High school fundraising ideas
From talent shows and tournaments to creative mystery dinners and comedy nights, we’ve crafted the ultimate list of fundraising ideas for high schools. Find the best activities to help you engage high school students and parents, teachers, and the entire community to raise money—and school spirit.
%201.png)
Movies in the park
Ask your community members to join you for a series of movies in the park this summer. Screen a classic or trending movie somewhere scenic, and sell popcorn, drinks, and other refreshments.
Sell tickets online, check guests in with your mobile app, and offer easy payment methods like scan-to-donate for on-the-spot donations.









Street clean up
Work with local businesses to sponsor the day and encourage donations towards your charity or group.









Water balloon fight
Celebrate the arrival or end of summer with a water balloon fight, all in the aid of a great cause. Invite individuals or teams to pay to enter and encourage them to set up peer-to-peer fundraising pages to raise donations from friends and family members before the big day.
With team fundraising pages, their individual efforts can be tallied up with their teammates’!









Hot chocolate stall
Set up a hot chocolate or coffee stand and sell hot drinks to warm up your community! Have coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and plenty of syrups and toppings that they can add for an extra fee. Don’t forget marshmallows! Make it easy for supporters to pay for their drinks as you make them with scan-to-donate, Venmo, and other seamless payment options.









Give $5, grab 5 friends
Ask your supporters to donate $5 to your cause. Then, each donor has to tag at least five people via social media. The goal is that each person who gets tagged matches that $5 gift to your campaign—and then tags five others.
This is a great social media fundraising idea that can spread quickly within your community, helping you raise funds fast.









Fitness challenge
Participants commit to completing a certain number of workouts and collect pledges for each milestone achieved using personal peer-to-peer fundraising pages.
Watch as donations come in through the leaderboard in real time and friends and family share words of encouragement on the supporter feed.









Popcorn fundraiser
Partner with a popcorn supplier and sell gourmet popcorn to family, friends, and community members. Add mouthwatering images to tickets to showcase all the different flavors available.









Thrifty fashion show
Host a fashion show featuring only second-hand clothes, which will then be on sale after the show! Charge an entrance fee, sell food and drinks, and remember to send a big thank you to everyone when your fundraising event is all over.









Pet yoga
Ask a local yoga teacher to lead a class with adoptable animals or invite participants bring their pets along for some zen!
Make this fundraising event even better by asking a local yoga studio to be a sponsor.









Pumpkin patch
Partner with a local farm to create a family-friendly pumpkin patch event. Invite your community to come take fall photos and pick out a pumpkin or two in exchange for a donation.
Make transactions quick and easy with Tap to Pay and a scan-to-donate QR code posted to let donors choose their payment method—PayPal, Google Pay, Venmo, and more.









Photo contest
Run a short photo contest for an inexpensive, all-ages fundraiser. Choose a theme, charge a small fee to enter, and invite community members to submit their photos alongside their donations in your supporter feed.
Raise even more by turning the top photos into a deck of cards or a calendar.









Pet-friendly bake sale
Choose a location in a high-pet-traffic area, request treat donations from pet supply stores, and get to selling! Offer multiple methods for payment including scan-to-donate and Venmo.









Back-to-school sale
Get everyone set up for the new school year with a back-to-school sale. Sell items like stationery, backpacks, water bottles, and other accessories for kids of all ages.
Customize online tickets with the name and image of each product, so your supporters can easily choose between the items on sale.









Dodgeball tournament
Put teams together and face off to see who truly is the best when it comes to dodgeball. Charge teams an entry fee, sell tickets to watch the games, and sell refreshments to raise even more funds.
Invite participants to set up team fundraising pages so they can also compete to see who can raise the most funds for your cause.









Apple bobbing
Set up a stall where people can try apple bobbing in exchange for a small donation. This works well as part of a fall festival or Halloween event where you can set up a range of fun activities for families to get involved with.









Year-end fundraiser
Celebrate the end of the year with a big annual fundraiser. Host an event and attract donations and support with a silent auction, peer-to-peer campaign, and more.
Use the year-end giving checklist to make sure you’ve covered every angle!









Holiday cookie sale
Whip up some sweet treats to sell at your next fundraising event, group gathering, or around town. Consider setting up a station for supporters to decorate their own cookies or create kits for families to bring home in exchange for a donation.
Streamline the buying process with scan-to-donate—which guest can use to make their payment instantly right from their phones!









Holiday market
Ring in the festive season with your own holiday market. Invite stallholders to participate for a small fee and raise funds through selling refreshments, merch, and game tickets.
Use engaging fundraising event features to make it an enjoyable experience for all—with easy online ticket sales, on-the-spot donations, and more.









Holiday movie marathon
Create a lineup of classic holiday movies for a community movie marathon. Sell tickets, popcorn, hot chocolate, and other treats to create a delightful (and profitable!) experience.
With user-friendly fundraising event features for online ticket sales and in-person donations, organizing this event can be as easy as hitting play on your favorite festive film.









Fantasy football draft festival
Turn a fantasy football draft into an exciting fundraising event! Sell tickets and offer tailgate games, food, and entertainment.









Frequently asked questions
How do I start a fundraiser for my high school?
First, determine a specific need for your fundraising efforts, like extracurricular activities or a senior trip. Next, get approval from school administrators, gather volunteers, and brainstorm ideas that will get both students and the community excited, like a walk-a-thon, open mic night, or trivia competition.
Check out the step-by-step guide for how to start a fundraiser for more tips!
What are the most popular high school fundraisers?
Some popular fundraising ideas for high school students include events like dances, talent shows, and tournaments. Other favorites add a bit of competition to the mix, like a battle of the bands, creative student presentations, scavenger hunts, or a principal challenge.
What is the most profitable high school fundraiser?
The amount of money a high school fundraiser can raise varies, but large events like comedy roast nights or fun runs have the potential to raise a lot. To attract extra support, you can also send out a sponsorship proposal to businesses like local restaurants.
%201.png)
Subscribe to
The Butter Brief
Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox

Givebutter helps you turn ideas into impact
.webp)
Subscribe to
The Butter Brief
Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox

The most-loved fundraising platform
.png)
%201.png)