Fundraiser ideas for schools + more resources

Fundraiser Ideas for Schools

Not sure where to start? School fundraisers generally fall into a handful of types: events you host, products you sell, athons your students power, direct asks, and passive earners that run in the background. Browse by category below to find the one that fits your group, your goal, and your season.

Fundraising Events

Bring everyone together and watch it pay off. From bingo nights to golf tournaments, events turn a few hours of school spirit into one of your biggest fundraising days of the year.

Level Up Your Bingo Fundraiser with Cheddar Up

Bingo nights are always a crowd-pleaser. They’re fun, social, and packed with fundraising potential.

Golf Tournament Fundraiser

Golf tournament fundraisers are the perfect blend of fun and fundraising. Imagine a sunny day…

Glow Party: The Ultimate Guide for Schools and PTAs

Glow parties are fun, low-cost, and bring the whole school community together.

Ice Cream Social Ideas

Who can resist an ice cream social? With a bit of creativity and the right tools like Cheddar Up, your event will be a delicious success.

Movie Night Fundraiser

Hosting a movie night fundraiser is a fantastic way to bring your community together for a fun evening and a good cause.Hosting a movie night fundraiser is a fantastic way to bring your community together for a fun evening and a good cause.

Powder Puff Football

Powder puff football is all about fun, empowerment, community connection, and supporting a great cause.

Product Sales

Some of the easiest wins start with something families already love to buy. Pick a product, share the link, and watch the orders roll in.

Create a spirit wear store for school fundraising

Create an Online Spirit Wear Store

Create an online spirit wear store in 4 simple steps with an example to get you started! Custom receipts…

Top Spirit Wear Ideas

Get the top spirit wear ideas that schools can sell to boost morale and create a sense of community.

Flower sale template for nonprofit fundraising

Run a Flower or Plant Sale

We see hundreds of thousands of fundraiser ideas on Cheddar Up, but one that always stops our scroll is…

Concession Stand Ideas

Running a concession stand can be a blast, especially when it doubles as a fantastic fundraiser.

School Spirit Shirt Ideas That Students will Buy (and Love)

The best school spirit shirt ideas build pride, create buzz, and raise real money for your school.

Bake sale blog for nonprofit fundraising

Host a Bake Sale

If you’ve ever organized a bake sale, you know that a sign-up sheet can make or break your event.

Donut Fundraiser

Donut fundraisers combine community spirit with a sprinkle of fun and flavor.

Coffee Fundraiser Ideas: 5 Best Ways to Perk Up Your School

Coffee isn’t just a morning must-have. It’s a built-in community builder.

Spirit Wear Fundraising Ideas for Schools

Spirit wear fundraiser + FREE template

Get our top tips on running a successful spirit wear fundraiser and a FREE template to set up your own fundraiser.

Athons & Challenges

Get students moving and let them raise money for every lap, page, or minute. Fun runs, readathons, penny wars, these turn effort and friendly competition into funds, and they work at every grade.

Readathon Fundraiser with Peer-to-Peer Power

If you’re organizing a readathon fundraiser and want to maximize donations without piling on admin work….

Penny Wars: The Ultimate Fundraising Competition

At its core, penny wars (also called coin wars) is a friendly fundraising competition where teams collect pennies…

Fun Run Fundraiser

Few fundraisers pull a community together like a fun run. If you are weighing a fun run fundraiser for your school or nonprofit, here is the full rundown (yes, pun intended!).

Color Run Fundraiser

Color runs are high energy, easy to join, and a blast for everyone who takes part.

Danceathon Fundraiser

If you’re looking for a high-impact fundraising idea, a danceathon powered by Cheddar Up is the move.

Bubble Run

A bubble run combines the splashing sensation of bubbles with the joy of a fun run and helps raise money, too.

Direct Giving

Sometimes the most powerful fundraiser is a direct ask. Pair it with an event or a sale, or run it on its own, and invite your community to give straight to the cause, from a single class need to a school-wide goal.

School fundraising and sponsorship form templates

Level Up Your Fundraising

Sponsorships are crucial for any event. Explore sponsorship form templates and key how to’s when it comes…

Donation Drive

For nonprofits, schools, and community groups, the holiday season is a prime time to host a donation drive.

School Supply Drive

School supply donations can be a game-changer for students and teachers, ensuring everyone starts the year with the essentials.

Donations Forms

This guide covers the most common types of donations forms, when to use each, and how to create them efficiently.

Passive Fundraisers for Schools

Fundraisers that earn in the background while you focus on everything else. Set up a gift card program or a dining night once, share the link, and the funds keep coming in with no event to run.

Calendar Fundraiser: Fun, Flexible, and Effective

Calendar fundraisers are a smart way to raise money while giving your community something they can interact with…

Ultimate Guide to Gift Card Fundraising for Schools

Gift card fundraising for schools offers a lower-stress option for raising money…

Restaurant Fundraisers

Partnering with a restaurant lets you bring people together, support a local business, and earn funds, all while sharing great food.

Seasonal Fundraisers for Schools

Tie your fundraiser to the time of year and let the calendar do some of the work. From fall festivals to holiday gift sales, these ideas match the seasons your community is already celebrating.

Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser

A pumpkin patch fundraiser is a fall favorite for schools, community groups, and non-profits.

Host a fall festival for nonprofit fundraising blog

Festival Games to Keep Everyone Entertained

Whether your event is a school fundraiser or charity event, these festival games will keep guests of all ages entertained.

Trunk-or-Treat Fundraiser

This step-by-step guide walks through setting admission and pricing trunk spots, collecting sign ups, and running the event day.

Gift Wrapping Fundraiser

Hosting a gift wrapping fundraiser is a great way to bring in donations during the holiday season while offering something genuinely helpful to the community.

Holiday Wreath Fundraiser

A holiday wreath fundraiser is one of the most festive and effective ways for schools and PTAs to raise money during winter.

Valentine Grams Fundraiser

Get tips for organizing a stress-free Valentine Gram fundraiser, with creative ideas and practical advice.

Super Bowl 50/50 Raffle Fundraiser

Let’s dive into how you can set up a Super Bowl 50/50 raffle that’s both fun and financially rewarding.

Football Squares Fundraiser

Football season is not just a great time of year for football fans but also a golden opportunity for schools to raise funds.

Planning

Picked your idea? These guides help you plan, promote, and track it so the day runs smoothly and the money adds up.

Launch an Athon Fundraiser

Athon fundraisers have long been a favorite for schools, sports teams, and community groups.

School fundraising ideas to ask for donations blog

How to ask for donations

Planning a fundraiser is often the easy part — it’s how to ask for donations that often leaves people mystified…

School fundraising ideas to increase donations

Fundraising Tips: How to increase charity donations

Looking to learn how to increase donations to your charity?

Get your fundraiser started with Cheddar Up

Every idea on this page works with Cheddar Up. Create a free account to collect payments, forms, and sign ups in one place, or watch a quick demo to see how it works.