20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (2023)

If your school needs to raise money for an upcoming project or event, it's important that you choose fundraising ideas that meet your school's financial needs and goals. But with so many differentFundraising-IdeenWith so many options to choose from, it can be hard to know which one is best for your school and community!

So we've put together this list of 20 fundraising ideas that are perfect for any series. We've divided them into a few main categories to accommodate all grades, plus a few extras that don't require a sale:

  • Our favorite school fundraiser idea
  • Top Fundraising Ideas for Elementary Schools
  • The best fundraising ideas for high schools
  • The best fundraising ideas for high schools
  • The best fundraising ideas for schools that don't sell

An ideal school fundraising idea should be flexible and adaptable to all kinds of budgets and goals. Let's start with our favorite fundraising idea, which is among the most creative and flexible out there!

Our favorite school fundraiser idea

fundraisers t shirts

  • Fundraising Potential: +++++
  • Frei
  • Popularity: √√√√√

start oneCollection of t-shirts for your schoolIt's an easy way to raise money and offer a material item in exchange for your supporter's donation.

school shirtsare a flexible idea for any budget, group orFall. Look for a platform that offers flexible, low-risk options for designing, printing, and offering custom jerseys to fans. For example, Bonfire prints and ships all the jerseys directly to their fans. The platform also offers afree design tooland a library ofFree Editable School T-shirt Design Templatesthat you can use to create your t-shirts.

Use one of our 200+ school t-shirt design templates to get started.

free school shirt designs

(Video) 48 Fundraising Ideas in Under 8 Minutes

20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (2)
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (3)

Top Fundraising Ideas for Elementary Schools

family fun day
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (4)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $$
  • Popularity: √√

Fun family events are great school fundraisers that bring families together to raise money for your school. This fun family event can be an all-school picnic or a field day where you can host games and mini-contests.

Host the event inside or outside of your school gym and sell tickets that students and parents can use to play and purchase discounts.

Sell ​​before the eventCustomized Shirtsthat guests can wear during the celebrations to further show their support.

guessing games
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (5)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $
  • Popularity: √√√

Quizzes are a fun and inexpensive fundraising idea for elementary schools.

All you need is a jar full of candy (for example, jelly beans, M&Ms, or Skittles) and have students and teachers pay a small amount to guess the amount of candy in the jar.

Place your candy jar in a prominent place and encourage everyone to guess. Don't forget to award the person with the best tip at the end of your fundraiser.

Evento Tie-Dye
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (6)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $$
  • Popularity: √√

A tie-dye event is a great fundraiser for the school that brings its supporters together for fun creating a unique t-shirt. Instead of just selling white t-shirts at your event, you can create and order custom t-shirts in bulk. Design white t-shirts with your organization's logo or use a slogan that represents your school.

Straw Raffle Fundraiser
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (7)

  • Fundraising Potential: ++
  • Cost: $
  • Popularity: √√√√

The straw raffle fundraising idea is inexpensive for schools and fun for students.

All you need for this fundraiser is a pack of straws and a few small prizes. Write different prizes on a piece of paper and glue them to the straws.

Your prices don't have to be extravagant. Offer simple things like extra break time, candy, or a free lunch. It costs students (and teachers!) $1 to draw a straw.

evento-a-thon
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (8)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $$
  • Popularity: √√√

One of the best fundraising ideas for elementary schools is a marathon event. Are you planning a fundraising event, such as a bowling marathon or walk where students and teachers can raise money to invest in the school. Friends and family can pledge to donate a certain amount per pin hit or per mile, which helps motivate participants to do their best.

Charge a small event entry fee to raise additional funds. Students will enjoy socializing and being active, and everyone will enjoy being together for the good of the school!

(Video) 10 Creative Fundraising Event Ideas

The best fundraising ideas for high schools

foot the manager
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (9)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $
  • Popularity: √√√√

Getting high school students involved in fundraisers can sometimes be challenging. Fortunately, pie, the main fundraiser, encourages the students to raise money and they get a good laugh in the process.

Students can donate money and if they reach the fundraising goal, one lucky student can get a pie in the face of the principal.

Keep your fundraiser running for a few weeks and give all students the opportunity to participate. At the end of the fundraiser, host a school-wide event that upsets the principal.

hula hooping contest
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (10)

  • Fundraising Potential: ++
  • Cost: $
  • Popularity: √√√

Another interesting fundraising idea for schools is a hula hoop contest. Ask families and the community to donate a small amount for every minute a student can hold their hula hoop.

This is a great way to encourage friendly competition among students and a great and inexpensive way to raise money!

shoe movement
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (11)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $
  • Popularity: √√√√

Hosting a shoe fundraiser is an inexpensive and unique school fundraiser idea that can be added to any other campaign or event. Students are welcome to bring their used and no longer needed shoes to support the school.

You can even get the whole community involved by setting up neighborhood shoe donation centers.

work with oneOrganization of shoe tours.who will come to collect the donated shoes and will give you a check for the number of kilos of shoes you have donated.

Talent contest
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (12)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $
  • Popularity: √√√

High school students express their individuality, making talent shows an ideal high school fundraiser idea! They allow students to pursue their interests and showcase their talents. Hosting a talent show is an easy way for your school to raise money while giving students an exciting and classic school experience.

The key to a successful talent show is to start applying early and give students plenty of time to sign up and practice their acting.

Make announcements and put up flyers in the aisles to create excitement. He charges a small fee for tickets to the show so family, friends and co-workers can attend.

treasure hunt
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (13)

  • Fundraising Potential: ++
  • Cost: $
  • Popularity: √√

High school fundraising ideas should be fun and engaging, and there's no better way to raise money than with a scavenger hunt. Additionally, students have the opportunity to work collaboratively with their peers and parents to win a great prize.

To start, you have to create your clues and hide your items around the school. Let students go on a scavenger hunt alone or with a group, and charge a small fee to participate.

Reward students who complete the scavenger hunt with a small prize!

(Video) Fundraiser ideas: How teens raised $200K at their fundraising event

corn popcorn collection
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (14)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $
  • Popularity: √√√√

Who doesn't love popcorn? Get your students involved in raising funds for your school by selling popcorn. Hosting a popcorn fundraiser is a great idea for a high school fundraiser because it gives students the opportunity to sell popcorn to their friends and family.

Find a popcorn vendor that offers a high profit margin and a variety of flavors to choose from. We recommend scheduling your fundraiser around the holidays or sports season to raise more money.

Get your students excited by turning their popcorn collection into a competition and offering prizes to the students who sell the most popcorn.

The best fundraising ideas for high schools

Best Seat at the Chamber Fundraiser
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (15)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $$
  • Popularity: √√√√

Best Place in House Fundraiser is a very effective high school fundraising idea. Essentially, the best seat in the house is a raffle where the winner gets two prime seats to a sporting event or theatrical performance. same as withTeam Fundraising Ideas, more tangible fundraising products like this produce better results.

Publicize your fundraiser and encourage people to purchase raffle tickets for $1 each.

Sweeten the pot by offering event-related merchandise and food and beverages to the winner. Because this fundraiser is so easy to plan, your school can host multiple fundraisers throughout the year to get the best seats in the house!

book a trip
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (16)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $
  • Popularity: √√√

There's no better way to raise money and encourage reading than by organizing a book drive. Encourage students and community members to donate gently used and old books to your school.

Open a store in your school library and sell books to students, parents, and teachers throughout the day.

Best of all, anything you don't sell can be added to your school's library collection.

Fundraiser to buy a brick
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (17)

  • Fundraising Potential: ++++
  • Cost: $$$
  • Popularity: √√√

If your school is thinking of renovating or expanding a building, why not organize an engraved brick fundraiser?

Partner with an engraved brick maker to sell bricks to students, graduates, and faculty. You can even request an additional charge to engrave the name of the donor or someone they wish to honor on the bricks.

Selling bricks is a symbolic way to represent your new structure, and your school can honor donors by building a walkway or wall out of the etched bricks.

karaoke night
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (18)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $$
  • Popularity: √√√

Who doesn't like a night with friends and karaoke? Find a local restaurant that does karaoke and work with them to host a karaoke night.

Let the local restaurant know that you are raising money for a good cause and ask if they would be willing to donate a percentage of the night's proceeds to your school.

(Video) Top School Fundraising Incentive Idea | Fundraising Events for Schools

Encourage all of your friends and family to participate to get the most out of your fundraiser.

mud run
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (19)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $$
  • Popularity: √√√√

A great idea for a high school fundraiser is a mud run. Students can participate in the race, which consists of various mud-covered obstacles, for a small fee.

Order custom t-shirtsto the mud race so everyone can show theirsschool spiritand go out in style. This is a great way to get your hands (and everything else) dirty while raising money for your school. Bring out the competitive nature of high school students and experience this race for yourself!

The best fundraising ideas for schools that don't sell

While fundraisers play an important role in raising funds for schools, selling items can be a daunting task. But don't stress! Instead, consider some of the following fundraising ideas that don't require you to sell anything.

simple requests
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (20)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $
  • Popularity: √

Looking for easy fundraising ideas for schools without sales? Try simple requests. Send letters to the families of your students and the surrounding community requesting donations for your specific project or event.

You may hesitate at first to simply beasking people for money. However, many parents and community members will not only be happy to contribute, but will also appreciate the simple approach.Try sending donation lettersor set up an online donation page.

local associations
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (21)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $
  • Popularity: √

One of the most effective fundraising ideas for non-sales schools is local associations. Collect donations from local businesses, ask them to sponsor events your school is planning, or sell advertising space at your sporting events.

It's also a great way to get involved in the surrounding community and bring everyone at your school together.

cleaning challenge
20 fundraising ideas for schools that work every year | bonfire (22)

  • Fundraising Potential: +++
  • Cost: $
  • Popularity: √√

Host a cleanup challenge where people can donate money for the amount of trash that students and teachers pick up. This is a great way to promote cleanliness throughout your neighborhood and keep your school campus spotless.

The more excited you and your school are about fundraising, the more likely people are to be interested in your campaign and want to donate. For this reason, we always recommend choosing a fundraising idea for the school that interests you and that you really want to promote. Fundraisers can and should be fun, so bring your community together and the rest will take care of itself.

Want to make sure all those great memories from your fundraiser get recorded right? Check out our photography tips below!

  • 6 Photography Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Fundraiser

Ready to start your school t-shirt fundraiser?

(Video) Best Nonprofit Fundraiser Ideas (Virtual OR In Person) for 2022

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FAQs

What is the most profitable school fundraiser? β€Ί

High-Profit Fundraisers for Schools
  • Volunteer-a-Thon. Cost: $ Effort: Fun: β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜† ...
  • Bake Sale. Cost: $ Effort: Fun: β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜† ...
  • Raffle. Cost: $ Effort: Fun: β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜† ...
  • Charity Auction. Cost: $$ Effort: Fun: β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜† ...
  • Themed Gala. Cost: $$$ Effort: Fun: β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜† ...
  • Donut Sale. Cost: $ Effort: Fun: β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†

How can schools make money? β€Ί

Colleges and universities can make money from a number of sources, including endowments, gifts, tuition and fees, athletics, and grants. Schools can also make money by charging fees for international enrollment.

What is a 30 pop fundraiser? β€Ί

30 POP! is our quick and easy 30 minute fundraiser! It's the perfect way to provide teams and clubs a simple fundraising option, and can be done with any size group from 2 to 200+! It all starts with our on site Ambassador of Awesomeness leading a team building activity to unite and inspire your group.

What types of funding do most schools receive? β€Ί

According to Education Week, public school funding comes from a variety of sources at the local, state and federal level. Approximately 48 percent of a school's budget comes from state resources, including income taxes, sales tax, and fees.

What is a successful fundraiser? β€Ί

Strong Fundraisers

Creating a detailed database of donors that includes their giving history and past involvement with the organization -- such as volunteering, event attendance and monthly gifts to the charity -- can be a good starting point for planning how to reach out to the donors on a regular basis.

How can I fundraise fast? β€Ί

10 Fast Fundraising Ideas to Boost Donations
  1. Fast fundraising is easy with these tips.
  2. Focus on the 'why' ...
  3. List your individual expenses. ...
  4. Reach out to your inner circle first. ...
  5. Add special dates within the fundraiser. ...
  6. Reach out to different types of donors. ...
  7. Get creative with how you share your fundraiser.

What is a great fundraiser? β€Ί

Great fundraisers are able to see possibilities, connect the dots, and bring together ideas, resources, and peopleβ€”both within the organization and outside the organization – to help fulfill the organization's mission.

What are most common donations? β€Ί

In 2021, the largest source of charitable giving came from individuals, who gave $326.87 billion, representing 67% of total giving. In 2021, the majority of charitable dollars went to religion (27%), education (14%), human services (13%), grantmaking foundations (13%) and public-society benefit (11%).

How can I fundraise with no money? β€Ί

Easy Proven Fundraising Ideas
  • T-Shirt Fundraisers. ...
  • Matching Gifts. ...
  • Online Product Fundraisers. ...
  • Volunteer Grants. ...
  • Walk-a-Thons. ...
  • Crowdfunding Campaign. ...
  • Virtual Classes. ...
  • Virtual Book Club.

What are the biggest donations? β€Ί

The Americans who gave the most to charity in 2021
RankDonor or donorsAmount in millions
1Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates$15,000 $15,000
2Michael Bloomberg$1,660 $1,660
3William Ackman and Neri Oxman$1,200 $1,200
4Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan$1,049 $1,049
6 more rows
Feb 8, 2022

Which source gives schools most of their money? β€Ί

State and local governments provide the vast majority of funding for K-12 education β€” 93 percent of all school funding.

Who makes the most money in a school? β€Ί

Below we have ranked the top-paying positions in education, starting with the highest salaried jobs.
  1. Superintendents. ...
  2. School Principals. ...
  3. Chief Academic Officers. ...
  4. Assistant Principal. ...
  5. Academic Deans or Post-secondary Education Administrators. ...
  6. High School Teachers. ...
  7. Elementary School Teachers. ...
  8. Middle School Teachers.

How do schools spend their money? β€Ί

Pupil Services: This money pays for support staff such as librarians, school nurses, and other professionals hired to accommodate student needs. Food: School lunches and breakfasts often provide much needed nutrition to food-insecure students.

How would you make your school better? β€Ί

By connecting with others, you can create a strong group to work on improving your school. Making physical improvements, increasing educational opportunities, and leading betterment campaigns are all methods for turning your school into a place that everyone can be proud of.

What makes up a great school? β€Ί

It takes a lot to make a school greatβ€”it comes with hard work and determination. School climate, a cohesive staff, community involvement, a strong leader, and a rigorous curriculum are the key factors that determine greatness.

What fundraiser made the most money? β€Ί

Scratch cards are known to be the most profitable fundraiser on the market. Some companies offer margins as high as 97%. The simple reason why they're so profitable is because there isn't any product for your supporters. For some organizations, they could be useful when friends and family donate.

What is the 80/20 rule in fundraising? β€Ί

Pareto's Law can be summarized as follows: 80% of the outputs results from 20% of the inputs. Now let's make this relevant to the fundraising world: 80% of the funding comes from 20% percent of our donors.

How can I fundraise 1000 dollars? β€Ί

The 17 Ways
  1. Hold a fundraising event.
  2. Send a fundraising letter to your donor file.
  3. Host a walk-a-thon, dance-a-thon, or other participatory fundraising event.
  4. Write some grants.
  5. Send a fundraising e-mail to your list.
  6. Approach your top supporters to ask for individual gifts.
  7. Start a viral fundraising campaign.

How can kids raise money? β€Ί

Other Great Fundraising Ideas
  • Sell Cookie Dough. Learn more about bake sales. ...
  • 50/50 Raffle. Learn more about raffle planning. ...
  • Trivia Night. Learn more about trivia nights. ...
  • Cook-Off Fundraiser. Learn more about hosting cook offs. ...
  • Recipe Book Sales. ...
  • Karaoke Night Fundraiser. ...
  • Teachers in Jail. ...
  • Shoe Drive Fundraiser.

What are the three sources of school funding in the US? β€Ί

U.S. schools receive funding from three major sources of public education revenue β€” federal, state, and local government funds. Of these, state revenues comprise the largest share and are also the most sensitive to the overall economic climate.

What are five types of funding you can acquire for higher education? β€Ί

Types of Funding Available for Students
  • Scholarships. Scholarships are financial sponsorships that are awarded to students who excel academically or in a sport. ...
  • Study loans. ...
  • Government and Private Company Bursaries. ...
  • Fellowships. ...
  • NSFAS. ...
  • ISFAP. ...
  • Feenix. ...
  • Fundi.
Mar 18, 2021

What state has the most school funding? β€Ί

Methodology
StateRank% Federal Funding for K-12
Alaska114.61%
Michigan28.37%
Hawaii38.27%
New Mexico413.38%
47 more rows
Nov 2, 2022

How can I raise money in 24 hours? β€Ί

Eight 24-hour fundraising ideas for your next campaign
  1. Town scavenger hunt. A town-wide scavenger hunt is a great way to get your community involved. ...
  2. Video game marathon. ...
  3. Local business showdown. ...
  4. Giving Tuesday campaigns. ...
  5. Crowdfunding. ...
  6. 6. Facebook charity auction. ...
  7. Gift matching campaign. ...
  8. Viral challenge.
Oct 1, 2019

What are the 5 types of donation? β€Ί

A Guide to Types of Donations to Nonprofits
  • One-Time Donation.
  • Recurring Gifts.
  • Stock Donations.
  • Planned Gifts.
  • In-Kind Donations.
Sep 27, 2022

What are the 3 types of donation? β€Ί

The four different types are: living donation, deceased donation, tissue donation and pediatric donation.
  • Living donation. ...
  • Deceased donation. ...
  • Tissue donation. ...
  • Pediatric donation. ...
  • The importance of all types of organ, eye and tissue donation.
Jul 28, 2021

What is the best type of donation? β€Ί

Whole Blood Donation

Whole blood is the most flexible type of donation. It can be transfused in its original form, or used to help multiple people when separated into its specific components of red cells, plasma and platelets.

What is a good fundraiser meal? β€Ί

Spaghetti or meat loaf, soup and salad come to mind. Spaghetti can also serve as a stand alone fundraiser, with your special sauce, salad and garlic bread. To be really successful, your dinner should offer something a bit unique (or considered difficult, time consuming, messy, or requiring special knowledge to make).

Who is the No 1 donate in the world? β€Ί

EdelGive Hurun Philanthropists of the Century 2021: List of 10 most generous people in the world
RankOriginal PhilanthropistEstimated Current Value of Donation
1.Jamsetji Tata102.4
2.Bill Gates & Melinda French Gates74.6
3.Henry Wellcome56.7
4.Howard Hughes38.6
6 more rows
Jun 25, 2021

What group donates most money? β€Ί

People with means, as you might expect, are substantial givers. Middle-class Americans donate a little less. But the lower-income population surprises by giving more than the middleβ€”and in some measures even more than the top. (As a percentage of available income, that is.

WHO donates a lot of money? β€Ί

A philanthropist is a person who donates time, money, experience, skills or talent to help create a better world.

What is the most profitable fundraiser? β€Ί

  1. A fitness challenge - marathon or walkathon. Fitness challenges and fundraising go hand in hand. ...
  2. Selling Cadbury chocolate. ...
  3. Sausage sizzle or BBQ fundraiser. ...
  4. A movie night or an outdoor movie event. ...
  5. A trivia night. ...
  6. Food fundraiser. ...
  7. Bake Sale. ...
  8. Selling raffle tickets.
Aug 25, 2022

What is the fastest way to raise money for a school trip? β€Ί

The quickest way to raise money for a school trip is to start a fundraiser.
...
How to Raise Money for a School Trip: 8 Quick & Easy Ideas
  1. Try crowdfunding. ...
  2. Get crafty. ...
  3. Go dog walking. ...
  4. Clean up your neighborhood and recycle. ...
  5. Be a reading buddy to a younger student. ...
  6. Host a book sale. ...
  7. Face-to-face fundraising. ...
  8. Backyard sale.
Oct 10, 2022

What fundraisers make a lot of money? β€Ί

Major fundraising events like 5K races, golf tournaments, and black-tie galas are extremely successful at generating revenue for nonprofits of all sizes and cause sectors. However, these fundraising events also require large budgets, time to plan, and significant volunteer support.

How do high schoolers fundraise? β€Ί

Be sure to include games for all ages so that younger siblings can join the fun. Create a Unique Peer-to-peer Event – Bike-a-thons, Walks and Fun Runs, read-a-thons, or service projects can all be great high school fundraising ideas.

What is the 80 20 rule in fundraising? β€Ί

Pareto's Law can be summarized as follows: 80% of the outputs results from 20% of the inputs. Now let's make this relevant to the fundraising world: 80% of the funding comes from 20% percent of our donors.

What types of fundraising events do you think are most successful? β€Ί

5 Types of Fundraising Events with the Highest Returns
  • Fun Runs. Fun runs and walks are not the same as walkathons or marathons that include high-profile races. ...
  • A-Thons. These include walkathons and marathons and other 'a-thons', which are now becoming increasingly popular with nonprofits. ...
  • Competitions. ...
  • Galas. ...
  • Concerts.

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