Raising money for your school? We’ve put together more than 50 effective school fundraising ideas with high profit to help you reach your fundraising goals this school year.

Did you know that ABC Fundraising® now provides fundraising web stores so you can run your school fundraiser completely online?

Of course, you can also use our FREE order-taker brochures to run your fundraiser offline as well!

After all, a strategically planned fundraiser gets students, parents, and staff excited to help make a positive impact on your school or community.

Here at ABC Fundraising®, we know that recycling ideas can get monotonous. You’ll be sure to hit your goals when you host campaigns that involve everyone and get them excited to participate. This guide outlines ideas for unique fundraisers for your team to consider this year.

We also included a few essential tips to set your school up for success.

Specifically, we’ll cover:

• Elementary School Fundraising Ideas
• Middle School Fundraising Ideas
• High School Fundraising Ideas
• College and University Fundraising Ideas

Be sure to read until the end where you’ll discover:

• Tips for Successful School Fundraising Ideas

This list of fundraising ideas will take your school spirit and fundraising to a whole new level. With these creative ideas and best practices, you’ll be running a successful school fundraiser to help fund your endeavors.

We’ve compiled a list of effective and well-loved fundraisers for your school. Let’s jump in, and start your planning process.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FUNRAISING IDEAS

Elementary school fundraisers are a great opportunity to teach young children the value of giving back to their community.

The following fundraising ideas represent easy ways to involve kids and earn more for your school at the same time.

Pick from various products below for an effective and fun school fundraiser. Decide which will resonate with your school and quickly reach your selling goals.

Cookie Dough Fundraiser (With A Custom Web Store)

A Cookie Dough Fundraiser is a popular and delicious idea among families at schools. Everyone loves a good cookie! With ABC Fundraising’s cookie dough provider, Crazy About Cookies, you’ll be able to offer a wide array of flavors to your buyers. These include:

• Chunky chocolate chip
• Sugar
• Triple Chocolate
• Snickerdoodle
• And more!

Be sure to have volunteers sell to their friends and family and track their orders on a form to determine how much dough to order. Or, you can even get an ONLINE WEB STORE to sell your cookie dough completely online.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A LIVE COOKIE DOUGH WEB STORE

 

Discount Card Fundraiser

Connect with other local entities to plan a community discount card fundraiser. This handy card will provide buyers with cost savings and discounts on goods and services in your local area. It’s recommended that your school establishes discounts with about 20 local merchants.

In return, your card provides them with free advertising. Once you’ve made your cards, have students and parents sell them in your area.

 

Popcorn Fundraiser

A gourmet popcorn sale is an easy way to raise money for your school. It’s as simple as collecting orders and turning them in after your fundraising period.

ABC Fundraising offers a variety of flavors including cheddar cheese, caramel, and more.

With this popcorn fundraiser, your school benefits from only paying the wholesale price of the popcorn and keeping the rest of the money you raised. After they’re delivered for free, distribute them to everyone who ordered.

 

Flower Bulb Fundraiser

The flower bulb fundraiser is popular during warmer seasons when donors are planning their gardens. This is a wonderful product for bringing your school’s community together; they’ll be talking about how their bulbs are doing for the rest of the year!

All you have to do is collect orders and send them off for your bulbs. Encourage your growers to send in photos so that you can post them on your school’s social media.

 

Pretzel Fundraiser

Everyone knows about the famous soft baked pretzels from Auntie Anne’s, along with Cinnabon’s gooey pastries. That’s why ABC Fundraising has partnered with both providers to bring your school the most coveted mall treats.

For both efforts, all you need to do is collect money for each item and place your order for wholesale price. Then, get to snacking!

Snack Fundraiser

A snack concession stand will do well at your school’s sports games or after-school programs. You’re able to purchase snacks in bulk and sell them for a profit. Consider investing in these popular treats:

• Chips
• Candy
• Fruit
• Nuts

You’ll raise money in no time; kids are always hungry for a yummy snack!

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL FUNDRAISING IDEAS

These middle school fundraising ideas will be great for students to get involved and support their school. 

Middle school students have a better understanding of how fundraising works and why it’s important. Consequently, you can involve them more in your school fundraising.

Does your middle school need a Quick and EASY fundraiser? Check out our favorite fundraisers for middle schools below.

Scratch Card Fundraiser

The Scratch & Help® scratch card fundraiser is an effective, interactive way to raise funds. In essence, a scratch card is a fun donation game your students and staff can play with friends and family. Here’s how it works:

1. Your volunteers will ask individuals to play.
2. Donors scratch off two or more circles to reveal a donation amount under each. Circles run from 50 cents to $3.
3. The player contributes the amount shown.

This creative fundraiser is popular because it brings in high profits and has a very low initial cost! Plus, it’s a fun experience for everyone involved.

Lemonade Stand Fundraiser

A lemonade stand is a classic way to fundraise for your school. Plus, it’s an easy fundraiser to add to an existing event. Have students create signs and set up a table for them to sell lemonade at the event. To increase profit, encourage parents to donate supplies, such as cups, napkins, and the lemonade itself.

Fundraising Spinners

Fundraising spinners are another effective and exciting fundraising game. To raise money, your students will contact a number of donors, and have them spin a wheel to determine the amount. This is a simple way to take out the awkwardness of donors not knowing how much to contribute.

Battle of the Bands

This is best for middle and high schoolers. Host a battle of the bands show to help student musicians get the spotlight to showcase their skills. Your school auditorium is the perfect venue to help them share their passion for music and play with others in a healthy competition.

Be sure to charge a small fee to play in the show, as well as sell tickets to the event. Have judges or the audience vote on their favorite, and crown a winner at the end of the night.

Shoe Drive Fundraiser

Elementary school students grow quickly, so a shoe drive fundraiser is a great option for this age group. When you work with a shoe drive fundraising organization, shoe drives are easy. All you have to do is ask parents to donate their children’s new or gently used shoes and send them to the shoe drive organizer. Then, they will send you a check for your school.

Cake Walk

Cake walks offer a fun activity, delicious treats, and high fundraising potential. Start by collecting baked goods for your cake walk by asking parents to contribute and calling upon local businesses to donate prizes. Prior to the event, set up numbered markers in a circle on the ground. After changing participants a small entry fee, play music and have participants walk around the circle. Then, you’ll stop the music and call out a number. Whoever’s standing on that number wins a prize! 

School Dance Fundraiser

For middle schoolers, a dance is an opportunity to dress up, spend time with friends, and have a night to remember. Host a late-night hangout in your school’s rec room. For admission, charge a few dollars per ticket to make a profit and secure a DJ for the night. Be sure to pick a creative theme to encourage everyone to have a great time!

Auction Night Fundraiser

Schools are the perfect match for auction fundraisers because they bring your community together in an exciting event. To plan an auction, ask around your parents and community to see if anyone has something to offer for your auction. Consider items and experiences such as:

• Season tickets
• A vacation home for a weekend
• Gift cards to local places

With these prizes, you’ll be able to attract a large audience of excited bidders and earn a ton of revenue for your school.

Teen Night Fundraiser

For middle or high schoolers, a dance is an opportunity to dress up, spend time with friends, and have a night to remember. Host a late-night hangout in your school’s rec room. For admission, charge a few dollars per ticket to make a profit and secure a DJ for the night. Be sure to pick a creative theme to encourage everyone to have a great time!

Teen Art Exhibit

Students have a ton of talent when it comes to creating art. Ask your art department for student artists who would be willing to donate their time and talents to support their school. They’ll produce incredible pieces, and you’ll be able to attract community supporters who will buy beautiful artwork that goes to a good cause.

Recipe Book Sale

Many PTA members have a dish they whip up for every event. Why not compile a collection of well-loved recipes in your school’s community? You might even ask the cafeteria staff about how to make some of the students’ favorites!

Sell the cookbook at school lunches, on your website, or in certain areas of your community to maximize fundraising efforts.

School Picnic

For a fun and easy back-to-school fundraiser, host a school picnic. This type of fundraiser allows students and their families to catch up with friends and teachers in a relaxing outdoor setting. Sell tickets to the event, and host it on your school’s lawn or at a local park. Work with local vendors to donate food and drinks for families to enjoy. To earn even more from the picnic, include a raffle in the event’s festivities.

 

Spelling Bee

Spelling bees present an opportunity for students to work on their spelling skills and for schools to earn more funds. Charge students an entry fee, or sell tickets for families to come watch. Then, put students’ spelling skills to the test.

Jelly Bean Count Fundraiser

Imagine a fundraiser where all your school has to do is pour some jelly beans into a jar. Enter the jellybean fundraiser! Students can pay a small fee to guess how many jelly beans are in the jar. Once all guesses have been collected, select and announce the winner—whoever’s guess was the closest to the true amount. This winner will receive the entire jar of jelly beans!

Trivia Fundraiser

Trivia night fundraisers are an educational way to bring your school community together. Better yet, this is perfect for schools in a hybrid or virtual setting, too.

This trivia game could be general knowledge and hosted by grade level. All you need to do is pick a trivia platform and come up with a list of questions and categories. Announce the event well in advance to attract attendees, and raise money by charging a small participation fee.

Pizza Card Fundraiser

Pizza is an easy weeknight dinner for families to enjoy. Provide school families with a delicious meal and earn money for your school at the same time with a pizza card fundraiser.

ABC Fundraising has partnered with Papa John’s to create pizza cards that are valid for a 25% discount. Your school can sell these cards for $10 each and earn up to 80% profit. Families can then redeem the card at their local Papa John’s and enjoy a delicious pizza dinner.

 

Field Day

When the weather warms up, students want to be outside in the fresh air with their friends. Field days are awesome for elementary and middle schoolers. Consider charging a small admission fee for kids to play games all day long! Some activities can include:

• Dodgeball
• Bounce houses
• Water games
• Tug-of-war
• Carnival game booths.

HIGH SCHOOL FUNDRAISING IDEAS

When fundraising with high school students, you can think outside the box a bit more and pull off unique fundraising ideas with high earning potential.

Some of our favorites High School Fundraisers are listed below!

These High School Fundraising Ideas were hand picked and can to help your high school team raise thousands of dollars this school year!

Discount Card Fundraiser

One of the best fundraising ideas for High School Students is a Discount Card Fundraiser.

A discount card can be used over and over at all the locations provided on the card for an entire year. Typical discounts like “Buy One – Get One Free” or “10% off your order” can be found on the ABC Fundraising® Discount Card.

Add your High School Logo for free and get up to 20 great discounts that your supporters will love. Discount cards are customized for your local area so community can benefit when they help your group out by purchasing a discount card!

You can earn up to 93% profit with a school discount card fundraiser!

Read-a-thon

Simple to plan, cheap to organize, and easy to participate in, read-a-thons are an effortless online school fundraising program that work exceptionally well for young students who are actively developing their reading skills.

With the right read-a-thon platform, you can sign up for free, set up your fundraiser, and launch a multichannel marketing campaign in one sitting. Students will simply read (just like they’re already doing in class!), log their hours, and share their online donation pages to collect support from loved ones who are excited to see them read, learn, and grow.

Text-to-Donate

A text-to-donate campaign is perfect for middle and high schoolers who are typically frequent phone users. It’s a low-effort way to get your students to contribute with a simple text. Just pick a keyword they can send to a dedicated mobile giving number, and you’ll be raising funds in no time.

Custom Travel Mug Fundraiser

This is a great fundraising idea for high school teams who have a logo that they want to showcase on their Travel Mugs. In areas that have a lot of school spirit, these mugs are a great seller!

All you have to do is pick from one of five mug styles and design it with your logo. Then, collect orders and distribute them after they arrive.

Online Giving Challenge

These days, your students and staff are online for school and most meetings. Create a simple donation form that can be easily filled out and submitted on your site. Be sure to provide suggested donation amounts so everyone has an idea of what to contribute to your cause.

Color Run

Spice up your typical fundraising run by making it colorful! For this high school fundraiser, students and teachers are charged an entry fee to participate and will wear white t-shirts. Then, as they run the race, volunteers will throw colored powder on them, turning their white clothing into a rainbow! 

Toy Boat Race

This race is a creative, interactive, and exciting fundraising experience. First, form teams of students and supply them with materials to make boats. Make a competition out of which design can cross a body of water the fastest or hold the most weight.

Karaoke Contest

Encourage students to show off their musical talent with a karaoke contest. Charge students a fee for participation, and have them gather in the auditorium. Students may compete in teams or as individuals. You can also sell tickets for friends, family, and fellow students to show their support.

Yard Sale

Yard sales are a popular way for individuals or families to make some extra money, but have you ever thought about hosting one for your school? Ask students and staff to donate items they no longer need, and sell them to raise money. Make sure to promote the event on your school’s website, social media, and newsletter to attract attention.

Movie Night

One of the easiest fundraisers your school can host is a movie night. Have students vote on which movie they’d like to watch. Then, charge students a small fee to join the viewing party! Show the movie in your school auditorium, and sell popcorn and candy to raise even more for your school.

Reserved Parking Spot Fundraiser

For high school students, a good parking spot is the ultimate prize. Sell or auction off reserved parking spots so students can secure their spaces while giving back to your school. You can even provide paint supplies and charge an additional fee for students to decorate the spaces they’ve won.

Dance-a-thon

You’ve heard of a walk-a-thon, but what about a dance-a-thon? During a dance-a-thon, students collect pledges from friends and family based on the number of hours they plan to stay on the dance floor. Then, they dance the night away! For additional funds, sell snacks at the event to keep your dancers’ energy up.

Restaurant Proceeds Night

Partner with a local restaurant to host a proceeds night. During a proceeds night, restaurants will donate a percentage of a day’s earnings to your school. In return, they receive additional business, so make sure to adequately promote your event in order to make it a success!

Bake Sale

A bake sale is a traditional, no-brainer fundraiser, but it works even better with high school students who can bake their own treats instead of relying on parent donations.

Encourage students to bake their favorite cookie, cupcake, or other delicious recipe and bring it to school in time for the bake sale. Then, you can have students sell the treats during lunch.

 

Fashion Show

Students will love the opportunity to strut down the catwalk in an effort to give back to their school! Ask local shops to sponsor your event and provide clothes for students to model. Then, sell tickets for members of your school community to watch the show. This fundraiser is a win-win-win: Your school earns money, local businesses get a promotion opportunity, and your students have fun!

Dunk Tank Fundraiser

Make your next fundraising event more exciting with a dunk tank! Have teachers volunteer to get dunked, and charge students a fee for each dunk tank throw. Students will have a blast seeing their favorite teachers get dunked! To generate even more excitement around the event, release a dunk tank schedule ahead of time so students can show up when it’s their favorite teacher’s turn.

Parent’s Day

Be sure to include the parents, too! A parents’ day is a fun event that brings your community’s parents together to support your school. All you have to do is offer childcare at your school after-hours, and give parents the option to join a parent-only dinner, or take the night themselves. Busy parents are willing to donate for a night out alone!

College and University Fundraising Ideas

To get college students involved in your fundraising, offer easy, innovative fundraising ideas that won’t cut into their busy schedules.

Our list of easy college fundraising ideas are sure to be a hit on your college campus!

 

Entertainment Card Fundraiser

The Entertainment® Card Fundraiser is a digital savings card that will work for donors across North America in getting them incredible discounts.

For example, if Grandma wanted the coupon book for Tampa, FL and your group was selling a local coupon book for New York, you’d lose out on that sale. Not anymore!

This is the perfect fundraising idea for schools and Alumni groups that have members spread out throughout the country because you can sell the memberships to anyone.

Date Night Fundraiser

Aside from after-school care, parents of younger students want time to go out to dinner together or spend a day child-free on the weekend. Choose an afternoon or night where teachers volunteer to supervise students to let the parents have time for themselves. Consider charging a flat fee or per hour to raise funding for your school.

Gourmet Coffee Fundraiser

Is there anything college students love more than coffee? With a gourmet coffee fundraiser, students can give back to your school while enjoying a variety of different coffee flavors, including French vanilla and hazelnut creme.

With ABC Fundraising, your college or university can sell ground coffee bags and coffee machine capsules to cater to all coffee lovers. As a result, your school can earn up to 71% profit. 

 

Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are fairly simple to organize and are an exciting event for students of all ages. This is perfect for the first few weeks of class to help new students learn about your campus and make new friends.

Car Wash Fundraiser

A great way for student groups or your school to raise money is through a car wash fundraiser. Promote the fundraiser to your school and the greater community. Then, on the day of the event, provide soap and water for students to wash donors’ cars. Donors will love getting a car wash that is likely cheaper than their normal car shop’s price and that also contributes to a great cause.

Students can pay a registration fee per team and spend a few hours on their adventure around campus. Award a prize to the first team to find every item on the list or the team with the most clues found at the end of your event.

Dorm Decorating Contest

One of the most exciting parts about becoming a college student is decorating your dorm! Turn dorm decorating into a fundraiser with a contest. Students can pay a small fee and submit a picture of their room to enter. Reward the winner with a fun prize!

Cook-Off

Put those dorm kitchens to use with a cook-off! Whether you choose chili, cookies, or another type of food, have students enter to participate in the cook-off challenge. Then, you can raise even more funds by having other students donate for the chance to judge the entries.

Candle Fundraiser

Many college students like to destress by lighting candles. ABC Fundraising offers candle fundraisers so that you can provide your students with delicious-smelling candles and fundraise effectively at the same time.

From cinnamon apple to sparkling lemonade, there are so many scents for students to choose from. Plus, this fundraiser has the potential to earn your school up to 70% profit.

Stress Relief Event

Exam season is a hectic, stressful time on campus. Soothe students’ worries with a stress relief event. Reach out to local businesses to sponsor the event with massages, therapy dogs, and snacks. Charge students a small fee for entry to make the event profitable.

Care Package Fundraiser

Parents love sending their college students care packages when they’re away from home, so why not turn it into a fundraiser? Create care packages with snacks and other goodies. You can even reach out to local businesses to see if they’ll donate items for the packages. Then, send order forms to parents so they can surprise their students and give back to your school. 

Step Challenge

Encourage your students to stay active with a step challenge. Set a goal for your students, such as 10,000 steps a day, and have them secure pledges from friends and family for every day that they complete this goal. That way, you can promote a healthy lifestyle and raise money for your school.

Gift Card Fundraiser

Around the holiday season, students and their families are scrambling to buy gifts for their loved ones. With a gift card fundraiser, you can encourage your supporters to purchase gift cards in an effort to support your school.

When you work with a gift card fundraiser platform, gift card fundraisers are easy. They’ll set up the fundraiser so that donors can buy gift cards, and a portion of the sale goes back to your school. All you’ll have to do is promote the fundraiser and provide instructions on how to participate.

Pajama Day

Pajama days were always the best days in school. Additionally, it’s the simplest for your planning team, too! There are no startup costs, and it’s super quick and easy to organize.

All you have to do is charge students $1 or $2 to wear pajamas to school for a full day. Make it an event by serving breakfast for lunch in the cafeteria, or hosting a movie day in class. Consider offering a prize to the class with the highest participation rate to boost engagement.

Principal Challenge

Younger students might see their principal as scary or strict, or they might view them as a superhero. Either way, this excellent fundraiser will help kids see the fun side of their principal and boost school spirit.

Collect donations from students to show your principal doing something silly like perform a dance or participate in a dunk tank. However, they’ll only complete the task after a lofty fundraising goal has been met!

Cupcake Decorating Fundraiser

Who doesn’t love decorating cupcakes? Encourage parents to bake cupcakes or contribute cupcake toppings, such as icing, sprinkles, and chocolate chips. Then, charge students a small fee to decorate their own cupcakes. While you can host this fundraiser in the classroom, it also works as a great add-on to existing fundraising events.

School Sleepover

Middle schoolers will love the opportunity to have a giant sleepover with all of their friends and teachers. Find a large space, like the gym or the library, where you can host students for the night. Plan activities for the event to keep students occupied, and charge an entry fee to raise money for your school.

Tips for Successful School Fundraising Ideas

Put these essential best practices to use to maximize fundraising efforts for your school.

Gather parent input when selecting school fundraising ideas.

Consider forming an event committee of parents to help your school organize fundraisers throughout the year. This way, you’re able to have your finger on the pulse of what families will find effective and interesting when it comes to fundraisers.

To survey the parent committee, be sure to run multiple ideas by them, and implement a plan to receive feedback from attendees after the events. Having the opinions of your parents is crucial for any school fundraising event and will help the experience be more pleasant and profitable.

However, be specific when presenting to parents. You should narrow your potential school fundraising ideas down to two or three that you have researched and anticipate being a good fit for your school.

Plus, you’ll want to make sure to let the parents know why you are doing the school fundraiser. What do you need to raise money for? Your reasoning can look like this:

• Saving the parents money on a field trip
• Offsetting budget cuts
• Safer, newer equipment for students

Remember, your school fundraiser will be far more successful if you have the parents behind it, so ask for their input beforehand.

Get students excited about your school fundraising ideas.

Your students can be a great sales force for your school fundraiser. Students of any age can utilize their strengths so that they have more supporters donating more money.

Consider hosting a rally to get your students fired up about your school fundraiser. Make it fun and announce your event ideas to amp them up. Then, be sure to get their input on ways to make the school fundraiser even more exciting.

For example, if you are doing a discount card fundraiser, invite the students to share ideas for places they think they could sell a lot of discount cards. It’s also a great idea to create competition between different classrooms, grade levels, or individual fundraisers. Offering a small prize to the class or team that sells the most is always exciting for the students.

Choose easy-to-manage school fundraising ideas.

Although event fundraisers can be a lot of fun and raise funds, certain ideas can be a lot of work and require a lot of your involvement. This is especially true for elementary and middle school students. Be sure to consider their capabilities throughout. For example, an easy fundraiser for children could be a product sale done with their parents. A more challenging event can look like a gala for the older students and parents.

Track your progress with an online fundraising thermometer.

Fundraising thermometers are fantastic tools to help track the progress of nonprofit fundraising. They can help you by:

• Keeping track of your goals.
• Showing progress to donors.
• Encouraging donors to give.

ABC Fundraising offers a free fundraising thermometer that is programmed with the end goal and records the current funds that are raised. Your tool should include a catchy design and a clear fundraising goal, and display how much further your school has left to the goal.

Work with an established school fundraising company.

Here at ABC Fundraising®, we’ve worked with schools like yours to reach their goals and host exciting events. Since 1993, we’ve helped nonprofits raise over $50 million for their missions. Whether you’re looking for elementary school fundraisers, college group fundraisers, sports fundraisers, and everything in between, we can help your group raise money fast! We’re constantly developing new and unique fundraising products that can help our clients maximize their profits.

Market your fundraiser with direct mail. 

Product-based fundraisers pair nicely with direct mail marketing. Reach out to supporters you can’t reach on foot with letters that explain your fundraiser and how each purchase helps. Then, include an order form, so supporters can contribute from the comfort of their homes. 

Consider partnering with a direct mail service provider to get the best results. For example, direct mail service providers like GivingMail have decades of experience helping organizations like yours fundraise through direct mail. With their expertise, they’ll be able to answer any of your marketing questions, while also handling all of the administrative responsibilities of a direct mail campaign. 

With the right ideas and tools, your school can host the most exciting and creative fundraisers possible. Make sure you’re picking the right plan for your students and parents and you’ll be good to go. Whichever you choose, be sure to advertise your fundraising efforts effectively to get everyone involved with your mission!

Further Reading

With the right ideas and tools, your school can host the most exciting and creative fundraisers possible. Make sure you’re picking the right plan for your students and parents, and you’ll be good to go. Whichever you choose, advertise your fundraising efforts effectively to get everyone involved with your mission!

If you want to learn more about how you can raise money for your school, check out the resources below!

65+ Fundraising Ideas –Still not finding just the right idea for your fundraiser? Look no further than our guide of more than 100 ideas for your next event! No matter the mission, you’ll surely be able to find just the one for your school.

Top 10 Prom Fundraising Ideas. Hosting a prom can be extremely expensive for schools. Think of the cost of the DJ, food, venue, and more. Raise a good chunk of money beforehand to provide the most memorable and affordable night yet for your students!

Top 10 Band Fundraising Ideas. Chances are, your band will require funds to travel to a competition or show or purchase uniforms and equipment. Be sure your group is well-funded with these ideas.

Fundraising Ideas For Kids – High School Kids need different types of fundraising ideas than Elementary School or Middle Schoolers. Check out the unique fundraising ideas for kids of all ages we’ve put together.