60+ Fundraising Ideas for Schools and Education [Updated!]

Raise Money For Your School

Raise Money For An Educational Organization

Raise Money For A Local After-School Program

Raise Money With Crowdfunding

Start Your Free School Fundraiser

60+ Fundraising Ideas for Schools and Education [Updated!]

Start a Free Fundraiser

#1: Raise Money from Families, Students, Faculty, and Staff with a Crowdfunding Campaign for:

Private and Public Schools

Private schools and public schools sometimes need additional money to fund special projects, events, or educational efforts.

If your school is looking to raise money from students, parents, faculty, staff, and your community, you should set up a crowdfunding page!

Educational Clubs

Academic clubs, honor societies, and educational clubs often need to raise money to fund their academic undertakings.

If you run or are a part of an academic club or school association, you can use crowdfunding to raise money for your financial needs.

After-School Programs

Many educational institutions have after-school programs that serve as a nurturing environment for students after the last bell.

However, many of these programs are vastly underfunded. To help keep your after-school program going, you can start a crowdfunding campaign.

Daycares

Daycares can be a great way for parents to ensure that their kids have a safe space to play and learn while they go to work.

Whether your child is enrolled at daycare or you work at one, you can set up a crowdfunding campaign to help bring in a little extra money.

Parent-Teacher Associations

Parent-teacher associations (PTAs) often host several fundraising events throughout the year to raise money for their schools.

But if you’re getting tired of the annual bake sale, you can try setting up a crowdfunding campaign to ask for donations from friends and family!

Extracurricular Programs

Extracurricular programs like sports teams, art programs, band camps, and other school clubs often require extra funding.

If you’re a part of an extracurricular program that needs some fundraising help, look to crowdfunding and start raising more money today!

Use Our #1 Fundraising Idea — Crowdfunding

Start Your Free Education-Related Fundraiser Today

Raise Money for Your School, College, or University Right Now!

Other School Fundraising Ideas that go Perfectly with a Crowdfunding Campaign

BONUS: Get 99 fundraising ideas for your school or university in a free PDF! Download our resource to raise funds for elementary, middle, and high school!

Download Now

Matching Gifts

Double the impact of your fundraising campaign by tapping into your students’ parents’ matching gift eligibility.

Many people don’t know about their employers’ corporate philanthropy initiatives, so make it easy for them to find out by providing them with a matching gift database and then discussing matching gifts in your emails, newsletters, or at school meetings.

You can even get students involved by sending thank-you notes created by the children to employers who contributed a match.

T-Shirt Fundraiser

T-shirts are the perfect product to sell. What student doesn’t love a good, comfortable shirt? Everyone can wear them to celebrate school pride!

If you want to sell t-shirts, look for a provider that takes care of the shipping for you, so that you don’t have to store and distribute hundreds of shirts.

Students and supporters can make a contribution by purchasing your merchandise. You can plan an event like a walkathon to go with your t-shirt sales. On the day of the event, encourage participants to rock your gear as a way to support their school.

Pledge Fundraising

The most successful school fundraisers are those that can effectively leverage your #1 source of support— students and their families. That’s where a pledge fundraiser excels!

Whether you choose to host a traditional walk-a-thon or put a unique spin on it with a dance-a-thon, both kids and their families will have a great time. Or, choose an educational alternative like a read-a-thon to raise money while encouraging learning!

Encourage students to sign up and fundraise beforehand, bringing in sponsorships from family, friends, neighbors, and more. Each sponsor will agree to give a set amount to your school for every activity their student successfully completes.

Face Mask Fundraiser

One of the most effective fundraising strategies (for schools or otherwise) is staying relevant to your audience. What’s more relevant than face masks?

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for face masks skyrocketed. In doing so, it’s shown us that it’s always smart to have a mask on hand! In fact, many schools plan to require face masks upon reopening to protect students and staff.

That’s why you should sell face masks with your school logo to raise funds for your school. Not only does it offer an excellent source of funding in a trying time, but it can also boost school spirit— which is always an excellent idea.

Volunteer Grants

Your donors can earn grants based on their volunteer hours! This is quite often the perfect opportunity for parents who prefer to donate their time to their child’s school.

Your donors’ volunteer grant programs will vary depending on their employers. They range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, so there’s plenty of potential to earn significant revenue from your donors’ volunteer hours.

Why not email all your parent volunteers and ask them to check their eligibility? They’ll likely be happy to discover another way to support the school.

Partner with a Local Restaurant Chain

There are tons of restaurant chains (and even local establishments!) that are willing to partner with schools and educational clubs to help them raise money.

Most of the time, a restaurant chain or local eatery will have designated “school fundraising nights,” where a portion of the sales from that night are donated to the school or club.

Schools simply have to advertise the night and get the word out about the event. Many restaurant chains will have pre-made flyers or stickers that your students, faculty, staff, and parents can hand out to their friends and family members to promote the fundraiser.

Challenge Grants

Look into challenge grants for your next school fundraising idea.

Many grant-making organizations will donate to nonprofit organizations or education institutions based on the organization’s success at raising a certain amount of funds. These challenges are usually fiscally oriented.

Your school will just have to get the word out and advertise your event! Sometimes restaurant chains will have pre-made flyers or stickers that your students and faculty can hand out to promote the fundraiser.

Host a Parents’ Party

Your students are probably perfect little angels, but their parents need a little break every now and then.

Hosting a parents’ party is an excellent way to give mom and dad a night out with their friends while you raise money for your school!

All you’ll need to do is charge a small amount and set up a fun night of food and drinks for your students’ parents. You can even get volunteers to look after the children so that parents don’t have to pay extra money for a babysitter.

Fundraising ideas like haunted houses can be fun for kids of all ages.

Haunted House Fundraiser

Boo! Don’t be scared; it’s just your next school fundraising idea! A haunted house is a fun way to raise money for your school.

Enlist the help of your school’s drama department and a few spooky volunteers to dress up as ghouls, goblins, witches, and zombies.

Then, charge an admission fee for members of the community who think they can make it through your haunted house without getting scared. Sell cider, hot cocoa, and autumnal treats as concessions to earn extra money.

Penny Wars

Waging a penny war is one of the best ways to raise a little extra money for your school. You can host it all year long, and it fuels a little class competition.

At the beginning of the school year or semester, set out plastic bins or containers in front of each classroom. Each morning, as students walk into class, they simply drop their spare change into the bins. The first class to fill a container all the way to the top is the victor of the penny war!

The best thing about this fundraiser is that it works for all ages and grades. Your kindergarteners will enjoy collecting pennies just as much as your high school seniors.

Wrap gifts during the holidays to raise money for your school.

Gift-Wrapping Services

Once the holidays roll around, it feels like everyone is in a mad dash to buy and wrap presents for everyone on their list.

You can help these frenzied people out and earn a little extra money for your school or educational organization by offering gift-wrapping services.

You can partner with a local department or retail store or offer gift-wrapping services in a well-trafficked (but spacious) area of your school. Offer extras like bows, ribbons, and tags to earn a little extra money.

Teachers in Jail Fundraiser

A teachers in jail fundraiser is a quick and easy way to raise a lot of money. Plus, students get a little break from classes, and teachers can catch up on grading and planning.

The premise is simple: classes pay a certain amount to have their teacher thrown in “jail” for that class period. The students get to hang out in the gym or on the playground or in another communal area.

The teacher obviously doesn’t really go to jail. He or she simply stays in the classroom and works on planning, grading, or other tasks. Even if you just have a few class periods in the day, your school stands to raise hundreds or even thousands of dollars!

School fundraising ideas like hat days won't cost a cent to run.

Hat Day Fundraiser

Give your students the chance to express their personal style with a hat day fundraiser. At most schools, wearing hats is against the dress code.

Invite your students to wear their favorite hat for a day. To obtain hat-wearing privileges, students (and even faculty and staff!) can donate a $1 to your school.

Make sure to promote your day in advance by planning school announcements and tacking posters around the school. The great thing about this fundraiser is that students of all ages can participate.

Host a straw draw to raise money for your school

Straw Draw Fundraiser

A straw draw is an easy fundraiser that you can pull off before the school day starts, during a short break, or as kids are leaving to go home.

Buy a pack of bendy straws and attach different prizes to each straw. Common prizes include extra recess time, two cookies at lunch, or a special parking spot (for your high school students who drive). You can even have different straws for teachers and students.

Students and teachers then pay a dollar to pick a straw out of a basket or container. It’s so easy, you’ll be wondering why you haven’t been hosting this fundraiser from the first day of school!

Principal Punishment

A principal punishment can be a hilarious way to get your school in the fundraising mood while poking a little fun at your principal or administrator.

Have students vote on their favorite “punishment” by placing money in containers in a central location. The punishments could range from hair dyeing to wearing a silly costume for a week. Make sure that you promote the fundraiser for several weeks to get students excited about the “punishment.”

Once the voting period is over, hold the principal to his or her side of the bargain. Students will get a kick out of the event, and you’ll raise some extra money!

Shoe Drive

Every year, the average person throws away 7.5 pairs of shoes. Why not turn those shoes into donations to your school? Eliminate tons of waste and raise money with the same event! It’s as simple as that.

To hold a shoe drive fundraiser, you’ll need to do some research to find a company who will partner with your school and accept your shoes. Look for a company like Funds2Orgs, who will pick up your donated shoes and send you a check based on the number of pounds you gave.

Plan a few drop-off locations around the school and in your community—students aren’t the only ones who can partcipate in your school shoe drive!

Pet Party

You can make your pet party as fancy or casual as you’d like!

Your students will be so excited to see their furry best friends during the school day!

During your school’s lunch period, your students’ parents can bring their pups and cats in for a round of show-and-tell. Hold the event in a courtyard or sports field on a warm day, and remember to set up water stations for the pets.

Charge a small admission fee per pet and make sure you set up a donation table.

Chili Cook-Off

A chili cook-off is the perfect way to build community over a great meal.

Recruit your school’s best cooks from the many teachers, parents, and faculty to cook up a mean pot of chili for the event. Then, sell tickets and let your school’s community come taste!

Have attendees vote on which chili is the best by placing singles in each chili’s determined box and you can give the winner a trophy, all while raising money for your school!

BONUS: Get 99 fundraising ideas for your school or university in a free PDF! Download our resource to raise funds for elementary, middle, and high school!

Download Now

Pajama Day

Pajama days are good fundraising ideas for school, and there’s a good reason for that: they work!

Advertise your pajama day well in advance and let students know that they have to pay a couple of dollars to wear their comfy pajamas to school for one whole day.

When the day arrives, go around to classrooms to collect the money and give students a special sticker to wear. This helps you know who has paid to wear their pajamas throughout the halls!

Raise money for your school with a fish tank fundraiser.

Fish Tank Funds

A fish tank fundraiser is such an easy and low-cost school fundraiser, you’ll wonder why you never planned one before.

All you have to do is acquire a large fish tank. You don’t even have to buy one; try to get it donated if you can! Then, set it out in the front of your school or in a hallway.

Students and teachers then drop in their spare coins and bills to see how quickly they can fill the fish tank. This fundraiser can take place all year long as well, so you’ll be able to raise quite a bit of money!

Read-a-thon

What teacher wouldn’t love an educational fundraiser that promotes reading and raises money for their school?

A read-a-thon is the perfect educational fundraiser! Students obtain pledges from their friends and family members for the number of pages or books that they can read in a semester.

Then, they log their reading times. Once the semester ends, the supporters fulfill their end of the bargain and donate however much money they pledged. You can even offer a prize to the student who reads the most!

Your school can start a peer-to-peer campaign to raise money.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a great fundraising idea for schools of all shapes and sizes. Not only does it enable your school to raise more money, it also helps you expand your existing donor base!

In a nutshell, peer-to-peer fundraising enlists the fundraising help of your current supporters and empowers them to ask for donations on behalf of your school.

Each supporter builds his or her own donation page from a template that is tied back to your school’s main fundraising page. Then, your supporters reach out to their friends and family members and ask for donations for your cause or project!

Charity Auctions

Charity auctions can be a fast-paced and energetic way for your school to raise more money and interact with your donors face-to-face. You also have the opportunity to form some solid business connections!

Ask for charity auction items from local businesses; try to get as many items donated for close to nothing. That way, you can put your budget into creating a great atmosphere for your attendees.

Hire an auctioneer, send out invites, and cater in food and drinks. Make sure that everyone is aware of the rules of your charity auction beforehand. People will walk away with some unique items and experiences, and your school can raise more money!

You can write letters as a school fundraising idea.

Writing Letters

Writing letters is a great way to raise money for your cause, project, or event. You can send out letters asking for general donations, sponsorships, charity auction items, volunteer time, and more!

Your letters should be genuine and personal. Always start with your donor’s preferred name and try to reference any past relationship or donations.

You can use letters to direct people to your online giving pages or crowdfunding campaign, but you should also include a self-addressed envelope within your letter to encourage people to send in checks (make sure you tell donors not to send cash!).

Silent Auctions

Silent auctions are a fun way to get a little more face time with your donors while they bid on unique and appealing items up for grabs. Plus, if you find the right auction items, you have the potential to raise a lot of money!

Ask local businesses and individuals if they would like to donate items to your silent auction. Common items include gift cards to restaurants, signed memorabilia, lessons from a professional of some kind, gift baskets, and more!

You can enlist the help of a mobile bidding tool to create a tech-enhanced bidding experience for your attendees. Mobile bidding software also makes checking in, checking out, and item monitoring easier on your auction volunteers and staff.

Schools can host a walkathon to raise money for their cause or project.

Walkathons

Walkathons are perfect for active supporters who like to show their passion for a cause. Walkathons are well-suited for healthcare-related issues and causes, but they can technically be used for any type of fundraising effort!

You’ll need to determine a location and time for your walkathon. Choose a season that is a good temperature with minimal risk of rain. Make sure you have a backup location just in case!

Then, send out invitations and design some merchandise like t-shirts and water bottles. You can sell these for an extra fee to raise money above any entrance costs you charge. Make sure you have medical and first-aid supplies nearby in the case of an accident.

Encourage your students to donate via phone as a school fundraising idea.

Text-to-Give

Text-to-give is a relatively new way for schools to raise money, but it’s an effective way to accept donations. Nearly everyone has a smartphone, making text-to-give a natural fundraising technique.

You’ll need to choose a text-to-give provider that offers all of the features you’re looking for. From there, it’s all about promoting your text-to-give option to your supporters! Post your text-to-give number and short code on promotional materials and mention it in your communications.

Soon, donors will be using your text-to-give tool to give from wherever they are! You can even incorporate text-to-give into your next event or gathering and encourage all of your attendees to pull out their phones and make a donation right then and there.

School Mascot

Young students will love to have a cuddly, stuffed version of their school mascot, while older students will enjoy the keepsake to remember their school by. Even teachers will enjoy displaying the animal on their desks.

To start selling stuffed mascots, find a company that can customize and ship stuffed animals to your school.

You can sell your mascot at your school store (if you have one) or at games and events. Everyone will want to buy your cute, soft stuffed mascot to show their school pride!

Sell candy as a way to raise money for your school.

Candy Grams

Candy grams can help your school raise funds and build communication between your students. Plus, it’s a school fundraiser idea that’s relatively inexpensive to host and can be customized to fit holidays like Valentine’s Day and Halloween.

You can charge students a small fee ($0.50 or $1) to send out a personalized note and a piece of candy to one of their friends.

Students can send as many candy grams as they want. Even teachers can join in on the fundraiser by sending grams to their students or fellow teachers.

Spring Cleaning Yard Sale

When your students return from spring break, you can host a yard sale. Ask your students to bring in all the items they no longer want to raise funds for your school.

You can host your yard sale on a Saturday and encourage the whole neighborhood to find a bargain!

Don’t forget to promote the event on social media, via email, and with flyers. The more people know about your event, the more likely they’ll be to show up and support you!

Host a can and bottle drive to raise funds your school.

Bottle and Can Drive

Collecting bottles and cans from your students and the rest of the community is a simple and practically free fundraising idea for schools. Plus, it encourages students to recycle!

You’ll need to set up donation points that are accessible to the public. You can set up a point at the front office since it will be easy to find.

Don’t forget to promote your drive to the students and your community to maximize how much you raise. Local restaurants and other business should have a lot of cans and bottles to donate.

Turn your principal into a sundae to raise funds!

Giant Sundae

The giant sundae fundraiser is a simple event where you turn your principal (or administrator) into a sundae! This silly fundraiser lets students work together to achieve a hilarious outcome and raise money.

For the event, you’ll need ice cream and toppings as well as a place that can be easily cleaned (like the cafeteria).

Assign a fundraising goal to each topping. For example, $100 buys a scoop of ice cream, and to add sprinkles the students have to raise $150. Each topping should get messier and thus cost more to add.

Sell car decals as a simple school fundraising idea.

Car Decal Sale

High school and college students love to personalize their cars! Your school can sell car decals to students, as well as teachers and parents.

For this fundraiser, you’ll need to partner with a company that can create decals with your school’s colors and mascot.

Once you have your decals, sell them at sports games, school events, and your school store. You’ll be surprised how much you can make with this simple school fundraising idea.

BONUS: Get 99 fundraising ideas for your school or university in a free PDF! Download our resource to raise funds for elementary, middle, and high school!

Download Now

Battle of the Bands

Battle of the Bands is the perfect way to encourage creative extracurriculars and raise money.

Set up your “venue” in your school’s gymnasium or auditorium for your students. Create a sign-up sheet (this can be physical or online) for bands who would like to participate. Spread the word through email, on social media, and with flyers!

You can sell tickets at the door or before the event. Tickets can be $5 before the show and $10 at the door. You can sell concessions to attendees, too!

Trivia Night

Organize a trivia night and put your students’ knowledge to the test.

Plan out questions and arrange your space to accommodate the games. Make sure you organize how the game of trivia will proceed–you don’t want a chaotic fundraiser!

You can hold your event in your school’s gymnasium or even partner up with a local restaurant for the night. If the business is interested in donating, suggest a portion of the proceeds from the events’ attendee purchases go to your school. Promote your event in advance and charge an entry fee for participants.

Talent Show

Does your school have talented students?

Give your talented students time to shine and try a talent show! From dancing to singing to juggling, your students can showcase whatever talents they have. Set up your auditorium for the event with microphones, and lights. Remember to charge a small fee to participants, and a small admission fee to attendees. You can set up a booth and sell concessions at the event, too!

Let attendees know what you’re raising money for and set up a donation table at the event.

Field Day

Usually geared toward younger kids, a field day is your chance to get older kids involved! Give them traditional games to look forward to for an active day outside.

Let students choose from tug of war, potato sack races, water balloon tosses, corn-hole, etc. You can charge a small admission fee or charge per game. Set up a concessions stand and you can sell merchandise, too!

Don’t forget about the parents. While their kids are running around playing games, they’ll want a shaded area to sit and chat with each other. Set up a tent with a handful of folding chairs and some water.

Bingo Night (Kids Edition)

Bingo is a simple but fun game that you can even gear towards the little ones!

Use a school or weekend night to host this event and be sure to tell people why you’re holding it!

Charge a small admission fee and accept donations throughout the night. Remember to have small prizes for your winners!

Concessions stands are always an option to raise a little extra, too! This will be a fun event you can use to create a sense of community within your school.

Rubber Duck Race

A Rubber Duck Race is a fun and silly fundraising event that can raise friendly competition among your students.

Buy yellow rubber ducks and write numbers on the bottoms of them before you sell your tickets (with matching numbers) to your participants. Next, put your rubber ducks in a nearby pond or stream and the first duck to cross the finish line is the winner!

You can provide your first place winner a prize. Remember to set up a concessions stand, charge a small entry fee, and catch all the ducks when you’re finished!

Sell Doughnuts

Plenty of schools and organizations sell snacks to raise money because it works!

Pick a snack that will call at your community’s sweet tooth and look to companies, like Krispy Kreme, who partner with schools and clubs for fundraising events.

Be sure to tell the individuals buying doughnuts why you’re selling. You can also focus on seasonal snacks, like pumpkin cookies or peppermint bark.

Game Night

Host a game night where students, parents, and faculty can enjoy a few games.

You can even make this event recurring, just make sure you have a good variety of games to play.

You can host the event right in your gymnasium. Set up a few tables and chairs, and recruit faculty to organize and chaperone the event.

Don’t forget to charge a small admission fee to participants.

School Picnic

Here’s another chance to get your school’s community together over good food!

You all can enjoy fresh air and each other’s company. Sell tickets to students and their families so they can spend their lunch period outside, or you can host the event on the weekend so more parents can attend.

Pick a nice day and then all you need to do is provide food, set up some blankets, and enjoy!

Your mock Olympic games will be a fundraising success!

Your Own Olympic Games

Everyone loves and comes together over the Olympics, so why not replicate the games and raise money for your school?

You’ll need some time to plan for this one, but hosting your own Olympic games will be an exciting way to raise money.

You can organize track and field events, swimming competitions, and more, depending on your school’s facilities. Charge a small admission fee for attendees and sell concessions! You can even have a medal ceremony as an incentive for your participants.

Buy-a-Brick Fundraiser

A buy-a-brick fundraiser is a great addition to your school’s garden.

Many schools have a walkway made of pavers in their gardens so this is the perfect solution for raising money and creating a memory. As students graduate, you can sell bricks they can engrave with their names, graduation dates, and program focuses to add to your school’s garden.

This fundraiser is a perfect way to make students feel like part of your school! This gives them something to look for when they visit in later years.

Book Drive

Everyone loves a good book! With this fundraiser, your school’s library will get plenty of visits.

This educational fundraiser promotes reading and raises money for your school. Ask your community to donate old and gently used books.

Next, pick a week to host your book drive! Set up tables in the library or lobby of your school for the most exposure. Sell books during the school day and during the evening so parents can attend. Whatever doesn’t sell can be additions to your library! It’s a win-win.

Balloon Raffle

Often paired with other events, balloon raffles are easy and fun!

It’s a foolproof way to raise money. The only materials you need to supply are raffle tickets and balloons! Place the tickets inside the balloons and sell them to your students for a dollar each.

After everyone has their balloons, whoever has the chosen ticket wins a prize!

Lantern Release

Balloon and lantern releases can be a way to raise money for your school!

Organize an evening to invite students, parents, and faculty to light lanterns and release them into the sky.

You can charge per balloon or lantern and/or have a general donations table. You can hold this event in memorial for an individual or tack this event onto the end of another!

Reverse Raffle

We all know what a regular raffle is, so why not try a reverse raffle?

This fundraiser is a fun and good way to raise money because it can be a standalone fundraiser or an addition to an event!

Sell tickets to your participants. Once everyone has placed their tickets in a bowl, draw out numbers over the course of the day or event. The person with the last ticket in the bowl is the winner!

Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is a great way for students, parents, and faculty to work together! And you can raise money!

Encourage teams of students, parents, and faculty to sign up and you can charge a small admission fee. Place your registration sheet in your school’s lobby. Create a course and hide items in your classrooms, cafeteria, library, and more!

Winners can even receive a small prize!

Custom Water Bottles

A huge component to staying healthy is drinking more water throughout a workout or throughout the day. You can hold this fundraiser as a standalone or tack it onto an event like a walk-a-thon.

Find a company that’ll let you customize your bottles and start selling! You can even customize the bottle for each class to make them more attractive to students.

It’s perfect to raise money and promote a healthy lifestyle to your students!

Coupon Books

Everyone loves saving some extra change.

Partner with a printing company that produces coupon books and put your order in! Next, spread the word and start selling (and helping your community!). Help your community save money and raise money for your school in one fell swoop by selling coupon books.

You can promote these booklets on social media, in email blasts, and by word-of-mouth.

BONUS: Get 99 fundraising ideas for your school or university in a free PDF! Download our resource to raise funds for elementary, middle, and high school!

Download Now

Bonus: Elementary School Fundraising Ideas

Pizza Bingo

Pizza bingo is a night of food and fun! Students and their families can pay a fee to eat unlimited pizza and play plenty of rounds of bingo.

Your school will need to provide small prizes to your winners (and, at the end of the night, you should offer prizes to the students who didn’t win as well).

You can find bingo providers online. You’ll also need an emcee to announce numbers and rile up the crowd.

Create and sell a cookbook as a fundraising idea.

Cookbooks

With a cookbook fundraiser, you can involve your elementary school students directly in the fundraising process.

First, have students in each class bring in family recipes.

Then, laminate the recipes and bind them into a booklet. Sell the completed cookbooks to students and families.

Parents will be eager to purchase a cookbook with a huge variety of recipes, especially when their own children have contributed to it!

Guessing Games

Guessing games are classic elementary school fundraisers.

All you need is a jar filled with the candy of your choice (think something small, like jelly beans!).

Students and teachers can guess the amount of candy that they think is in the jar, paying $1 per guess.

The winner takes home the entire jar!

Bonus: Middle School Fundraising Ideas

Create a picnic as a fundraising idea for schools and education.

School Picnic

A school picnic is a chance to get the entire student body outside for some fresh air, food, and fun.

Sell picnic tickets to students and families so that they can enjoy spending a unique lunch period in the sunshine. Alternatively, you can host your picnic on the weekend when parents are more likely to be available.

All your school needs to do is choose a nice spring or fall day, set up picnic tables or blankets, and provide food and drinks to your attendees.

Popcorn

Popcorn is a versatile snack that can appeal to all kinds of donors.

Middle school students will love the chance to sell different varieties of popcorn, especially if your school offers some kind of prize or incentive! Popcorn sells especially well near the holidays or at sporting events.

Your school will need to find a gourmet popcorn vendor. Some may offer profit margins as high as 58%.

Car Wash

A car wash is a great middle school fundraising idea because it gets everyone outside.

Plus, a car wash is an incredibly simple fundraiser to pull off. All you need are the suds, water, some sponges, and signs for advertising. Simply charge around $5 per car!

Rally a group of eager students to stand a safe distance from the road and draw attention to your car wash with signs.

BONUS: Get 99 fundraising ideas for your school or university in a free PDF! Download our resource to raise funds for elementary, middle, and high school!

Download Now

Bonus: High School Fundraising Ideas

Sell old prom dresses as a way to raise money for your school.

Prom Dress Drive

A prom dress drive is the perfect high school fundraising idea because it helps your school and your students.

Members of your community and alumni can donate their old, gently used prom dresses. After all, most people only wear their prom dresses once!

Then, your school can sell the dresses to your students at a discounted price. Your students get a great deal on prom dresses, and your school raises money!

Multicultural Fair

A multicultural fair is a great way for high school students to showcase their heritages.

Student groups can perform cultural demonstrations or sell products and food. Offer an incentive to the group who raises the most money!

Though this event will take a good deal of planning, your school has the opportunity to raise money and educate your students about different cultures at the same time.

Coffee

Coffee is a popular beverage for both high school students and their families.

Your school can either sell coffee beans (try fair trade coffee!), or you can sell cups of coffee during the school day. Local coffee shops may be able to provide gourmet coffee at a discounted rate.

Either way, rally your students to make the sales. They can reach out to their friends and peers with a personalized sales pitch!

Check out over 99 amazing fundraising ideas!

Use Our #1 Fundraising Idea — Crowdfunding

Start Your Free Education-Related Fundraiser Today

Raise Money for Your School, College, or University Right Now!

Getting Started With Your Fundraising Campaign

Fundly Makes it Easy to Raise Money for Your School

It’s Fast & Simple
Quickly raise money for your school or education-related cause with a personalized and unique crowdfunding campaign. Get up and running in five minutes and start accepting donations almost instantly.

It’s Personalized
Create a beautiful fundraising page for your school, educational club, or PTA with simple tools to upload images and videos. Tell your school’s unique story and help more people connect to your fundraiser.

It’s Free
You shouldn’t have to invest money to raise money for your school! With Fundly, there are no start-up costs. We charge a small fee on donations only if you raise money.

Create Your Education-Related Fundraiser in Minutes

Start a Fundraiser for Your School
Don’t worry, it’s easy! With Fundly, your school’s crowdfunding campaign can be up and running in minutes. Just set up a profile, tell your story, and upload photos and videos to get started.
Add Images and Tell Your Story
Uploading images and videos of students and teachers (with permission, of course!) can be a great way to show your supporters exactly where their donations are going.
Share Your Fundraiser
People in your community won’t know about your crowdfunding campaign unless you promote it! Share your page on social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, and send emails to parents, students, faculty, and staff.
Say Thanks
People like to feel appreciated! Make sure that you acknowledge your crowdfunding campaign’s supporters and give them updates about the progress of your fundraising efforts.

Benefits of Using Fundly for Your School Fundraising

Keep it All

With Fundly, there’s no need to raise a minimum amount, meet a deadline, or pay penalties if you don’t reach a goal. Your school gets to keep whatever money you raise, minus any fees.

Risk-Free

Create a crowdfunding campaign for your school or educational club for FREE. Pay absolutely nothing until you receive your first contribution.

Excellent Customer Service

Get set up quickly and easily, whether you’re tech-savvy or not. Our interface is super easy, and our team is always here to help.

Instant Fundraising

Create your school’s campaign in just a few minutes and start raising money quickly and easily. You can begin accepting donations from students, parents, faculty, and staff almost instantly.

Low Fees

At only a few cents for every dollar you raise, Fundly is one of the most affordable ways to raise money for your school, educational club, or PTA.

Deep Social Integration

Reach out to your students, their parents, your staff, and your coworkers with our social integrations. Share your school’s campaign via social media sites and email.

Create Your School Crowdfunding Campaign in Minutes

Fundraising Campaigns for Schools

Fundraising Campaign for Living/Travel Expenses While Teaching in Thailand

Click to start your own school fundraiser just like this one!

Check out this fundraising campaign Sam is running to teach in Thailand.

Sam is about to finish her graduate work in Mental Health Counseling and Expressive Arts Therapy. Upon graduation, she is traveling to Thailand to teach English and Art. She started a crowdfunding campaign to raise $1,200 to help fund the trip.

Sam is more than halfway to her goal, and her campaign still has time left. Sam’s campaign does a great job of setting out giving levels, as well as specific details around what the money will accomplish and why she needs it. Because of that, she’s on track to reach the goal for her education-based fundraiser.

Crowdfunding Campaign for an Improv Summer Camp

Click to start your own school fundraiser just like this one!

This summer camp for autistic teens and teachers ran an education-related fundraiser.

Camp Yes And… started a crowdfunding campaign to help keep their summer improv camp free for the autistic students that attend each year. The camp trains teachers and helps these students express themselves through improvisational theatre.

The original financial goal was $5,500, but nearly 70 donors showed their support of the camp and managed to raise $6,660! It’s important to note that the organizer clearly detailed what the donations would be going toward and how the camp helps students who are on the autism spectrum express themselves more clearly.

Start a Free Fundraiser Today

Start Raising Money For Your School or Educational Program

Campaign to Cover the Costs of the Ray Bradbury Library

Click to start your own school fundraiser just like this one!

See how one school organized a crowdfunding school fundraiser.

After receiving a high influx of Ray Bradbury memorabilia (books, papers, letters, etc.), the Center for Ray Bradbury Studies was in need of funding to cover the costs of properly caring for Bradbury’s belongings. So, they started a campaign to raise $5,000.

Thanks to hard work and great fundraising, the campaign exceeded its goal and brought in $6,371! Highlights of the stellar campaign included creative giving levels and a thorough description.

Crowdfunding Campaign and Walkathon for an Elementary School

Click to start your own school fundraiser just like this one!

Check out the walkathon Palisades Elementary School organized.

“Catch Me if You Can, Pali” is a walkathon dedicated to fulfilling critical classroom needs at Palisades Elementary. To put their fundraising into overdrive, they decided to run a crowdfunding and peer-to-peer fundraiser during the lead up.

When all was said and done, they had raised a whopping $22,723! A big reason why the elementary school was able to raise so much money, was that they combined two of the best school fundraising ideas: crowdfunding and peer-to-peer fundraising!

Start a Free Fundraiser Today

Start Raising Money For Your School or Educational Program

Best Practices for Your School’s Crowdfunding Campaign

Share Visuals

Upload multiple photos and videos of your school, students, or teachers (with permission, of course!) to show donors where their contributions are going. Media can help people connect more closely to your school’s crowdfunding campaign.

Learn more about shooting and posting great crowdfunding photos.

Tell Your Story

No two crowdfunding campaigns are alike, but you can help your school’s fundraiser stand out by telling donors why your cause or project is unique. Tell your story (and your students’ stories!) to connect with your supporters.

Check out these examples of great crowdfunding descriptions.

Get Social

The best way to raise money and awareness for your school’s crowdfunding campaign is to share it on social media. Obviously, you don’t want to overwhelm your followers, but you should share your campaign on Facebook and Twitter on a regular basis.

Learn more about sharing your crowdfunding campaign with your network.

Share Updates

Keep your supporters updated throughout your school’s crowdfunding campaign and once it’s over. You can share detailed updates about your students every few weeks or celebrate little victories with shorter updates. Donors will appreciate it!

Check out these tips for writing crowdfunding updates.

See What Others Say:

Last year, I was the vice president of my school’s student government association. We usually host several fundraising events throughout the year, but I thought that we should try a crowdfunding campaign just to see what would happen. We ran a fall semester campaign and raised a ton of money from students, parents, and teachers!

Charlene DunbarStart Your Fundraiser

I’m the band director at my local middle school. We needed money to travel to our state band competition, so I set up a crowdfunding page on Fundly. Within weeks, we had enough money (and some left over!) to travel to our state capital and participate in our competition (P.S. We won!).

Peter WilsonStart Your Fundraiser

My students wanted to raise money to send to a charity before they got off for winter break. I decided that a crowdfunding campaign was the easiest way to consolidate our efforts. We were able to raise hundreds of dollars, and all of it went to a local nonprofit that works with homeless youth!

Wendy XiaoStart Your Fundraiser

Over $330 Million Raised To Date

Start a Free Fundraiser

Start Raising Money For Your School or Educational Program

Additional Resources for your Fundraising Success

7 Tips for Fundraising Success

Every crowdfunding campaign can use a little help every now and then!

Whether you need advice about shooting and uploading crowdfunding photos, writing descriptions and updates, or sharing your fundraiser with your friends and family members, we’ve got your back.

Click below to learn more about the top seven crowdfunding tips that can be used for all types of fundraising efforts and campaigns!

Discover 7 actionable tips for crowdfunding success!

10 Fundraising Examples

You’ve heard the stories about fundraisers surpassing their goal, but how often does that really happen?

The answer? More frequently than you might think! In fact, individuals and organizations often meet and exceed their goals when they use Fundly to set up a fundraiser and share it with their friends and family members.

Check out these ten crowdfunding campaigns that all exceeded their fundraising goals by sizable margins in just a matter of weeks!

See how these 10 campaigns succeeded!

Before your start fundraising, understand the basics with this ultimate crowdfunding guide.

Understand Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding has been used to raise money for everything from creative projects to medical costs and more!

Why is it so popular? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that a crowdfunding campaign is insanely easy to set up and share with your friends, family members, coworkers, and other peers.

See for yourself! Take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Crowdfunding and learn how you can make the most of this fundraising craze!

Become a crowdfunding expert with our introductory guide!

Raise Money for Any Cause - Start Your Fundly Fundraiser

Are we missing your fundraising platform, nonprofit service, or fundraising idea on this page?

Shoot us an email and let us know!

Get in Touch!