The Ultimate List of School Fundraisers

Collect funds to pay for educational trips, ensuring that all students can enjoy the full experience without facing financial challenges.

See also: 20 Fun Field Trip Ideas

Collect donations for musical instruments, uniforms, or other essential equipment that helps the school band keep making beautiful music!

Learn more about fundraising ideas for school bands

Raise money for sporting equipment and apparel, traveling expenses, or anything else your school teams need to stay focused and competitive.

Booster clubs provide essential money for academic or extracurricular initiatives that don’t get enough funding from regular school budgets, so it’s a good idea to run regular donation campaigns to fill up their coffers.

Reduce waste and raise funds by collecting recyclable cans and bottles; it’s eco-friendly and aids school projects. Run a campaign alongside the event in FutureFund so community members can donate money in lieu of containers.

Students reach out to family, friends, or businesses detailing school needs, personalizing the donation request and engaging the community. Make sure they include a link to the donation campaign you’re running in FutureFund as well!

Collect donations online and use a portion of the proceeds to purchase a prize, then hide it somewhere on the school grounds and host a fun-filled hunt around school! You can also sell tickets to participate in the event in your online store—and the winner keeps the prize, obviously!

Collect donations and use a portion of the proceeds to bring in guest speakers for special lunchtime learning sessions on various topics. This enriches students while supporting your school group’s needs.

Run these campaigns every month—anyone who donates gets a chance to win a mystery prize at the end of the month, encouraging regular contributions and maintaining donor excitement.

Boost school pride by selling branded attire; it’s a wearable way for students and parents to support the school while helping you meet your fundraising targets.

Learn more about school spirit merchandise ideas

Sell yearbooks online and include a pricing option that lets parents pay extra for customized messages. This adds a personal touch while generating funds.

We’ll list specific dances for different times of the year in the following sections—but any school dance or other ticketed event is a great way to sell tickets through a Purchase Campaign in FutureFund.

If you are using FutureFund, you can accept payments online. Donors are given a donation link and can pay by credit or debit card. Any cash donations can also be noted in the system to be collected later.

See also: How To Run a Dance-a-Thon Fundraiser

Sell tickets to productions by the drama classes! Plays are great during the winter months when people are less inclined to be outside, but they make great fundraisers for every season.

If you are using FutureFund, you can accept payments online. Donors are given a donation link and can pay by credit or debit card. Any cash donations can also be noted in the system to be collected later.

Selling homemade treats offers a delicious way for community members to contribute to school goals.

See also: 15 Elementary School Bake Sale Ideas

An entrance fee lets participants test their knowledge in a fun setting, with proceeds benefiting school initiatives. Sell tickets online beforehand to get a head count.

If you are using FutureFund, you can accept payments online. Donors are given a donation link and can pay by credit or debit card. Any cash donations can also be noted in the system to be collected later.

Open a morning coffee stand for parents, who can pay in person or buy coupons online throughout the year. Proceeds go straight to school needs while parents enjoy their daily brew.

Also called run-a-thons, these are some of the most popular and successful school fundraisers you can run. They’re also super easy to run with our help—students can sign up in just a few clicks through FutureFund to get a link they share with friends and family to collect pledges before the event.

See also: Guide: How To Run a School Fun Run

Swimmers secure pledges for laps completed, promoting fitness while pooling funds for the school.

See also: Guide: How to Run a Swim-a-Thon Fundraiser

Students gather pledges to keep moving throughout a given period of time, promoting health and school fundraising concurrently.

See also: Guide: How to Run a Move-a-Thon Fundraiser

Students acquire pledges to support them during a weightlifting challenge at the school—another excellent fundraiser for athletically inclined students.

Students get a certain number of shots based on the pledges they collect, and the winner gets a prize at the end of the event.

Have students sign up to participate in a math challenge and collect pledges from the school community to support them.

See also: Guide: How to Run a Math-a-Thon Fundraiser

Students pledge to read a certain number of books, pages, or chapters based on the amount of money they can raise from family and friends.

See also: Guide: How to Run a Read-a-Thon Fundraiser

Students collect pledges from family and friends to participate in a spelling bee—for best results provide students with a “lifeline” for every fundraising milestone they hit to keep them motivated when collecting pledges.

See also: Guide: How to Run a Spell-a-Thon Fundraiser

Strategy enthusiasts gather pledges for marathon chess sessions, sharpening minds while raising money for the school.

See also: Guide: How to Run a Chess-a-Thon Fundraiser

Students secure pledges to participate in a science fair—let each one use a percentage of the pledges they raise to pay for materials, and judge the event to award prizes at the end.

Vocalists gather pledges for marathon singing. Give each student a certain amount of songs to sing based on the number of pledges they collect.

See also: How To Run a Sing-a-Thon Fundraiser

Participants gather pledges to dance for a certain number of hours. This is a great way to combine fun and fitness with fundraising.

See also: How To Run a Dance-a-Thon Fundraiser

Brave volunteers raise pledges to shave their heads in support of a cause—for example, the hair collected might be donated to make wigs for cancer patients who have recently undergone chemotherapy. This one’s great because it’s a highly visual event that will make your fundraiser top of mind for the whole school community.

The more pledges students collect, the longer their standup set is. This is a lighthearted event that helps put the “fun” in fundraising.

Learn more about funny fundraising ideas for schools

Arrange an event with a local restaurant where students and their parents come in to eat and the venue donates a portion of their proceeds to your PTA. For good measure, you can include the restaurant in your sponsorship list via FutureFund to help drum up business for the big event.

Parents make a small donation ($10 or so) to have their children’s names displayed on the class bulletin board during their birthday week!

Encourage parents to donate on their child’s birthday, celebrating their child while contributing to their school’s growth.

Run an auction where the winning donor gets to stand in and act as Principal for a Day (just make sure to have some ground rules so that the winner uses their temporary power for good!).

Run a donation campaign to ease into the academic year by supporting students with essential supplies they might lack.

See also: Back To School Tasks for Your PTA

Embrace the spirit of giving by gathering food items for those in need during the festive season. Let parents donate money online as well to supplement their food items (or in case they want to help but don’t have goods to donate in person).

See also: 15 Thanksgiving Fundraising Ideas for Schools

Collect donations for classroom decorations, furniture, and other features that will help refresh each room in time for students to come back to school.

Students and their families buy tickets for admission to an event where they can buy, sell, and trade old halloween costumes—this one’s easy to run in FutureFund and great for sustainability!

See also: 15 Halloween Fundraising Ideas for Schools

Celebrate the beauty of autumn with crafts made by students. Make sure to sell them online as well as at any in-person events you’re holding.

Offer seasonally-scented candles in your online store to provide a cozy atmosphere in homes while supporting school activities.

Help students and their families keep warm in the autumn chill by selling scarves crafted by the school community.

Indulge in fall flavors with delicious pies, sweetening the deal for school support.

Charge entry and sell tickets online ahead of time for a night of dancing in spook-tacular costumes.

Set the Halloween mood by having students create unique decorations and selling them—either in person or online.

Sell tickets to a carnival with games, rides, and stalls—capturing the essence of fall while promoting community bonding.

See also: 20 Fall Fundraising Ideas for Schools

Partner with a local corn maze and sell tickets to a school-only event that offers adventure in exchange for support.

Set up the gym, library, or another school space as a spooktacular haunted house and sell tickets online in the days leading up to Halloween.

Sell Halloween-themed cupcakes and offer vouchers online, delighting taste buds while filling school coffers.

Partner with a local farm and sell tickets online for scenic rides through fall foliage.

Host a series of spine-chilling movies and sell tickets to the school community, giving attendees a thrill for their contribution.

Sell tickets to an immersive dining experience that blends intrigue, entertainment, and fundraising. Have the students from the drama class play various characters in a whodunit that will keep parents entertained and engaged all evening.

Sell pumpkins for carving or cooking, turning these seasonal staples into a source of school support.

Organize a pre-Thanksgiving feast and sell tickets ahead of time—then provide a portion of turkey, mashed potatoes, and other sides for each guest.

Put a Halloween spin on bingo. Sell tickets online and offer prizes for the winners.

Like a standard run-a-thon, but in costume! Students sign up and collect pledges to participate, and there’s a spooky prize at the end for the winners.

Another type of fun run or run-a-thon to help students get some healthy exercise before their Thanksgiving dinners.

It’s easy to turn a standard walk-a-thon into a fall leaf tour—just have the participants walk through a forest or park in your area where the leaves on the trees are changing and have a teacher accompany them to offer a lesson on the different kinds of plants present!

See also: How to Run a Walk-a-Thon Fundraiser

Students sign up to participate in a costume contest near the end of October, and attendees vote by pledging a donation to the student they think has the best costume.

Students sign up and collect pledges to paint a certain number of pumpkins. The PTA provides art supplies and prizes for winners.

Participants collect pledges to build scarecrows, and a panel of judges awards prizes to the winners at the end of the event.

Collect funds for students to rake and haul away leaves in your community! If you have a community garden, the leaves will be especially useful in making compost, which should be ready right around spring if started around your leaf collection time.

Auction off baskets filled with autumn goods—parents make donations, and the one who makes the largest contribution gets to take the basket home!

For a small fee, kids get to take their picture with teachers in spooky costumes—ghosts and ghouls and witches, oh my!

Collect money to help grant winter wishes for students who demonstrate financial need.

Raise money to take classes on a spectacular sleigh ride through your local winter wonderland! Many cities and towns have a service that offers these experiences in December, and sometimes you can even get a discount for school groups.

Sell curated baskets filled with festive delights. You can do this at an in-person event like a winter carnival (see below) but it’s also a good idea to make them available in your online store.

Sell poinsettias as holiday corsages and other festive decorations.

Have the home economics classes create holiday recipes or send out a call for submissions to the school community—then print them, bind them, and make them available for purchase in your school store.

Set up a stand at the school and sell vouchers online so that students can skip the line for warm and tasty winter treats on those chilly winter mornings before classes start.

Sell school-branded tree decorations or other holiday decorations (in person and online for best results).

Have one of the teachers dress as Santa Claus and sell tickets to a pancake breakfast or other event where students can meet Mr. Claus!

This one’s easy to combine with the idea above—just sell vouchers in your online store that are good for photo sessions with Santa on the big day!

If you can’t find a Santa Claus, no problem—it’s still easy to set up a holiday-themed photo booth and sell tickets for students to take pictures in it. Backgrounds with snowflakes, candy canes, and other seasonal staples will go over well here.

Combat the cold by selling hand-crafted winter wear.

Have English or creative writing classes pen holiday-themed stories, then print them in booklets and sell them.

Create calendars for the upcoming new year and sell them online through the school store so that parents and students can get organized in advance!

This is the perfect place to sell some of the goods listed above in person—but you can also sell tickets to the event online and provide some incentives for families to show up, like special food items or decorations.

Sell festive lights to illuminate homes and keep everyone merry and bright over the holidays.

Sell tickets to a party where everyone wears their favorite ugly sweater—a night of tacky but festive fun.

Sell tickets to participate in a cake walk, where participants walk in time to a holiday tune and stop on a number when the music ends. Numbers are drawn each time and the person on the corresponding square gets a holiday-themed baked item (cupcakes are great if you can’t do whole cakes).

Sell tickets to an all-day snow tubing event, where you set up a course on a local hill and students bring their own tubes or sleds.

Fun runs and run-a-thons aren’t just for warm weather—have students collect pledges to run laps in the gym!

Like a normal run-a-thon, but in cold weather gear! This is a great way to keep students active and give them some fresh air even during the year’s coldest months.

Students sign up and collect pledges to sing carols around the neighborhood during the holidays.

This is a great indoor A-Thon to keep students active and engaged in cold weather. Students get a certain number of throws based on how many pledges they collect.

In exchange for collecting pledges, students who sign up get a certain number of minutes or laps at the local skating rink.

Students sign up to build and decorate snowmen for pledges collected. This is easy to do in any wide open space you have at the school (like an athletic field) and it’s a great way to prepare the area if you’re planning a winter carnival fundraiser there later!

Students collect pledges to wrap gifts before the holiday season. It’s a great idea to pair this one with the toy drive idea (see above in “Donation Campaigns”).

Students sign up to decorate a number of wreaths based on pledges they collect from the community. You can also sell the finished wreaths in your school’s online store, or at your winter carnival event!

Have students pledge to spend a certain number of seconds in a chilly lake (or pool) based on the pledges they collect from the school community. Just make sure to have supervision on hand to keep everyone safe, and set a limit on the amount of time students can stay in the water so that nobody gets too cold!

Participating students collect pledges in exchange for shoveling snow from a given number of driveways over the holidays.

Students collect pledges from the community to build and decorate gingerbread houses in time for the holidays.

Have students and parent volunteers go door-to-door after the holidays and collect empty bottles, cans, or jars—then take the empties to a local recycling center and collect the finder’s fees.

Hold an auction where student or parent volunteers make themselves available to help the winners with various holiday chores—this could be anything from helping clean up a kitchen after the big holiday feast or taking down Christmas lights.

Members of the community make a donation to the PTA in exchange for having their old trees and wreaths taken away and recycled. It’s easy to set this one up as a purchase campaign where you sell vouchers to take away certain items, or you can simply offer the service for any donation made.

See also: 24 Christmas Fundraising Ideas For Schools

Run a donation campaign to raise money for plants, soil, fertilizer, and other essential school garden items.

Collect donations to support local wildlife as animals come out of hibernation for the warmer weather, with a portion of proceeds going to a nearby animal rehabilitation center or shelter.

Have teams of students sign up to face schoolteachers in a tug-o-war and run separate donation campaigns for each team. The team that raises the most money gets to participate in the event!

Like the Halloween Costume Swap idea under the Fall Fundraisers category, this one’s great for sustainability and easy to run with FutureFund. Just sell tickets to an event where students can bring in their old prom dresses to sell or trade to each other.

Sell kites with the school logo or colors, just in time for spring breezes!

Help students and their families accessorize for warm weather with handmade bracelets, earrings, and other jewelry sold in your online store.

Prepare for April showers! Have students sign up to paint umbrellas and sell them in your online store so that parents can stay dry until the wet weather’s over.

Why not sell the flowers, vegetables, and other plants in your community garden? It’s easy to combine this one with the flower delivery idea below, or you can do it as a separate event.

Sell vouchers in your online store and deliver plants to each household that buys one! You can have different vouchers for different kinds of plants, and either grow them yourself in the school garden or find a local greenhouse to sponsor the event.

Partner with a local petting zoo for a school-exclusive event and sell tickets so that students and their families can make friends with the animals!

May the 4th is a popular date for any Star Wars fan, so why not turn it into a themed event for the school community? Sell tickets online and include activities like a costume contest or viewing party for movies from the franchise.

Host a ticketed sports viewing event—and consider using a portion of funds raised for new sporting equipment!

Sell tickets for a school dance that helps the community ring in the warm weather with plenty of fun and frolic.

Spring cleaning can be profitable for your school group if you play your cards right! Send out a call for households to donate items they don’t need anymore, then sell them at an in-person event or online.

Sell tickets to an event where students sign up to design and model spring outfits.

This is a great fundraiser to run around April Fool’s Day. Sell strips of duct tape in your school’s online store—then pick a day where each student who bought one gets to use it to stick the principal to the wall during lunch hour! Just make sure your school principal has a sense of humor first.

Students collect pledges to jump rope for a specific number of minutes, with prizes for the winners.

See also: How to Run a Jump-a-Thon Fundraiser

Students collect pledges to run laps—either in the gym if it’s wet outside or at a nearby athletic field.

See also: How to Run a Jog-a-Thon Fundraiser

Set up a course with high-jumping, long-jumping, and other track events—then have participating students collect pledges to participate in different events.

Students collect pledges to hike a nearby trail—you can either offer prizes for the students who hike it fastest, or provide smaller prizes for anyone who finishes the trek.

Hide easter eggs around the school and have participating students collect pledges to find them.

This one’s a lot of fun with a little supervision to keep things appropriate. Students sign up to carry out specific pranks and collect pledges to support them—the winners get their prank “funded” and get to carry it out on April Fool’s Day (as long as it’s safe)!

See also: 15 April Fools Fundraising Ideas for Schools

Also a great April Fool’s idea—students sign up and collect pledges in exchange for pies, which they get to throw at teacher volunteers on the 14th day of March.

Students collect pledges to participate in community or yard spring clean up. Not only does this help fundraise, but it gets kids interested in their environment and beautifies the community from leftover leaves and litter.

See also: 20 Spring Fundraising Ideas for Your School

This is a great way to promote physical activity and reading during the springtime. Hide prizes around the library and have students collect pledges in exchange for time they can use to hunt for them. Make sure everyone checks out a book to get in as well!

See also: Your Guide to Building a Classroom Library

Similar to the Spring Clean-A-Thon above, but with a specific eco-friendly focus. Have students sign up to recycle clothing or perform other green activities.

Those hand-painted umbrellas we suggested selling earlier? This is the best way to make them! Students sign up and collect pledges to paint a certain number of umbrellas by hand.

Parent appreciation nights are great any time of year, but partnering with a few local pubs to hold a St. Patty’s Day crawl is a particularly good way to raise money while giving the adults a much-needed night out as the weather warms up. You can also set up donation jars at every stop along the way, or sell tickets ahead of time—there are lots of ways to make this work.

Use a portion of the proceeds raised to collect sunblock, sunglasses, and other sun safety equipment for students so they can stay healthy when it gets bright out.

Raise money and use a portion of the proceeds to buy fireworks, then set up a display for the 4th of July. Just make sure you do this legally—follow all local laws and regulations, and make sure the display is set up at a safe distance from the audience during the event.

See also: 15 4th of July Fundraising Ideas for Schools

Sell tickets to an event where students can bring in old sports equipment to sell or trade it with each other. This one’s sure to be popular, since new gear is expensive—and it promotes sustainability too!

Sell school-branded baseball caps, sun visors, and more in your online store to promote sun safety while raising money.

Easy to incorporate into the tailgating idea above if you have some local food trucks willing to sponsor the event. Invite them to any ticketed event in exchange for donating a portion of their proceeds to your PTA, or create a specific event centered around food trucks and sell wristbands or vouchers to get in to the event through your online store.

All you need for this one is a little frozen concentrate and a few coolers. You can sell popsicles in person, but it’s also a good idea to include vouchers online so people can skip the lineup on the big day.

Sell tickets to a summer grill-off with meat and vegetables cooked under the open skies.

Screen a movie at the school pool so that viewers can stay cool while they watch! Make sure to sell tickets online before the event so you can get a head count.

Help make summer nights relaxing for parents and children alike by partnering with a local yoga studio and selling tickets for a school-only event. You can also do this one in the gym if you can find a teacher to lead the class.

Fill up a teacher’s car with balloons and sell vouchers that let every participant guess how many are inside! Have a prize ready for the guess that’s closest to the actual number.

Have the art students display their work in the library or gymnasium and sell tickets for attendance! You can also sell the artwork through your online store, or run a silent auction for parents who want to buy it.

Sell tickets for students to gather during an assembly and watch summer blockbusters (just make sure they’re age-appropriate and send home permission slips first if needed).

Sell stars-and-stripes cupcakes and other baked goods to raise funds around July 4th.

Decorate the school pool (or a community pool if they’re willing to help out) with 4th of July decorations and sell tickets for an exclusive school event!

Turn the school parking lot into a potluck event and sell tickets for students and their families to enjoy dinner under the stars after an athletic match or other event.

Sell seeds, flowers, and other flora to help students and their families cultivate green thumbs throughout the summer. Differentiate this from your spring gardening events by focusing on plants that thrive in warmer temperatures like hydrangeas and marigolds.

Sell tickets to an outdoor concert with a local band or artist to generate funds while providing an unforgettable summer night for attendees. You can also have the school band do renditions of pop hits or well-known movie themes.

Keep the party going all night long by setting up tents in the school athletic field! Sell tickets and provide activities for attendees like roasting s’mores or holding campfire sing-a-longs.

A run-a-thon to celebrate the 4th of July! Celebrate with special decorations for runners’ uniforms, and maybe even have teachers set off a firecracker or two along the way at strategic points (just make sure they’re qualified and it’s all safe).

This one’s quirky but creative—it’s like a fun run, but instead of running, the students have to spend a given amount of time continuously moving slowly. These are fun to watch and more accessible for students who may not feel up to running long distances or exercising intensely.

See also: Guide: How To Run a School Fun Run

Students collect pledges in exchange for water balloons they can use in team-based games during the event like capture the flag—or have an all-out elimination challenge!

Students collect pledges to build sand castles at a local beach, with prizes for the largest or most unique creations!

Students sign up to hit a certain number of volleyballs based on pledges collected—a great way to promote healthy warm-weather activities!

See also: How to Run a Volleyball Serve-a-Thon Fundraiser

Students sign up to hit baseballs based on the number of pledges they collect. This one draws a great crowd and is an excellent way to help students enjoy an all-American summer pastime!

See also: How to Run a Baseball Hit-a-Thon Fundraiser

Students sign up to cycle a specific number of miles based on pledges collected from the community. Encourage students to decorate their bikes to boost the fun.

See also: How to Run a Bike-a-Thon Fundraiser

Students plant flowers (or trees, if you want to put a more eco-friendly spin on things) based on the number of pledges they collect.

Students swim laps around the school or community pool in exchange for pledges from friends and family members.

See also: How to Run a Swim-a-Thon Fundraiser

Students sign up to spin a specific number of minutes based on pledges collected from the community. Use the school gym for this one or try to partner with a local fitness center if your school doesn’t have enough spin classes.

Unlike many other A-Thons, this one’s not a contest—students just collect pledges to participate in the event, which runs all day and promotes healthy outdoor fitness. Keep plenty of water on hand and make sure participants are well rested before and afterward!

Turn the athletic field into an outdoor extravaganza with all kinds of outdoor activities and games. Parents and community members can sponsor individual students to participate in different events by making pledges—like a mini-Olympics for the school!

International Talk Like a Pirate Day happens on September 19th—just at the end of summer. Why not give the students one last chance to get their giggles out before the school year gets serious? Set up donation jars around the school and have participants put a coin in any time they lapse out of “pirate speak” (just make sure you know who’s playing the game and who isn’t).

Find anything cleaning that you don’t want or need anymore? Throw it into the trunk of your car and bring it to the Trunk War! Organizers can lay everything out yard sale style, or patrons can shop directly from people’s trunks! Have any really good stuff all in one or two trunks? Pull those aside and auction them separately!

Run a campaign where parents donate toys for families in need. Toys can be purchased brand new, or they can be old toys the kids don’t play with anymore (as long as they’re still in good condition).

Send out a call for parents to donate winter coats and other cold-weather clothing for students and families who need a little extra help around the holidays.

Pets get cold during the holidays too—so why not hold an event where families can donate blankets to shelters? You can either have donors purchase the blankets, or partner with the school knitting club to have students make them (in which case, it’s actually easy to turn this into an A-Thon where they collect pledges from the community to support their efforts).

Encourage students to donate a book to the school library on their birthday—and have it inscribed with their name to commemorate their contribution! Parents will often help their students choose a book and buy it for them to support school literacy.