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24 Fundraising Ideas for Schools to Raise Money Fast

When coming up with fundraising ideas for schools it can feel overwhelming. Traditional school fundraisers tend to involve cake sales and mufti days where pupils are asked to pay a pound to partake. While these ideas are fun, Crowdfunding is a much more effective alternative. Pupils and schools can make far more from their efforts and keep the funds they raise. We’ve put together our top fundraising ideas to help you get started, from in person meet ups to online fundraising ideas for schools, read on to get inspired.

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How fundraisers can help school pupils learn

Not only is fundraising great fun, but it can teach pupils valuable life lessons. These include 

  • Leadership skills – Pupils learn leadership skills by taking charge and raising money for an important cause.
  • Team building skills – Working with fellow pupils to run a fundraiser effectively is an opportunity to learn valuable team skills.
  • Compassion – Practicing acts of kindness plants the seeds of compassion and sets a precedent for a lifetime of public service.
  • Time management and creativity – Encouraging kids to come up with fundraising ideas gets the creative juices flowing and encourages kids to think outside the box.

Six causes for school fundraisers

  • 1. Enrichment programs

    Desperate to start fundraising but not sure where to start? Don’t panic, we have put together six of our “best in class” school fundraising ideas to help get your creative juices flowing. From prom to scholarships the list is endless when it comes to causes to fundraise for. 

    School trips, summer learning programmes, study abroad and enrichment programmes are often costly — but they’re also an ideal fit for crowdfunding because your needs are so well defined.

    • Raise funds for one classroom, a specific programme or an entire school.
    • Pupils can promote the fundraiser by sharing it on social media, creating photos and videos for fundraiser updates, writing thank-you notes to donors and more.

  • 2. Support your school sports teams

    A large number of pupils are involved in sports and athletic clubs. Why not coordinate an event to  raise money for the equipment and supplies pupil-athletes need. A great way to do this is to create a crowdfunding fundraiser that outlines the club’s needs.

  • 3. Prom and student activities

    Proms and other special school events come with a price tag — decorations, food, entertainment and prize giveaways add up. Coordinate with those in charge of planning the event and come up with a creative crowdfunding fundraiser to make your plans come to life. Pupils can really make these events special and fun without dipping into the school treasury.

  • 4. Computers or tablets for education

    Classrooms often make use of laptops and tablets — for reading textbooks, doing homework, accommodating pupil learning needs and more. If you want to upgrade or expand your capacity in this area, start a crowdfunding fundraiser and make it happen.

    • Talk with the person in charge of making purchases for the school to determine the budget.
    • Then set a realistic fundraising goal — you can always increase it if you meet it right away.

  • 5. Causes close to students’ hearts

    Supporting humanitarian causes is a key component of service learning — one that teaches pupils about compassion and the value of helping others.

     

    • Take a poll to find out what causes pupils at your school are passionate about or interested in.
    • It could be local, national or international — there’s no shortage of wonderful causes to support.
    • One popular option is for students to help other pupils who are in need elsewhere.

    Teachers who want to encourage empathy in pupils should consider starting a crowdfunding fundraiser with their classes. This can be a great educational experience that helps students be proactive about the injustice they see in the world.

    Consider partnering with a sister school that needs help paying for school supplies or other necessities. Or, raise money for a nearby children’s hospital.

    Encourage pupils to use critical thinking skills and creativity to come up with fundraising ideas.

  • 6. Memorial fund or scholarship fund

    If a teacher, pupil or another community member who is important to your school passes away, honour that person by starting a scholarship fund in their name (with the permission of the person’s family, of course).

    Come up with ideas for appropriate ways to spend the funds you raise, such as creating a scholarship to be awarded to one pupil at the end of the year, dispersing donations to a group of students for summer camp or earmarking money for a special school event.

    Memorial fundraisers are a great way for your students to transform their loss into something positive and be involved in a legacy project.

Get your school fundraiser off the ground

No need to waste time figuring out how to go about raising funds for your school event, class trip, programme, club or worthy cause. Get the ball rolling with a crowdfunding fundraiser on GoFundMe — because it has a 0% platform fee for organizers, you get to keep more of the funds your raise. We also offer a wealth of resources and unique fundraising ideas. If you haven’t already launched your school fundraiser, create your fundraiser today.

Note: to create a GoFundMe account, you must be at least 13 years old and have your parent or guardian’s permission.

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Five fundraising ideas for primary schools

primary schools

While many primary school fundraisers focus on meeting a school’s financial needs, consider using a crowdfunding fundraiser to give back instead. Launching a charitable crowdfunding fundraiser can provide amazing opportunities for personal growth. Teachers can use online fundraising as opportunities to engage students and encourage them to cultivate compassion inside and outside the classroom.

Four ideas for primary school fundraising

  • 1. Host a bake sale

    Hosting a bake sale is a great way to get everyone involved and to raise some money. Ask each child (parent) in the class to bake something and then sell the delicious treats at lunchtime to the rest of the school.

    Make sure have a good selections of cakes on offer, why not designate different baked goods to each parent so you don’t have any duplications
    Make sure you charge enough to cover your costs and make a profit

  • 2. Hold a mock game show night

    Hold a fundraiser in your auditorium and invite parents or families to participate in a quiz-show contest.

    Before the event, form teams and have each team raise funds together.
    Ask a local business to donate the top prize.
    Get a staff member to MC.
    Set up a trivia competition like The Chase, but with a twist: focus on information that relates to your school or town history.
    Provide breaks in the competition for snacking and socialising.
    Have a station where guests can make a suggested donation.
    Publicise the event on social media. This is a great opportunity for teachers and parents to work together and give back.

  • 3. Host a recycling-themed fundraiser

    Organise a waste reduction project — for example, an e-waste drive where supporters donate money to your fundraiser and, in return, you pick up and safely recycle their electronic waste.

    You can also collect pledges for distance covered in a park or beach cleanup, or pledges for a certain amount of energy or water saved within a certain timeframe.
    To double the impact, donate funds to an organisation that works to address the effects of climate change.

  • 4. Organise a read-a-thon

    Ask your class to gather donations in a read-a-thon fundraising event.

    For every page read by a pupil, sponsors agree to donate a certain amount of money to the crowdfunding fundraiser. This is a great way to encourage pupils to read while raising money for a cause.
    Have them record the number of pages they read, as well as the names of the books and a short synopsis of each.
    You can even collect some of their summaries and post them as updates to your fundraiser.
    Set a fundraising goal at the outset, so you know how many pages need to be read to reach the goal.
    At the end of your fundraiser, use the funds to improve your library, or donate the funds to an organisation that promotes child literacy.

The road to a better world

Children are the future and, by instilling compassion in them, we help find hope for a better tomorrow for people, animals and communities around the world. If you haven’t already started a fundraiser with your children or pupils, get together with them, pick a cause they’re passionate about and start giving back by launching a fundraiser today.

Note: to create a GoFundMe account, you must be at least 13 years old and have your parent or guardian’s permission.

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5 fundraising ideas for secondary schools

It can be challenging to come up with fresh fundraising ideas that excite both pupils and parents. The start of the school year can be an incredibly busy time and parents who have spent money on school supplies and clothes may be reluctant to spend even more on a fundraiser — but raising money early on can give you resources to last throughout your academic year.

Five ideas for secondary school fundraising

  • 1. Hold a pancake breakfast
    • Publicise your pancake breakfast in advance via email, school newsletters and social media.
    • Invite members of the community to support your crowdfunding fundraiser.
    • Charge a flat fee per breakfast in the form of a donation to your fundraiser (you can take donations with a mobile device).
    • Solicit parent volunteers to help prepare the food in your cafeteria, like pancakes and other breakfast foods.
    • Recruit pupils to serve meals and refill coffee.
    • Encourage parents to bring extended family, friends or members of the school community.

  • 2. Host a dance

    Preteen pupils are often eager to socialise with classmates outside of school and fundraising dances provide an opportunity to do so while benefitting your cause.

    • Offer alternative activities for children who aren’t comfortable dancing.
    • Ask pupil representatives to take on an active role in planning and publicising the dance.
    • Recruit parent and teacher volunteers to supervise.
    • Ask families to make a donation to your crowdfunding fundraiser in lieu of buying a ticket.
    • To reduce overhead, find a trusted alumni or community member to DJ, or recruit a local band to perform.

  • 3. Organise a tie-dye event

    Here’s how to set up a tie-dye booth:

    • Buy a low-cost fabric dye in a variety of colours.
    • Invite pupils to bring their white t-shirts, socks or sweatshirts to dye in exchange for a donation.
    • Have them write their name in marker pen somewhere inside each article of clothing.
    • Fill buckets with cold water and a few dye packets to make bold colours.
    • Teach students how to tie up their clothes for a bullseye or swirl pattern.

  • 4. Give students a chance to leave their mark

    If your secondary school fundraising fundraiser benefits a construction project or other upgrade to your facilities, brainstorm ways you can raise money by letting students contribute a handprint, quote or some other artistic flourish to the building.

    • You could ask them to find a sponsor for each tile in a garden mosaic.
    • Or, you can charge pupils a small amount to leave their handprint in paint or cement or to make their own mini-mural on a small section of wall.
    • Encourage creative expression and simultaneously helps raise money in small amounts can add up to a huge success.

  • 5. Host a cake-decorating contest

    Here’s how to organise a cake-decorating contest.

    • Participants can donate a set amount to your crowdfunding fundraiser to participate.
    • Ask a local bakery or grocery store to donate plain, unfrosted cakes and see if any other businesses are willing to donate gift cards or goods for a winning prize.
    • Have contestants make their own frosting and decorate the cakes however they like, then bring the cakes to school on the day of the event.
    • Gather a panel of judges to choose the winning cake, then auction off all of the contenders to benefit your fundraiser.

Blaze new trails

For many people, secondary school is a difficult time — an awkward in-between period in which pupils struggle to adjust to bodily changes as well as increased responsibility and freedom. But secondary school fundraising ideas can actually be constructive projects that make this new territory less threatening for pupils. By organising a crowdfunding fundraiser that features events that allow children to socialise and express their creativity, you help them become more confident young people while raising money for the school. If you haven’t already, launch a school fundraiser today.

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Five Sixth form student fundraising ideas 

Six ideas for private school fundraising

  • 1. Host an Auction

    Ask students and parents to offer services in exchange for bids and the prize goes to the highest bidder. Services could include: babysitting, cleaning the bathroom, acting as a chauffeur or cooking the highest bidder dinner. 

  • 2. Charity football match

    Everyone loves football fever, why not create your own buzz and host a students vs teachers football match and raise some much needed funds for your school. Hold tryouts for the teams and then charge parents and students to come and watch. 

  • 3. Sponsored silence

    Host a sponsored silence to raise funds for your school. Put up posters around the school to let everyone know when the sponsored silence is taking place. Have a clear start and end time and make sure it is a long enough time frame for people to consider it a challenge. 

  • 4. Host a cook-off

    To start a friendly competition between pupils, faculty and parents, organise a cook-off to display cooking or baking skills.

    • You can either charge an entrance fee (via a donation to your fundraiser) or require tasting fees from participants (in the form of a contribution).
    • Find a venue such as your school’s dining hall or auditorium to host this event.
    • The winner is awarded bragging rights as the best chef at your school.

  • 5. Host an outdoor film night

    Host a social gathering for parents and their children by organising an outdoor movie fundraising event.

    • Pick a famous movie (or vote on one) and invite everyone to enjoy the film together from the comfort of lawn chairs and blankets.
    • Find an outdoor space, a powerful projector, a screen (or sheet, or flat white wall) and speakers that can fill the space with the right level of sound.
    • Take donations with a mobile device. Whip up some popcorn and sell it for a small price.
    • A fun variation: host a summer dive-in film in a swimming pool.

  • 6. Host an outdoor film night

    Host a social gathering for parents and their children by organising an outdoor movie fundraising event.

    • Pick a famous movie (or vote on one) and invite everyone to enjoy the film together from the comfort of lawn chairs and blankets.
    • Find an outdoor space, a powerful projector, a screen (or sheet, or flat white wall) and speakers that can fill the space with the right level of sound.
    • Take donations with a mobile device. Whip up some popcorn and sell it for a small price.
    • A fun variation: host a summer dive-in film in a swimming pool.

Virtual fundraising ideas for schools

  • Host a virtual pub quiz

Everybody loves a pub quiz, and they work surprisingly well virtually. Offer to come up with a multi-round quiz, with one round themed around the cause you’re raising money for, and act as the quiz master for the night. Get those taking part to donate the price of a drink towards your GoFundMe fundraiser. 

  • Host a gameathon

Kids love video games. Why not host a gameathon whereby pupils take each other on at their favourite video games all day long. You can host a livestream so family and friends can watch along and donate to your fundraiser while they are at it.

  • Hold a virtual challenge

Why not raise funds and get fit at the same time. Host a virtual fitness challenge, this could include setting your class a target of running 100km collectively in a month and asking friends and family to sponsor them. There’s nothing like a bit of competition to get students motivated, offer a prize for the student who runs the most and raises the most in a certain amount of time. Encourage students to set up individual fundraisers to get friends and family to donate and keep a tally each week of who is winning.

Get your school fundraiser off the ground

No need to waste time figuring out how to go about raising funds for your school event, class trip, programme, club or worthy cause. Get the ball rolling with a crowdfunding fundraiser on GoFundMe — because it has a 0% platform fee for organisers, you get to keep more of the funds you raise. We also offer a wealth of resources and unique fundraising ideas. If you haven’t already launched your school fundraiser, create your fundraiser today.

Note: to create a GoFundMe account, you must be at least 13 years old and have your parent or guardian’s permission.

Start a school fundraiser