School fundraising ideas are always a great way to keep your school running smoothly and to help get money for the important projects that need to be done. There are many ways to raise money, so finding the best one for your school is important. Some popular school fundraising ideas include selling items such as jocks, t-shirts, or hats or renting out space in your school for events.
If you’re interested in giving your school an increase in funding to provide more resources and better instruction for students, a fundraising event is a great method of involving everyone. A well-planned school fundraising program or event is a great way to engage students, teachers, parents, and volunteers, impacting the school’s performance because everyone works together to accomplish the end goal.
But fundraising using the same old methods each year may become boring! It’s better to raise money with innovative, creative fundraising strategies that capture people’s attention. There are plenty of options for fundraising ideas that are outside the box and will bring greater benefits to your school.
Many of these ideas for fundraising at school are COVID-safe and are suitable after the virus has gone out completely. Whatever the case, your school must be ready for post-pandemic fundraising to be prepared to deal with the inevitable resurgence of live events and virtual fundraising options, which will continue to be in use.
This guide will provide our top ideas for entertaining and interesting campaigns for people of everyone, as well as some expert techniques to help set your school up to be successful with any fundraising event.
1. T-shirt sales
Everyone enjoys well-designed t-shirts, so why not use them to raise money for your school? Fundraising platforms for T-shirts allow you to design your t-shirt designs, and then you can sell your shirts to raise funds within an agreed-upon timeframe. Choose an option that doesn’t require upfront payment, like Bonfire.
Through a T-shirt campaign, you can show your pride for your school on your sleeve. T-shirts can also be a great place to showcase your text-to-give numbers in a playful, artistic manner.
2. School carnival
It’s time to get out of the state fair. Classic activities and games are an excellent chance to spend time with your family and have fun while raising funds to support your institution. Teachers, students and parents can be involved and have fun by participating in this fundraising event.
You can change the general admission fee for each event. Make sure to offer concessions. The only thing better than funnel cakes is funnel-cake for a worthy cause!
3. Community yard sale
We all have a lot of random things tossed in closets or storage spaces that haven’t been used for many years. Encourage community members to donate these things to the school for a yard sale, with profits going to the pot for fundraising.
Engage your students by showing them how to make payments and then letting them assume the role of the cashier (with the supervision of a supervisor). They’ll be able to raise money while gaining important life abilities.
4. Dog grooming
No one wants to clean their pet’s stinky paws, and groomers can be costly! Give a cost-effective option with a dog wash fundraising. Inspire parents, students, teachers, students, and other community members to bring their pets to be cleaned by student volunteers at an affordable price.
Find a parking space that is empty (like at the campus on weekends) or an area to set up for shopping and ensure you have everything you’ll need- a couple of child-sized pools, hoses attached to water sources, dog shampoo, and plenty of towels.
5. Chore auction
This idea of fundraising is great for parents with difficulty convincing their teenagers to complete their work.
Create an event you can host and invite everyone in the community to attend. People will offer students the chance to take care of errands or other chores in a live auction. Teachers can assign students the task of cleaning classrooms, parents could get their driveways cleared, and students may appreciate watching their classmates take care of their lockers — for a price!
Best Practices for Ensuring Successful School Fundraisers
All of these are excellent school fundraising ideas. However, they’re not going to be effective in isolation. Be sure that your school is following a clear plan that guides your efforts in fundraising from start to finish with a clear plan. It will help your team remain on the right track and make it swift and easy to keep track of your fundraising success as time passes. We recommend the following:
1. Set out your requirements.
What are you doing to raise money? The idea behind “school fundraising” can be so hazy that it’s difficult to determine the purpose you’re raising funds for. Where will the money go-Do the football team require new uniforms? Does the robotics team require money to travel for the next competition? Inform supporters of the programs that need funding to comprehend the need on a deeper level.
2. Understand your audience.
Your main target audience is families of students. However, you can extend your audience to include other community members, alums, close relatives, etc. Once you’ve come to know your readers, it is beneficial to understand their beliefs and motivations, lifestyles, and interests.
3. Set concrete goals.
Before you start fundraising, you must establish a clear financial goal that you want to attain. Think about the acronym SMARTA: a successful target is specific, measurable, achievable, pertinent, and time-bound. There will be a larger budget for fundraising throughout the year. However, it’s equally important to set smaller goals for the amount you’ll get for each event or campaign.
4. Create a timeline
You’ll likely be fundraising all year. It’s a good idea to create a calendar of events to ensure that you stay on the right track. Determine how many fundraisers you’ll need to reach your goals, and then distribute them across the year to ensure that you don’t wear out the generous donors and families.
Conclusion
In implementing innovative, exciting school fundraising strategies this year and establishing a strategy to ensure that you continue to be successful in fundraising, You’ll set your school up with a plan to increase funding for the following years. It will energise the school’s community and the larger community by engaging and compelling appeals for fundraising.