School Fundraising Ideas

There are lots of ways that schools can raise money with the help of pupils, parents and other supporters.

This article will provide some ideas for starters. However, the best way to generate ideas is to get the PTA, pupils and parents involved. They’re likely to come up with some good ideas and be more enthusiastic if it’s something they are really excited about.

Why Do Schools Need to Fundraise?

Schools receive government funding or funding from fee-paying students. However, sometimes extra cash is needed to find the resources for special events, improvements or equipment. If money can’t be allocated through traditional funds, schools can sometimes apply for grants or they can try to raise some or all of the money themselves.

Typically, school fundraising might be for:

• A special event or outing
• Equipment
• Building renovations
• Money for arts, music or sport

Fundraising at School

There are lots of ways to make money at school. Events and themed days are the most popular. Here are a few ideas:

• Hold a fancy dress or non-uniform day where pupils pay a pound or two to come in their own clothes.
• Have a disco or other party which has a small entrance fee.
• Set up sponsored events such as a sponsored walk, a sponsored swim. Teachers might especially enjoy a sponsored silence!

Schools should ensure that all children have their parents’ permission to take part in any school fundraising activities.

Fundraising Outside School

Fundraising events for school don’t have to take place at school or in school time. Indeed, it can be nice to get everyone out and about or meeting at non-school times.

You should always check with the Local Authority before holding a school fundraising event to ensure there are no restrictions. Fundraising ideas for outside of school include:

• Put on a community barbecue.
• Organise a street fair or market.
• Hold a weekend jumble sale.
• Put on an evening with prizes to be raffled. Ask local businesses to donate prizes to the good cause.
• Hold a school production in a local hall. For example, stage a famous play and sell tickets for the event.

More School Fundraising Ideas

Lots of schools are always looking for new ways to raise extra money and often they want to find ways which don’t cost their pupils and their families extra money.

For example, there are now cashback sites dedicated to school fundraising. Cashback sites work by paying out a small fee each time someone buys through the site. Cashback sites are affiliated with various retailers, for example supermarkets, clothes shops and hotels. When someone goes to one of the affiliate sites via the cashback site and buys something, the retailer pays the cashback site and the cashback site shares some or all of this commission with customers. If you buy things which you would be shopping for anyway, you’ll be getting money for nothing, or the school will!

Some schools have set up voucher schemes with retailers. Schools are enabled to buy vouchers from retailers at a discount. When parents buy the vouchers and spend them as normal, the school keeps the difference. Often schools will also give parents incentives, for example give £11 worth of vouchers for every £10 paid.

Keep an eye out for supermarket offers for schools too. Examples are collecting tokens for books and computers.