tiers with benefits like banners, programs, and social shout-outs. Add a “matching hour” during online campaigns to boost momentum.
How do we budget and protect net revenue for school needs?
- Estimate costs first; prioritize low-cost, high-yield ideas.
- Use preorders to avoid inventory risk.
- Track both gross and net; share impact (what funds will buy).
What’s a simple promotion plan that doesn’t burden teachers or staff?
- One-paragraph announcement and 2–3 slides for teachers.
- Flyer with QR + short URL; posts for school/classroom apps.
- Countdown reminders in the final 3 days with progress updates.
Should we use class/team pages or ambassadors to expand reach?
Yes—opt-in class or team pages help families share easily. Provide a share kit (images, short copy) and use friendly leaderboards focused on participation, not dollar pressure.
Can schools run raffles or 50/50 drawings to raise funds?
Rules vary by location and district. Confirm permits, age restrictions, and school policies before advertising chance-based activities. This is general information, not legal advice.
Any guidelines for student privacy, photos, and consent in promotions?
Follow district consent forms and opt-outs, avoid full names, and prefer group/activity shots. Share photo rules with volunteers. This is general information, not legal advice.
Which KPIs show that our school fundraiser is on track?
- Total raised vs. goal and daily pace.
- Participation rate per class/grade and average gift.
- Channel performance (email, social, QR traffic) and match utilization.
How should we handle receipts and acknowledgments for school fundraisers?
Provide timely thank-yous and include required receipt details based on your school/booster/PTA setup. Distinguish purchases (e.g., auction items) from donations where applicable. This is general information, not tax advice.
What should we do with unsold items or leftover merch after an event?
Offer a post-event flash sale, bundle items for a mini online auction, or hold for the next game. Communicate pickup/shipping clearly to reduce storage issues.
How do we thank supporters and keep momentum after the fundraiser ends?
- Share results within 48 hours with photos and what the funds will do.
- Thank sponsors and volunteers publicly; deliver promised benefits.
- Invite families to the next event or to join monthly/annual giving.
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