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All fundraising ideas
School fundraising ideas
Whether you're a parent, teacher, or student leader, we’ll help you say goodbye to boring and hello to the best fundraising ideas for schools. Kick off the school year on a high note with these creative campaigns and events guaranteed to boost school spirit—and your fundraising efforts.
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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 craft supplies or request donations from local art stores.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/crafts-night
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Principal for the day
Auction off the chance for a student to be school principal for the day! The lucky student will get to greet classmates as they arrive, make morning announcements, visit classrooms, and enjoy a special lunch with the principal.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/principal-challenge
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Auctions
Read-a-thon
Students pledge to read a certain number of minutes each day and collect donations for every minute read or a flat rate. Use peer-to-peer fundraising to gamify your efforts and encourage readers to compete to see who reads—and raises—the most.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/read-a-thon
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Open mic night
Invite community members to perform music, poetry, or comedy for a good cause. Ask audience members to make a small donation and offer snacks to raise more funds using easy in-person mobile payments like Tap to Pay and scan-to-donate.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/open-mic-night
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Events
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Candy grams
Buy some crowd-favorite candies and charge supporters to send these sweet treats to a chosen recipient along with a heartfelt note. To streamline the process, have donors fill out custom fields on your donation form with their personal notes and recipient addresses.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/candy-grams
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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
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pumpkin-games
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Events
Peer-to-peer
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
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/school-auction
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Events
Auctions
Coding bootcamp
Partner with coding organizations and offer students discounted class fees and programs. Be sure to include some appealing benefits for participating companies in your corporate sponsorship proposal, like free marketing and publicity.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/coding-bootcamp
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Events
Virtual movie night
Host a virtual family movie night using Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) on your favorite streaming platform. Collect donations before or during your fundraising event, and make it more interactive and fun with movie trivia questions throughout the evening.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/virtual-movie-night
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50-yard-line movie night
Hang a projector screen (or large, white sheet) from the goalposts at the football field. Charge a small entrance fee, sell popcorn, and enjoy an outdoor movie night together—football-themed film or not!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/50-yard-line-movie-night
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Events
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
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/grow-your-own-garden-kit
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Events
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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.
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
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/earth-day
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Events
Pages & forms
Mini-golf tournament
Assemble teams, charge entry fees, and cheer everyone on as they compete for the best score. Encourage participants to make personal team fundraising pages and ask friends and family to support them and the cause.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/mini-golf-tournament
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Swag sale
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
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/sell-swag-or-merch
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Events
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Pages & forms
Pizza party
Have each class or group create a team fundraising page for donations and campaign sharing. Reward the team that raises the most with a bottomless pizza day, donated by a local pizzeria or made by volunteers.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pizza-party
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Events
Peer-to-peer
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.
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
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/grab-bags
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Auctions
Pages & forms
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
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/community-cookbook
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Pages & forms
Staff vs. students
Organize an afternoon of relay races, obstacle courses, and brain teasers at your school and challenge teachers to partake. Be sure to create a fun and engaging event page where attendees can easily purchase tickets!
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/staff-vs-students
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Comedy roast
Invite participants to roast their teachers or coaches—in a light-hearted way. Sell tickets online and check-in attendees as they arrive, in addition to offering in-person donations for entry (and snacks!) with Venmo and scan-to-donate.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/comedy-roast
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Events
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
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/donation-drive
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Pages & forms
Pay you not to ask me again
Give your supporters a way to opt out of all your upcoming donation requests during a big fundraising effort. If they contribute via your donation form before a certain date, you’ll take them off your email and call list for the whole campaign! Then, you can easily segment your email list with your built-in CRM and marketing tools.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pay-you-not-to-ask-me-again
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Pages & forms
Community resource fair
Reserve a large space like a parking lot or school gym and sell booths to local vendors. Invite the community and charge a small entrance fee with easy mobile giving tools like Tap to Pay or scan-to-donate.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/community-resource-fair
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Events
Pages & forms
Food truck smorgasbord
Invite food trucks to a big game or event and ask them in return to donate a portion of all food sales to your team. To really sweeten thesponsorshipopportunity, offer benefits for these small businesses, like free marketing and publicity.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/food-truck-smorgasbord
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Events
Shave for the cause
Create a peer to peer fundraising campaign and invite participants to create their own pages and compete to raise the most funds. Watch the leaderboard for live updates on who’s in the lead. The person with the highest amount raised or the most individual donations will shave their head—or nominate someone else to shave their own!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/shave-for-the-cause
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
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
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/team-sponsorship
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Pages & forms
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We're always cooking up new ideas, so check back soon for fresh picks!
Dive into our list of best fundraising ideas in the meantime
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Frequently asked questions
How do I start a fundraiser for my school?
Begin by identifying a specific need or cause, such as upgrading facilities or starting new clubs or programs. Next, brainstorm easy fundraising ideas for schools, such as bake sales, car washes, or themed events geared toward your community's interests.
Obtain approval from school administrators, rally volunteers, and promote your fundraising campaign far and wide. Don’t forget to thank all of your donors and attendees for their support!
What are the most popular school fundraisers?
The most popular fundraisers for school ideas appeal to both students and their families.
Setting up concession stands and selling baked goods at sports games and at field days are always appealing fundraising ideas for students, and they can bring in an impressive amount of money for your school.
You can also energize your community with classic a-thon fundraisers—like walkathons, read-a-thons, or color runs—that turn participation into school spirit.
What is the most profitable school fundraiser?
Finding good fundraising ideas for schools that make a big impact can depend on your budget and resources. However, large-scale ideas for school fundraisers like dances or festivals are usually a solid way to raise funds. Because these events engage students of all ages, families, and local communities, they tend to help causes reach their fundraising goals faster.
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