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All fundraising ideas
Elementary school fundraising ideas
The best fundraising ideas for elementary schools offer fun for the whole family and bring in some major funds, too. Rally parents, students, staff members, and the surrounding community with these fresh and creative elementary fundraiser ideas.
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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.
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
Inspiration
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All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Adopt-a-room
Encourage donors to sponsor specific furniture peices and appliances so they can see how their contributions directly support families in need. The easiest way to do this is to set up custom labels for different donation amounts on your donation form that correspond with the items you need. For example, “$25 provides a toaster,” “$50 provides a dinnerware set,” and so on.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Donation forms
Fundraising page
Shoe-decorating
Source an array of paints and art supplies and invite community members to make a donation and bring a pair of sneakers to paint together for your good cause.
To create a seamless event experience, set up custom ticket types, like an upsell ticket that provides a pair of shoes. Make sure to add a custom question to get the right shoe size!
To create a seamless event experience, set up custom ticket types, like an upsell ticket that provides a pair of shoes. Make sure to add a custom question to get the right shoe size!
Cost:
2
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Events
Cup of coffee
Set up a coffee cart in the office and ask employees and/or passersby to donate the cost of their morning coffee towards the cause.
Offer scan to-donate and accept Venmo donations to make giving even easier.
Offer scan to-donate and accept Venmo donations to make giving even easier.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Donation forms
Car smashing
Ask your local junkyard to donate totaled cars and invite supporters to make a donation to take a sledgehammer to them.
Sell different kinds of tickets online for smashers and audience members and offer food and drinks to raise even more during the fun. Don’t forget the safety goggles!
Sell different kinds of tickets online for smashers and audience members and offer food and drinks to raise even more during the fun. Don’t forget the safety goggles!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Flower bouquets
Partner with a local florist to set up a stall where volunteers make, wrap, and sell flower bouquets for Mother's Day, Easter, or any other spring celebration.
Create a fundraising page with custom donation amounts featuring a photo of each kind of bouquet and the number available so donors can reserve bouquets online or purchase in person.
Create a fundraising page with custom donation amounts featuring a photo of each kind of bouquet and the number available so donors can reserve bouquets online or purchase in person.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Fundraising page
Donation forms
Pet therapy
Invite local animal shelters to bring adoptable dogs and cats to campus during midterms or finals to reduce student stress and raise money for a good cause.
Charge an entry fee and sell inexpensive extras like dog and cat treats. Be sure to offer multiple ways to purchase treats in-person like scan-to-donate and Venmo!
Charge an entry fee and sell inexpensive extras like dog and cat treats. Be sure to offer multiple ways to purchase treats in-person like scan-to-donate and Venmo!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Networking night
Find a suitable space, charge an entry fee, and check in attendees as they arrive at your networking event! Get creative by inviting food trucks and hosting hands-on activities.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Events
Gift wrapping
Source donated paper, set up a gift wrapping station in a popular location, and charge for holiday gift-wrapping! Use scan-to-donate or Venmo to accept payments on the spot.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Donation forms
Fundraising page
Events
Virtual food/wine tasting
Partner with local eateries and provide tasting kits for participants to enjoy at home for a small fee. Then, host a livestream tasting experience.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms
Fundraising page
Jeans day / Out of uniform day
Sell passes for a day out of uniform or a day in jeans. Allow parents to pre-pay ahead or donate on the day-of the event. For easy payments, use scan-to-donate or accept Venmo and other convenient options.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms
Pool volleyball tournament
Turn your community pool into a sports arena with a pool volleyball tournament. To make this a high-value event, charge teams an entry fee and encourage them to raise sponsorship through their team fundraising pages.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Beach Games
Plan an exciting beach competition including an Olympics-style championship for events like volleyball, surfing, and sandcastle making.
Ask participants to pay a small fee to register and raise even more funds by selling cold drinks and ice cream.
Ask participants to pay a small fee to register and raise even more funds by selling cold drinks and ice cream.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Pumpkin carving contest
See who can carve or decorate the best pumpkin while raising funds for your community group or cause. Award prizes in different categories for kids, families, and talented adults.
Make it easy as pumpkin pie for participants to vote for the winners with a small donation using text-to-donate.
Make it easy as pumpkin pie for participants to vote for the winners with a small donation using text-to-donate.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Karaoke night
Host an unforgettable night for your community to come belt out their favorite songs. Charge a small entry fee or accept donations for participation.
To encourage even more donations during the party, display mobile giving options and your progress toward your goal using live display.
To encourage even more donations during the party, display mobile giving options and your progress toward your goal using live display.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Chili cook-off
Invite participants to prepare their best chili for attendees—and offer prizes for the winner! Create team fundraising pages for each chili recipe/culinary team. There, supporters can cast their vote with a donation and watch the live leaderboard to see which chef is in the lead!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Coach dare
Challenge your coach to do something wild (like shaving their head!) if your team reaches their fundraising goal. Have supporters watch the fundraiser’s progress—and create some exciting anticipation—with an engaging fundraising page that features a live goal bar.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Fundraising page
Donation forms
Coffee morning
Host a coffee morning and invite your community members to join you for tea or coffee, cake, and a cozy chat with friendly faces. Ask a local coffee shop to sponsor your event or donate a percentage of their profits from the morning to your cause.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Events
Donate or dare
Pledge to do something wild, exciting, or newsworthy if your fundraising campaign hits or exceeds its target.
Share regular campaign updates and add a goal bar to your fundraising page to keep the momentum going and encourage more donations.
Share regular campaign updates and add a goal bar to your fundraising page to keep the momentum going and encourage more donations.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Fundraising page
Peer-to-peer
Home exercise classes
Invite local fitness instructors and coaches to donate their skills and invite community members to join you for at-home exercise classes in exchange for a donation.
Manage everything in one place by broadcasting your classes with a livestream right on your event registration page.
Manage everything in one place by broadcasting your classes with a livestream right on your event registration page.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Dance-a-thon
Using individual peer-to-peer fundraising pages connected to your central event page, participants gather donations and pledges based on how long they aim to dance—without taking a break!
Supporters can donate, leave messages of support for the dancers, and purchase tickets to join in the fun all in one place.
Supporters can donate, leave messages of support for the dancers, and purchase tickets to join in the fun all in one place.
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Pumpkin patch
Partner with a local farm to create a family-friendly pumpkin patch event. Invite your community to come take fall photos and pick out a pumpkin or two in exchange for a donation.
Make transactions quick and easy with Tap to Pay and a scan-to-donate QR code posted to let donors choose their payment method—PayPal, Google Pay, Venmo, and more.
Make transactions quick and easy with Tap to Pay and a scan-to-donate QR code posted to let donors choose their payment method—PayPal, Google Pay, Venmo, and more.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms
Oktoberfest
Take inspiration from the popular German event and host your own Oktoberfest with carnival games, a haunted house, and plenty of beer and non-alcoholic drinks.
This fall festival idea is a great way to raise funds for your cause and give your supporters an exciting day out.
This fall festival idea is a great way to raise funds for your cause and give your supporters an exciting day out.
Cost:
3
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms
Fundraising page
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
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
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Frequently asked questions
How do I start a fundraiser for my elementary school?
Starting a fundraiser for your elementary school usually begins with identifying a need, like new playground equipment or computers. Ideally, this is done in partnership with stakeholders like the PTA and school administrators. No one should take on a fundraising effort alone, so your next step is to assemble a team of volunteers to brainstorm ideas. A book sale? A fun run? A trivia night? The sky’s the limit!
What are the most popular elementary school fundraisers?
Great fundraising ideas for elementary schools that have stood the test of time include events like fall or spring carnivals, bake sales, and walkathons. These evergreen activities appeal to families, engage more community members, and provide fun for everyone.
Regardless of how you collect donations, the best school fundraising ideas for elementary schools get both students and parents involved and even bring local restaurants and businesses in on the action.
What is the most profitable elementary school fundraiser?
The profitability of any fundraiser can vary depending on resources, expenses, and community support, but large-scale events like galas and silent auctions tend to be the most profitable. Alternatively, crowdfunding campaigns that allow supporters to make small donations on a donation page are also effective for raising money sustainably throughout the school year.
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