How to Run a School Penny War Fundraiser

Penny wars can raise a lot of money for your school, and they’re easy to organize. But there are still some important steps you should follow to give your penny war the best chance of success.

FutureFund is dedicated to efficient fundraising for K-12 school groups, so we’re here to help. Below, you’ll find our step-by-step timeline for planning and launching your penny war, along with info on how our free platform can help.

How a Penny War Works

Penny wars are simple fundraisers. Here are the basic rules:

• Each classroom gets a collection jar that students contribute to over the course of the event.
• Students can bring in pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and even bills to add to their class jar.
• Pennies and bills add to the class total, while nickels, dimes, and quarters can be used to sabotage other classes by subtracting from their totals.
• The scores are tallied up at the end of the event and the winning class gets a prize.

How FutureFund Can Help with Your Penny War

FutureFund is designed with all kinds of features that can support your school group’s penny war. Here are a few of the most useful ones:

• A built-in messaging system to announce the event and send progress updates.
• Accounting & reporting tools to keep track of funds raised and generate summaries afterwards.
• Volunteer management tools to help ensure you have all the support you need for the event.

Get started for free here to learn more about how our platform can help you run penny wars (and other fundraisers). Now, let’s talk about how to set your penny war up for success!

What You Need to Run a Penny War

Running a penny war only takes a few simple resources, which means these are easy to set up. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Collection Jars: Each class needs a designated jar for collecting coins. Clear jars work best so students can see the progress. Make sure the jars are labeled with the class names and securely placed in an accessible area.
• Coins & Bills: Students will need pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and bills to participate. Encourage students to start saving their spare change in advance.
• Volunteers: Recruit volunteers to help count coins daily and oversee the collection jars. Having a team of reliable volunteers ensures the event runs smoothly and totals are accurately counted.
• Promotion Materials: Create posters, flyers, and digital announcements to spread the word about the penny war. Use school newsletters, morning announcements, and FutureFund’s built-in messaging system to keep everyone informed and excited.
• Tracking & Reporting System: Set up a system to track the daily progress of each class. This can be as simple as a spreadsheet or a chart displayed in a common area. You can also enter the results into FutureFund for easier financial reporting after the event.
• Prizes & Incentives: Decide on prizes for the winning class, like a pizza party or an ice cream social. Offering incentives motivates students to participate and adds an extra layer of excitement to the event.
• Secure Storage: Ensure there is a secure location to store the collected coins each day. This helps prevent any loss or theft and keeps the funds safe until they are counted and deposited.
• Celebration Plan: Plan a celebration event for the winning class to reward their efforts. This could be a special party or a fun activity, providing a great way to conclude the penny war and acknowledge everyone’s hard work.

The Steps for Running a Penny War

Penny wars are straightforward and easy to run when you follow a few basic guidelines. Here’s how we recommend you organize your event:

• Choose a date at least three months before the event.
• Call for volunteers two months before the penny war starts.
• Choose student incentives to encourage participation—like a pizza or ice cream party!
• Create a donation campaign with FutureFund one month before the event to run alongside your penny war and collect additional funds.
• Announce the event two weeks before it starts and get students excited to participate!
• Look for sponsors for the two weeks leading up to the penny war—they can either donate directly, participate in corporate matching for parent donors, or buy sponsorships via FutureFund.
• Start the event! Follow our sample schedule for penny wars below and tailor it to fit your needs.

Sample Penny War Schedule

If you’ve followed all the steps above, you should have everything you need to make your penny war successful. Here’s a sample event schedule:

Final Preparations (One Week Before):

• Distribute collection jars to each class.
• Prepare promotional materials (posters, flyers) to place around the school.
• Send reminders to families to start saving their spare change.

Event Week (Penny War Running)

Day Before Start (Sunday):

• Send out a reminder email to build anticipation.
• Set up collection jars in designated areas for each class.

Day 1 (Monday):

• Announce the start of the penny war during morning announcements.
• Encourage students to bring in their coins.
• Begin daily collection jar checks and coin counting.

Day 2 (Tuesday):

• Send a follow-up message to encourage participation and provide a quick update on standings.
• Continue daily jar checks and coin counting.

Day 3 (Wednesday):

• Mid-week update in morning announcements to build excitement.
• Daily jar checks and coin counting.
• Plan logistics for the celebration event for the winning class.

Day 4 (Thursday):

• Send another follow-up message with updated standings.
• Continue daily jar checks and coin counting.

Day 5 (Friday):

• Final push reminder email sent the night before.
• Last day for students to bring in coins.
• Final collection jar checks and coin counting.
• Announce the winning class by the end of the day.
• Collect all jars and prepare for the final tally over the weekend.

Post-Event Phase

Day After Event Ends (Saturday):

• Finalize the total amounts for each class.
• Prepare thank-you emails for participants and volunteers.
• Confirm details for the celebration event (e.g., order pizza or arrange ice cream social).

Day 1 After Event (Monday):

• Send thank-you emails to all participants, parents, and volunteers.
• Announce the final total amount raised in the morning announcements and school newsletter.
• Celebrate the winning class with their chosen reward (pizza party or ice cream social).

Day 2 After Event (Tuesday):

• Tear down all promotional materials and collection jars.
• Send out a final summary email with photos from the event and the celebration.

Frequently Asked Questions about Penny War Fundraisers

How long is a Penny War?

Typically, a penny war lasts for one week, but you can adjust the duration based on your school’s schedule and needs.

When should you hold a Penny War?

Penny wars can be held any time of the year, but it’s best to avoid major holidays or school testing periods. Early in the school year or in the spring are ideal times.

What are the benefits of a Penny War fundraiser?

Penny wars are easy to join and don’t require special skills. Students just bring in spare change. The event promotes teamwork, school spirit, and friendly competition while raising funds for a specific school project.

How do I use FutureFund to track my fundraiser’s success?

You’ll need to count up the coins donated to your penny war by hand. However, if you’re running a fundraiser campaign with FutureFund at the same time, it’s easy to generate financial reports in just a few clicks.

To do this, navigate to Store and click the Reports tab near the top of your screen. Then choose Campaign Summary from the drop-down menu and click Generate Report.

Can volunteers for my Penny War sign up automatically through FutureFund?

Yes—FutureFund lets you create a list of the volunteer positions you’ll need to fill, then add a volunteer page to your registration portal so parents can sign up in just a few simple clicks. See the steps for signing up volunteers here.

Start Your Penny War with Help from FutureFund

Penny wars are cost-effective fundraisers that you can set up relatively quickly and easily. And when you use FutureFund’s free tools for schools, you can make your penny war even more seamless and organized. Get started for free here, then use the free resources below to make your event even more successful.

Penny War Templates & Resources

Planning resources

Use these templates to keep your penny war planning on track:

Canva Penny War Infographic

Canva Running a Penny War Checklist

Canva Penny War Rules Template

Sample Penny War Email Scripts

Use these Canva email script templates to call out for penny war participants, donations, and to keep your fundraiser top-of-mind. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!

Canva Penny War Student Sign-up Email Template

Canva Final Day Before the Penny War Email Template

Canva Penny War Follow-Up Email Template

Canva Penny War Final Day Email Template

Design Templates For Promoting Your Penny War

Use these Canva templates to help you spread awareness for your penny war on social media and in your community! Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!

Canva Penny War Template for Instagram Story

Canva Penny War Template for Instagram Post

Canva Penny War Template for Printable Poster

Example caption: Support [insert school name]’s Penny War from [insert date range]. Help our school community raise money for [insert cause] by bringing in your coins!