Fundraising Ideas for Schools

Explore the many profitable school fundraising ideas and why you need them!

1.  Penny War

A penny war is often referred to as coin drives, coin wars, and penny drives. This fundraising idea for your school is quick and easy to organize, results in a sizeable amount of funds, and encourages student engagement and friendly rivalry.

Each classroom or grade level will be a team. Encourage your students to bring spare change from home to deposit into containers or jars over a week or two. Students will get competitive with each other in the hopes of winning this challenge!

At the end of the penny war, the class or grade level that wins can win a prize, such as:

• Extra recess
• Pizza or icecream party
• Movie afternoon at school with snacks and drinks

2.  Restaurant Fundraiser

Restaurant fundraisers are an excellent opportunity to raise funds while families and the community come together for a social event eating delicious food! Your school needs to join forces with a local restaurant that agrees to host your fundraiser for a day. They will give a portion of their proceeds to your school and get community exposure.

Thousands of restaurants host fundraiser events if you can’t find a good fundraising ideas for school local restaurant to participate in your cause. From casual family restaurants to fat foods, there’s an eatery willing to assist! A few suggestions of restaurants that support restaurant fundraisers include:

• Krispy Kreme
• Chick-fil-A
• Applebee’s
• Chipotle
• Texas Roadhouse

Make the day fun by asking parents and students to dress up in the school colors, and remember to notify guests to mention your fundraiser while paying.

3.  Karaoke Night

Karaoke night is a great alternative if you’re getting bored with the same type of fundraising events each year. They’re especially ideal for high school and college students, offering a night of entertainment and plenty of laughs!

If you don’t already have karaoke equipment, you can purchase one for your good fundraisers for schools school to use every year or rent one for the day of the event. You can host a karaoke night at a local restaurant, in the school hall or gym, or at a community hall.

4.  Pet Contest

What better way to show off your students’ furry (or scaly, feathery, etc.) friends than by having a pet contest at school? Take advantage of this by holding a pet contest to find your school’s cutest pet.

Prizes can range between various categories, such as birds, cats, dogs, chameleons, etc., and one grand prize for the cutest pet across all the categories. The student must pay a small entry fee for each pet entered into the competition.

Pet contests can be held online so students can upload pictures and vote for their favorite. Then, share the pictures across the school’s various social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, to encourage students to vote.

5.  50/50 Raffle

Students, no matter what their age, is driven by money. A 50/50 raffle can be a profitable fundraising idea for your school, as students will pay to win an unknown large amount of money.

The premise is simple: students purchase tickets for the raffle, and the proceeds from ticket sales go toward the prize. The money is calculated after the raffle ends, and a ticket is randomly selected. Half (50%) of the prize money goes to the winning ticket holder, and the remaining half (50%) goes to the school.

6.  Engraved Bricks

Engraved bricks are the perfect fundraising event to be held around graduation. For a fee, students get to make a lasting impression on their school or college by offering them a brick bearing their name and a short, personal message. The bricks can then get placed in a courtyard or visible walkway. Charge students per brick, word, or line of text.

7.  Flapjack Fundraiser

Flapjacks, most commonly known as pancakes in the US, are a staple breakfast food amongst most households. Host a flapjack fundraiser at a local restaurant willing to partner with the school.

Alternatively, approach your local Applebee’s to get involved. The restaurant chain has a pancake fundraiser program where they help schools and charitable organizations raise much-needed funds. They will supply the chef, supplies, and food, while you must arrange volunteers to act as waiters/waitresses to take orders, clear tables, and clean up.

Charge a standard fee for the pancake meals and have donation boxes available so guests can make additional donations towards your school.

8.  Powderpuff Games

If you’re looking for a way to boost school spirit while fundraising, hosting powderpuff games is the way to go. Powderpuff games are especially popular in the United States and Canada, where football players become cheerleaders and cheerleaders become football players.

Powderpuff games follow flag football or touch football rules, and the host school typically plays against a rival school. Alternatively, you can have your school’s junior girls play against the girls’ senior class.

Funds are generated from ticket sales, concessions sold at the game, and sales from team t-shirts.

9.  Summer Sports Camp

Using your students’ talents and skills to teach others in the community during the summer is a great way to generate funds when school is closed for the holidays. Children will pay a fee to attend the camp, and your school’s sports stars can teach them how to improve their skills.

Parents will love this fundraising idea as it gives them time to get to tasks they can’t normally do while taking care of their kids during the summer.

These sports camps don’t need to focus on one sport only. Instead, offer variety, such as football, baseball, and basketball.