Skip the boring fundraisers for your school and stop selling overpriced wrapping paper and cookie dough. If your school, student club, or PTA wants to raise money to provide a better educational experience for your students, it’s time to think outside the box. Check out these seven unique ideas to get the whole community involved in your next fundraising mission and have a little fun while raising money for your group.
Trivia Night
Who doesn’t love a little competition? Raise money for your school organization by organizing a trivia night for everyone in town. Grab a local celebrity to host the trivia and ask for volunteers to run the event. Ask for donations from the community for the items you’re giving away, which may include door prizes, raffles, and a big-ticket item for the winning trivia team. Charge a fee per person and sell tables for groups to ensure they sit together.
Sell School Hats
Get the community to show their school colors with custom hats. Couple with a designer such as capamerica.com, giving locals a wide array of hats and caps to choose from. A percentage of each sale will go towards your fundraising mission, and the community will love the option to buy a practical item at a decent price.
Color Run
For the active members of the community, a color run can be a blast! A color run is a marathon-type race where participants are asked to wear white shirts. At checkpoints throughout the course, runners are blasted with safe paint or dye. At the end of the race, the runners come out full of vibrant colors and laughs. Charge an entry fee for the run and ask for volunteers to coordinate the event and cover the participants with color.
Family Carnival
Carnivals are fun for all ages! Gather donations from the community and ask for volunteers from your group or others looking to provide a little community service. Have easy games for the little ones and more challenging activities for older kids and adults. You can even add a meal for a small fee or concessions of snacks and drinks. Bake sales often make a good profit at carnival as well.
Sell Fundraiser Cards
Fundraiser cards are a great way to incorporate local businesses while providing buyers with a practical ticket. Fundraiser cards often include freebies and coupons to local businesses and provide the buyer with more savings than they pay for the actual card. These cards are an excellent way to spread your fundraising reach beyond parents and family members.
Pancake Breakfast
Get your volunteers lined up and serve out a tasty breakfast on Saturday morning. Pancake breakfasts are a good way to get members of the community who may not be affiliated directly with the school to participate in your fundraiser. Ask for volunteers to prep and cook the food and set out a donation box for the hungry residents to chip in.
Community Service
If you have a group of students looking to raise funds for their sport or other extra-curricular groups, community service may be a great way to reach members of the community. Offer select services for a low price or allow residents to donate what they want. Examples of community service offerings include yard cleanup, lawn mowing, snow removal, and car washing.
Published by: Nelly Chavez
