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High school fundraising ideas

From talent shows and tournaments to creative mystery dinners and comedy nights, we’ve crafted the ultimate list of fundraising ideas for high schools. Find the best activities to help you engage high school students and parents, teachers, and the entire community to raise money—and school spirit.

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Autographed jersey auction

Connected to the right people? Procure and auction off autographed jerseys (or other memorabilia) to your supporters. You’d be surprised how willing athletes are to offer their signature for a good cause! Take advantage of intuitive auction software for simple and easy bidding, custom item descriptions, and more—no matter if your auction is in-person or completely virtual.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Auctions

Grants

Research grants that you can apply for to fund your nonprofit organization or project. Be sure to create a stand-out grant proposal in order to impress grantmakers!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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Donation forms

Home run derby

Have participants create personal peer-to-peer fundraising pages and collect pledges from friends and family based on the number of home runs they hit. Sell tickets to watch the game and award prizes to the winners.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Baseball hit-a-thon

Collect pledges or donations from supporters based on the number of hits they make during a designated period of time. Have each participant create a personal peer-to-peer fundraising page and reach out to friends and family for donations!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Costume contest

Throw a themed costume party to match the season or holiday and award prizes for the best costumes! Sell tickets to yourfundraising eventonline and work with local sponsors to offset costs and spread the word.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Donation forms

Field goal derby

Invite fans to donate to see how many field goals they can make in a minute (make a smaller goalpost for kids, too!).  Have each participant create a personal peer-to-peer fundraising page and reach out to friends and family for for their support!
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Events
Peer-to-peer

More money, no problems

Instead of hosting an event, ask your supporters to donate a specific amount for the entire year. Create a fundraising page with photos, videos, and a compelling story in order to encourage gifts. Be sure to customize your donation amounts and add descriptions that are specific to your needs and impact.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Inspiration
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Fundraising page
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Candy bar sale

Sell wholesale candy bars and sweet treats to your supporters, bring them to events, or have them out anywhere people might need a snack! Use peer-to-peer fundraising to foster a bit of friendly competition and easily keep track of supporters who have sold the most.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Peer-to-peer
Fundraising page
Donation forms

Flag football tournament

Bring fans onto the field for some football fun! Teams register and pay to play and fans buyticketsto cheer them on.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Lend a helping hand

Let donors "purchase" 2-5 hours of extra help from students or volunteers (think raking leaves or mowing the lawn). 

In order to streamline the process and keep track of contributions, create custom labels for different donation amounts on a special fundraising page or donation form (e.g. $50 = 2 volunteer hours).
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Fundraising page
Donation forms
Auctions

Alumni night

Sell tickets to an all-inclusive alumni dinner before a big game or event. During half-time or intermission, bring out the alumni for special recognition. Alternatively, you can livestream a special alumni message during a virtual event.

Cost:
3
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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Events

You name it

Come up with a creative fundraiser with a cathy name like “Pancakes for Parents” brunch or a “Chicken Wings for Cheerleaders.” To get supporters excited, create a custom fundraising page full of on-theme photos, videos, ands more! 
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Events

Pajama run

Ask participants to don their favorite PJs while tackling a walk, jog, roll, or run for the cause. Encourage everyone to set a donation goal and spread the word about the fundraiser with peer-to-peer fundraising. Don’t forget to award prizes to the coziest runners!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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Events
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Tailgate party

Invite a local restaurant to contribute or have volunteers create a menu for a tailgate. Sell entry tickets and offer some fun merch or special treats at an additional price to bring in extra dollars.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Events

Shoot-a-thon


In this basketball fundraiser, each contestant pays a small entry fee to see how many baskets they can make in a short amount of time.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Events
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Donation forms

Car wash

Gather volunteers, soap, and plenty of rags to wash cars in exchange for donations. Collect onsite donations easily by displaying a simplescan-to-donateQR code, which allows donors to select from a variety of payment methods. You can even offer different package options for those who are willing to donate more for a deeper clean.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Events

Pump-a-thon

Find out who can (safely) lift the most weight curling, deadlifting, or squatting. Charge entry fees for participants, sell tickets, and offer food and drink at an additional cost.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Pop-up clothing shop

Ask community members to purge their wardrobes and donate sell-worthy items to your cause. Host a pop-up clothing shop at a local venue and sell tickets for entry!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Donation forms

Social media challenge

Choose a theme and a hashtag, encourage supporters to post their video or picture, and then tag others to challenge them to do the same—and donate!

Learn more social media fundraising tips to take your efforts to the next level.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
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Donation forms
Fundraising page

Sports clinic

Host a sports clinic or skills camp for participants to learn from top coaches, pro players, or other notable experts. Depending on the scale of your clinic, you can sell several tickets to the public or offer just a few spots as a big-ticket silent auction item at a fundraising event.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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Events
Auctions

Obstacle course

Challenge supporters to complete a course of obstacles like walls, mud pits, and rope climbs. To amplify your impact, and spark some friendly competition, encourage team fundraising: all supporters can join an existing team or create their own to compete!

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Walkathon

Ask supporters to lace up their shoes and gather pledges or donations for every mile they walk.

Sell official charity gear, encourage supporters to share updates on their own personal donation pages, and award top fundraisers with exciting prizes.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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Events
Peer-to-peer

5k walk/run

Map out yourfundraising run route and have supporters donate to participate. Then, use peer-to-peer fundraising tools that allow supporters to make their own donation pages, set their own goals, and ask friends and family to contribute!

Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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Peer-to-peer

Ugly sweater 5k

Get festive by encouraging supporters to wear their ugliest sweater for a fun run (and award the best dressed)! Use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage participants to set a donation goal and spread the word about the cause, along with photos of them in their ugly regalia.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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Events

Halloween costume run

Ask supporters to wear their spookiest Halloween costume during thisfun run, walk, or roll. Be sure to use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage participants to set a donation goal and spread the word.

At the end, award the winners of the race, the teams or individuals who raised the most, and, of course, the best dressed with special prizes.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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