25+ Amazing School Fundraising Ideas! (Easy, Fun and Free)

Reach your goal with these easy and profitable fundraising ideas for schools! Educational establishments from daycare through colleges need to raise funds for everything from school trips, new playground equipment, after-school activities, new cheer and band uniforms, team equipment, and so much more.

So let’s get started! Choose from our list of easy and outstanding school fundraisers, that you feel your students and community will most likely support.

Top 3 Fundraisers	School Events	Product Sales	Donation	Fun Fundraisers
Cookie Dough	Art Exhibition	Pumpkin Sales	Penny Wars	Principal Challenge
Popcorn	Field Day	Car Decal Sale	Dress Down Day	Teachers In Jail
View All Ideas	View All Ideas	View All Ideas	View All Ideas	View All Ideas

Top 3 Fundraisers
Event Fundraisers
Product Sales
Donation
Fun Fundraisers

3 Best Selling School Fundraisers That Are Completely FREE To Start!

Choose from the best school fundraising ideas below and get started today!

Cookie Dough Fundraiser – Crazy About Cookies

Easy ★★★	Profitable ★★★	Popular ★★★

How Much Will You Make

# of Tubs Sold	Your Profit	% Profit
84 – 149	$720 – $1,608	30%
150 – 335	$2,150 – $4,486	30%
336 – 701	$2,150 – $4,486	40%
702 – 1,205	$5,054 – $8,676	45%
1,206 – 3,005	$9,648 – $24,040	50%
3,006 +	$26,452 +	55%

How It Works

Your school fundraiser simply can’t go wrong when you fundraise with the country’s best-selling cookie dough! Freshly-baked cookies made with the finest ingredients, all for a good cause, are always the tastiest. JustFundraising’s Crazy About Cookies program has been running for over 20 years and has built a brand loyalty with schools across America, like no other.

What You Need To Know (Product Features)

Sell 2.7 lb (larger format) tubs for only $16 each.
10 flavors, including chocolate chunk, oatmeal raisin, peanut butter, triple chocolate, sugar, and more.
It is free to start – simply order your free order-takers for your entire group, and start selling!
Delivery is convenient because cookie dough can be stored at room temperature for up to 21 days (no eggs or dairy!)
Shipping is FREE when you sell 150 tubs or more
Delivery takes 2 weeks form the day you provide payment

Other Options Available

$10 cookie tubs, weighing 2 lbs are now available!
Preformed cookie dough, where all you have to do is place and bake, is also available.

Start Crazy About Cookies now!

View All Cookie Dough Fundraisers

$10 Popcorn Fundraiser

Easy ★★★	Profitable ★★☆	Popular ★★★

How Much Will You Make

*Based on 10 items sold per seller
# of Sellers	Units Sold	Profit
10	150	$400
25	250	$1,000
50	500	$2,000
100	1000	$4,000
250	2500	$10,000

How It Works

Popcorn is a big snack favorite among students and teachers and offers an even bigger income opportunity for your school. The recently released $10 popcorn fundraiser is disrupting the popcorn market, because now schools can finally sell gourmet popcorn in a smaller, more affordable format.

What You Need To Know (Product Features)

There are 7 gourmet flavors available including cheddar cheese, classic caramel, Chicago style and buffalo ranch
You keep $4 profit for every bag of popcorn sold.
Product is gluten free, msg free and corn is gmo free
It is free to start – simply order your free order-takers for your entire class or school, and start selling!
Delivery takes 2 weeks form the day you provide payment

Other Options Available

$10 popcorn that has several fudge flavors, available only when weather is cool.
$17 gourmet popcorn in a larger format, including my favorite, chocolatey delight!

Start $10 Popcorn Fundraiser now!

View All Popcorn Fundraisers

Scented Candle Fundraiser – Quote Candles

Easy ★★★	Profitable ★★★	Popular ★★★

How Much Will You Make

*Based on 7 items sold per seller
# of Sellers	Units Sold	Profit
15	105	$735
25	175	$1,225
50	350	$2,450
100	700	$4,900
500	3500	$24,500

How It Works

Quote candles are proof that not all candles are made equal. This candle fundraiser is made in the USA, made from quality waxes, and all candles have a 75+ hour burn-time. What makes them extra special, are the unique, uplifting quotes labeled on each candle. Your school can raise funds while selling a quality product and pass on positive messages!

What You Need To Know (Product Features)

Your school will sell these candles using an order-taker.
The order-taker offers a variety of 8 scented candles, including:

Lavender Mist, labeled ‘Live, Laugh, Love’,
Cinnamon Apple, labeled ‘Home is where love lives’,
White Cotton, labeled ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’.

It is free to start – simply order your free order-takers for your entire group, and start selling!
Free shipping when you sell 120 candles or more
Delivery to your school takes 2 weeks from the day you provide payment

Other Options Available

Earth Candles – this order-taker includes a mix of candles in both canning jars and tumblers.
Holiday Candles – these candles are in a smaller format, cost only $10 each, and are labeled with Christmas themes.

Start Quote Candles now!

View All Candle Fundraisers

Popular fundraising event ideas for schools

Art Exhibition

Easy ★★☆	Profitable ★☆☆	Popular ★★☆

How It Works

Crafty students love to put their creative touch on the world around them and an art exhibition fundraiser is just the key. Encourage your art students to make one-of-a-kind masterpieces for a show. You can arrange to hold it at a local gallery or at the school. Whether you auction off the pieces, sell tickets or take custom orders, the goal is to the raise funds for future endeavors.

Why We Like It

Tips for Major Profits on Your Masterpiece Theater:

Charge an entrance fee to the art exhibition.
Offer snacks and drinks during the event.
Encourage local merchants to sponsor tables or specific art styles such as pottery or charcoal drawings.
Hold an auction on the last day of the exhibit to ensure everyone has enjoyed the artisanship and they have an opportunity to bid on their favorite pieces.

Getting Started

Craft Your Sales for Maximum Show:

Advertise well ahead of time to increase anticipation.
Include local vendors to make it community experience and increase exposure.
An online auction or end of exhibition auction will bring more attention to each piece of artwork.
Consider charging a fee for entrances or voting and add a 50/50 raffle to increase profit potential.

Field Day Fundraiser

Easy ★★☆	Profitable ★★☆	Popular ★★☆

How It Works

Have you ever considered raising funds by hosting a field day event for your schools? You can make it an organized grade level experience or include all the schools in your system with a variety of sporting activities. Charging registration fees and selling tickets for each event or all day passes are just a few ways to rake in the dough.

Why We Like It

Bring in the Greens with These Tips:

Offer refreshments and drinks to spectators and participators throughout the day.
Ask local shopkeepers and vendors to sponsor a team or set up a booth for the field days.
Consider selling t-shirts, raffle tickets, and memorabilia for the event.
Finalize the evening with an award ceremony and a 50/50 drawing for the spectators. This keeps your audience engaged longer increasing sales throughout the event.

Getting Started

Score Big From the Start:

Organize a committee that includes community members, faculty, and students to increase interest and raise awareness.
Advertise in local newspapers, free radio spots, and community-based media boards.
Offer trophies and awards for the teams and individuals who win in their event and present these at an evening ceremony to finalize the day’s success.

Spring Cleaning Yard Sale

Easy ★★☆	Profitable ★☆☆	Popular ★★☆

How It Works

Take advantage of the workload by considering a spring cleaning yard sale to raise funds for your school. Involve the community, ask for donations, and offer a prize to the child or children who get the most donations for the event. Include refreshments throughout the day and offer a BBQ, encourage shopkeepers to set up a spot or sponsor tables to sell their overstock. Consider charging a fee to artisans who want to include their wares.

Why We Like It

Clean Up with the Following Tips:

Include tables from each subject area such as music, art, science, technologies and other areas of interest. This increases interest while teaching the participants organizational skills for later use.
Consider hosting tables inside and outside as well as offering a rain date to ensure the sale goes on with fewer issues.
Ask local organizations such as the VFW, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts to participate and make it a community-wide event.

Getting Started

Sweep in the Funds:

Ask for donations of yard sale items while families and community members are doing their seasonal cleaning then set a date for the Grand Sale.
Encourage participation by including members of each grade, faculty, and local celebrities or leaders.
Take advantage of free advertising options such as radio spots and social media to make the day a sweeping success.

Summer Carnival

Easy ★★☆	Profitable ★★☆	Popular ★★☆

How It Works

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed sed tempus turpis. Curabitur blandit facilisis condimentum. Duis sollicitudin tempus pulvinar. Aenean convallis ultricies nibh vel venenatis. Curabitur sit amet rutrum risus. Donec quam enim, porttitor et neque id, tempus maximus lectus. Vestibulum enim orci, fringilla at luctus non, lobortis eu lectus. Donec commodo ex eu elit convallis ultricies. Quisque vehicula eget enim at iaculis.

Why We Like It

Getting Started

Haunted House

Easy ★★☆	Profitable ★☆☆	Popular ★★☆

How It Works

Do you need to scare up funds for future school activities? Consider hosting a haunted house for students, faculty, and the community to enjoy. Organize the event to coincide with other community functions to improve attendance and charge an individual, group, or family fee for visitors. Haunted houses can be an extensive revenue source because they can last for several weeks leading up to Halloween.

Why We Like It

Invite Ghouls, Goblins, and Ghosts to Your Fundraiser for a Howling Success:

Consider holding a final blast and include a costume party on the last evening of your haunted house to thank participants and boost your profit potential.
Sell tables to vendors, include refreshments and presell tickets for your haunted house to add to the revenue stream.
Advertise in local media and on social platforms to generate a buzz before the actual event. This builds anticipation driving up the interest.

Getting Started

Tips for a Frighteningly Successful Fundraiser:

Include students and community members in the organizational process to increase attendance and spread the word easier.
Encourage local businesses to donate supplies, refreshments, or sponsor part of the hauntings for a noticeable mention or visible advertisement during the event. This is likely to ensure their participation and increase any donations they offer.
Make sure the setting is age appropriate or designate certain areas to meet the needs of different age groups. This indicates an understanding of the development of the children and gives parents and teachers the support needed for safe, fun activities.

Partner With a Local Restaurant Chain

Easy ★★☆	Profitable ★★☆	Popular ★★☆

How It Works

Partner with a local restaurant to get in on the fundraising venture for local schools and academic organizations. An evening it set aside by the restaurant and they agree to donate a percentage of the profits from their sales, or the sale of a specific item. Setting this up months ahead of time gives both parties time to negotiate the terms and create an advertising campaign that will raise the necessary funds.

Why We Like It

For True Dining Success, Consider These Tips:

Choose an evening the restaurant generates fewer sales to increase their sales as this will benefit both the school and the restaurant.
Offer to volunteer members of the student body or faculty to help serve or clean up. This reduces the expenses for the restaurant.
Encourage the students to perfect their social skills by posting the event on all their social platforms.
Include family members to spread the word even further and generate even more interest.

Getting Started

Make it a Deal of a Meal to Reach Your Goal:

Discuss menu options such as desert specials, combos, or even selling gift cards at a discounted rate to increase attendance.
Ask the partnering restaurant how you can make the process easier for them. Things like busing tables, washing dishes, or waiting tables will take a lot of the work off their staff and increase repeat events.
Offer to be responsible for advertising the event and ask about pre-selling tickets or gift cards as well as t-shirts or special placemats for the evening.

School Product Fundraising Ideas

Pumpkin Sales

Easy ★★☆	Profitable ★☆☆	Popular ★★☆

How It Works

Pumpkin sales work great, especially when paired with events like a haunted house, school festival or fair. Kids really enjoy the creativity of carving pumpkins and parents love the memories they share. These occasions not only highlight the importance of raising funds for academic needs, they become a traditional part of the season in many communities.

Why We Like It

Pumpkins are the Jack of all Trades:

They make great decorations for Halloween and Thanksgiving so they are easy to sell.
There is little overhead if a local grocer or farmer donates the pumpkins.
Pumpkins come in all sizes so all grades can easily participate.
Classrooms can run a contest to see who sells the most. This generates a wide range of interest and increases sales among the grades.
You can choose to sell carving pumpkins, pie pumpkins, or gourds to meet a variety of tastes.

Getting Started

Carve Out Your Niche Successfully:

Plan ahead. Discuss donations with a local pumpkin farmer. This increases profits, reduces shipping problems, and ensures the pumpkins are available when you need them.
Divide the work up among grade levels to teach the importance of planning and organization. Include family members to ensure the goals are reached with as little stress as possible for the children involved.
Keep records and offer a prize to the classroom and/or child that sells the most pumpkins. This encourages competition and increases sales.

Car Decal Sale

Easy ★★☆	Profitable ★★☆	Popular ★★☆

How It Works

Parents are proud of their children and car decal sales often translate into multiple sales. Moms and Dads, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, even adult siblings will buy these stickers to help raise funds for school activities. Prominently display them at sporting events or send home sales brochures to allow them to order plenty for their families.

Why We Like It

Stick to Your Goals:

Set a predetermined number of sales as your goal and presell these items to raise the funds.
Sell various versions of the same stickers at sporting events and school functions where the parents will be sure to attend.
Ask local vendors to sell the items in their stores and locate them in busy sections to increase sales.

Getting Started

Make Your Sale a Success By Following These Tips:

Talk with your decal manufacturer about discounts for larger quantities.
Arrange to have presale orders in order to maximize quantities.
Consider making the fundraiser a competition between classes to increase sales.
Ask sports teams and academic clubs to participate in the sales process to maximize profit potential.
Hold a contest where the students develop the decals and have the student body vote for the best choices.

Donation Fundraising Ideas

Penny Wars

Easy ★★☆	Profitable ★☆☆	Popular ★★☆

How It Works

Penny wars strike a competitive streak in kids and parents alike. First of all, mom and dad are usually more than happy to donate all their loose pennies to a good cause. Second of all, the kids love toting in jars and bags of their treasures to add to their class bounty. It creates comradery and teaches the kids to work together towards a common goal.

Why We Like It

Pony Up Your Spare Change:

Announce the results during an assembly or as part of a celebration at your school. This gives the kids something to look forward to and helps to keep them focused.
Displays all the participating classroom jars in one location so the children can keep an eye on who’s winning. This definitely sparks a strong competitive streak.
Encourage donations of coins and bills to increase your profit potential.

Getting Started

How A Penny Leads to Success:

Penny wars teach kids how to save to reach a common goal. Rewarding them for their efforts with a pizza party or special snack day makes it a grand exercise in learning.
Send a note home to parents ahead of time to inform them of the upcoming event. This will give them an opportunity to join in the fun with their child.
Don’t extend the event too long because kids will lose interest.
Combine the event with other activities within the district to entice additional donations from visitors and family members.

Dress Down Day

Easy ★★☆	Profitable ★★☆	Popular ★★☆

How It Works

Many schools encourage dress down day as a way for students to relax and enjoy themselves. Charging students and faculty a set rate to participate on these days helps them recognize a financial need while still having fun. Dress down can include attending school in PJs, jeans, or theme-based clothing. Set up the dress code to be appropriate without detracting from the purpose of the event.

Why We Like It

Dress for Success:

Many schools have relaxed dress codes so creating a themed dress day can be just as successful as a dress down day. This increases interest and improves fundraising opportunities.
Discuss making it a class competition. The room with the most participants wins and designate an appropriate award.
Encourage teachers and staff to participate to make it a rousing success.

Getting Started

Tips for the Right Wardrobe Ensemble:

Discuss your goals with the student body and ask for their input from the start. They often have great ideas that can add other sales opportunities to the occasion (e.i.: $2 to dress down, $3 to include flip-flops or sandals).
Announce the event ahead of time to increase participation and generate interest.
Organize a student-based committee to teach organization skills and planning. This also generates more interest and offers a sense of pride to those involved.

Fun Fundraisers

Principal Challenge

Easy ★★☆	Profitable ★☆☆	Popular ★★☆

How It Works

How does a principal challenge work? A series of tasks or activities are presented to students. The school principal agrees to perform the one of these that gets the most votes. Votes are collected in the form of coins that are placed in jars over the course of a couple of weeks.

Why We Like It

What student wouldn’t want to be a part of a principal challenge to fundraiser for their school? Most school principals want to help raise money for school programs in any fun way they can find. A principal challenge takes that desire up a notch.

Getting Started

What’s the first step for this fundraiser? Choosing the principal’s challenges, of course! Go over a list of possibilities with your principal before narrowing down to the most popular. Some good ideas might include having your principal dress up for a day in a funny costume, letting your principal get slimed by students during an assembly or having the principal kiss a pig. Your student will get a great laugh while money is raised for your school.

Teachers in Jail Fundraiser

Easy ★★☆	Profitable ★★☆	Popular ★★☆

How It Works

Have you ever considered the teacher in jail fundraising idea? Seriously, every kid wants to see his or her teacher in a sticky situation occasionally, so make it a profitable experience. Charge the children a fee to send their teacher to jail and then require the teacher to raise a set amount of cash in order to “post bail.” This not only raises interest it increases awareness within the community and often results in great stories afterward marking it a memorable occasion.

Why We Like It

Tips From Behind Bars:

Ask local police officers to volunteer their time to host the event and participate in the actual arrests.
Determine “bail” ahead of time and arrange for that one phone call to be profitable.
Give the “arrestees” forewarning so they can opt out for whatever reason. This prevents hurt feelings and embarrassment for all those involved.

Getting Started

Success in Rehabilitation:

Organize the event to coincide with a community function. This increases spectators, donors, and willing participants in the future.
Post the rules ahead of time so there is no confusion during the “arrest.”
Consider issuing tickets in lieu of arrests in some cases to increase the spontaneity and surprise. This not only increases profitability, it increases participation.