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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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Teddy bear picnic


Host a picnic where participants can bring along their favorite stuffed animals and enjoy simple brown-bag lunches or treats from a mini bake sale. This fundraising event is a sweet and family-friendly way to bring in needed funds.
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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.
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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


Host a virtual book club and charge a small registration fee or ask for donations to join. Hold regular discussions via Zoom or another video conferencing platform to keep the community engaged.

Set up recurring donations as a simple way to collect membership fees for ongoing gatherings.
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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.
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Maze for a cause

Find a large outdoor space where you can build a corn maze from hay bales and turn it into a fundraiser!

Charge an entrance fee to walk the maze and make transactions simple with scan-to-donate and Tap to Pay options. 
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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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Student art auction


Auction off student art projects online, in person, or both! Add photos and descriptions of each masterpiece using auction software for easy bidding and sharing.
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Teacher “jail”


Challenge students to meet a fundraising goal. If they succeed, their teacher gets “locked in jail” (aka gets to relax in the teachers’ lounge) while students take over the classroom for fun and games. Use a custom fundraising page with a live goal bar to build excitement!
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Fall festival


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

Ask local businesses to donate supplies or prizes, and raise funds through refreshments, games, and stallholder fees.
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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.
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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 to build anticipation.
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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!
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Superhero run


Charge an entry fee to participate in a costumed fundraising run. Encourage runners to raise even more for your cause through their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages, and award prizes for race winners, best super hero costumes, and most donations raised!  
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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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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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Impact:
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Parents’ night out


This fundraising event can be a fun gathering for parents—or a chance for grownups to drop off their kids for a few hours in exchange for a donation to your cause. Charge an hourly rate or flat “entrance fee” and give caregivers some priceless peace and quiet.
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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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Night at the museum

Secure a sponsorship from a local museum and invite families and community members to make a donation to enjoy a crowd-free evening of fun.  
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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 fundraising page that’s optimized for mobile!
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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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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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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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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.
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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.

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.

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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