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All fundraising ideas
PTA & PTO fundraising ideas
Whether you're a seasoned member of your parent-teacher association looking for fresh inspiration or a newcomer eager to make a difference, we’ve got a host of creative and easy PTA fundraising ideas to help you raise money for your school.
From fun-filled campaigns that stoke competition to events that bring the whole family together, these unique PTO fundraising ideas will help you reach your fundraising goals and build community this school year and beyond.
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Fashion show
Host a fashion show that showcases talented local designers, fashion students, or both! Make it inclusive and invite people of all sizes and abilities to be your models.
At this fundraising event, you can bring in donations by charging entrance fees, selling food and drinks, and adding a silent auction.
At this fundraising event, you can bring in donations by charging entrance fees, selling food and drinks, and adding a silent auction.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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All
Events
Fitness class
Ask local instructors to donate a virtual or in-person class for your cause. Sell tickets and bring in some extra funds on the day of by selling snacks and branded merch.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Town hall event
Host a town hall event to give community members an opportunity to learn about your organization, program, or new project. Display your text-to-give code prominently around the space to raise funds from inspired audience members.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Donation forms
Comedy roast
Invite participants to roast their teachers or coaches—in a light-hearted way. Sell tickets online and check-in attendees as they arrive, in addition to offering in-person donations for entry (and snacks!) with Venmo and scan-to-donate.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Best seat in the house
Auction off tickets to the best seat(s) in the house for an upcoming performance, sports game, gala night, live concert, or other experience your group is hosting.
With Givebutter you can also create unlimited kinds of event tickets—perfect for creating VIP packages.
With Givebutter you can also create unlimited kinds of event tickets—perfect for creating VIP packages.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Events
Auctions
Open mic night
Invite community members to perform music, poetry, or comedy for a good cause. Ask audience members to make a small donation and offer snacks to raise more funds using easy in-person mobile payments like Tap to Pay and scan-to-donate.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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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
Sell swag or merch
Raise some extra funds for your organization or club and spread the word about your cause by selling branded swag like totes, stickers, and t-shirts.
With advanced ticketing features, you can offer each item on a mobile-friendly platform and add an image and available amount so supporters can easily purchase and share their sizing info, too!
With advanced ticketing features, you can offer each item on a mobile-friendly platform and add an image and available amount so supporters can easily purchase and share their sizing info, too!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Fundraising page
Events
Donation forms
Auctions
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:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Fundraising page
Donation forms
Pet spa day
Recruit volunteers to perform various pet grooming services like bathing and nail trimming. Charge a fee for every “treatment” at this fundraising event by offering tiered ticket types for various services and combinations.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Events
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
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Peer-to-peer
Mother’s Day brunch
Reserve a community space or partner with a local restaurant or café to host a Mother's Day brunch, with proceeds going toward your cause.
Charge a small ticket fee for this fundraising event and offer a selection of refreshments, sandwiches, and sweet treats.
Charge a small ticket fee for this fundraising event and offer a selection of refreshments, sandwiches, and sweet treats.
Cost:
2
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Events
Crawl for a cause
Build community and explore your city with a themed art, food, or experience crawl. Collect registrations on your fundraising event page, and partner with the featured venues to benefit from a percentage of ticket or food sales at each stop.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Rent your space
Rent your field, venue, office, or community space to other groups and organizations to make the most of any time it isn't in use.
Spread the word that your space is available for rent with your email marketing software. Don’t forget to include photos of the space to encourage interest!
Spread the word that your space is available for rent with your email marketing software. Don’t forget to include photos of the space to encourage interest!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Inspiration
All
Donation forms
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:
2
Inspiration
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Donation forms
Auctions
Fall carnival
Host your very own fall-themed festival with live music, food and drink, local vendors, and carnival games.
Ask local businesses for supplies and prize donations and raise funds through refreshments, games, and stallholder fees.
Ask local businesses for supplies and prize donations and raise funds through refreshments, games, and stallholder fees.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Inspiration
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Donation forms
Fundraising page
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!
After your event, use email marketing software to share your gratitude with participants and volunteers along with pictures you captured of the day!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Literary pub crawl
Each stop on this bar-hopping adventure features readings or performances inspired by famous works of literature related to a given theme—poems, books, plays, you name it!
To take this fundraising event further, arrange to have each watering hole feature a special cocktail or brew (with some non-alcoholic beverages in the mix!) to match your theme.
To take this fundraising event further, arrange to have each watering hole feature a special cocktail or brew (with some non-alcoholic beverages in the mix!) to match your theme.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Events
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.
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:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Inspiration
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Donation forms
Fundraising page
Virtual auction
Take the bidding online by allowing participants to browse your silent auction catalog, place bids, and win from anywhere!
Use auction software that makes the bidding process smooth and simple for you and your donors.
Use auction software that makes the bidding process smooth and simple for you and your donors.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Inspiration
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Auctions
Fundraising page
Street food stand
Bring in donations with the sizzling smells and sweet treats from a street food stand.
Partner with a local restaurant or food truck, or set up your own stall for the day. Want to strike up a relationship with a local restaurant? Use our sponsorship proposal guide to get started!
Partner with a local restaurant or food truck, or set up your own stall for the day. Want to strike up a relationship with a local restaurant? Use our sponsorship proposal guide to get started!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Donation forms
No-talent show
Sell tickets to an all-but-traditional talent show where people make a fool of themselves for a good cause. Offer seamless event ticketing, sell food and drinks, and let the laughs begin!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
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Inspiration
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Escape Room Challenge
Charge a participation fee and challenge teams to solve puzzles and clues to "escape” from various spaces in this exciting, community-building fundraising event.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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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:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
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Inspiration
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Harvest dinner party
Host a grand harvest or Thanksgiving dinner party for special guests. Raise money through exclusive ticket sales, and use corporate sponsorship best practices to secure a partnership with a local restaurant or catering company.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Events
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Frequently asked questions
How does a PTA raise money?
Many parent-teacher association fundraising ideas involve organizing family-friendly events like bake sales and fun runs or selling items like flowers, jerseys, and grab bags. Parent fundraisers may also request donations from businesses, apply for grants, or participate in fundraising programs with online retailers.
What are the best PTA fundraising ideas?
Some of the best PTA fundraiser ideas include school carnivals, trivia nights, and family fun days, as these offer opportunities for families, teachers, and students to spend meaningful time together. Other great PTA fundraising ideas include yard sales, movie nights, raffles, and silent auctions. Additionally, partnering with local restaurants and selling tickets to community events can help PTAs raise funds, too.
How do I ask for donations to the PTA?
Identify potential donors like local businesses, community members, and other parents. Offer opportunities for donors to get involved, such as sponsoring an event or making a contribution to a specific program. Always be transparent about where the donations will go and don’t forget to express gratitude for their support. When asking for donations it's important to clearly communicate the purpose of the campaign and how the money will be used to benefit the school community.
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