30+ Effective Fundraising Ideas for Schools in 2024

Here it is, Zeffy’s 30 fundraising ideas for schools. It’s a long list full of tips and resources to help your school plan its next fundraiser and raise funds.

We’ve come up with 30+ of the best school fundraising ideas around and we’re confident that you’ll be able to find at least one idea here to help your school raise funds for your cause.

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Our top fundraising ideas for your school at a glance.

Let’s start things off with a few of the best school fundraising ideas that are all great ways to raise funds.

Responsive Table

Fundraising ideas for your school	Easy to set up	Most profitable	Creative and unique	To raise money fast
Elementary school	Recycling drive.	Read-A-Thon or Dance-A-Thon.	Petting zoo.	Bake sale.
Middle school	Photography contest.	School merch. sale.	Candy grams.	Movie night.
High school	Photo booth.	Benefit concert.	Community night.	Car wash.

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Explore our best fundraising ideas based on your type of school.

Browse our fundraising ideas based on your school year:

Or explore more fundraising campaign ideas:

Most profitable school fundraising ideas

Easy fundraising ideas for schools

Unique fundraising ideas for schools

Fundraising ideas to raise funds fast

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Elementary school fundraising ideas.

Recycling drives are surprisingly profitable school fundraisers.

A recycling drive is a en environmentally friendly way to raise money for your school community. There are two types of recycling drives you can organize during the school year:

Invite students to participate in a bottle and can collection drive. It's is a simple and profitable school fundraising idea, can be run by students of any age, teach them about the environment, and littering.
Encourage students to take part in an electronics recycling drive to collect computers and electronics from the local community. This option will require a partnership with your local eco-center to responsibly recycle the collected electronics, but can be a very profitable school fundraiser.

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Book fairs are an educational way for elementary schools to raise money.

There are two kinds of books fairs schools can encourage students to participate in:

A book fair organized by a publisher. (Schoolastic book fairs.)
A book fair or used book fair where books are sold or auctioned to raise money for your school community.

Whichever approach you choose for your school fundraiser, there are a few tips to keep in mind:

Put a planning committee together made up of local community members. Organizing a book fair is probably going to end up being more work than you anticipated.
If you need to, research and contact a book vendor or publisher. Scholastic, Follett, and Usborne Books are all great choices. Make sure to confirm the vendor's ability to provide a variety of books suitable for your elementary school students.
Remember to promote your event. Invite students to make some posters and put them up around town. Get everyone (including family members) to share the school fundraiser info. on their social media. Make announcements over the PA.
Set up a table per genre (fantasy, fiction, non-fiction, young adult, etc.).
Set up a few reading nooks for donors to try before they buy.
Sell homemade bookmarks, school tote bags, snacks, and drinks to raise even more money.
Get creative with mini events at your book fair: a snack table, live readings by teachers of their favourite books, a bookmark making table.

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A Read-A-Thon is a great elementary school fundraising idea.

When it comes to raising money for schools, there aren’t a ton of educational fundraising efforts that appeal to a wide range of students, ages, likes, etc. In fact, there might only be one: a Read-A-Thon.

A Read-A-Thon is a great fundraising idea. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Begin planning your read a thon fundraiser by sitting down and deciding what you want your read a thons to accomplish.
Set your Read-A-Thon’s date and timeline.
Lay out what readers should achieve during the Read-A-Thon. You can define various levels with appropriate awards, fun activities, group goals, etc.
Create a reading list to get students involved.
Create a registration process so readers can sign up for your Read-A-Thon and use social media, posters, your email newsletter, and other promotional materials to generate interest, spread the word, and make sure your Read-A-Thon is a successful fundraiser.
Offer prizes and incentives to get students excited.
Provide readers with reading logs so students and their families can track the time they spend reading. This could be a physical reading log, Read-A-Thon templates, or an online platform. (We like Zeffy’s free peer-to-peer fundraising platform that allows you to create your own fundraising pages.)
Start fundraising. Readers can ask for donations from donors, parents, friends, and neighbours based on the number of books read, pages turned, or time spent reading.
If you have the time and energy, it’s a good idea to host events during your Read-A-Thon.
Regularly update students, parents, and donors on the progress of your fundraiser.
This one is simple and super important: say thank you.
Ask for feedback to make your next Read-A-Thon an even bigger success.

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A petting zoo is a unique fundraiser for elementary schools.

We all know how excited young students—and, if we’re being honest, most parents and teachers—get when there’s a petting zoo! And, that excitement makes it a profitable and one of the top school fundraising ideas.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your petting zoo school fundraiser:

Your school gym might not be the best place to host a petting zoo. Consider local parks, community centres, etc. They might just have more green space and facilities to accommodate your school fundraiser.
Reach out to wild life sanctuaries and farms before choosing the date, time, and location of your petting zoo school fundraiser.
If you can, reach out to local food trucks or plan a BBQ to raise even more money during your event.
Consider including other mini events throughout the day: carriage rides, craft tables, etc.
Charge an admission fee. You can come up with various prices.
Leave time for clean up… A petting zoo will leave behind quite a mess.

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A (insert holiday here) themed bake sale is a classic school fundraising idea.

A bake sale might not be the most ground-breaking school fundraising idea on this list, but it’s still a great school fundraising idea because, well, bake sales are a very popular with everyone. Check out this article if you are looking for things to sell for school fundraiser.

Here are a few tips to help get you started:

Work with your school to choose a date and location.
Make sure you follow any health and safety regulations. (You can check with your schools cafeteria.)
Recruit more student volunteers than you think you’re going to need.
Coordinate your bakers! (You don’t want everyone bringing delicious Rice Krispie Squares… Or do you…)
Get some students or volunteers to make posters advertising your bake sale and share the news on their socials.
Set up a good-looking table or two with a few deals to encourage people to buy more. (Buy two get one free, buy a brownie get a shot of milk, etc.)

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A lunch box auction is a fun event for elementary schools.

This is definitely a fun twist on the classic fundraising campaigns. Most students are going to want a new lunch box every year.

So, instead of parents throwing away used lunch boxes, ask them to donate them for a lunch box auction to raise funds for your school and help meet your fundraising goals.

Try hosting an early bird auction online.
It’s always fun to have a portion of your auction be hosted by an auctioneer—they add some entertainment and a sense of urgency.
Host a series of lunch-making tutorials to give parents and students some fresh new lunch ideas.
Consider selling lunch-theme snacks and refreshments to raise some extra money.

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Middle school fundraising ideas.

Photography contests make great middle school fundraisers.

Students, teachers, and parents love taking pictures. Why not put those pics to work by hosting a photography contest during the school year? Participants can submit their best pics (for a small entry fee/donation) and win a week without homework, a new camera, whatever!

A few things to keep in mind:

Find a free fundraising platform that can help you plan your event and sell tickets to your finalists photography show.
Offer various entry packages: one image, two images, etc., get your photo framed, stickers made from your pics, etc.
Get your school community to make posters advertising your contest and event for your finalists and share the news on their socials.

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A school merchandise sale is a great way to raise money for your middle school.

Partnering with local artists or celebrities to create limited-edition merchandise is an excellent way to promote your school and boost school spirit while raising money.

You can offer the merchandise online for a limited time or produce a limited number of each piece.

Keep things interesting with a few tips to get you thinking outside the box:

Reach out to parents, teachers, community members, and students to ask for help with fun designs.
Host a fashion show where students, teachers and parents can model and buy your merchandise.
Have drinks and snacks available for a small donation at your event.
Set up a photo booth where students, teachers, and parents can take photos with your merchandise and some creative props.

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Candy grams make for some delicious and entertaining school fundraisers.

Candy grams—AKA, personalized shout-outs—are messages sent via notes, carols, code, elf, ghost, whatever!

Each message is sent for the cost of a donation and can be related to a theme or holiday. (Halloween candy, chocolate eggs, carollers, etc.)

Come up with a theme that is related to your school or holiday. (Carollers that sing messages, ghosts that howl them, notes that come with a treat, etc.)
Reach out to students, teachers, parents—you could even come up with a principal challenge—and ask them to deliver messages.
Get some students to make posters advertising your event and share the school fundraising event on their socials.
Consider offering various packages: a hand written note, a note with a candy, have your note sung by carollers, etc.

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Movie nights can be fun/scary/sad ways to raise money for your middle school.

There’s nothing weirder or more taboo than being in school at night. Take advantage of this by hosting a movie night at your kid’s or teen’s school.

Here are a few tips to help get you started:

Work with your school to choose a date, location, and movie.
Get some students or volunteers to make posters advertising your school fundraising idea and share the news on their socials.
Consider hosting it in the school gym and, if you can find enough willing parents, turn it into a school sleepover.
Sell tickets online and at the door using a fundraising platform for schools.
Sell snacks and drinks to collect donations.

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Putting on a school play or talent show is a great fundraising idea for middle school students.

Putting on a school play or talent show can be an entertaining way up school spirit and it makes a great annual fundraiser. Sure, it’s a bit more work than your average school fundraising idea, but it’s a great way to build awareness and do something nice for your community.

Here are a few tips to help get you started:

Work with your school to choose a date, location, and play or theme.
Scout-out your performers. (You can even do auditions!) Encourage talented students, community members, family members, etc. to participate.
Get some students or volunteers to make posters advertising your great school fundraising idea and share the news on their socials.
Sell tickets online and at the door.
Sell custom merchandise, snacks and drinks for a small donation.
Host a raffle or 50/50 raffle. (Zeffy’s raffles laws can help you set this up.)

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Fundraising ideas for high schools.

Photo booths are easy high school fundraising ideas.

Photo booths are nostalgic and fun high school fundraising ideas. They can work as a stand alone fundraiser or as an added activity at almost any event: a talent show, school merchandise sale, etc.

Reach out to local event rental businesses to find a photo booth. Make sure to let them know it’s for a good cause.
Include a props table so high school students and teachers can get as creative as they want with their photo shoot.
For help raising money, offer to print select pictures in larger formats.

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Host a benefit concert to raise money for your high school.

A benefit concert might sound like an organizational nightmare, but it doesn’t have to be. And, the potential profitability can make the effort worth it.

If you’re like us, benefit concerts mean convincing some well-known group to come sing at your high school. That’s definitely an option! But, you can also reach out to high school students or local musicians and host an entirely local benefit concert.

Consider a theme or genre of music—especially if you’re reaching out to local artists. An era of music or group (think boy bands, Taylor Swift, 2000’s, etc.) can be a fun way to align everyone and attract more attendees.
Set up a snacks and drinks table to raise even more money for your fundraising efforts.
Get custom merchandise made for the concert to boost school spirit.
Offer to sell the band’s merchandise for a share of the profits.

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A community night is a fun way to introduce students and their families to your high school.

A community night is basically a fair that takes place at your high school. Think of it as a fun night that everyone’s invited to and that makes raising funds easy.

Games, food, crafts, walking tours of the school that tell forgotten or famous stories, a photo booth, an eating contest, a community yard sale, the list of possibilities is as long as your creativity … and volunteer numbers.

Reach out to local restaurants and businesses to ask for help. Maybe the sports store will want to bring a climbing wall or host a ping pong tournament. A local restaurant might agree to host a BBQ or a pie eating contest.
Choose a date. We recommend at the beginning or end of the school year.
Make sure to reach out to volunteers early. You’re going to need more than a few and you never know what secret skill set they have up their sleeves. (Juggling? Singing? Origami master?)
Recruit students to make posters and share the community night on social media.
Consider hosting a raffle or 50/50 draw.

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Hosting a car wash to raise money for your high school is a pretty classic fundraiser.

There’s nothing wrong with the line-up of classic fundraising events. No one will complain about donating a few dollars to drive away with a sparkling clean car.

But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn't explore a few other money-making possibilities to make it a little more memorable.

You can make your fundraising campaign memorable by:

Offering to wash their dog while you wash their car.
Offering a dog-washing photoshoot for a few extra dollars.
Getting the photography class involved by asking them to take pictures of people with their cars.
Set up a drive-thru with human and dog treats on order.
Recruit students and family members to make posters, share the car wash info. on social media, and volunteer.
Make sure to ask local businesses to donate the cleaning products.
Reach out to local restaurants to ask them to host a BBQ or concession stand.

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The most profitable school fundraising ideas.

A Dance-A-Thon is an active and fun way to get students and teachers involved in your school fundraising idea.

A-Thon’s (Read-A-Thon, Walk A Thon, Dance A Thon, etc.) are profitable, fun, inclusive, educational fundraisers and a Dance-A-Thon is among the best of them.

Here’s a look at the steps involved in organizing your Dance-A-Thon:

Decide what dancers should achieve during the Dance-A-Thon. You can define various levels with appropriate awards, fun activities, group goals, etc.
Create playlists to get dancers to dance.
Create a registration process so readers can sign up for your Dance-A-Thon and use social media, posters, your email newsletter, and other promotional materials to generate interest and spread the word.
Reward dancers with prizes and incentives. (A school dance cost is nothing compared to the money your school fundraising idea will raise.)
Provide dancers with dance logs so students and parents can track the time they spend dancing. This could be a physical dancing log, Dance-A-Thon templates, or an online platform.
Start raising money. Dancers can ask for donations from donors, parents, friends, neighbours, and local businesses based on the number of dances, hours danced, or dance classes participated in.
If you have the time and energy, it’s a good idea to host mini-events during your Dance-A-Thon.
Regularly update students, parents, and donors on the progress of your fundraiser.
This one is simple and super important: say thank you.

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A pancake breakfast is are delicious and profitable school fundraising idea.

A delicious pancake breakfast always attracts a crowd. You can host one almost any time, for any reason. After all, who doesn’t like pancakes? Or, if you’re feeling wild, waffles!

Here are a few tips to help you collect donations:

If your school has a cafeteria, make sure to check with them. They might be able to help out, donate the ingredients, volunteer their time, etc.
Consider turning your pancake breakfast into a school picnic.
Set up a few board games to keep students and their families entertained.
Find a online ticket sales software for nonprofit and sell tickets in advance to give you an idea of the number of attendees.
Recruit students to make posters, share the breakfast info. on social media, and even volunteer.
Host a pancake eating competition or a pancake making competition where participants are challenged to make pancakes in various shapes.
Accept multiple payment types.

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A gift wrapping service around the holidays is a great school fundraising idea.

Every year we all go through the stressful, present buying and wrapping spree. Why not transform a bit of that stress into a school fundraising idea by offering to wrap everyone’s gift for a small donation? You can even get custom wrapping paper or gift tags made.

Get started with these fundraising campaign ideas:

Set up tables in local malls and grocery stores so people can drop off their gifts to be wrapped while they shop.
Get students and their families to collect gifts during the morning drop-off and hand them back during pick-up.
Ask local business to donate tape and wrapping paper. Or, get classes to make their own wrapping paper. Or, order custom wrapping paper in the colours of your school.
Accept multiple payment types.

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Raffles and 50/50 draws are quick fundraising campaigns that can raise a lot of money for your school.

Raffles can be hosted online or in person. Just make sure to check with local authorities about the raffle rules for nonprofit organizations in your area.

A few things to keep in mind:

A quick-fire raffle is a raffle where the tickets are sold and the winning number is drawn in short period of time, for example within 10 minutes to half an hour. This is a great way to impart a sense of urgency and add a bit of a twist to your next raffle. You can learn more about running a raffle here.
A 50/50 raffle is a simple fundraising tool to add to any event. All you need is an enthusiastic crowd, a group of volunteers, and raffle tickets. The prize is half of the money collected, so everyone should be interested in purchasing a ticket. The more tickets you sell, the higher the pot!

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Partnering with students and local artists to create custom school merchandise is a great school fundraising idea.

Partnering with students, teachers, local artists or celebrities to create limited-edition merchandise is an excellent way to promote your school and raise money. You can offer the merchandise online for a limited time or produce a limited number of each piece.

Keep things interesting with a few tips to get you thinking outside the box:

Reach out to students and teachers to ask for help with fun designs.
Make merchandise design a class project for students with the best designs being produced and sold.
Host a fashion show where students, teachers, and parents can model and buy your merchandise.
Sell tickets to your event, and have drinks and snacks available for sale at the event as well.
Set up a photo booth where students, teachers, and parents can take photos with your merchandise and some creative props.

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Host a benefit concert to raise money for your school.

A benefit concert might sound like an organizational nightmare, but it doesn’t have to be. And, the potential profitability can make the effort worth it.

If you’re like us, a benefit concert means convincing some well-known group to come sign at your school. That’s definitely an option! But, you can also reach out to local musicians and bands and host an entirely local benefit concert.

Consider a theme or genre of music—especially if you’re reaching out to local artists. An era of music or group (think boy bands, Taylor Swift, 2000’s, etc.) can be a fun way to align everyone and attract more attendees.
Set up a snacks and drinks table to raise even more money.
Transform your school fundraiser ideas into a school picnic by hosting them outside.
Get custom merchandise made for the concert.
Offer to sell the band’s merchandise for a share of the profits.

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Easy school fundraising ideas.

Recycling drives are surprisingly easy (and profitable) school fundraisers.

A recycling drive is a en environmentally friendly way to raise money for your school.

There are two types of recycling drives you can organize as fundraisers:

A bottle and can collection drive is a simple and profitable fundraiser, can be run by students of any age, and teaches them about the environment and littering.
An electronics recycling drive fundraiser collect computers and electronics from the local community. This option will require a partnership with your local eco-center to responsibly recycle the collected electronics.

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Organizing a pet photography contest is an easy and great school fundraising idea.

Students, teachers, parents, everyone loves taking pictures of their pets. Why not put those pics to work by hosting a pet photography contest?

Participants can submit their best pics (for a small entry fee/donation) and win a day at a pet spa, a matching human/pet wardrobe, whatever!

A few things to keep in mind:

Find a free fundraising platform that can help you plan your event and sell tickets to your finalists photography show.
Offer various entry packages: one image, two images, etc., get your photo framed, stickers of your pet’s face, etc.
Get some volunteers to make posters advertising your contest and event for your finalists and share your school fundraising idea on their socials.

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A photo booth is an easy school fundraising idea.

A photo booth is a nostalgic and fun fundraising idea for your school. It can work as a stand alone fundraiser or as an added activity at almost any event: a talent show, school merch. sale, etc.

Reach out to local event rental businesses to find a photo booth. Make sure to let them know it’s for a good cause.
Include a props table so students and teachers can get as creative as they want with their photo shoot.

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Themed bake sales are delicious and easy ways to raise money for your school.

Choosing a theme for your next bake sale will add an extra layer of fun and creativity to your good old fashioned bake sale.

We've come up with a few themes to sweeten your school fundraiser ideas:

Cupcake wars.
Movie magic.
Superhero themed.
Rainbow delights.
Fairytale feasts.
Under the sea.
Emojis!
DIY decorating station.
Outer space.
Garden party.

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Washing cars is an easy way to raise money for your high school.

There’s nothing wrong with the line-up of classic fundraising events. No one will complain about donating a few dollars to drive away with a sparkling clean car.

But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn't explore a few other money-making possibilities to make it a little more memorable.

You can make your fundraising campaign memorable by:

Offering to wash their dog while you wash their car.
Offering a dog-washing photoshoot for a few extra dollars.
Getting the photography class involved by asking them to take pictures of people with their cars.
Set up a drive-thru with human and dog treats on order.
Recruit students and family members to make posters, share the car wash info. on social media, and volunteer.
Make sure to ask local businesses to donate the cleaning products.
Host a BBQ or concession stand.

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Hosting a friends and family photo day is an easy way to raise money.

Family photo days are a memorable way to get members of your community to drop by and support your school.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning yours:

First things first, choose a date and book a photographer! (You can even turn it into a school project if you have an art or photography class.)
Next, find an online fundraising platform that can help you sell photo packages and book time slots. We’re partial to Zeffy ;)
Use your school’s communication channels to get the word out.
Enlist some of your creative students and teachers to make posters and props for the photo shoot.
It’s fun to set up multiple stations with various backdrops, props and themes.
It’s nice to set up a welcome and registration table so donors know what to do when they arrive—and to sell any additional pictures, etc.
You can set up an online store to sell school merchandise and encourage participants to get a photo wearing your school’s colours.

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Showing a movie can be a fun/scary/sad way to easily raise money for your school.

There’s nothing weirder or more taboo than being in school at night. Take advantage of this by hosting a movie night at your school.

Here are a few tips to help get you started:

Work with your school to choose a date and a movie or two.
Turn it into a school sleepover!
Get some students or volunteers to make posters advertising your movie night and sharing the news on their socials.
Sell tickets online and at the door.
Sell snacks and drinks to raise even more money.

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Unique fundraising ideas.

A petting zoo is a unique fundraiser for schools.

We all know how excited young students (and most parents and teachers) get when there’s a petting zoo! And, that excitement makes it a profitable and unique elementary school fundraiser.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your petting zoo school fundraiser:

Your school might not be the best place to host a petting zoo. Consider local parks, community centres, etc. They might just have more green space and facilities to accommodate your fundraising event.
Reach out to wild sanctuaries and farms before choosing the date, time and location of your petting zoo fundraiser.
If you can, reach out to local food trucks or plan a BBQ to raise even more money during your event.
Consider including other mini events throughout the day: carriage rides, craft tables, etc.
Leave time for clean up… A petting zoo will leave behind quite a mess.

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Candy grams make for some delicious and entertaining school fundraisers.

Candy grams—AKA, personalized shout outs—are messages sent via notes, carols, code, elf, ghost, whatever!

Each message is sent for the cost of a donation and can be related to a theme or holiday. (Halloween candy, chocolate eggs, carollers, etc.)

Here are a few tips to help get you started:

Come up with a theme that is related to your school or holiday. (Carollers that sing messages, ghosts that howl them, notes that come with candy, etc.)
Reach out to students, teachers, and parents to find volunteers to deliver messages.
Get some students to make posters advertising your event and share the news on their socials.
Consider offering various packages: a hand written note, a note with a candy, have your note sung by carollers, etc.

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A community night is a creative way to introduce the community to your school and raise some money while you’re at it.

A community night is basically a fair that takes place at your school. Think of it as a fun night that everyone’s invited too.

Games, food, crafts, walking tours of the school that tell forgotten or famous stories, a photo booth, an eating contest, the list of possibilities is as long as your creativity … and volunteer numbers.

We've made a list of a few things to keep in mind:

Reach out to local businesses and restaurants to ask for help. Maybe the sports store will want to bring a climbing wall or host a ping pong tournament. A local restaurant might agree to host a BBQ or a pie eating contest.
Make sure to reach out to volunteers early. You’re going to need more than a few and you never know what secret skill set they have up their sleeves. (Juggling? Singing? Origami master?)
Recruit students to make posters and share the community night on social media.
Consider hosting a raffle or 50/50 draw.

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A podcast series is an innovative way to fundraise for your school.

It may sound daunting at first, but a podcast series is a great way to share stories, spread the word, encourage multiple voices and points of view, and connect with current and new audiences. The trick: ask for help.

A podcast can seem daunting, so we made a list to help get you started:

Reach out to students and teachers to work together to write an interesting narrative and plan out your episodes. (You could make it a school contest or creative writing project.)
Turn it into a class project where each group has to write and produce an episode.
Ask around town if anyone has any relevant experience or wants to be a guest on your podcast.
Reach out to local studios or invest in some quality equipment.
Come up with a release schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or all at once).
Contact local businesses for sponsorship.
Get some volunteers to share the podcast on their socials and reach out to local media to help spread the word.
Set up a donation form on a free fundraising platform.

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Puppy/kitten cuddling booth—AKA the best fundraising idea ever.

This fundraiser idea is really, REALLY good. It has everything you could ever want: cute puppies and kittens, stress relief, and an amazingly worthy cause.

Consider hosting yours during stressful times for students. (Exams, midterms, first week of school, etc.)

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Consider making some custom merchandise for people to purchase while they wait.
Reach out to food trucks or restaurants to provide snacks and refreshments and earn a little more money for your cause.
Use your social media and the social media of the location to spread the word. (Who doesn’t like pictures of adorable puppies and kittens gracing their feeds!?)
Think up a few different packages: 5 minutes of cuddle time, 10 minutes, cuddle time + a cozy hoody or blanket or stuffed animal, etc.

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Fundraising ideas to help your school raise money fast.

Raise money quickly with a penalty shootout peer-to-peer fundraiser.

This fundraising event is a bit more complicated to organize, but the pay off will be worth it.

A peer-to-peer shootout is a fun way to get opposing teams together, parents and students to participate in the game, and community members to come out for a good time!

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Find a free peer-to-peer fundraising platform to help you organize it all and allow participants to set up and run their own mini-campaigns.
Plan prizes for donors and participants to encourage everyone to take part.
Get some students to make posters and share the event on their socials.
Host a BBQ or potluck at the same time to raise even more money and make the event even more of an event.
Organize a raffle or a 50/50 draw to raise more money during the fundraising event.

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Host a (insert holiday here) themed bake sale to quickly raise money for your school.

A bake sale might not be the most ground-breaking idea on this unique fundraising ideas list, but it’s still a good fundraising idea because bake sales are great ways to raise money.

Here are a few tips to help get your fundraising idea started:

Work with your school to choose a date and location.
Make sure you follow any health and safety regulations. (You can check with your school’s cafeteria.)
Recruit more volunteers than you think you’re going to need.
Coordinate your bakers! (You don’t want everyone bringing delicious Rice Krispie Squares… Or do you…)
Get some students or volunteers to make posters advertising your bake sale and sharing the news on their socials.
Set up a good-looking table or two with a few deals to encourage people to buy more. (Buy two get one free, buy a brownie get a shot of milk, etc.)

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A movie night can be a fun/scary/sad way to easily raise money for your school.

There’s nothing weirder or more taboo than being in school at night. Take advantage of this by hosting a movie night at your kid’s or teen’s school.

And, don't be afraid to get a bit creative. Turn it into a picnic or a sleepover. Host a "predict the ending" lottery that students pay to enter.

Here are a few tips to help get you started:

Work with your school to choose a date and a movie or two.
Get some students or volunteers to make posters advertising your movie night and sharing the news on their socials.
Sell tickets online and at the door.
Sell snacks and drinks to raise even more money.

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A balloon pop (don’t worry we’ll explain in a minute) can raise money fast for your school.

Balloon pops are exciting and fun fundraisers for students of all ages, but particularly younger students.

All you have to do is fill balloons with small prizes or messages and sell them. Participants pop the balloons they’ve bought to find out what they’ve won!

A few things to keep in mind when you’re planning your balloon pop:

Choose a busy day and time in a location with higher foot traffic.
Reach out to local businesses to ask for donations and prizes.
Recruit students to make posters, share the car wash info. on social media.
Offer various balloon types. (Various colours have various prize levels, buy two get one free, etc.)

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A gently used clothing sale is a creative way to fundraise for your school while doing some good for the planet.

Students are always growing and that means they outgrow their clothes in a matter of weeks or months, not years.

So, why not host a gently used clothing sale? Parents, teachers, and students can donate clothes that don’t fit them anymore (or that they just don’t like) and you can organize an afternoon of shopping and events. Plus, as an added bonus, you’ll be teaching students about the importance of reusing.

A few things to think about when planning your gently used clothing sale:

Ask parents and students to wash the clothes before they bring them in.
Consider selling snacks and drinks to raise more money for your school.
Host a fashion show where students and teachers can show off their gently used clothes.
Recruit students to make posters, share the car wash info. on social media.

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A community potluck is a great way to get the community involved with your school and raise money, fast.

Everyone loves a delicious potluck! It’s a great way to raise money fast and get together for a good time. Remember to check with your school’s cafeteria (they might want to participate).

A few things to think about when planning your community potluck:

Book some live entertainment to keep the party going.
Find a free online fundraising platform to help you sell tickets in advance.
Host a silent auction where you auction off favourite recipes.
Host a community yard sale at the same time.
Recruit students to make posters, share the car wash info. on social media.

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Online tools and platforms to help you with your school’s next fundraiser.

When it comes to online platforms and tools to help your school plan and run it’s next fundraiser, there are a few options that stand out for their humanitarian or business-for-good angles.

Six online platforms to help your school:

Zeffy: the only 100% free event ticketing and event management solution for nonprofits.

DonorsChoose: empowering and supporting public school teachers while they fund much-needed materials for their students.

PledgeCents: the quick and easy solution to community fundraising—including schools.

Qgiv: flexible tools to empower your nonprofit’s fundraising events.

Localist: an event management platform that’s great for community-focused nonprofits.

Humanitix: the humane ticketing platform with lower booking fees that all go to charity.

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Some Zeffy success stories: successful school fundraisers.

Community Music School of Santa Cruz

I run a very small non-profit that runs music camps for musicians ages 7 and up; we also put on music workshops and a few concerts each year. We’ve been in operation for over 30 years, with an annual budget of around $60K. When I became the director in 2018, I started looking for a low-cost donor management system. I found one that had a free version, which I used for several years. However, they eliminated the free version in early 2022, leaving me scrambling to find a suitable replacement where I could transfer my data. Enter Zeffy! What started as a way for me to track donations soon became a solution for much more: not only could we receive donations without any charges, we could also conduct our camp registration and concert ticket sales, too. Over the past 17 months, we’ve saved close to $2000 in fees that we’d normally pay to PayPal or Square. That is a big chunk of money for us!

I love the ability to quickly email people who’ve attended any one of our past events; it’s simple, and the “from” line in the customer’s email is our name, so there’s no confusion. I also appreciate the ability to embed the donation form or ticketing form into our website; it gives us a professional look. Finally, I couldn’t ask for better customer service. My questions are always responded to promptly, and the team always seems to welcome suggestion for future improvements.
- Susan, Community Music School of Santa Cruz

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Shrewsbury Elementary PTO

This is our first year using an electronic form of payment. We hosted our first form last week and the feedback was incredible. Everyone is loving an electronic option and we can do away with the paper trail! Win win for both!
- Gilbert, Shrewsbury Elementary PTO

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Tips for organizing your school’s next fundraising event.

Maybe you’re a checklist person and maybe you’re a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants person. If you’re a checklist person, this section’s for you. If not, we definitely recommend taking a look anyways.

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A few additional things to keep in mind:

Check with your school’s cafeteria if you’re planning on offering food. They may have first dibs on any food contracts within your school.
Remember to clear everything with your schools parent/teacher board and principal.

Our checklist isn’t meant to be set in stone. Use it as a guideline to get started:

(Oh, and it’s a good idea to check out any local rules and regulations. Especially when it comes to raffles, alcohol, and food!)

You can check out a detailed how-to guide in: How to organize a fundraising event for a nonprofit organization.

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Ready to host your next school fundraiser?

Hosting your first or next fundraising event doesn’t have to be a daunting, impossible task. With a little creativity, a lot of help (Just ask!), and a fundraising platform for your school (like, say, Zeffy), you can make your next fundraising event a success!

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