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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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Scavenger hunt

Set up a themed scavenger hunt in your venue, neighborhood, or across the entire town. Charge participants a small entrance fee and offer fun, donated prizes for the winners.

Streamline the process of selling tickets and create a hub for your hunt with a fundraising event page. Any energy saved can be spent on making your event even more exciting!
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Impact:
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Crowdfunding campaign

Collect online donations from friends, family, and community members by creating a fundraising page that lays out your needs and the impact that you will make with the money you raise. Use photos and videos to make your story more engaging, and use a goal bar to showcase your progress. 

Be sure to follow crowdfunding best practices in order to make your campaign an even bigger success!
Cost:
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Impact:
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Video Game Tournament

Host a tournament featuring the most popular video games. Charge entry fees for participants and offer donated prizes for winners. To make this fundraiser digital, livestream the event so participants can play—and cheer each other on—from home.
Cost:
2
Effort:
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Impact:
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Talent show

Stage a talent show and invite members to take to the stage to show off their skills. Sell tickets, drinks, and snacks to raise money.

Make the whole experience feel even more interactive with text-to-donate. Invite audience members to vote from their seats and raise money for your cause at the same time.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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High heels walk

Instead of a 5k, organize a high heels walk down a “runway” of your choice. Challenge supporters to see who can raise the most funds leading up to the event through peer-to-peer fundraising—and who can rock the best look. Encourage your supporters to personalize their pages to attract more donations!
Cost:
1
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2
Impact:
2
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Peer-to-peer

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! 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Fundraising page

School Karaoke

A silly and fun way to raise funds, students pay a small donation to sing family-friendly karaoke songs over the school’s P.A. system or in a special assembly. 
Cost:
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Impact:
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Donation forms

One-day giving event

Take part in Giving Tuesday or create your own giving day in which you mobilize your community to reach your fundraising goal in one day.

Keep your supporters invested in your progress with a goal bar and campaign updates that highlight milestones, matching gifts, and special shout-outs throughout the day.
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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Fundraising page

Drive-in movie night

Turn a parking lot and the side of a building into a makeshift drive-in movie theater. Charge an entrance fee and raise funds by selling drinks and snacks.

Sell tickets for your fundraising event in advance, and use engaging features like scan-to-donate and mobile app check-in to streamline your guests' experience.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Holiday-grams

Put together bundles of holiday cards and small gifts and charge extra for distribution at your club, school, college, or workplace.

Customize your donation form with custom fields to collect all the details you need—such as the recipient’s name, a personalized, heartfelt holiday message, and where the gram should be delivered.
Cost:
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Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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Battle of the bands

Host a battle of the bands with local musicians. Change the audience a small ticket fee, or raise funds by selling drinks and snacks.

Raise even more money by livestreaming the show. Encourage your supporters to tune in, support the event, and donate what they can towards your goal.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Give it up challenge

Invite supporters to “give up” something small like their morning coffee order for a set amount of time and donate those funds towards your campaign instead. 

Create a fundraising page for your challenge, including a list of ideas and suggested donation amounts. Share campaign updates and donor shout-outs to keep momentum going toward your goal! 
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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Peer-to-peer

Culture day

Introduce the wider community to your club or group by hosting a themed culture day. Offer workshops, food, and activities in exchange for small donations using easy fundraising event tools like ticketing and mobile payment options.  
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Face painting

Set up a booth where passers-by can have their face painted by volunteers in your group in exchange for a small donation.

Make it easy for people to take part with scan-to-donate. All they need to do is scan the QR code and they’ll land on your donation page in seconds.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Carnival night

Host a magical fundraising event with traditional carnival games, rides, and booths. Charge an all-inclusive fee or make each activity pay-as-you-go using QR codes for a smoother donation experience.
Cost:
3
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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Penny wars

Grades or classes compete to collect the most pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Grab a few jars and encourage students to find some loose change to get started! To ensure that no one forgets their cents at home, send reminders to parents with free texting software.
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Teacher spelling bee

Put your teachers and school admins in the spelling spotlight. Ask for an entry fee and charge contestants for “help” if their skills are rusty (like buying an “ask-the-audience” pass!). 

To make this event virtual or hybrid, livestream it from your event page for attendees to watch from home.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Pajama day

For a small donation, students can come to school in their pajamas and enjoy a cozy day. Accept donations in advance or on the day of via multiple payment methods like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Venmo!
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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PTA mimosa breakfast

Invite parents to a fun twist on the pancake breakfast by selling tickets to an adult-only meal at your next fundraising event. Offer extra goodies—like espresso martinis!—at an additional cost.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Online garage sale

Collect new and used goods from your community and sell items on a first-come, first-served basis—virtually. To introduce some fun competition and bring in more funds, turn the sale into an auction with buy-now pricing options! 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
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Auctions

Field day

Invite participants to register for a day of fun outdoor games and competitions, like relay races, a water balloon toss, and a good old-fashioned tug-of-war. 

Make your fundraising event a success with sponsorships from local businesses to offset costs and bring in more participants. 
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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Lemonade stand

Sell lemonade (and maybe some tasty treats, too!) to raise funds for your cause. Make purchases smooth as butter with scan-to-donate and donation forms that accept every payment method, including Venmo!  
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
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Haunted house

Create a spooky experience and raise funds by encouraging brave participants to enter—if they dare. Accept payments on the spot with scan-to-donate, Venmo, and more convenient options. 
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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Student battle of the bands

Invite student-run bands to rock out for a prize! Charge entry fees and offer rad, donated prizes for the winners. Have each band create a team fundraising page, and encourage attendees to cast their votes for their favorites bands with a donation! 
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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Peer-to-peer

Discount Cards

Create and sell discount card coupon books full of deals to local restaurants and businesses. Sell the coupon books on a custom donation form and share it far and wide!
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Impact:
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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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