15 January Fundraising Ideas

Updated: November 2024

Summary: 

• January is a great time to kick off a new year of fundraising. These 15 events take advantage of cool winter weather to get people donating in fun ways.
• Sustainable options like Christmas tree collections and mulch sales are eco-friendly and can bring in tons of money.
• Fun runs, chili cook-offs, and themed raffles give your group options when the weather is unreliable.
• Events like skate-a-thons, polar bear plunges, and hot chocolate stands are perfect additions to winter festivals.
• Indoor activities like candle-making and crafts can also be a great option for January fundraisers with an educational twist. Whether it’s students, parents, or community members doing the crafting, everyone has fun.

Looking for ways to kick off fundraising for your school group in the new year? Look no further—here are 15 ways to make your post-break events a success! Feel free to adapt these ideas to your community to get the most bang for your buck.

1. Winter Clothing Drive

Hosting a winter clothing drive can help families in need stay warm and bring the community together at the same time. In addition to accepting donations of clothing, you can also set up an online fundraising campaign to accept cash, credit, Cash App, Apple Pay, and Google Pay—then purchase winter clothing for those in need with the proceeds.

How to organize a winter clothing drive

• Pick a venue. No need to get fancy—you just need a place where people can drop off clothing and somewhere volunteers can sort them out. 
• Get volunteers to sign up. Collect volunteer signups and assign roles for sorting and distributing clothing to people in need.
• Start a fundraiser campaign. FutureFund lets you create up to four donation tiers so everyone can chip in without feeling pressured.
• Be specific. Use our built-in messaging system, social media, and flyers to tell people what to focus on—like coats, hats, mittens, snow pants, or scarves.

If your fundraiser does particularly well, consider extending your impact to outside sources, like local shelters or kids in foster care.

2. School Lunch Fundraiser

January can be a tough time for families—spending over Christmas can leave them feeling the pinch more than usual. Schools can help bridge the gap by raising money to cover the cost of lunches for those in need.

How to organize a school lunch fundraiser

• Talk to your PTA/PTO. Get info about the average cost for lunches per student and how many are in need.  
• Launch a fundraiser on FutureFund. Set up to four donation tiers—for example, $10, $25, $50, and $100—to make it easy for people to chip in.
• Promote early and often. Use social media, flyers, and FutureFund’s built-in messaging tools to highlight impact (e.g., $50 = two weeks of meals).
• Track your progress. Post and update a donation thermometer to show people how they’re helping you succeed.

Thank people after the campaign wraps up—but don’t publicize the names of students that needed help. This is one time where it’s better to keep it private.

3. Ice skate-a-thon

An ice skate-a-thon is the perfect option for winter fundraising in areas with access to a rink. The idea is simple: students collect pledges in exchange for promising to skate a specific number of laps. It’s easy, healthy, and fun!

How to host a skate-a-thon

• Partner with a venue. Check with local rinks and stadiums—they may be willing to donate or discount the ice time. Coordinate between the venue and school administrators on safety measures and costs, if any exist.
• Plan any concessions and extras. Ask parents to donate hot chocolate, coffee, hot dogs, and other concessions for the skate-a-thon. You can sell these at the venue.
• Set up collections. Use FutureFund’s pledge-a-thon campaigns to collect signups and manage pledges. Make sure you include all the important details: who to contact, the date, and up to four donor tiers.
• Promote your skate-a-thon. Share details about the event in our built-in messaging system, flyers, social media posts, and newsletters.
• Track laps. On the day, have a few volunteers count laps as people skate. Alternatively, go with the honor system and let students self-report their results at the end.

After the event wraps up, share pictures and videos from the event on social media and send out a final update outlining your success. Use our thank you letter templates to show volunteers your appreciation.

4. Indoor fun run

A fun run is a great way to get your students moving, laughing, and raising money for your school. Winter runs are best held indoors, but this makes the event easy to set up and supervise in the gym.

All you’ll need for a fun run event is a track—you can create one yourself, if necessary, with cones—plus a few dress up items and obstacles.

How to host an indoor/outdoor fun run

• Choose your date early. Plan the run at least three months in advance so you have time to set up the logistics.
• Plan your route. Create a route in the gym or another indoor space. It should be long enough to be an age-appropriate challenge, but not so long that students won’t be able to keep up.
• Call for volunteers. Use FutureFund’s built-in messaging system to collect signups from potential volunteers and send out a fun run waiver. Assign each person a role so they know what they’re responsible for.
• Set a few incentives. Incentives are intended to motivate students to participate in the fun run and collect pledges—for example, an end-of-event pizza party or school dance.
•  Create a pledge-a-thon campaign. FutureFund makes fun runs as easy as any other kind of pledge-a-thon. You can add a clear description, a leaderboard, and a template students can use to collect pledges—use these examples.
• Collect student signups and pledges. It’s best to give students at least a few weeks to sign up and collect pledges before the day of the event.
• Map out an itinerary. Set a specific schedule for the fun run, from initial setup to cleanup, breakdown, and closing. Send this out well in advance of the fun run.

The last step is holding the actual fun run. Try to make it as fun as possible while the students get some exercise!

See also: 20 Winter Fundraising Ideas for Your School

5. Polar bear plunge/puddle jump

The polar bear plunge—or puddle jump—is a time-honored classic fundraiser. This works best as a pledge-a-thon because participants can collect donations in exchange for making the plunge.

How to run a polar bear plunge 

• Pick your location. Choose a location where you can control the risks—you may want to fill up an object like a barrel or tank with icy cold water indoors instead of having participants jump into a lake or larger body of water. Keep the water cold, but have a nearby place for students to warm up afterwards.
• Set rules and safety guidelines. Because a plunge like this always comes with some level of risk, administrators will likely want participants to sign waivers. You may also need to have nurses or other medical practitioners on-site.
• Consider bundling it with other events. A plunge is a great addition to New Year’s celebrations or Christmas winter festivals—especially if they include hot food and drinks so that participants can warm up afterwards.

If you’re organizing on behalf of a school with younger children, here’s a tip: you can make this event more kid-friendly while still bringing in funds by hosting a polar bear puddle jump instead. The only difference is there’s a puddle of icy water for the kids to jump in instead of a lake or pond.

6. Fashion show

Let your students show off their creative side with a fashion show! This is a great option for kids in middle school or high school grades who are already studying history, art, or fashion during class time—pick themes that support relevant topics.

How to organize a fashion show

• Talk to administrators. Get permission to host the event and find out if you need waivers signed before students can participate. This is a good time to etch out any rules or guidelines, too.
• Pick a venue. No need to get fancy! The school auditorium, gym, or assembly hall is just the right size.
• Get volunteers to sign up. Appoint volunteers to coordinate supplies, build sets, help sew, and handle admin tasks.
• Sell tickets. Use FutureFund’s ticket-selling tools to charge an admission fee. Offer presale tickets online and limited tickets at the door for best results.
• Make it an event. The word “show” means something here! Music, lights, and decorations can help amp up the fun and make the event memorable.
• Consider adding awards. Let attendees vote on their favorite design and give out prizes to the top three winners—or have judges issue awards!

Remember: at the end of the day, this is about having fun and raising money for your school. Be sure to keep things inclusive and stay away from decisions or prizes based strictly on elements like physical appearance or cost.

7. Candle craft event

For this event, you have a few different options. Bring in a guest to teach a special candle-making class for a small entry fee—this works best for parents and older students. Or, set aside time to craft during art classes to incorporate education at the same time.

How to sell student-made candles

• Ask administrators for guidance. Candle-making is relatively easy, but it isn’t entirely without risk. Ask about sending out waivers in advance.
• Set a date for crafting and the sale. For best results, schedule a couple of sessions—this will help ensure everyone who wants to has time to participate.
• Pick a process. Some candle projects will be easier and safer than others. For example, pearled candles may be better for pre-teens as there is no melting or heat involved. Older students might have more fun melting the wax.
• Share updates to drive momentum. Get someone to take pictures of the crafting process and share creations online as they’re developed.
• Host the sale. Have students help set up and display the candles during a special event. Or, sell them online through FutureFund.

It may be worth reaching out to local craft stores to see if they’re willing to donate any supplies. Otherwise, you can order wax and other inclusions online fairly cheaply.

8. Snowman Decorating Contest

Get creative with your snowman and win a prize! This contest can be held outdoors if you have access to real snow, but you can also have people make them out of paper, cotton balls, and other craft supplies.

How to organize a snowman decorating contest

• Pick the date and location. Make it informal by hosting it in the schoolyard on a Friday afternoon. Or, get the community involved by meeting in a local park.
• Set the contest rules. If you know for sure you won’t have snow, decide what craft materials you want people to use. If you want to work outside, set rules for what equipment builders can use.
• Charge an entry fee. FutureFund makes it easy to collect fees from participants online. If budget will be a concern for parents, consider including access to materials with each entry.
• Offer prizes. You can give out prizes for the top 3, or create categories for snowmen—like the most beautiful, the ugliest, the silliest, or the best use of recycled materials. Good prizes include cash, gift cards, or snack baskets.
• Promote the contest. Announce the event early using flyers, newsletters, and your school social media pages. Include photos of the materials and/or snowmen built by students if you have them available.
• Host and judge the contest. Set up an area for snowman building or provide tables for crafting. Have a panel of judges or let attendees vote on the most creative design.

This event works even better if you pair it with a hot chocolate or soup station. That way, everyone can participate and stay warm at the same time!

9. Chili cookoff

A chili cookoff is a fun way to bring people together, and you can make it as simple or fancy as you want. Contestants compete to create the best chili, either in front of attendees or in advance. Then, attendees get to taste and vote on their favorite!

How to organize a chili cookoff

• Check local regulations. Step one should always be to check whether participants need a food handler’s certificate or need to follow any regulations.
• Set the rules. Decide if people should bring premade crockpot recipes to heat up or cook onsite. Don’t forget the need to keep food at safe temperatures!
• Sell tickets. FutureFund can help you sell entry tickets to the cook-off quickly and easily. Every entry should include access to the food tasting and one vote.
• Recruit contestants. Encourage parents, teachers, and even students to enter their best chili recipes. For inclusivity, try to attract people who can cook for specific tastes or special diet concerns (e.g., vegan or gluten-free).
• Promote the event. Use our built-in messaging system, flyers, newsletters, emails, and school social media accounts to get the word out. Don’t forget to include a link to your FutureFund campaign so people can buy tickets.
• Assign volunteers. Recruit volunteers to handle setup, teardown, and cleanup as well as someone to take tickets at the door. FutureFund’s Turnstile app makes scanning people in quick and easy.
• Crown the winner. Collect votes from attendees after they’ve eaten. Shortly before wrap-up, have a volunteer count them and announce the winner!

If you have the budget for it, you can give away prizes to the best chili—either the top 3 or just the best in a specific category or style.

10. Cowboy/pancake breakfast

The general idea behind a cowboy or pancake breakfast is simple: the community comes together to enjoy a good meal while supporting the school. You can either charge an entry fee or offer free access with any donation.

How to organize a cowboy/pancake breakfast

• Get ready to collect donations. Give people the option to donate online from your FutureFund store page or at the door for best results.
• Put a call out for volunteers. You’ll need a good-size crew for an event like this, including people to cook, track donations, coordinate food supplies, and check people in at the door.
• Pick a fun theme. Breakfast is the most common, but you can choose any meal or theme volunteers can reasonably handle. Like spaghetti and meatballs, barbecue, pasta, tacos, or pizza.
• Plan your menu. Have a couple of volunteers map out the menu and make a list of needed supplies. Don’t forget about disposable plates, cutlery, and napkins if you don’t have dishes available.
• Add activities or prizes. If you have the budget for it, adding activities like a bounce house, visit from Elsa, or pony rides can help drive excitement. You can also give away door prizes during the meal.

The more you draw the community into this one, the better your school will do. That’s why it’s best to align a meal with another existing event. A turkey dinner on the same day as a Christmas parade, for example, will likely generate more interest.

11. Wine Draw

This one is just for the adults, but may be a great addition to a parent-teacher night event or evening gala. Each participant can purchase a raffle ticket for a flat fee from your campaign page.

Everyone wins at least one bottle—but the value of the bottle they receive may be higher or lower than what they paid.

Disclaimer: make sure you know the rules in your state about auctioning off alcohol, as this can vary between regions.

 How to organize a wine draw

• Set roles. Assign volunteers to specific tasks, including coordinating with local businesses for donations, wrapping bottles, managing ticket sales, and setup/teardown on event night.
• Set your entry fee. Overall entry fees should cover the cost of wine and still make money for the school. The best way is to find the average price for all bottles in the draw and set the price slightly higher— for an average price of $60, charge $75.
• Gather the wine. This draw works best when the wine is donated by parents, local businesses, restaurants, or wineries. Have a volunteer reach out to people by email or in person to ask for their support.
• Host the draw. Create excitement on draw night by decorating the table with elegant seasonal decor. Or, host it over live video instead.

Ask parents to share what they won at the end of the draw. If you choose to draw tickets during another event, take lots of pictures—send them out with an update outlining how much the school made!

12. Themed raffle baskets

Raffling off baskets is a great way to raise money for your school, especially if you have parents or businesses in your local community who can donate gifts. You can run the raffle as a standalone event or as an adjunct to another special occasion, like Book Lover’s Day, Teacher Appreciation Day, or Christmas.

How to organize themed raffle baskets

• Choose your themes. You can pick any theme you want, but the raffle will work best if you spread them out a bit. Books, snacks, cooking, movies, video games, shaving kits, and care packages are a great place to start.
• Design your raffle tickets. You can buy these by the roll. Or, use one of FutureFund’s raffle ticket templates to print them.
• Have students sell tickets. Use a combination of in-person, door-to-door, and online sales to sell raffle tickets. Plan to spend at least a week or two on this stage for best results—too short, and you may not sell enough.
• Promote the draw. Use flyers, emails, and social media posts to let people know about the draw and how they can take part. Send out daily reminders in the last week to drive momentum.
• Host the draw process live. Consider making draw day a school event in the gym or assembly hall. Broadcast the draw for each basket by video on your social media pages while you announce the winners.

Basket raffles can become a consistent source of income for your school depending on how you run them. Use the first round to raise funds—then split the proceeds between the school and new baskets for a second raffle. Everyone wins!

13. Christmas tree collection and mulch event

Dispose of your old Christmas tree for a good cause! A Christmas Tree Collection and Mulch Event is an eco-friendly way to raise funds sustainably for your school and bring the community together at the same time.

Accept or pick up trees at a designated location, turn them into mulch, then find a way to use the mulch so it doesn’t go to waste.

How to run a Christmas tree collection and mulch event

• Start planning early. For best results, start planning a mulch event in the fall. This gives you enough time to secure the right equipment and help.
• Pick your drop-off location. You want somewhere with plenty of open space, like the school parking lot. Make sure it’s large enough to safely accommodate vehicles driving up to drop off trees, plus the mulcher itself.
• Or, arrange for pickup. If you have a few volunteers who are willing to pick trees up within the community, you can set up a purchase campaign with FutureFund—where you collect fees from households in exchange for arranging to pick up their trees.
• Plan for mulch processing and bagging. Reach out to local landscapers, tree services, and forestry companies in advance of the event. Ask them to donate their time, services, or equipment—many will be happy to help.
• Spread the word. Use our built-in messaging system, flyers, social media posts, and newsletters to share the date, time, location, and important details well in advance.
•  Set up a drop-off booth. Have a table where people can “check-in” their trees and leave a donation. You can also combine this with a hot chocolate or soup stand!
• Decide how to use the mulch. You can set up a second fundraiser to sell the mulch back to the community by the bag. Or, use it to mulch down the ground under playground equipment and around community gardens instead.

Make sure the donors know that the trees can’t have any leftover decorations on them! A mulcher will make quick work of plastic, glass, and tinsel, but it isn’t ideal and may harm the environment.

14. Coffee/special drink fundraiser

You can include this event with a larger outdoor event or have it separately where coffee drinkers can place their orders early and collect them later on in the week. The easiest way to handle this is to let people “buy” the product for a flat rate fee.

How to host a coffee/special drink fundraiser

• Check with administrators on rules. Allergies, food handling regulations, and other local laws could dictate how you host an event like this. Check with school administrators to make sure you follow them closely.
• Choose your format. You can take orders in advance, selling them from your FutureFund store, or sell them from a booth. Booths work better as part of a large event, while presales give people more time to buy in.
• Set pricing. Charge a flat fee for a cup of coffee, a specialty drink, or a bag of beans. Offer add-ons like flavored syrups or reusable mugs for extra.
• Partner with local vendors. Local roasters and coffee shops are often happy to provide supplies for free or at a discounted rate. Have someone on the PTA/PTO reach out to them before you spend any money.
• Promote your fundraiser. Use FutureFund’s built-in communication tools to send out emails, flyers, images, and announcements. Post on your school’s social media pages, too—and include images, if you can!
• Prepare for setup. If you’re running a booth, get students or parents involved in decorating it to attract attention. A small chalkboard or whiteboard with markers makes a great menu.

Cheap or donated supplies will make this fundraiser more effective. If you can’t find any local businesses that can help out, consider asking parents to chip in—even a couple of dollars each helps.

External Campaigns

15. Hot chocolate/soup stand

This is a perfect add-on to an existing outdoor campaign, winter festival, or skate-a-thon during the winter. It keeps everyone warm and cozy while generating more money for your school—a two-for-one!

How to run a hot chocolate/soup stand

• Decide on a menu. Keep it simple—stick to well-loved winter favorites like hot chocolate, coffee, and classic soups like tomato or chicken noodle. Offer toppings like whipped cream, sprinkles, or animal crackers for fun.
• Buy supplies or ask for donations. If your school has the funds, you can buy supplies upfront. Don’t be afraid to ask parents and businesses in your community to chip in.
• Set your fees. Decide what you want to charge for each item in person. You can use Apple Pay and Google Pay to streamline donations or charge an entry fee with FutureFund.
• Promote your stand. Advertise it alongside your main event! Use flyers, social media, newsletters, images, and videos to showcase the cozy snacks and drinks.
• Build your stand. Ask student volunteers to decorate a table or create a booth with winter-themed decorations, warm lighting, and signage.
• Staff your booth. Assign volunteers to prepare and serve the food on event day. Have each person work an hour or so, then swap out.

If you don’t have any outside activities planned, you can run the booth as a standalone event. Schedule it for after school or during the school day itself in lieu of lunch.

Kick off the year with these January fundraising ideas

January is the perfect month for fundraising. Everyone’s back fresh from a break and thinking about New Year resolutions—why not make raising more money for your school than ever before one of them?

Future Funds online platform makes hosting and running events like these simple, even for parents, PTA members, and volunteers. Plus, it’s totally FREE for schools to use—no hidden fees, gimmicks, or tricks. Just register for an account and get started.

Need help figuring out how to make FutureFund work for you? Whether you’re a volunteer, teacher, or PTA officer, our platform is built around your needs. Send us an email to connect with our superstar admin Amy for one-on-one help.