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Elementary school fundraising ideas

The best fundraising ideas for elementary schools offer fun for the whole family and bring in some major funds, too. Rally parents, students, staff members, and the surrounding community with these fresh and creative elementary fundraiser ideas.

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VIP cushioned seats sale

Create and sell custom VIP event ticketsthat offer access to front-row, cushioned seats (and maybe some special team swag) at your next home game for your biggest fans and supporters.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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Players vs. parents game

It’s kids vs. grownups in this ultimate showdown. Ask for a small donation per participant or family or charge a small fee for supporters to come watch it all go down.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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Peer-to-peer

Mascot showdown

Join forces with your rival team for a good cause. Organize a race or other competition between your mascots during halftime at a big game, and ask supporters to vote for their mascot by donating on a team fundraising page. Use text-to-donate or a QR code to bring in even more funds from the stands during the event.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Peer-to-peer

Concession stand

Use an existing stand or create your own and sell items like popcorn, candy, and sunflower seeds. To boost sales, create custom tickets with mouth-watering pictures of available treats!

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Jeans day / Out of uniform day

Sell passes for a day out of uniform or a day in jeans. Allow parents to pre-pay ahead or donate on the day-of the event. For easy payments, use scan-to-donate or accept Venmo and other convenient options.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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Shoe-decorating

Source an array of paints and art supplies and invite community members to make a donation and bring a pair of sneakers to paint together for your good cause. 

To create a seamless event experience, set up custom ticket types, like an upsell ticket that provides a pair of shoes. Make sure to add a custom question to get the right shoe size!
Cost:
2
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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Storybook Character Dress-Up Day

Invite students to come to school dressed as their favorite storybook characters. Charge a small participation fee and organize storytimes throughout the day.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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Crafts night

Charge an entrance fee and check-in attendees as they arrive for an evening of creativity and fun. Ask volunteers to bring various supplies, or ask for donations from local art stores.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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Principal challenge

Challenge your principal to do something wild (like dye their hair) if your team reaches their fundraising goal. Use a custom fundraising page with a live goal bar to drum up excitement and share updates (and photos!) as donations roll in.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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Peer-to-peer

Read-a-thon

Students pledge to read a certain number of minutes each day and collect donations for each minute read or a flat rate. To gamify your efforts, use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage readers to compete to see who reads—and raises—the most.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Pumpkin Games

Perfect for the Halloween season, challenge participants to a pay-to-play series of games like pumpkin races and decorating contests. Sell tickets in advance or on the day of using scan-to-donate or Venmo.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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School auction

Source quality school-related items, such as backpacks and shoes, and auction them off during a virtual, in-person, or hybrid event.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Virtual movie night

Use Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) to host a virtual family movie night fundraising event on the streaming service of your choice. Ask movie trivia questions throughout to make the evening more interactive!

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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Grow-your-own garden kit

Ask local nurseries to donate herbs, seeds, and soil you can use to assemble gardening kits. Bring volunteers together to assemble everything and sell them on a custom fundraising page or donation form.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Earth Day

Reserve an indoor or outdoor space and invite your community to come arrange flower bouquets and pot their own plants to celebrate Earth Day (April 22).

Charge an entrance fee and make your fundraising event move smoothly with mobile app check-in and easy scan-to-donate payment options.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Sell swag or merch

Raise some extra funds for your organization or club and spread the word about your cause by selling branded swag like totes, stickers, and t-shirts.

With advanced ticketing features, you can offer each item on a mobile-friendly platform and add an image and available amount so supporters can easily purchase and share their sizing info, too!

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Pizza party

Each class or grade creates a team fundraising page for easy donations and campaign sharing. The team that raises the most or brings in the most donations is rewarded with a bottomless pizza day, either made by volunteers or donated from a local pizzeria.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Grab bags

Reach out to local businesses and ask them to donate a small number of products that you can bundle together and offer donors online.

To attract more partnerships from businesses, create a sponsorship proposal that emphasizes the benefits for them, like free publicity and marketing opportunities.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Community cookbook

Create and sell a custom cookbook featuring favorite recipes from your community members and families. To drum up excitement and spread the word, share sneak peek photos on your custom fundraising page.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Donation drive

Set up a donation drive to collect valuable in-kind donations or financial gifts for your cause. This can be done by setting up a drop-off zone in person or collecting donations online through a fundraising page. No matter the format—make sure to share your fundraising goal far and wide to keep the momentum going!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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Team sponsorship

Ask local businesses to sponsor your team in exchange for logo placement on jerseys, in programs, or on stadium banners. Be sure to follow sponsorship proposal best practices to make the most of this partnership!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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Restaurant takeover

Find a local restaurant that will host your fundraising event and donate at least 10-20% of the profits from the evening to your campaign. To really sweeten the sponsorship, offer lots of benefits for participating restaurants like free marketing and publicity.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Sponge toss

For this fundraising event, charge a small fee per water balloon or sponge, and let students throw them at each other during a pep rally or outdoor event. For easy participation, offer scan-to-donate and accept multiple payment methods like Apple Pay, Venmo, and more.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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Pool party

Charge an entry fee for a fun day in the sun—think pool floats, squirt guns, and water balloons!

To make this fundraising event even more of a hit, sell summery snacks and drinks, too. Don’t forget the sunscreen!

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Family and friends game night

Sell custom event ticket types and group tickets that offer unlimited access to games—or charge a certain number of tickets per game.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Frequently asked questions

Starting a fundraiser for your elementary school usually begins with identifying a need, like new playground equipment or computers. Ideally, this is done in partnership with stakeholders like the PTA and school administrators. No one should take on a fundraising effort alone, so your next step is to assemble a team of volunteers to brainstorm ideas. A book sale? A fun run? A trivia night? The sky’s the limit! 

Great fundraising ideas for elementary schools that have stood the test of time include events like fall or spring carnivals, bake sales, and walkathons. These evergreen activities appeal to families, engage more community members, and provide fun for everyone.

Regardless of how you collect donations, the best school fundraising ideas for elementary schools get both students and parents involved and even bring local restaurants and businesses in on the action.

The profitability of any fundraiser can vary depending on resources, expenses, and community support, but large-scale events like galas and silent auctions tend to be the most profitable. Alternatively, crowdfunding campaigns that allow supporters to make small donations on a donation page are also effective for raising money sustainably throughout the school year.

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