Greetings, class. We are so happy to have you here. We’ll be learning about the best school fundraising ideas today, how to structure a great fundraising drive, all the while participating positively in your community, and providing every child with the quality education and learning experiences they deserve. Put your thinking cap on and let’s begin.
Finding fundraising suggestions for schools is simple, but with so many possibilities available, how do you choose the ideal one for your school?
• Fundraising product ideas?
• Auction fundraising ideas?
• Online and virtual fundraising ideas?
• Donations fundraising?
• Event fundraising ideas?
…and so much more…
Finding the best fundraising ideas for your school or finding new and original alternatives could be more challenging. For any fundraiser, you are looking for ideas that are different from those used by the organization down the street, but this is especially true for school fundraising (unless you are combining forces to receive a lower cost or a higher profit percentage). The best fundraisers ideas for schools are those that combine an academic component with fun activities for parents, students, teachers, and other school personnel. It promotes values and skill development. The benefits of your school fundraiser should spread throughout your community by helping, supporting, or improving it; on a environmental, financial, etc. basis. Last but definitely not least, you need to raise a lot of money for your school fundraiser! All of these ingredients found in great fundraising ideas are mutually compatible, and every school should plan for it.
Important tip when looking for fundraiser’s ideas for your school
PRE-K, PRESCHOOL, DAYCARE FUNDRAISERS
ZOLLIPOP FUNDRAISER
CLEAN TEETH LOLLIPOP! Zollipops are a lovely treat for young children with developing teeth, and they’re ideal for childcare locations that may also accept kids with allergies. The Zollipops fundraiser lollipop product is nut-free, kosher, sugar-free, non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, all-natural, and diabetic- and keto-friendly. It also has moms’ approval!
SCHOOL GARDEN
Planting your own garden will help you teach young learners the importance of raising their own food. Use herbs, leaf lettuce, squash, or cucumbers to keep things simple. When it’s time to harvest, spread out your crop in plastic bags and sell it to parents for a price equivalent to what you would get at a farmer’s market.
HOLIDAY PICTURES
Holiday pictures: To provide yourself ample time to make holiday cards, start this fundraising concept in late October or early November. Sell prints and digital files so that parents can easily make greeting cards, calendars, or souvenirs for their family. Start collecting pictures as early as September if you want to include more images from earlier holidays, such as Halloween.
RECYCLED TOY SALE
Ask each child to bring at least one toy or stuffed animal they no longer play with. Hold a day where all parents are invited to purchase these used toys. By giving these toys a second chance at life, you’ll not only help parents save money, make your students happy, but your daycare will also make more money. You can also use this as an opportunity to sell a few fundraising items that are geared toward parents, such as Dan’s Truffle Balls and Katydids Candy, both of which are chocolate varieties appreciated by adults that are not sold in big-box retailers. You might think about ordering a few discount cards to be sold on the day of your pre-k fundraising drive in order to continue the themes of saving parents money and increasing profit.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FUNDRAISERS
Always remember that you should find a way to include a child if they cannot afford to take part in a school fundraising activity. A child should NEVER feel left out.
ORAL HEALTH WEEK
According to TheraBreath, dental caries, often known as tooth decay, is the most common chronic disease impacting children in the United States right now. This fundraiser will educate the kids in addition to being a terrific method to raise money. Teach kids how to brush their teeth and how to floss. Watch videos on the subject and display a different poster every day with a dental hygiene tip. Talk about the effects of sugar and nutrition on teeth. Once you have raised the awareness, wrap-up the week with a Zollipop fundraiser. Zollipops promotes healthy teeth and is not just another lollipop fundraiser. Run this fundraiser by pre-order these lollipops or send kids home with an order-taker. Parents, teachers, and students all adore these lollipops because they know how good they are for their kids. They are also wonderful snacks to include in a lunch box.
BAKE COOKIES WITH A COOKIE DOUGH FUNDRAISER
This one has a lot of potential to raise a lot of money. Buy cookie dough and teach kids how to bake them. You can either charge for admission or sell the baked cookies to parents, teachers, and other school staff. Although you can sell them individually, you’ll make more money if you offer them in packs of 6 or 12. If your school is mot equipped with a kitchen, ask parents whether they would be willing to lend you their small baking oven. If you plan to host a cookie dough fundraiser, you will need to buy the cookie dough in advance, either in tubs or already pre-portioned. Pre-portioned cookie dough costs a little more, but it will make the event easier. This could be especially beneficial if this is your first-time fundraising.
PARENT NIGHT-OUT:
By organizing a pleasant night of food, drinks, and activities for the students and charging parents a nominal fee, you may treat the parents to a night out. You can boost your profit even further by offering parents, for an additional fee, the Movie & Diner discount card. This will not only increase your profit but also save the parents money for their evening out. Lastly, lower your costs by recruiting volunteers to help looking after the children, maximizing your revenues for the cause. If one of the activities for the children include watching a movie, don’t leave out any of the classic treat for this evening; cotton candy and popcorn.
READ-A-THON EVENT
In a read-a-thon, participants are challenged to finish as many pages or books as they can by a set deadline. Sponsors for the participants promise to donate a certain sum at each milestone. These sponsors are typically members of the family, friends, or neighbors because this type of fundraiser is more often organized by schools or other youth organizations. If you decide to devote some class time to this activity, you might encourage participation by offering an inexpensive gift: Smart Smencils, which smell like peppermint. According to a 2006 study, peppermint helps with memory and focus.
PYJAMA DAY:
This is an easy fundraising idea for an elementary school fundraiser that is certain to entertain the kids (and maybe even some adults)! Children can come to school in their pajamas one day in exchange for a donation. With only base donation of $2 per child, how much would our school earn? You may choose to greet the kids with a chocolate-covered fortune cookies on the day of the event. With a tasty treat and an uplifting message hidden within each child’s fortune cookie, this will set the tone for the day.
MIDDLE SCHOOL & HIGH SCHOOL FUNDRAISERS
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
A common student pastime is music. Organize a friendly competition at your school. To raise money, charge friends, neighbors, and family members a fee to attend. Don’t pass up the chance to run a small concession stand where you can sell treats and raise additional money. Candy, chocolate bars, pretzel rods covered in chocolate, lollipops, cotton candy, and popcorn all make excellent fundraising products for a concession stand. Don’t forget to offer some refreshments to quench people’s thirst.
CAR WASH FUNDRAISER
Create a car wash station in the schoolyard or playground. In exchange for a nominal donation, ask your staff and students to wash the cars of parents and other guests. Kids usually enjoy this, and you get to make sure they also contribute money for your school. Don’t miss the chance to provide your customers with treats and further increase your revenues. Because of their low price and ability to please almost everyone, chocolate candy bars typically sale exceptionally well in such events.
KATYDIDS CANDY FUNDRAISER
This original Kathryn Beich chocolate fundraiser dates back to 1952 and has helped schools in raising millions of dollars. A combination of soft buttery caramel, whole gourmet pecans, and melt-in-your-mouth milk chocolate make up the fantastic tasting chocolate turtles, which are packaged in their classic golden tins. The Katydids candy can be pre-ordered by schools, or it can be run using a no-money upfront brochure fundraising campaign. Amazing value and fantastic flavor in Katydids candies generate tremendous earnings!
GIFT WRAPPING FUNDRAISER
As Christmas approaches, hosting this is fundraising event is a great opportunity to generate money. Many will help you because they might not have enough time or the expertise to wrap them all their gifts properly. Plan a gift-wrapping fundraiser, gather a group of volunteers (teachers, staff, parents, or even older children), and get some wrapping paper with a holiday theme, tape, and scissors. Supporters will appreciate having their presents thoughtfully wrapped, and you’ll also be supporting your school in its fund-raising efforts. You could also set up a little station with gifts that the individual who didn’t buy gifts for everyone on their list could take advantage of. Katydids candy and Dan’s Truffle Balls make for great gift ideas.
SPORTS AND HEALTHY HABITS WEEK
Plan a week of healthy lifestyle choices, including regular exercise, healthy eating habits, and sound sleep schedules. There are endless possibilities with these topics: Walk to school days, 5K runs where participants receive donations from friends and family in exchange for finishing the race, daily 1-minute planks, after-yoga for kids, parents, and teachers, and much more. Run a healthy food fundraising event that week to generate money and awareness. Virginia Diner nuts, Fava-licious Nutteebeans, and Zollipops are some of the most well-liked healthy fundraiser ideas for schools.
SCHOOL FUNDRAISING IDEAS FOR ALL AGES
AUCTION:
Fundraiser coordinators are reverting back to the traditional in-person fundraisers, auctions, or online events now that COVID is quieting down. To plan and manage an auction fundraiser, whether it is an in-person or online event, look for a powerful engine. Make sure the platform you choose enables you to concentrate on maximizing your fundraising profits. This includes keeping track of the details for your auction fundraising products, tickets, tables, and raffle prizes. It must also ensure that everyone is always updated. We choose Auctria because it builds versatile and dynamic auction websites for events with complete online bidding, tools for event promotion, tools for managing ticket sales, and tools for registration.
