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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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Home exercise classes

Invite local fitness instructors and coaches to donate their skills and invite community members to join you for at-home exercise classes in exchange for a donation.

Manage everything in one place by broadcasting your classes with a livestream right on your event registration page.

Cost:
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Impact:
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Local celebrities

Invite a local children’s book author or beloved mascot to an event. Guests will pay a fee to attend, ask questions, and take photos! 
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Virtual book club

Charge a registration fee or ask for donations to join your book club, and host regular discussions via Zoom or another video conferencing platform.

Be sure to set up recurring donations as a simple way to collect membership fees for ongoing gatherings.

Cost:
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Donation forms

Spring break t-shirt sale

Design your own spring break t-shirts and sell them in person and online to raise funds for your group or cause.

Use custom fields on your donation form to collect the details you need from buyers, such as their t-shirt size and color choice.

Cost:
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Donation forms
Fundraising page

Maze for a cause

If you don’t have corn maze capabilities, find a large outdoor space where you can build a maze from hay bales!

Charge an entrance fee to walk the maze, and make transactions easy with scan-to-donate and Tap to Pay options.

Cost:
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International Women's Day fundraiser

Highlight the power, strength, and talent of women in your community today and throughout history with a special fundraising event.

Whether it’s in-person, virtual, or hybrid, raise more and stress less with easy online registration, mobile app check-ins, and live display

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Auctions
Donation forms
Events
Fundraising page
Peer-to-peer

Student art auction

Auction off students' art projects online, in-person, or both! Add photos and descriptions for each masterpiece using easy auction software.

Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Auctions
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Fundraising page

Teacher “jail”

Challenge students to meet a fundraising goal. If they do, their teacher is sent to relax in the teachers’ lounge while students play games in the classroom. Use a custom fundraising page with a live goal bar to build excitement!

Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Peer-to-peer

Fall carnival

Host your very own fall-themed festival with live music, food and drink, local vendors, and carnival games.

Ask local businesses for supplies and prize donations and raise funds through refreshments, games, and stallholder fees.

Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
3
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Farmer’s market

Approach a local farmer’s market with a sponsorship proposal and see if they can host a special fundraising event for your cause or dedicate a certain percentage of their Saturday morning profits to your campaign. Be sure to outline all of the perks that vendors can expect from the collaboration, like free publicity.

Cost:
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Impact:
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That’s a wrap

Students make donations to buy sections of toilet paper. At the end of the fundraising period, they get to wrap their teacher with it! For a smoother process, set custom donation amounts and labels on your fundraising page or donation form.

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Bingo night

Sell bingo cards and offer exciting prizes to keep everyone engaged all night long, either virtually or in person!

In the lead-up to your fundraising event, entice attendees with campaign updates featuring teasers of some of the prizes at stake.

Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Events

Book sale

Partner with a publisher or local book store and host a book sale to raise money. Sell books of all kinds or organize the event around a theme—romance novels, religious books, or children's literature—whatever will resonate with your community.

Make sure to spread the word about your sale and send reminders using free email marketing software!

Cost:
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Impact:
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Events

Superhero run

Participants pay an entry fee to partake in a costumed fundraising run. Encourage runners to raise more for your cause with their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages, and award prizes for race winners, best super hero costumes, and most donations!

Cost:
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Impact:
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Peer-to-peer

Lip sync competition

Invite community members to sign up and submit their songs for an unforgettable lip-sync battle. Recruit a volunteer panel of judges to select the winners—and don’t forget prizes for the winners!

Sell tickets for this fundraising event online, streamline check-in, and accept extra donations with the same easy platform.

Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Multicultural fair

Showcase dishes and traditions from around the globe and celebrate the diversity of your community with a multicultural fair fundraiser. Sell tickets and set up food, drinks, and gift booths for attendees to enjoy.

Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
2
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Parents’ night out

This fundraising event can be a fun gathering for parents, or you can make it an opportunity for grownups to drop off their kids for a few hours in exchange for a donation to your cause! Charge an hourly rate or a flat “entrance fee” and give caregivers some priceless peace and quiet.

Cost:
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Impact:
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Basketball bonanza

Challenge contestants to score as many points as they can within the time limit. Charge an entry fee and check attendees in as they line up. 
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Peer-to-peer
Events

Night at the museum

Secure a sponsorship from a local museum and invite families and community members to pay a donation to enjoy a crowd-free evening of fun.

Cost:
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TikTok dance-off

Challenge participants to create a dance and post their video to social media. Each person must tag someone and donate once they’ve completed the challenge.

For easy and simple sharing, create a custom donation form that’s optimized for mobile!

Cost:
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Fundraising page
Donation forms

Cooking competition

Take inspiration from the TV show “Chopped” and challenge teams to a culinary showdown!

You can get even more spectators in on the fun by livestreaming the event and asking for donations throughout the program.

Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Peer-to-peer

Peer-to-peer fundraising

Multiply your reach with a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign in which individuals reach out to their own networks of family, friends, and coworkers to solicit donations for your cause.

Create teams to add some fun competition into the mix—and bring in more donations!

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Peer-to-peer

Board game night

Host a pay-to-play fundraising event where participants can compete against their friends in games like UNO or Sorry. Sell goodies for competitors to snack on to make this event extra sweet.

Cost:
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Impact:
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Pancakes for parents

Charge a small entrance fee for a dropoff pancake breakfast just for kids, allowing parents to take some much-needed time to rest and relax.

Make the whole process even more convenient for parents with easy online ticketing and scan-to-donate options at the door.

Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Events

Battle of the food trucks

Host a showdown between some of your favorite food trucks. Ask each truck to donate a percentage of sales towards your good cause, and award a fun prize to the truck that makes the most sales that day.

Partnering with food trucks is a great way to reach your fundraising target. Discover how to secure corporate sponsorships.

Cost:
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Dive into our list of best fundraising ideas in the meantime 

Frequently asked questions

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!

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.

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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