Ten Creative Fundraising Ideas

When planning out a school fundraising calendar for the year, variety is the key to maximizing the funds you raise! The easiest way to make this happen is by mixing in some creative fundraising ideas with your more traditional approaches. Not only will this keep students and families engaged, but providing different services and ways to give will also ensure you do not exhaust your loyal donors. Wondering how to get started? Read on to learn more about the types of fundraisers you can host, plus ten creative fundraising ideas to fill your calendar!

In this blog you will learn:

• Different types of fundraisers your school can host.
• Creative fundraising ideas to fill your calendar all year long.

Types of Fundraisers Your School Can Host

There are many different ways for a school to raise funds. Some fundraisers provide your donors with actual products or services for their contributions, while others may offer an experience or simply ask for a donation to support your cause. Utilizing all of the different fundraising options throughout the year will make it more likely for your school to get repeat donations from families and community members.

Provide a service.

Providing your donors with a service that they actually need is a great way to raise funds! When planning this type of fundraiser take the time to brainstorm helpful services for particular times of year for your donor such as washing cars in the spring or wrapping presents around the holidays.

Sell products.

This option can also meet the needs of your donors, giving them the opportunity to purchase items that they want or need while also supporting your school.

Host an event.

The event you plan can be something you invite donors and families to attend such as a festival or a fitness fundraising event for your students such as a fun run.

Ask for direct donations.

One of the easiest ways to raise funds is to simply ask for donations to support your cause.

10 Creative Fundraising Ideas

While it can feel overwhelming to start planning a fundraising calendar that will keep your school community engaged, it doesn’t have to be! From elevated events to limited edition swag, we’ve got ten creative fundraising ideas that will get your students and families excited to participate and donors excited to give.

1. Sell ready made meals. Work with a local restaurant to offer pre-purchased prepared meals on a particular day. Busy families will love the opportunity to skip cooking for the night!
2. Plan a Color Run. Turn up the excitement on a regular Fun Run and add in bursts of colorful powder as students walk, skip and run through checkpoints.
3. Host a flower or plant sale. Team up with a local nursery to sell plants around gardening season or a local flower shop to offer bouquets around a special holiday.  
4. Give your bake sale a fun theme. While a regular bake sale is always a great choice for a fundraiser, you can turn up the excitement even more with a theme. Sync up with a holiday, assign colors to different grades or request each contribution show some school spirit—get creative!
5. Organize a makers market. There are bound to be lots of crafty students and family members in your school community. This creative fundraising idea is a great way for them to showcase their talents and help you raise funds for your school.
6. Spread cheer while selling holiday wreaths. Many members of your community will already be planning on purchasing wreaths for the holiday season and love the opportunity to support your cause too. Make sure to get the word out about this one well in advance before they possibly buy wreaths elsewhere!
7. Create recipe books. Ask families to submit their best recipes to compile a unique recipe book. Families will love seeing their own recipes showcased and getting some inspiration for new things to cook too.
8. Build a raffle calendar. Reach out families and local businesses and ask them to donate prizes to fill up a calendar for a month. The prizes can range from anything from a gift card to a product to an experience! Then sell raffle tickets and pick a winner each day.
9. Create limited edition spirit wear. Give your traditional spirit hoodies and t-shirts featuring your school colors and logo a fun twist. For example, order green gear around St Patrick’s Day or special graduation items toward the end of the year. Then build up the hype!
10. Host a Parent’s Night Out. Set up fun activities in your school gym or a local community center and invite parents to drop their students off while they get a much needed break. You can even bring in pizzas and set up a big screen for a movie.

When it comes to school fundraising, variety truly is the key to success.  Keeping your fundraisers fresh and exciting will encourage your students and families to participate. And building out your yearly calendar with creative fundraising ideas along with more traditional approaches will maximize your fundraising potential while keeping your donors engaged and enthusiastic.