5 Tips for Planning the Perfect School Fundraiser
Fundraising Ideas for Schools
Whether you are a school looking to raise money or on a fundraising journey for a school you love, you’ll need to know the best fundraising ideas for schools to maximize your funding. Hosting a fundraiser for schools is an excellent way for staff, parents, students, and teachers to come together for the good of the community and its school.
However, getting people excited about a fundraising event can be challenging when you have the same ideas each year. Since the pandemic swept through in 2020, fundraisers have had to think outside the box for unique ways to make money with exciting virtual fundraising ideas. This shift from in-person to virtual became a huge success, but you need the best fundraising ideas for schools to get the job done.
Explore the many profitable school fundraising ideas and why you need them!
1. 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
2. Walk-a-thon
A walk-a-thon is a great event for students of all ages, and there are many ways to host one. Color runs have become highly popular school fundraisers over the years, and platforms such as My Fun Run 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.
3. 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 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.