School Fundraising Ideas – Top 10

Fundraising is an essential part of any school year. A good fundraising event will raise money for a year’s worth of dances, field trips and extracurricular activities. With limited time and so many options, what are the best fundraising ideas for the school?

Independent Fundraising Ideas

• • Bake sale – Ask every parent to contribute one item, and make them available to students and families at open events like school concerts, games and PTA meetings.

• • Shopping fair – Open up the school on a Saturday and sell crafts, food and games to raise money for your school. This is especially lucrative near the Christmas holidays, when everyone is looking for decorations and last-minute gifts.

• • School dance – Fundraising usually pays for dances, but why not hold a PTA fundraising ideas dance instead? Get your students involved in acting as DJ, decorating and planning the party to keep the costs low. Then, charge admission to the dance and sell refreshments to your thirsty dancers.

• • Fundraising concert – Get your school band, chorus or orchestra involved in a night of music to raise money for your school. It provides nice motivation for the kids and is a great way to raise funds.

• • Fundraising cookbook – Have you students and parents contribute a recipe to a school cookbook, which you can print and sell at school events. Work with a local printing company to negotiate a reduced rate for your school in exchange for advertising in the cookbook.

• Summer fundraising – Get your students involved in fundraising over their summer holiday. Let them think of their own ideas and reward the top fundraisers when everyone comes back to school. You’ll start the school year with money already in your fundraising coffers.

Fundraising Companies

There are hundreds of fundraising companies out there, selling products and offering fundraising advice for non-profit groups. Fundraising companies take some of the stress away from fundraising, but they also take some of your profit, so choose carefully if you decide to work with an outside company.

When it comes to selling fundraising items in schools, here are the most popular ideas:

• • Pizza – It’s no secret — kids love pizza! Available as frozen pizzas or make-your-own pizza kits, this idea seems to crop up at least once every year.

• • Candy sales – This is an easy sell. Major companies like Hershey’s have fundraising packages that your school can sell to fellow students, families and friends. Each candy bar is between $1-$2. It seems like a slow way to fundraise, but it’s the volume of sales that’s important. Those dollars will add up!

• • Cookie dough – Like pizza, frozen cookie dough tubs have become a school favorite. This is a great alternative if you don’t have time to running your own school bake sale.

• Candle fundraiser – Selling candles is the new alternative to junk food fundraising. They look good, they smell great, and who doesn’t have a few candles in their house? Major companies like Yankee Candle have jumped on-board and started their own fundraising initiatives, but there are also smaller companies out there with candle catalogs.