Schools, sports teams, clubs, music programs, and parent organizations often rely on fundraising to support their needs and events. Doing the same fundraisers repeatedly can get old quick, though, and community members won’t want to keep spending money on it. When you switch things up with fresh school fundraiser ideas, it draws excitement, attention, and participation.
Not all school fundraiser ideas work for every school, so consider what would work best for yours specifically.
What Makes a Good School Fundraiser
The best school fundraiser ideas are easy for students and families to participate in, and they’re fun enough for them to want to. They should be reasonably affordable, and they should be appropriate for the age group. It’s important to consider whether the amount of work involved is worth the funds raised. Consider the cost to organize the fundraiser, the number of volunteers needed, and whether students can participate. Lastly, the point of a fundraiser is to raise funds. That being said, it is a good idea to make a goal and consider whether or not you can reasonably reach that goal with the fundraising activity planned.
Easy School Fundraiser Ideas
If you don’t have a huge volunteer team or tons of time to plan, start with a fundraiser that’s relatively simple to organize. These easy school fundraiser ideas can be done on short notice and with a relatively small group of people.
1. School Spirit Wear Sale
Create fun, trendy designs to sell as fresh school spirit wear. Hoodies, t-shirts, hats, sweatpants, socks, and other items sell really well. You can sell these at sporting events or at the end of school during pick up.
2. Fun Run
All you need to do is choose a date and a path, and then sell tickets to the event. This is a great fundraiser idea if you’re involved with the track or cross country teams already. You can choose to keep this simple, or make it a lot more complex by creating and selling shirts as well.
3. Penny Wars
Penny Wars is super low-cost and easy to explain to students and families. It works well for all age levels, from elementary through high school. It’s a competitive option that doesn’t require a big event, and it’s different from the fundraisers that ask people to buy things or attend events.
4. Video Game Tournament
You’re typically not allowed to play video games at school, so hosting your own video game tournament is a fun way to get participation! Think about a game that is competitive, school-appropriate, and popular among the students. Games like Mario Kart and Tetris make for great options. To turn it into a fundraiser, simply choose a prize, sell entries, and bring gaming equipment for the tournament!
5. VIP Parking Spot Auction
Auction off a special “VIP” spot for parent drop-off/pickup, school events, sports games, concerts, or a reserved space near the entrance. This school fundraiser idea doesn’t require inventory and isn’t much work at all to execute. You could auction off the prime parking spot for a semester, school year, or for specific school events. This spot could go to either a parent or to a student who drives.
Fun School Fundraiser Ideas
School fundraisers don’t have to feel like work for everyone. You can turn fundraising into an event students, families, and teachers actually want to attend with one of these fun ideas.
6. School Carnival
A school carnival is not only a perfect way to make money, but it’s also a great way to bring the school community together. Set up games, inflatables, face painting, food, raffles, or other activities and sell tickets for families to participate. You could also ask local businesses to sponsor booths or donate prizes to help keep your costs down.
7. Silent Disco
Host a silent disco where students wear wireless headphones and choose between different music channels while they dance. Charge admission to attend, and consider selling snacks, glow sticks, or other light-up accessories for extra fundraising. A silent disco works well for middle and high school students and gives them something a little different from a traditional school dance.
If you host a silent disco for families to attend, it’s the perfect solution for parents who want to be able to socialize while their kids have fun. The kids can dance and listen to music through their headphones while the actual environment is quiet enough for adults to actually hear each other talk.
8. Trivia Night
Charge teams an entry fee for a trivia night and offer a prize to the winning team. You can make trivia night more distinctive by planning a parents vs students competition. Use a mix of general trivia questions, Family Feud-style questions, true or false questions, and science trivia to keep the rounds varied and fun for different ages.
9. Adult Spelling Bee
An adult spelling bee is a fun way to raise money for your school or organization. Charge participants an entry fee, sell tickets for spectators, or sell concessions. You could have a student spelling bee and an adult spelling bee, and then have the winners of each compete against one another. If you want to, you can offer prizes to the winners.
10. Students-vs-Teachers Game
Have a team of students and a team of teachers compete against each other in a game and sell tickets for people to come and watch. To make even more money at this event, you could set up a concession stand.
The game doesn’t always have to be athletic, either. You could try a students-vs-teachers round of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
11. School Scavenger Hunt
A school scavenger hunt is a fun and flexible fundraiser that can work for families or groups of students. Charge teams an entry fee and give them a list of clues or challenges to complete around the school or community. You could even ask local businesses to donate prizes for the winning teams.
12. Skate Night
Local skating rinks may partner with organizations and give back a portion of admission fees from a designated skate night. Our PTO does this and gets tons of families that show up to have fun and help raise money. We also raffle prizes donated by local businesses to make it even more fun.
Fundraising Ideas for Middle and High School Students
School dances and car washes are common ways to raise money for middle and high school students and athletes, but there are lots of other ideas, too.
13. Youth Skills Clinic
Let older students use their skills to teach younger kids while raising money for their team, club, or organization. A youth sports clinic is an obvious option, but you could also host clinics for cheer, dance, music, theater, art, robotics, or other activities. Charge a registration fee and then put the money toward uniforms, camp expenses, travel, or other program needs.
14. Prom Dress or Formalwear Resale Event
Many students get new dresses or formalwear for each school dance, and they never use the previous ones again. Ask students and families to donate gently used dresses, suits, shoes, and accessories, then sell them at an affordable price. It’s a great way to raise money while helping other students find affordable outfits for prom, homecoming, or other school dances. It’s also a great way to practice sustainability.
15. Dodgeball or Basketball Tournament
Host a dodgeball or basketball tournament and charge teams a registration fee to play. Students can create their own teams and compete tournament-style until there’s one winner. You could also sell tickets for spectators and offer concessions to raise even more money.
16. Student Photography Mini Sessions
If you have students who are interested in photography, let them put those skills to work with photography mini sessions. Families, seniors, couples, or even friend groups can sign up for a short photo session in exchange for a donation or set fee. This gives student photographers experience while raising money at the same time.
17. Tech Help Night
Teenagers usually know their way around phones, apps, and computers better than the rest of us. Host a tech help night where students help parents, grandparents, and other community members with things like phone settings, apps, email, photo organization, or other basic tech questions. Ask for a donation in exchange for the help.
Food Fundraiser Ideas
Food fundraisers are popular for a reason. People are already spending money on meals and snacks, so giving them a way to support the school while they eat makes fundraising feel pretty easy.
18. Pancake Breakfast
Host a pancake breakfast at the school and sell tickets ahead of time or at the door. Keep the menu simple with pancakes, sausage, fruit, coffee, and juice. Students can help serve food, clean tables, and greet guests to make it more of a community event.
19. Chili Cook-Off
Ask parents, teachers, students, or community members to enter their best chili recipe in a school chili cook-off. Charge participants to enter, sell tasting tickets, or do both. Guests can sample the different recipes and vote for their favorite.
20. Food Truck Night
Invite several local food trucks to set up at the school for an evening and turn dinner into a fundraiser. Ask vendors if they offer a percentage of sales back to schools or organizations, or charge vendors a small fee to participate. Add music, games, or other activities to make it feel like a bigger community event.
One idea I’m trying this year is scheduling food trucks before, during, and after sports practices when families will already be there. It provides an easy dinner option for busy nights while also raising money for our sports program.
21. Restaurant Fundraiser Night
A restaurant fundraiser night is super easy. All you have to do is find a local restaurant that will give back a portion of the sales from a certain timeframe. Organize with the restaurant and then advertise to your school community, encouraging them to go dine at that restaurant during the event.
Some chains, like Little Caesars, offer fundraising programs with options like pizza kits or Meal Deal codes, with online and brochure options available. It’s one of my favorite options because it’s super easy for all involved and offers a product that’s actually useful and affordable.
Creative School Fundraiser Ideas
If you’re tired of selling the same things every year, try a fundraiser that lets students and families get a little more creative.
22. Student Art Auction Fundraiser
Ask students to create artwork that can be displayed and auctioned off to families and community members. You could hold a traditional auction, a silent auction, or even an online auction. This works well if your school already has an art show or other event where families will be in the building.
23. Holiday Shop
A holiday shop gives students a chance to buy inexpensive gifts for their family members while supporting the school. Our PTO calls this event Santa Shop, but you can keep it more general with a holiday shop that includes gifts for parents, siblings, grandparents, teachers, and friends. Ask volunteers to help students shop and wrap their gifts. If you have anything left over after all students have had a chance to shop, you could open it up to the community to raise even more money.
24. Basket Raffle
Ask classrooms, teams, clubs, families, or local businesses to donate themed baskets and raffle them off at a school event. Themes could include movie night, sports, baking, family game night, self-care, local restaurants, or school spirit. Selling raffle tickets over several days or during a larger event can help bring in even more money.
25. Student Craft or Maker Market
Give creative students a chance to sell things they’ve made at a student craft or maker market. They could sell art projects, stickers, greeting cards, friendship bracelets, jewelry, crafts, baked goods, or other handmade items.
You could also turn larger student-created projects into fundraisers. Create a custom school calendar using student artwork or photography, or put together a student cookbook by collecting favorite recipes from students, families, teachers, and staff. Sell printed or digital copies to raise money.
Bonus: Yearbook Ads
Many schools will sell yearbook ads as a fundraiser. These are typically a quarter page or a half page where parents of high school seniors get to include a couple of photos and a message for their graduating senior. If your school’s yearbook is open to selling ads to parents, this is a great way to raise money!