15 Valentine’s Day Fundraising Ideas for Schools

Updated: November 2024

Summary:

• Valentine’s Day fundraisers can help break up the long stretch between Christmas and spring break while also boosting donations.
• Sell tickets to themed events to raise money directly or fund the event itself. Host an A-Thon or purchase campaign to collect pledges and sell products.
• Fundraiser campaigns can help you raise funds for good causes, so you can make positive change and pay the love forward all year round.
• External campaigns provide support for fundraising efforts that happen offline, including business partnerships, bake sales, and book drives.

Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love in all its forms—including romance, friendship, community, and school connections. It’s also one of the best times to bring a little fun into the late-winter stretch between Christmas and March Break. But what if you could use Valentine’s Day to raise money for your school, too?

FutureFund’s free platform for K-12 school groups makes it easy to organize themed fundraisers around special occasions like Valentine’s Day. Get inspired and learn how to hit your goals with these 15 lovable ideas.

Using an integrated platform like FutureFund can ensure you have all of the things you need to set up your next fundraiser for success. Combining some of the fun ideas we’ll lay out in this article with the incredible fundraising benefits of FutureFund is one surefire way to knock your Valentine’s Day fundraiser out of the park.

Traditional school dance

A Valentine’s Day dance is a great way to bring students together to celebrate love and have a little fun at the same time. Whether you host a sweetheart dance for teens or a mid-day all-ages affair, it’s easy to cash in on tickets.

How to host a traditional school dance

• Pick a theme like candy hearts, teddy bears, or black tie.
• Sell advance tickets to raise money for rentals and refreshments.
• Get students involved in making fun props, decor, and keepsakes.
• Recruit a team of volunteers to help you delegate and plan.

FutureFund simplifies ticketing by letting schools sell and distribute tickets online and in person. Parents and students receive an email with their ticket and a scannable QR code they can use to check in at the door on dance night.

Daddy/daughter or mother/son dance

A daddy-daughter or mother-son dance is the perfect opportunity for parents and their children to create lasting memories. It’s also a heartwarming way to help kids feel included when they’re still too small for traditional school dances.

How to host a daddy/daughter or mother/son dance

• Keep it inclusive. Families come in all shapes and sizes, so any family member or guardian should feel welcome.
• Set up a dress-up station with fun accessories, like bowties, oversized glasses, tiaras, and hats.
• Serve kid-friendly foods, like finger sandwiches, cake pops, and cake.
• Set up activities like coloring areas and crafting tables to keep kids engaged.

Set a single price for general admission or add tiered ticket prices for parents, kids, and family groups in your FutureFund account. You can even save ticket profiles and reuse them for future events!

Sadie Hawkins dance

A Sadie Hawkins dance gives girls the confidence to take the lead, make the first move, and create their own memorable night as they see fit. While the idea might seem a little old-fashioned now, it’s still a fun spin on traditional dances.

How to host a Sadie Hawkins dance

• Modernize it by focusing on themes like girl power and confidence.
• Put girls in charge of designing decor, music, and snacks (with oversight).
• Host a contest with top three prizes for the most creative invitations.
• Keep it inclusive—having a date shouldn’t be mandatory.

Sell tickets to the dance online with FutureFund’s Turnstile app. Students—or their parents—can pay with credit, debit, Apple/Google Pay, cash, or check.

Teddy bear picnic

When kids are young, love is all about the joy of friendship—and a beloved teddy bear is often their first best friend. Teddy bear picnics bring this magic to life right in the classroom for Valentine’s Day.

How to host a teddy bear picnic

• Make it feel real by selling two ticket tiers—one per child and teddy.
• Plan activities, like crafts, storytime, dress-up, or teddy bear introductions.
• Set up a classroom with blankets, pillows, and cheery decorations.
• Take lots of pictures—these will become treasured keepsakes for parents.

Teachers can host events like these right in the classroom with only a couple of helpers. For larger picnics, use FutureFund to manage volunteers and assign roles.

See how FutureFund helps school volunteers.

Host a baking class

Nothing says Valentine’s Day like heart-shaped cookies with a heaping pile of sweet, sugary icing or yummy candy. Have someone host a V-day-themed baking night at your school and sell tickets for family and friends to attend.

How to host a baking class

• Pick a location, like a school kitchen or local community hall.
• Find a host—a local chef, a talented PTA member, or even an older student.
• Keep the recipe(s) simple so people of all ages can participate
• Raise more money by hosting a bake sale just after classes wrap up.

If someone on your PTA has the right connections, consider reaching out to local celebrity chefs, bakeries, grocery stores, and restaurants for help on this one.

Heart-healthy Jog-A-Thon

A Valentine’s Day Jog-A-Thon is a fun way to get kids talking about heart health, cardio, and overall fitness. Sometimes called a Fun Run or Run-A-Thon, kids collect pledges in exchange for participation on race day.

How to run a Jog-A-Thon

• Launch a sign-up campaign on FutureFund to recruit volunteers and assign roles first.
• Choose a date at least three months out—if you’re aiming for Valentine’s Day, aim to start on December 14.
• Set incentives like participation prizes, pizza parties, or movie nights.
• Create a campaign page on FutureFund to streamline donations, set pledge templates, and customize donation leaderboards.
• Announce the Jog-A-Thon by email, social media, and flyers at least two weeks before the day of. Then, send follow-ups every two days.

To help keep your event on track, print out our free Jog-A-Thon checklist. Send it out to your volunteers and anyone else who needs it to stay on track.

Learn how to run a Jog-A-Thon with FutureFund.

Dance-A-Thon

Take the idea of an A-Thon to another level with a Valentine’s Day Dance-A-Thon in the classroom or school gym. This time, kids will dance for pledges, rather than run.

How to run a Dance-A-Thon

• Set rules—our free customizable rules template is a great place to start.
• Set a length. Around 12-36 hours is common, but you can spread this out over multiple sessions.
• Give students enough time to collect pledges—at least two to four weeks.
• Don’t forget refreshments. Dancing is hard exercise! Make water and snacks available to keep dancers energized.

FutureFund makes running almost every element of your Dance-A-Thon easier, from organization to tracking results. Plus, it’s always FREE for schools to use!

Flower Drive

Flowers are a fun way for kids and adults to tell people they care, especially on Valentine’s Day. Sell vouchers for single roses or pre-made arrangements.

How to run a flower drive

• Reach out to local florists about discounts or bulk pricing to save money.
• Sell advance or on-demand vouchers if you need money to buy inventory or want to reduce strain on existing budgets.
• Keep it simple—one flat rate per flower or arrangement works best.
• Add a creative twist by allowing secret admirers to send flowers anonymously.

With FutureFund, you can set and adjust quantities on an as-needed basis. It’s also easy to temporarily turn off sales if you happen to run out or need more time.

Art Contest and Winner’s Sale

If your middle school, junior high, or high school has an art program, Valentine’s Day is a great time of year to host an art competition. Have students submit a love-themed piece—then, sell the winning pieces back to the community.

How to host an art contest and sale

• Create categories for winners so kids at every skill level have a chance to participate.
• Make it educational by having kids work on the pieces in class.
• Showcase the pieces somewhere in the school until the contest ends.
• Let students and staff vote on the winning pieces to keep them involved.
• Set a flat rate for each winning piece—$50, $100, or $500—to bring in money at the end of the contest.

Each winning piece will need to be listed as an individual campaign in your FutureFund account and web shop. Post pictures of the winning pieces on your social media pages or use our built-in messaging system to get the word out and encourage sales.

Gift Baskets

Turn Valentine’s Day into an opportunity by creating and selling themed gift baskets. Have students write letters to local businesses or people they know to ask for donations. Then, put them together and sell them online.

How to run a gift basket sale

• Pick themes that feel on-brand, like “Cozy Night In or “Family Game Time.”
• Make letter-writing a lesson by having teachers help kids write the letters during class.
• Ask local craft or party stores to donate baskets, gift wrap, and decor.
• Sell the baskets as a flat-rate voucher in your FutureFund store—buyers can leave a note requesting a special theme.

If your school doesn’t have much of a budget, or you don’t have any luck with donations, run the sale as an advance purchase instead. Or, use our sponsor letter templates to reach out for direct support from businesses.

Start a kindness fund

Turn Valentine’s Day into an ongoing lesson about giving back and doing good in the community by creating a kindness fund. Seed the school’s account with a fundraiser campaign, then let students apply to access it via an official process.

How to launch a kindness fund

• Establish an official process for accessing and managing the fund—you’ll almost always need to work with a school administrator or treasurer on this.
• Explain the purpose clearly in messaging. Donors need to know their donations will always go to a good cause, but the specifics might vary.
• Give a few examples in emails or posts, like raising money for a classmate in need, getting vet care for a student’s pet, or funding a community project.
• Use FutureFund’s goal meter to show the public, participants, and donors your progress and track donations over time.
• Share updates each time students use the fund to do good on your campaign wall and social media pages.

This kind of fund requires careful management, oversight, and due diligence, so make sure your treasurer knows the ropes! Kids should never have any direct access to the money—strict oversight protects donors and the school. See more advice for new PTA treasurers here.

Valentine’s day candy gram and gift exchange

When Valentine’s Day rolls around, people start thinking about cute gifts for their loved ones and friends. Hosting a handmade valentine’s exchange can be a great way to raise money for your school in-person.

How to host a candy gram and gift exchange

• Get volunteers to make or donate handmade cards, sweet treats, flowers, and other candy gram-friendly items.
• Make it educational by working crafting or baking into class time.
• Offer the items in-school as Valentines in exchange for a donation.
• Let students exchange gifts throughout the school day.
• Share lots of pictures on social media—the cuter, the better! 

Use FutureFund’s external campaigns to link out to your social media pages, school contact info, or school website. This makes it easier for donors to find and reach you.

Host a Bake Sale

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to host a school bake sale. Encourage kids to bake some of their favourite treats with their parents or grandparents and sell them back to the community to raise money.

How to host a bake sale

• Pick a venue, like the school gym, a community hall, a library, or a church.
• Recruit volunteers with FutureFund’s volunteer signup feature.
• Ask people to RSVP with the details of their donations early, if possible.
• Check local regulations to see if participants need a food handler’s certificate or if food needs to be kept at specific temperatures.
• You can freeze items like cookies and bread until the day before the sale. Other items won’t hold up and are best made fresh.

With FutureFund’s external campaigns, it’s easy to link out to your school website or the venue so people know how and when to attend.

Learn how to run a bake sale on FutureFund.

Book Drive

With a similar theme as a Read-A-Thon, you can support the bright young minds at your child’s school by hosting a book drive. Have students or parents donate their favourite love-themed books to the school or local library on or before Valentine’s Day.

How to host a book drive

• Plan specifics like dates, location, and points of contact.
• Advertise the drive through social media, emails, and community flyers.
• Contact local businesses and ask them to donate books.
• Run a second fundraiser to accept cash donations for books online.

Link out to your school website, social media pages, or contact info to make it easy for donors to get details right from your school’s FutureFund account.

Partner with a local business

School fundraisers don’t always have to happen on-site—local businesses are often happy to give you a portion of their proceeds in exchange for a little advertising. This works especially well if the business already sells on-theme products or services. 

How to ask local businesses to support you

• Pick a business that offers common Valentine’s Day products, like a coffee shop, restaurant, bakery, florist, spa, or salon.
• Have a volunteer reach out to them to ask for their support and how they would benefit.
• Build a shared promotion. For example, a bakery might donate a percentage of their sales to your school if someone presents a coupon with your logo on it.
• Promote the partnership on school channels, FutureFund’s online tools, and the school and business’s social media accounts to maximize visibility.

Remember—this kind of campaign works best when both sides benefit from the partnership. Advertise early and often, and use FutureFund’s external campaigns to link out to the business directly for more visibility.

Use our email templates to nurture relationships with donors and partners.

Spread the love with FutureFund this Valentine’s Day

With people already focused on love, Valentine’s Day is a great time to raise money for important school causes. And using the right fundraising tools can help streamline planning, organizing, and logistics so the people who want to help can spend more time focused on what matters. Whether you’re a parent, a PTA member, or a school administrator, FutureFund’s online platform can help you streamline your fundraising and achieve your goals. Book a demo to learn more!