School Fundraising Ideas to Raise Money Fast

Field trips, summer learning programs, study abroad, and enrichment programs are often costly—but they’re also an ideal fit for crowdfunding because your needs are so well defined.

Based on your needs, raise funds for one classroom, a favorite program, or an entire school.
Students can promote the fundraiser and generate a lot of support by sharing it on social media or through a blog.
They can also create photos and videos for fundraising updates, write thank-you notes to donors, and more.

A large number of students are involved in sports and athletic clubs. Fundraisers for schools can come in the form of booster clubs which help coordinate events and raise money for the equipment and supplies that student-athletes need. A great way to raise funds is to have parents create a fundraiser that outlines the club’s needs and what supplies they need to purchase.

Creating fundraising ideas for schools is a fun way to raise money for events. Proms and other special school events come with a price tag—decorations, food, music, and prize giveaways add up. Coordinate with those in charge of planning the event and come up with a creative fundraiser to make your plans come to life. Students can really make these events special and fun without dipping into the school treasury.

Classrooms often make use of laptops and tablets—for reading books, doing homework assignments, accommodating student learning needs, and more. If you want to upgrade or expand your capacity in this area, start a crowdfunding campaign and make it happen.

Create a list of the most crucial items your classroom needs to buy. Be sure to include only the most essential supplies and the pricing for each.
Talk with the person in charge of making purchases for the school to determine the budget and find out the policy on buying certain items.
In order for your fundraiser to be as successful as possible, be sure to set a realistic fundraising goal that isn’t too high. You can always increase your goal if you meet it right away.

To create the best school fundraisers you want to appeal to people’s emotional side. Supporting humanitarian causes is a key component of service learning––one that teaches students about compassion and the value of helping others.

Before getting started, take a poll to find out what causes students at your school are passionate about or interested in.
It could be local, national, or international—there’s no shortage of wonderful causes to support.
One popular option is for students to help other students who are in need of extra help elsewhere.

If a teacher, student, or other community member who is important to your school passes away, a touching school event idea is to honor the person by starting a scholarship fund in his or her name. Don’t forget to check with the person’s family before getting started.

Come up with ideas for appropriate ways to spend the funds you raise, such as creating a scholarship to be awarded to one student at the end of the year, dispersing donations to a group of students for summer camp, or earmarking money for a special school event.
Memorial fundraisers are the perfect way for your students to transform their loss into something positive and be involved in a legacy project.

• Publicize your pancake breakfast in advance via email, school newsletters, and social media.
• Invite members of the community to support your crowdfunding campaign.
• Charge a flat fee per breakfast in the form of a donation to your fundraiser.
• Solicit parent volunteers to help prepare the food in your cafeteria, like pancakes and other breakfast foods.
• Recruit students to serve meals and refill coffee.
• Encourage parents to bring extended family, friends, or members of the school community.

Preteen students are often eager to socialize with classmates outside of school, and fundraising dances provide an opportunity to do so while benefiting your cause.

• Offer alternative activities for kids who aren’t comfortable dancing.
• Ask the student government to take on an active role in planning and publicizing the dance.
• Recruit parent and teacher volunteers to chaperone.
• Ask families to make a donation to your crowdfunding campaign in lieu of buying a ticket.
• To reduce overhead, find a trusted alum or community member to DJ, or recruit a local band to perform.

Here’s how to set up a tie-dye booth:

• Shop for a low-cost fabric dye in a variety of colors.
• Invite students to bring their white t-shirts, socks, or sweatshirts to dye in exchange for a donation.
• Have them write their name in Sharpie somewhere inside each article of clothing.
• Fill buckets with cold water and a few dye packets to ensure bold colors.
• Teach students how to tie up their clothes and watch as they create a bullseye or swirl pattern.

If your middle school fundraising campaign benefits a construction project or other upgrade to your facilities, brainstorm ways you can raise money by letting students contribute a handprint, quote, or some other artistic flourish to the building.

• You could ask them to find a sponsor for each tile in a garden mosaic.
• Or, you can charge students a small amount to leave their handprint in paint or cement or to make their own mini-mural on a small section of the wall.
• Encourage creative expression and simultaneously helps raise money in small amounts can add up to a huge success.

Here’s how to organize a cake-decorating party.

• Participants can donate a set amount to your fundraiser to participate.
• Ask a local bakery or grocery store to donate plain, unfrosted cakes, and see if any other businesses are willing to donate gift cards or goods for the best cake.
• Have participants make their own frosting and decorate the cakes however they like, then bring the cakes to school on the day of the event.
• Gather a panel of judges to choose the winning cake, then sell all of the submitted cakes so you can receive the fund raised.

From Scrabble to Catchphrase to Jeopardy!, there are dozens of options for group games that help expand vocabularies and keep students entertained.

• Encourage families or groups to sign up for the game night as teams, making a minimum donation as an entrance fee.
• Host the event in a gym or auditorium. It can be tournament style, or groups can choose from different board games or interactive games.
• Provide snacks and ask for parent volunteers to keep the evening running smoothly.
• This can provide an opportunity for students to socialize in a low-pressure atmosphere and connect with peers outside their immediate friend groups.
• If you want to foster some fun competition, offer a prize to the first team to complete certain speed games.

Encourage students to be citizens of the world. Climate change and regional conflicts have created huge waves of refugees globally.

• One way for students to showcase compassion is to start a campaign and raise funds to keep refugees safe and ease their suffering.
• Find a reputable charity aimed at helping refugees and raise funds for it.

Often, a school’s fundraising committee dedicates a fair amount of time and resources toward raising money for financial aid. Private schools offer scholarships and discounted tuition to students whose families can’t afford to pay the full cost of tuition.

• By providing need-based and/or merit-based scholarships, private schools maintain a more vibrant and diverse student body.
• Crowdfunding can help students, parents, staff, and alumni replenish the coffers that make financial aid possible.

Depending on your school’s extracurricular budget, participating in a school sport may require fundraising for things like uniforms, field maintenance and repair, coaches’ salaries, travel to tournaments, equipment, and more. Student-athletes welcome the opportunity to raise funds for their athletic programs. Whatever the team’s needs are, crowdfunding can help make the season a smashing success.

To start a friendly competition between students, faculty, and parents, organize a cook-off to display cooking or baking skills.

• You can either charge an entrance fee (via a donation to your campaign) or require tasting fees from participants (in the form of a contribution).
• Find a venue such as your school’s dining hall or auditorium to host this event.
• The winner is awarded bragging rights as the best chef at your school.

As a play on the movie March of the Penguins, hold a school-wide march. This works especially well for green clubs or students interested in protecting and preserving the environment.

• Have everyone design his or her own penguin costume and require an entrance fee to participate in the march.
• The costumes allow people to get creative while raising awareness for your chosen environmental cause.

Host a social gathering for parents and their children by organizing an outdoor movie fundraising event.

• Pick a famous movie (or vote on one) and invite everyone to enjoy the film together from the comfort of lawn chairs and blankets.
• Find an outdoor space, a powerful projector, a screen (or sheet, or flat white wall), and speakers that can fill the space with the right level of sound.
• Take donations with a mobile device. Whip up some popcorn and sell it for a small price.
• A fun variation: host a summer dive-in movie in a swimming pool.