Finding fun ways to raise funds for your school can be a rewarding experience for educators, students, and parents. Whether you’re part of the school’s administration or the parent-teacher organization (PTO), you’re the driving force behind these efforts, helping to unite the school community and transform fundraising into a shared effort.
With a bit of creativity and active involvement from parents and teachers, schools can host successful campaigns that raise money and strengthen connections with the broader community.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed, many teachers and staff are discovering how easy and enjoyable fundraising can be when they focus on simple, low-cost ideas that bring people together. Let’s explore some low-cost ideas that make fundraising exciting!
1. Online Pledge Drive Fundraiser
With an online pledge drive fundraiser platform, schools can easily set up customizable campaigns that personalize the giving experience, allowing families and the community to donate from anywhere, anytime. Whether students are participating in a Walk-a-thon or community service work, they can raise pledged donations to support any type of activity. This makes pledge drives great for everything from academic programs to sports teams. These fundraisers also reduce administrative effort, as donations are processed automatically.
With the right software, you won’t need to pay upfront fees. For instance, 99Pledges’ school fundraising platform doesn’t charge platform or startup fees. Instead, the only costs are a standard credit card fee of 3.49% plus 49 cents per transaction. Backed by software like this, here’s how the online pledge drive fundraising process works:
- Create the campaign. The vendor will handle setup for you, creating individual donation pages for each participant.
- Share campaign pages. Fundraising participants share links to their donation pages with friends and family via email, text, and social media.
- Collect donations. Supercharge your campaign by collecting secure online donations from supporters.
- Track progress. Using your tools, easily track and share progress, motivate participants, and encourage competition with fun gamification elements like leaderboards!
- Receive your funds. Once your school’s fundraiser ends, the vendor will transfer your proceeds.
Online pledge drive fundraisers offer schools a streamlined way to raise money while keeping costs low. With easy-to-use platforms and no upfront fees, they allow schools to focus on engagement rather than logistics.
2. Read-a-thon
Tie education and fundraising together by hosting a Read-a-thon. This idea is a great way to get kids back in the groove of learning, making it an effective back-to-school fundraiser.
During a Read-a-thon, students will read as many minutes as possible within a set time period, typically about two weeks to build momentum. Students gather pledges from family and friends, who agree to donate a certain amount per minute read. For example, if someone pledges $1 for every minute read, and a student logs 180 minutes, that individual would be charged $180.
To make your Read-a-thon even more engaging, try out these strategies:
- Read stories together. Encourage parents or teachers to set aside time to read aloud to younger participants, creating a sense of community around the event.
- Create a fun theme. Set a theme like “Wildlife Safari” or “Superheroes,” and encourage students to explore books related to the theme to keep excitement high.
- Offer prizes for readers who hit certain milestones. Motivate participants by offering small rewards or prizes when they reach reading milestones, such as completing an hour of reading.
- Reach out to a local author. Contact a local author to schedule a virtual or in-person reading session. They can read their books and discuss the writing process, making the fundraiser more interactive and inspiring for students.
This campaign promotes a love of reading and encourages community involvement. With extra ideas to elevate your Read-a-thon, this event can become an exciting school tradition!
3. Dress-Up Days
A dress-up day is a simple, engaging fundraiser that’s adaptable for private and public schools. These events encourage school spirit and creativity while raising funds with minimal effort. For a small fee, students and staff can participate in themed dress-up days, such as:
- Casual Fridays: Perfect for private schools that have uniforms, students and staff can wear jeans or other casual attire to school.
- Pajama Day: Great for a cold winter day, students and staff can come to school in their cozy pajamas.
- Halloween Costume Day: Allow students and staff to show off their Halloween spirit by wearing costumes.
These events require little preparation, making them a great option for busy school administrators and PTOs. Plus, they’re a low-barrier activity, meaning anyone can participate. To maximize participation, promote the event through flyers, school newsletters, and social media.
4. Dine-Out Events
Also known as spirit nights and restaurant fundraisers, dine-out events are an easy way to raise funds for your school while supporting local businesses. All you need to do is contact a local restaurant and line up a night for your event. A portion of the proceeds from that night’s sales will go toward your school.
To boost attendance, consider adding a few special touches:
- Decorate the restaurant. With the restaurant owner’s permission, add banners or festive table settings to create a more inviting atmosphere.
- Ask for help with promotion. The restaurant may display flyers promoting the spirit night to help attract more customers.
- Book live music or a DJ. Having live entertainment can make the evening more exciting and encourage people to stick around longer, increasing overall sales.
- Have school leadership attend. The principal and other school leadership can hang out at the restaurant during peak hours, helping to draw in more families.
Dine-out events are simple to organize and don’t require upfront costs. By adding a few creative elements to the night, you can create a memorable experience. Plus, this is a great way to kickstart long-term partnerships with community-minded businesses. If all goes well, this can turn into a regular fundraiser for your school.
5. Custom Merch Sales
Supercharge school spirit by selling custom merchandise. Whether it’s a parent, student, or alum, many people are eager to wear branded items that demonstrate their school pride. With a platform that only charges processing fees and follows a print-on-demand model, this fundraiser can generate pure profit for any school!
Here’s how Bonfire’s guide to making custom merch breaks the process down:
- Define your school’s visual identity. Consider incorporating your logo, colors, and any other branding elements that represent your school.
- Think about what your community would want to purchase. Are they into t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, or tote bags? Ask for suggestions to determine popular items.
- Select a merch website. Your platform should make it easy to design and sell custom products. Many websites offer print-on-demand services, reducing the need for upfront costs and inventory.
- Select your products. Choose products that cater to different tastes and budgets. If you’re selling t-shirts or hoodies, offer a range of youth and adult sizes.
- Design your merchandise. Include eye-catching, school-themed graphics. Incorporate your school’s brand, mascot, or motto to make the items truly unique.
Custom merchandise is a fun way to raise funds while promoting school pride. Plus, you can get students involved in the design and selling process. For example, you might host a design competition where students submit and vote on merch designs. Students can also sell the school merch, gaining valuable skills like accountability and communication.
Fundraising doesn’t have to be complicated or costly to be effective. There are plenty of creative and low-effort ways to raise money while building school spirit.
As you plan and execute these initiatives, collect feedback from students, families, and other participants to make future fundraising efforts even more successful. By staying flexible and engaging with the broader community, you’ll create lasting traditions that provide reliable income for your school.