All fundraising ideas

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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Garage sale

Host a garage sale to transform your old belongings into funds for your mission. Your buyers will get some new treasures, and you will reach your fundraising goal.

Use our free email marketing software to send a big launch email with all the details, then send reminders closer to the day of the sale.
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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!
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Envelope fundraiser

Leave stacks of branded envelopes in various places around your community or grounds. Invite supporters to pick up an envelope, insert a donation, and leave it at a designated drop-off point. 

Spread the word with easy email marketing software. Share the details of your campaign and send reminders as the deadline gets closer. 
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That’s a wrap

Students make donations to buy sections of toilet paper. At the end of the fundraising period, they get to wrap their teacher with it! For a smoother process, set custom donation amounts and labels on your fundraising page or donation form.
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Tool drive

Rather than requesting a financial gift, ask supporters to donate new or gently used tools and construction equipment for your programs and services. Or, sell them in an annual community tool sale. Don’t forget to send friendly reminders and guidelines on what kinds of tools can be donated using free email marketing software!
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Drag bingo

Sell bingo cards for a night of drag entertainment and competition! Winners receive donated prizes. To raise even more at this memorable fundraising event, offer drink specials and sell eye-catching merch. 
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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.
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Auctions

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.
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Peer-to-peer

Partner with a local restaurant

Partner with a celebrated local eatery to donate a percentage of their profits from a certain night or weekend to your fundraising campaign. Check out tips for securing corporate sponsorships to make the most of this opportunity. 
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Youth lock-in

Plan a good old-fashioned lock-in for your younger community members. Charge a registration fee and have chaperones on hand to supervise activities like trivia, movie screenings, and video game tournaments.

Set up an online fundraising event page where participants can register and supporters can make donations. 
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Refer a friend

For successful referrals to your program, offer your current members discounted membership fees, merchandise, or entry into a raffle. Create custom fields (like “Who referred you?”) on your donation forms to keep track of eligible members.
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Superhero training camp

Sell tickets to a “training” camp where participants undergo exercises to become superheroes (think obstacle courses and agility tests). 

After your event, use email marketing software to share your gratitude with participants and volunteers along with pictures you captured of the day!
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10,000 steps challenge

Encourage members to set up a fundraising page and accept pledges based on how long they’ll commit to their 10k-steps-a-day habit.

Invite participants to set up a peer-to-peer fundraising page where they can share their personal stories and interact with supporters.
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Fundraising page
Peer-to-peer

School auction

Source quality school-related items, such as backpacks and shoes, and auction them off during a virtual, in-person, or hybrid event. 
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Auctions

Pie baking contest and potluck

Invite bakers to submit their best pies for consideration as the dessert offering at your next potluck dinner. 

Community members can make small donations as their “votes” for their favorite pies, and you can display the leaderboard to keep the competitive spirit up and momentum moving toward your fundraising goal throughout the event.

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Peer-to-peer

Tree planting day

Plan a day of tree or flower planting to beautify your community. Invite local businesses to sponsor the whole event or an individual plant or tree, and invite donations from the wider community.
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Rah-rah raffle

Raffle or auction off donated spirit-related items or experiences like a spot at a cheer clinic and private cheer lessons. 

To attract the right audience, host a silent auction at your next spirited event with these experiences included!
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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! 
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Cupcake wars

Have kids prepare their favorite cupcake recipe to sell at a cupcake-only bake sale. To add some friendly competition in the mix, invite supporters to vote on their favorite treats by making a donation to the tastiest cupcake’s team fundraising page. Watch the results roll in on the live leaderboard and offer prizes for the winners!
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Shoe drive

Ask your community members to donate gently worn or newly purchased pairs of shoes that you can sell at a pop-up shoe drive. 

Make transactions easy with scan-to-donate and multiple payment options, including Venmo. 
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Gift basket auction

Go big with your silent auction baskets! Ask local businesses to donate goods to help you fill hampers with items that fit different themes. Wrap them up nicely to entice bidders and bring in more dollars for your cause. 
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Tie-dye fundraiser

Invite students to bring t-shirts, tote bags, socks, and other light-colored items of clothing for a tie-dye party. Charge a small fee for entry and supplies, and have some extra clothing items on hand to sell, too. 

If you produce a large volume lot of tie-dyed items, create a donation form or buy-now auction to sell them to your community! 
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Golf tournament

Golf tournaments are an incredible way to build relationships and raise funds for your cause. Charge teams an entry fee, secure sponsorships, and enjoy a day on the green with your community. 

Check out our guide to discover how to make your next golf tournament even more profitable.
Cost:
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Auctions
Peer-to-peer

Costume contest

Throw a themed costume party to match the season or holiday and award prizes for the best costumes! Sell tickets to your fundraising event online and work with local sponsors to offset costs and spread the word.
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Bring your pet to work day

Employees make a donation and bring their furry friends to work with them for the day. Organize pet-themed activities and competitions to raise additional funds. To get remote employees involved, livestream some of the activities and invite coworkers to tune in!
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Frequently asked questions

First, determine a specific need for your fundraising efforts, like extracurricular activities or a senior trip. Next, get approval from school administrators, gather volunteers, and brainstorm ideas that will get both students and the community excited, like a walk-a-thon, open mic night, or trivia competition. 

Check out the step-by-step guide for how to start a fundraiser for more tips!

Some popular fundraising ideas for high school students include events like dances, talent shows, and tournaments. Other favorites add a bit of competition to the mix, like a battle of the bands, scavenger hunt, or a principal challenge.

The amount of money a high school fundraiser can raise varies, but large events like comedy roast nights or fun runs have the potential to raise a lot. To attract extra support, you can also send out a sponsorship proposal to businesses like local restaurants.

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