Fundraising Ideas for School
It’s no secret that public schools are underfunded, and there is a spending gap between wealthier districts and low-income areas. In fact, the wealthiest districts spend three times more per pupil than low-income district schools.
Spelling Bee High School Fundraising Ideas
There are many reasons why a spelling bee is a great fundraising idea for schools, including:
- Friendly competition among students
- Educating students
- Highly affordable to host the event
- Community involvement
You can combine a spelling bee fundraiser with a pledge campaign. Students can get family and friends to pledge funds accurately for every word they spell. You can print certificates online and request donations from local businesses for prizes for the winners.
Walk-a-thon
A walk-a-thon is an excellent event for students of all ages, and there are many ways to host one. Color runs have become highly popular over the years, and platforms such as MyFunRun are making it easier and easier to do. They offer all the digital materials, personal fundraising pages, and pre-registering participants.
Students are not the only ones who can participate. Family, friends, and community members can all participate in the walk-a-thon. You may even switch things up, do a zombie run, and see the community show up in their best outfits and spooky makeup. There are no limits to what you can do with this school fundraising idea – have fun with it.
Prom Dress Drive
The best way to host a prom dress drive is a couple of months before prom or homecoming season. Shopping for the perfect dress can be time-consuming, stressful, and expensive. Instead, reach out to the community through college fundraising ideas social media posts and send notes home with the students. Ask them if they have gently used dresses of all sizes to donate for the prom dress drive. You can also approach second-hand clothing stores and see if they can part with dresses!
Hand out pamphlets to local businesses and the community with information on the event, such as date, time, location, and whether it will be a cash or card-only event. Remember to have private facilities for students to try on the dresses and hanging racks for easy displays. To guarantee attendance, sell tickets to the event. This is also a great way to maximize profits and know how many volunteers you’ll need.
Cook-Off
What better way to get the students involved in the school fundraiser than a cook-off? Kids can pay a small fee to enter the competition, and attendees pay to be taste testers. In addition, tasters will make donations for the foods they love the most, and the winner will be crowned by the amount of money they raise.
Students can make simple but tasty meals such as chili, mini burgers, tacos, and baked goods for those with sweet teeth. These meals are easy to make and won’t need much kitchen space. These high school fundraising ideas don’t have to be the “typical” event. Spice things up with live music, host fundraising raffles, and sell drinks to get the most out of the event.
Lip Sync Showdown
Consider lip sync showdown if you’re looking for a unique high school fundraising idea. The kids have a lot of fun choosing a song, practicing, preparing dance moves, and performing their favorite songs. Friends, family, and the community will be privileged to see the lip-sync showdown by paying an entrance fee. The winner can be determined by how loud the applause is.
School Carnival
School carnivals require all hands to be on deck as they are involved in events. There are games to create and run, lots of fair food to make, and entertainment to plan. Carnival games and booths to consider are:
- Cornhole
- Mini Golf
- Ring toss
- Picture booth
- Tattoo booth
- Face painting
A school carnival fundraiser will require student committees, parents, guardians, and volunteers to participate in planning the event. First, browse company websites such as Rode Island Novelty to find bulk carnival prizes that everyone will love at a low cost. Then, maximize profits by charging admission tickets and charges per activity. These are very popular Fundraising Ideas for School.
Pajama Day
Pajama Day is a simple and effective way to raise money for school fundraiser ideas. The costs are low because there is not much to organize. Have each student pay a small fee to come to school in their pajamas. This fee can be as low as $1 or $2.
Add more fun to the day by letting the students watch a movie during lunch in the cafeteria and having a prize for the class that participates the most.
Principal Challenge
Involving the principal is a fantastic and fun way to raise money for your school. Principals are typically known to have serious and authoritative reputations. While fundraising for your school, this exciting fundraiser will influence pupils’ perspectives and foster a sense of camaraderie.
Ideas for prizes include:
- Sliming the principal
- Principal kissing a pig
- The principal gets pied in the face
- Principal colors their hair in their school’s colors
Schools set fundraising goals that students must attempt to meet. The fundraising target must be realistic for the students to see the results.
A class wins the prize when they reach a certain amount. The school gets to watch the hilarious act of the principal facing their demise if they reach the specified target.
Prospect Research
Performing prospect research, you will better understand who in your school can donate and will most likely donate regularly. In addition, through research, you can find the parents or guardians who participate in philanthropic work and may see what you are doing in your school that is worth donating to.
Specific wealth indicators will help you determine who to approach:
- Profession
- Foundation affiliations
- Real-estate and assets
Prospect research is most effective in affluent communities and allows you to change your marketing tactics to target the right people.
Field Day
Field days are ideal for the spring semester, when the weather is warmer and kids want to enjoy themselves outdoors. They are perfect for younger elementary school children.
This fundraising opportunity can have several activities for the students and their families to enjoy.
- Tug-of-war
- Water games
- Dodgeball
- Bounce house
- Obstacle courses
- Potato sack race
To make money, charge for both general entrance and individual game participation. Concession stands and a donation booth can be set up for additional fundraising opportunities.