Supercharge Your School: The Ultimate Guide to Student Council Fundraising Ideas

In an ideal world, schools would have limitless funds. However, that is often not the case. Fundraising is essential to support the next generation. From candy grams to shoe drives, school dances to field days, this guide presents a comprehensive collection of fundraising ideas designed to boost school spirit and financial resources.

Our Favorite Fundraising Ideas for Schools

There's no such thing as a bad idea, but there are certainly some that are just a bit better. To kick things off, check out our favorite fundraisers for schools, with fundraising ideas that are sure to teach everyone a lesson. (But in a good way!)

Read-a-thon

Encouraging kids to read and raising money for a good cause? It's all here in one brilliant school peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Friends and family sponsor aspiring bookworms by pledging a certain amount of money per minute of reading or per page read. Then, students turn off the television and read as much as possible to meet their fundraising goal!

Farmers' Market

A lot of us grow our own vegetables, fruits, herbs, or flowers-and we often find ourselves with A LOT of zucchini on our hands. Instead of the usual bake sale, have students and their families sell their extra produce at a farmers' market in the school gym. And hey, if you want to include a mini-bake sale in the mix to bring in some additional donations, we won't judge. After all, kale and cookies totally cancel each other out.

Stone Soup

We've all read the folk story, and it is more than a lesson: it's a great fundraising idea! Get some very large pots, and some very flavorful stones, and have everyone bring one ingredient that they enjoy. Simmer, stir, and then sell bowls of stone soup. And here's a bonus tip: consider making different stone soups to accommodate various dietary restrictions.

Other Soup-er Soups

While we're on the soup train (mmm … soup train), why not max out your fundraiser-or hold a follow-up event-by asking families to make a pot of their culture's favorite soup? From matzo ball and miso to minestrone and mulligatawny, you'll try some new flavors and learn about different cultures. Consider asking local business owners to donate soups, too! They can hand out 10%-off discount cards to entice people back to their restaurants.

Easy Fundraisers for Schools

Anyone with kids knows how it feels to be short on time and energy, and that means that the best fundraising ideas are the easy-breezy ones. If you want fundraising that's as easy as ABC, check out these easy fundraising ideas for schools.

Cute Letters

First on our list of easy school fundraising ideas, ye olde letter-writing campaign. This works best for kids who are still finessing those writing skills because their letters are super adorable. Have all the kids write directly to friends and family members, explaining why they're raising money in their own words. Hand-deliver the notes to make this a low-cost, high-return fundraiser.

Dine Out to Donate

For this super-easy school fundraiser (and a classic in the world of nonprofit fundraising events), you just need a local restaurant or shop to donate a percentage of their profits for the day to your school. Since you'll be working with local businesses, you want to help them out, too. By choosing a slow day and advertising the event at school and across social media, you'll bring them more customers, making up for the amount they're donating back.

Sell Yummy Things

It's not the most creative, but it is one of those classic, easy school fundraisers. Plenty of places, from Krispy Kreme to Auntie Anne's Pretzels, let you buy their goods at a discount and sell them at a profit. Students of all ages can go door-to-door (with a parent for the little ones!) or set up shop in a popular area. Then, just wait for the hungry hordes.

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Fun Fundraising Ideas for Schools

At Funraise, we believe fundraisers should be (wait for it) fun. So naturally, we've got lots of ideas for fun fundraisers for schools. Whew, can you say that three times fast? When you just want to let loose and raise funds in a fun way, these fun school fundraising ideas will get the job done.

Photo-licious Fundraiser

Kids really, really love taking photos, don't they? Loan them your iPhones (get a warranty first), buy a bunch of polaroid cameras, or rent equipment. Then, let the kids snap pics to their hearts' content. Here's the fun school fundraiser idea: get a volunteer to help kids hone their photography skills and charge a small fee to participate, do some crowdfunding by posting them on social media, and/or select the best photos for a calendar for parents.

Iron Chef Bake Sale

Everyone loves a theme, so make your typical bake sale a bit more exciting by choosing a secret ingredient to feature in all the baked goods. Chocolate or citrus is easy, but people just might shell out the big bucks to see who can successfully make a kale cake.

Board Game Night

When we think of fun activities, board games always top our fun-tastic list. So, next up in fun school fundraiser ideas, how about a board game night? Invite students and their families to dress up in their finest athleisure or PJs and engage in a night of friendly competition. Charge a small entry fee and sell popcorn and hot chocolate for extra fundraising oomph. You can even sell raffle tickets and raffle off a few game-themed prizes-old Atari games, anyone?

Preschool Fundraising Ideas

Fundraising in schools starts young these days! For the littlest students, there are plenty of ways to raise funds and make some memories. Start with these totally tantrum-free preschool fundraiser ideas.

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Parent-Kid Talent Show

Yes, preschoolers are likely to be less “talented” than older kids, but also any talents they do have will be very adorable. That's why we like the idea of a caretaker-kid talent show that gets everyone involved in fundraising. Charge admission to raise those funds, and sell candy bars or cocoa for a bit of extra money. Parents, guardians, or caretakers can support the kids in their big stage debut or vice versa. Calling all amateur magicians: a four-year-old assistant sounds very entertaining to us!

Parents' Night Out

For a small donation, teachers and staff play babysitter for the evening. This is a great fundraiser because everyone wins-the school gets some much-needed funds, the kids get to socialize, and the parents get to Netflix and chill (nope, we're not explaining that to the kiddos).

Toy Makeover Day

Bring in your furless Furbies and Barbies streaked with permanent marker: it's time for a makeover. Get the art teacher to help, gather parent-volunteers, or hire a professional makeup artist, then give those tired toys a brand-new life with a brand-new look. And here's a classic fundraising strategy: Post the results on social media and ask community members to vote on the best makeover-for a donation, but of course. The toy with the most votes gets a spa day.

Elementary School Fundraisers Ideas

We all know that time makes you bolder and children get older. Once kids are in elementary school, fundraising is a great opportunity to contribute to their community and learn about giving back. Below, a elementary schools fundraiser ideas.

Pajama Day and Pancake Breakfast

Who needs pants anyway? A pajama day is a classic fundraiser for elementary school students: everyone wears their best pajamas to school, and you provide the pancakes, toppings, juice, and coffee (for the bleary-eyed parents, of course). Sell tickets to this fun event to enjoy the brunch-tastic morning. After the parents depart, schedule an early recess followed by a special nap time to sleep off the inevitable sugar crash.

Maple Syrup Fundraiser

Want to make that pancake breakfast a little more refined and up your fundraising efforts? If you live in New England, you can tap trees and teach elementary school students to make maple syrup. Sure, a gallon of sap makes a teaspoon of syrup, so you'll have to charge $100 an ounce, but … can you really put a price on learning how to make maple syrup? We didn't think so.

No-Bake Sale

Kids in elementary school are just learning to cook, so no-bake sales are a great way to teach them the ropes without ever turning on your oven-and they're a great elementary school fundraising idea. Wait until the weather's good and hot; then, host a sale of no-bake treats to keep everyone cool, even in the kitchen. You can sell candy bars, too, just in case the goodies aren't to everyone's taste.

No-Bake Sale Part 2: Even No-Bakier

Want to expend even less effort? We get it, soulmate. Here's your two-for-one fundraiser ideas for elementary schools: Pick up day-old treats from local bakeries and sell them at a mark-up. Trust us, they're still super tasty!

Middle School Fundraisers Ideas

Ah, middle school, when you're not quite a girl, not quite a woman. (Can you tell that we listened to a lot of Britney in middle school?) When it comes to fundraising ideas for middle schoolers, your best bet is to make them as not-embarrassing as possible. With that said, here are some middle school fundraising ideas that make the grade.

Nightmare Before Christmas

Double your holiday spirit with a Nightmare before Christmas fundraiser: it's like a haunted house but also Christmas-themed. Throw in some skeleton dreidel bears, maybe a mummy Krampus. Incorporate aspects of winter holidays around the world, from Diwali to Kwanzaa, and then throw in some mummies and ghouls. But please, for the love of all that is Jack Skeleton, consult with students and their families to make sure everything is culturally appropriate-and that nothing is too scary. These are still fundraising ideas for middle schools, after all.

Can Drive

All those recyclables can really add up! Hold a can and bottle drive with all those nickels going back to your beloved middle school students. You can up the giving back-ness by holding a beach clean-up day, too, where students pick up garbage and then donate any recyclables. You can also hold a drive to recycle electronics, old clothes, and more.

Mini-Golf Tournament

This fundraiser is a hole-in-one. (We know; we're so clever and subtle with our humor.) All you need is a mini-golf course and a fundraising page to make this a successful fundraiser. You raise funds from selling tickets, asking local businesses to sponsor a hole, and selling additional raffle tickets. Invite the whole school community to join in!

High School Fundraising Ideas

The years go by so quickly, don't they? Somehow, we're already moving on to fundraising ideas for high schools.

Go Screen-Free

These fun high school fundraiser ideas are for all those parents who'd pay a small fortune to get their kids to look up from their phone for 10 minutes-though we bet those same parents could use less screentime, too. Make going screen-free a family sacrifice that pays off by soliciting pledges for every hour (or day) spent off-screen. You can download apps to hold yourself to your surprisingly difficult promise. Consider making it a friendly competition, with the student who lasts longest getting a prize. Another reason to go with this screen-free fundraiser is that it's one in a million free fundraising ideas.

Study-a-thon

Let's be honest: studying is super necessary, but sometimes, it can feel kinda thankless. With a study-a-thon, students get rewarded for putting their noses to the grindstone. For every 20 minutes spent studying for the SAT or working on college essays, the school gets a donation. Then everyone goes to Harvard, and all is well with the world! Talk about our best high school fundraisers.

Yard Sale and Craft Market

Gather all those unwanted tchotchkes and put them to good use with a yard sale/flea market! If any students or parents have hidden artistic talents, they can set up a booth selling their hand-knit gerbil hats, too, donating 20% of profits to the school.

Senior Class Fundraising Ideas

Before you head off to whatever lies ahead, you'll need some fundraiser ideas for senior class to make your senior year the best. Year. Ever. Check out our awesome-blossom senior class fundraisers below.

Community Dinner

Close out the school year with a cozy, community-building fundraising dinner. The senior class cooks up a main dish and invites other high school students and their families to attend. Each group brings a side-and a donation, but of course. Consider supporting a local nonprofit, too, by asking guests to bring a canned good or toiletry item.

School Spirit Store

Before you go, show your school spirit by hosting an online or in-person school store, selling nothing but school-related merchandise. From pens and notebooks to T-shirts and face masks, everything is branded with your school's logo or decked out in your school colors. This one requires some upfront costs, but in the end, it can really pay off.

Teachers vs. Students Trivia Night

Next up for senior fundraiser ideas: it's a trivia contest, students versus teachers. Form teams and try to split the categories evenly so that it's anyone's game. But be warned: you might be surprised by how much pop culture knowledge your math teacher has! You can sell tickets to attend the showdown.

Passive Income Ideas for Schools

A fundraising event is swell, but wouldn't it be great if you could just sit back, sip a mocha, and watch the dollars roll in? In addition to all our (admittedly awesome) fundraising ideas, here are a few ways to make some extra money for schools through passive income.

Start a Blog

If you have some parents with a lot of time on their hands (hahaha … oh, sorry), encourage them to start a parenting or education-related blog or social account and donate any proceeds to the school. It takes some effort (and a bit of money) to get up and running, but soon, you'll be raking in the pennies from niche online advertisers.

Partnerships with Local Business Owners

It's a popular fundraising idea for a reason. You set up an ongoing partnership with a local business or three. Anytime "your" ice cream or "your" llama food is bought, a small donation goes to the local elementary students.

Corporate Donation Matching Drive

Remind all those working parents that their corporate employers match their donations thanks to the magic of matching programs.

More Fundraising Ideas

Schoolyard Challenge: Set up a schoolyard challenge with cones, tires, and silly props. Students compete for time, and spectators pay to cheer them on.
Pajama Day: Let students pay $1-2 to wear PJs for a day.
Mystery Dinner: Transform the gym into a live-action whodunit. Sell tickets to teams of sleuths who solve the case.
Silent Disco: Everyone wears headphones, and the music streams silently. Sell tickets to see student musicians, magicians, or comedians shine.
Poetry Slam: Host an evening of poetry, music, and storytelling.
School Apparel: Design and pre-sell school tees, hoodies, or socks.
Pledge-Based Activities: Students gather pledges for reading minutes, pushups, or steps walked.
Themed Trivia: Charge admission for teams to compete in themed trivia rounds. Great around the holidays.
Meme Day: Invite students to dress as their favorite meme.
Penny Wars: Homerooms compete by dropping spare change into jars. Sabotage with silver coins to deduct points.
Art Contest: Students pay to enter and showcase their creative genius.
Candy Grams: Sell and deliver candy messages to classmates.
Breakfast Booth: Open a booth before the first bell with grab-and-go breakfast snacks, coffee, or juice.
Coupon Booklet: Design a student council-branded booklet with coupons or deals from local businesses.
Odd Jobs for Donations: Students offer lawn care, garage cleanouts, moving help, or snow shoveling in exchange for donations.
Plant Sale: Partner with a local nursery or college horticulture program to sell small tree saplings or potted plants.
Gift Wrapping: Offer gift wrapping for donations using student volunteers.
Community Yard Sale: Coordinate a massive yard sale in your school parking lot. Invite families to donate goods or rent their own booth for a fee.
Dress Like a Teacher Day: Students dress as their most influential teachers for the day.
Garden Club: Recruit green-minded students and start a garden club with a focus on sustainability and community involvement.
Community Service: Inspire a sense of school spirit and generosity by bringing students together to do good work in your community.
Karaoke Night: Students sign up to lip-synch their favorite songs. End the battle with the school song.
Talent Showcase: You have many students with talents that aren’t showcased every day.
Pie-Baking or Cookie-Making Contest: Try a mini version of Top Chef by hosting a pie-baking or cookie-making contest.
Book Drive: Create a drop box at your school where classmates can donate books.
Mask Design Contest: Challenge classmates to come up with a design for a mask that celebrates school spirit.
Trivia Contest: A trivia contest is a fun homeroom idea. Or you can hold it in the lunchroom to include a mix of people.
Senior Spotlights: Celebrate your seniors by broadcasting highlights of their greatest accomplishments on social media.
School Cheer: Make your school cheer catchy so that years from now, it will still pop into alums’ heads and remind them of the good times they had at your school.
Gratitude Letters: Draft personalized letters to teachers and school staff to thank them for being a part of your school community.
Holiday Hallways: Welcome classmates back from winter or spring break with holiday hallways.
Color Run: A Color Run is a healthy and fun way to show your school spirit.
Soda Bottle Pom-Poms: Use liter soda bottles and pony beads in your school colors to make pom-poms.
Kindness Rocks Project: Inspire positivity and kindness around your school community with a Kindness Rocks Project.
Mural Painting: Another school beautification idea is a mural.
Sidewalk Chalk Art: Turn your sidewalk into a celebration of school spirit by having student council members decorate it with sidewalk chalk.
Paper Pom-Poms: Make and sell paper pom-poms before your student athletic events to fill your gym with school spirit.
Braided Paper Bracelets: This tutorial will teach students how to make simple braided paper bracelets using school-colored paper.
Flash Mob: Flash mobs are a great way to bring students together.
School Cleanup Day: Organize a school cleanup day.
Eco-Friendly Initiatives: Launch eco-friendly initiatives like a recycling drive or a campaign to reduce plastic use.
Photo Wall: Let students ham it up in front of an inspiring wall like a wall of hearts, butterfly wings, or being the I in Kindness.
School History Project: Start up a school history project to build school pride.
Door-Decorating Contests: Host door-decorating contests with themes such as holidays, homecoming, spirit days, or making the world a better place.
Snack and Drink Stations: During testing weeks, set up snack and drink stations with donated items.
Birthday Announcements: During morning announcements, have a member of student council wish a happy birthday to students born on that day.
Kindness Bricks: Combine kind words with fundraising in this fun activity.
Postcard Exchanges: Postcard exchanges are a fun way for students to improve writing skills and develop knowledge about other parts of the world.
Reading Buddies: Reading buddies are a great way to connect classes across grade levels and build older students’ fluency.
School Improvement Campaign: Inspire future community organizers with a school improvement campaign to make your school even better.
Teacher Appreciation Week: Put students in charge of Teacher Appreciation Week.
Welcome Packet: Challenge the student council to create a welcome packet that can be given to new students and families.
Car Wash: A car wash is a classic way for students to work together and raise money.
Open-Mic Night: Turn the theater or cafeteria into a cafe or other space for an open-mic night.
Clothing or School Supply Drive: Another way for student council to do good for the community around your school is by conducting a clothing or school supply drive.
Care Packages: Another way to give back to the community is by creating care packages.
Morning Announcements: Student council can plan and provide the morning announcements for the school.
End-of-Year Awards Ceremony: Send students into summer with an end-of-year awards ceremony.
Never Been Absent Campaign: Have student council create a Never Been Absent campaign.

High School Specific Ideas

School Dance: A fun event like a school dance is a great way to get the high school community together.
50/50 Raffle: Having high schoolers sell 50/50 raffle tickets not only raises funds, but also nurtures students’ independence.
Car Wash: Another great low-cost event that your high schoolers can manage is a car wash.
Cook-Off: Foster friendly competition among your students by holding a cook-off.
Bake Sale: Have students and staff bring in baked goods to sell back to the school community.
Read-a-Thon: A Read-a-Thon gives students an incentive to read and raise money for your school at the same time.
School Sleepover: A school sleepover is a great in-person fundraising opportunity for high schoolers.
Talent Show: Raise some school spirit with a talent show!
Game Night: A game night is an effective fundraising event that’s easy to pull off.
Movie Night: A movie night is another low-cost, high-reward event that offers a safe space for students to engage with their peers outside of the classroom.
Pajama Day: High school students (and staff members!) will jump at the opportunity to lounge in their comfiest sleepwear when you host a pajama day.
Silent Auction: A silent auction is a great way to engage not just your school, but the surrounding community as well.
Pancake Breakfast: Students and staff will gladly pay a small fee for a delicious pancake breakfast cooked the way they want.
Walk-a-Thon: Get students up and active with a walk-a-thon.
Battle of the Bands: A battle of the bands is a fun way to break fundraising goals.
Cookie Dough Sale: A cookie dough fundraiser is a delicious way to raise money for your school.
Fun Run: A fun run is a great school event that can be open to the surrounding community.
Spelling Bee: A spelling bee is another great event that fosters friendly competition and academic spirit.
Trivia Night: Host a trivia night with fun themes to get students excited about your event.

Leveraging Technology for Fundraising

QR Codes: Link your QR code directly to your fundraiser’s landing page or donation form.
Dedicated Landing Page: A dedicated landing page gives your fundraiser a professional, central hub.
Digital Donations: Digital donations are king.
Google Forms: Google Forms keeps everything organized and easy to track.
Canva: Canva is our go-to for free, school-friendly design templates.
Online Payment Platforms: Using online payment platforms like RevTrak to execute your student council fundraising ideas.

Tips for a Successful Fundraiser

Have clear goals for your fundraising events, including how much you want to earn and how the funds will be used.
Choose a fundraising activity that best aligns with your community’s needs.
Offer incentives for people participating in the fundraiser to encourage donations.
Promote your fundraiser as early as possible.
Involve students in your fundraising efforts for maximum success.
Express gratitude to donors and anyone who supports your fundraiser, like community volunteers.
Announce what you’re raising funds for and how those funds will be used.
Maximize involvement by offering multiple, straightforward ways to donate.
Leverage your school’s social media pages, newsletters, and local community boards.
Transform fundraising into fun-host themed drives, spirit days, contests, or creative events that draw people in.
Recognize every effort.
Share the amount raised and what that means for the cause.

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