Fundraising Ideas for Schools to Raise Money Fast

School fundraising is always important, whether you’re fundraising for school equipment in the wake of funding cuts or for a cause that’s dear to the school’s heart. Thankfully, there are plenty of school fundraising ideas that are easy to organise and which can bring school communities together.

From cake sales and book swaps to dress-down days, pamper mornings and quiz nights, there’s enough to engage children, parents and teachers alike, meaning fundraising can be a full school effort. If you’re feeling stuck on how to raise money for your school, check out some of the best school fundraising ideas below.

 

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Making it easy to spread the word

GoFundMe’s social sharing tools make it easy for schools to spread the word via social media with the click of a button. Schools can quickly and easily raise the money they need for programmes and projects — and students participate in service learning. 

Schools in Australia can begin withdrawing funds as soon as the fundraiser starts receiving donations. Plus, there are no penalties for not reaching your goal, and you can choose your own deadline.

  • Pupils learn leadership skills by taking charge and raising money for an important cause.
  • Working with fellow pupils to run a fundraiser effectively is an opportunity to learn valuable team skills.
  • Practising acts of kindness plants the seeds of compassion and sets a precedent for a lifetime of public service.
  • Pupils learn leadership skills by taking charge and raising money for an important cause.
  • Working with fellow pupils to run a fundraiser effectively is an opportunity to learn valuable team skills.
  • Practising acts of kindness plants the seeds of compassion and sets a precedent for a lifetime of public service.

Six best-in-class ideas for school fundraisers

1. Enrichment programmes

School trips to the coast, summer learning programmes, studying overseas and enrichment programmes are often costly — but they’re also an ideal fit for crowdfunding because your needs are so well defined.

  • Raise funds for one classroom, a specific programme or an entire school.
  • Students can promote the fundraiser by sharing it on social media, creating photos and videos for fundraiser updates, writing thank-you notes to donors and more.

2. Sports booster clubs

Australia’s strong sporting culture means that a large number of pupils are involved in sports clubs. You can help coordinate events and raise money for the equipment and supplies that the school’s sports team needs. A great way to raise funds is to have parents create a fundraiser that outlines the needs of the team and what they want to achieve.

3. Formal and student activities

School formals and other special school events come with a price tag — decorations, food, entertainment and prize giveaways add up. Coordinate with those in charge of planning the event and come up with a creative crowdfunding campaign to make your plans come to life. Students can really make these events special and fun without dipping into the school’s funds.

4. Computers or tablets for education

Classrooms often make use of laptops and tablets — for reading textbooks, doing homework, accommodating student learning needs and more. If you want to upgrade or expand your capacity in this area, start a crowdfunding fundraiser and make it happen.

  • Talk with the person in charge of making purchases for the school to determine the budget.
    Then set a realistic fundraising goal — you can always increase it if you meet it right away.

5. Causes close to students’ hearts

Supporting humanitarian causes is important to many Australians and a key component of service learning — one that teaches students about compassion and the value of helping others.

  • Take a poll to find out what causes pupils at your school are passionate about or interested in.
  • It could be local, national or international — there’s no shortage of wonderful causes to support.
  • One popular option is for students to help other pupils who are in need elsewhere.

6. Memorial fund or scholarship fund

If a teacher, pupil or other community member who is important to your school passes away, honour that person by starting a scholarship fund in their name (with the permission of the person’s family, of course).

  • Come up with ideas for appropriate ways to spend the funds you raise, such as creating a scholarship to be awarded to one student at the end of the year, dispersing donations to a group of students for summer activities or earmarking money for a special school event.
  • Memorial fundraisers are a great way for your students to transform their loss into something positive and be involved in a legacy project.

Get your school fundraiser off the ground

Don’t waste time trying to figure out how to raise funds for that important school event, class trip or worthy cause. GoFundMe is here to provide you with the best crowdfunding platform and unique school fundraising ideas to help and support you along the way. If you haven’t already launched your school fundraiser, create one today.

Note: if you’re 12 or younger, please have a parent or guardian start your GoFundMe. If you’re between 13 and 17, please get your parent or guardian’s permission to start an account.

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Start a school fundraiser

Primary school fundraising ideas

While many primary school fundraisers focus on meeting a school’s financial needs, consider using a crowdfunding campaign to give back instead. Launching a charitable crowdfunding fundraiser can provide amazing opportunities for personal growth. Teachers can use online fundraising as an opportunity to engage students and encourage them to cultivate compassion inside and outside the classroom.

While many primary school fundraisers focus on meeting a school’s financial needs, consider using a crowdfunding campaign to give back instead. Launching a charitable crowdfunding fundraiser can provide amazing opportunities for personal growth. Teachers can use online fundraising as an opportunity to engage students and encourage them to cultivate compassion inside and outside the classroom.

Teaching children to be compassionate

The sooner children are exposed to resources they can use to do good and make the world a better place, the more comfortable and confident they’ll become in leading the charge for change. By starting a crowdfunder with students, you equip them with skills that will benefit them further down the road, all while promoting values that positively shape the future of our society.

  • Fundraisers that benefit children are hugely popular in Australia. According to the Australian Education Union (AEU), 86% of public schools said fundraising was important to their school budget
  • It’s a great way to connect parents and their children in a way that helps children see how much impact their parents can have, and similarly, how resourceful their children  can be. 
  • Many parents of school children are keen to be involved in fundraising efforts if asked, with 37.3% of parents in Australia likely to volunteer.
  • Fundraisers that benefit children are among the most talked about on social media.
  • It’s a great way to connect parents and their children in a way that helps children see how much impact their parents can have, and similarly, how resourceful children their can be.
  • Many parents of school children are keen to be involved in fundraising efforts if asked.

Six ideas for primary school fundraising

1. Fundraising for endangered animals

If your child is an animal lover or concerned about endangered species, set up a crowdfunding fundraiser to help protect a species, preserve a habitat or protect the Australian outback.

  • Local organisations or WWF Australia might be an appropriate recipient of your funds.
  • If your child is studying endangered species in school, consider working with teachers to get a class-wide effort going.
  • When children take a hands-on role in fundraising for a cause close to their hearts, they gain leadership skills, a sense of social responsibility and direct experience in making the world a better place.

2. Support worthy causes the class chooses

Teachers who want to encourage empathy in students should consider starting a crowdfunding campaign with their classes. This can be a great educational experience that helps students be proactive about the injustice they see in the world.

  • Consider partnering with a sister school that needs help paying for school supplies or other necessities. Or, raise money for a nearby children’s hospital.
  • Encourage students to use critical thinking skills and creativity to come up with interesting school fundraising ideas.

3. Hold a mock game show night

Hold a fundraiser in your hall and invite parents or families to participate in a trivia night.

  • Before the event, form teams and have each team raise funds together.
  • Ask a local business to donate the top prize.
  • Get a staff member to MC.
  • Set up a trivia competition like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, but with a twist: focus on information that relates to your school or town history.
  • Provide breaks in the competition for snacking and socialising.
  • Have a station where guests can make a suggested donation.
  • Publicise the event on social media. This is a great opportunity for teachers and parents to work together and give back.

4. Host a recycling-themed fundraiser

Organise a waste reduction project — for example, an e-waste drive where supporters donate money to your fundraiser and, in return, you pick up and safely recycle their electronic waste.

  • You can also collect pledges for distance covered in a park or beach cleanup, or pledges for a certain amount of energy or water saved within a certain timeframe.
  • To double the impact, donate funds to an organisation that works to address the effects of climate change in Australia.

5. Host a performance for charity night

Organise a “coffeehouse” event encouraging children to put themselves out there and express themselves creatively.

  • Use this night of musical performances to spotlight and celebrate the talents of your students.
  • Invite the school choir to perform.
  • Sell snacks and drinks, and ask for donations from the audience.
  • You can expand this fundraising idea into a formal talent show, raising money for your fundraiser through ticket sales.

6. Organise a read-a-thon

Ask your class to gather pledges in a read-a-thon fundraising event.

  • For every page read by a student, sponsors agree to donate a certain amount of money to the crowdfunding fundraiser. This is a great way to encourage pupils to read while raising money for a cause.
  • Have them record the number of pages they read, as well as the names of the books and a short synopsis of each.
  • You can even collect some of their summaries and post them as updates to your fundraiser.
  • Set a fundraising goal at the outset, so you know how many pages need to be read to reach the goal.
  • At the end of your fundraiser, use the funds to improve your library, or donate the funds to an organisation that promotes child literacy.

The road to a better world

Children are the future and by instilling compassion in them, we help find hope for a better tomorrow for people, animals and communities around the world. If you haven’t already started a fundraiser with your children or students, get together with them, pick a cause they’re passionate about and start giving back by launching a fundraiser today.

Note: to create a GoFundMe account, you must be at least 13 years old and have your parent or guardian’s permission.

Start a school fundraiser

Secondary school fundraising ideas

It can be challenging to come up with fresh fundraising ideas that excite both students and parents. The start of the school year can be an incredibly busy time and parents who have spent money on school supplies and clothes may be reluctant to spend even more on a fundraiser — but raising money early on can give you resources to last throughout your academic year.

Get your pupils involved

Give your pupils a sense of ownership in your fundraiser. By trusting secondary school students with an active role in your fundraising efforts, you impart an appreciation for all of the work that goes into funding their education. You also encourage them to express their creativity and take on leadership roles. Ultimately, they’ll value the things or experiences their fundraiser helped make possible.

  • Australian secondary school students value their peers and building strong relationships, with 82% of young people stating that friendships are very important to them.
  • Fundraising and looking after others could help to improve students’ mental health. 70% of respondents to a headspace survey rated their mental health as poor or fair.
  • Getting your pupils involved in fundraising can help to improve their sense of belonging at school. Currently, 28% of Australian students feel like they don’t belong in school.
  • Among high school students, there is a definite preference for active over passive learning.
  • Young people prefer to address real-life situations or problems with a real-life context.
  • In high school, students are just becoming comfortable with problem solving, planning and controlling impulses.

Six ideas for high school fundraising

1. Hold a pancake breakfast

  • Publicise your pancake breakfast in advance via email, school newsletters and social media.
  • Invite members of the community to support your crowdfunding fundraiser.
  • Charge a flat fee per breakfast in the form of a donation to your fundraiser (you can take donations with a mobile device).
  • Solicit parent volunteers to help prepare the food in your canteen, like pancakes and other breakfast foods.
  • Recruit students to serve meals and refill coffee.
  • Encourage parents to bring extended family, friends or members of the school community.

2. Host a dance

Preteen students are often eager to socialise with classmates outside of school and fundraising dances provide an opportunity to do so while benefitting your cause.

  • Offer alternative activities for children who aren’t comfortable dancing.
  • Ask student reps to take on an active role in planning and publicising the dance.
  • Recruit parent and teacher volunteers to supervise.
  • Ask families to make a donation to your crowdfunding fundraiser in lieu of buying a ticket.
  • To reduce overheads, find a trusted alumni or community member to DJ, or recruit a local band to perform.

3. Organise a tie-dye event

Here’s how to set up a tie-dye booth:

  • Buy a low-cost fabric dye in a variety of colours.
  • Invite students to bring their white t-shirts, socks or sweatshirts to dye in exchange for a donation.
  • Have them write their name in marker pen somewhere inside each article of clothing.
  • Fill buckets with cold water and a few dye packets to make bold colours.
  • Teach students how to tie up their clothes for a bullseye or swirl pattern.

4. Give students a chance to leave their mark

Is your secondary school fundraiser benefitting an upgrade to your school facilities? If so, brainstorm ways you can raise money by letting students contribute a handprint, quote or some other artistic flourish to the building.

  • You could ask them to find a sponsor for each tile in a garden mosaic.
  • Or, you can charge pupils a small amount to leave their handprint in paint or cement or to make their own mini-mural on a small section of a wall.
  • Encouraging creative expression and simultaneously helping raise money in small amounts can add up to a huge success.

5. Host a cake-decorating contest

Here’s how to organise a cake-decorating contest.

  • Participants can donate a set amount to your crowdfunding fundraiser to participate.
  • Ask a local bakery or supermarket to donate plain, unfrosted cakes and see if any other businesses are willing to donate gift cards or goods for a winning prize.
  • Have contestants make their own frosting and decorate the cakes however they like, then bring the cakes to school on the day of the event.
  • Gather a panel of judges to choose the winning cake, then auction off all of the contenders to benefit your fundraiser.

6. Arrange a game night

From Scrabble to Cluedo to Monopoly, there are dozens of options for group games that help expand vocabularies and keep students entertained.

  • Encourage families or groups to sign up for the game night as teams, making a minimum donation as an entrance fee
  • Host the event in the school hall. It can be tournament style, or groups can choose from different games
  • Provide snacks and ask for parent volunteers to keep the evening running smoothly
  • This can provide an opportunity for students to socialise in a low-p

Blaze new trails

For many people, secondary school is a difficult time — an awkward in-between period in which students struggle to adjust to bodily changes as well as increased responsibility and freedom. 

However, secondary school fundraisers can actually be constructive projects that make this new territory less threatening. By organising a school fundraiser that features events that allow pupils to socialise and express their creativity, you help them become more confident.

Note: to create a GoFundMe account, you must be at least 13 years old and have your parent or guardian’s permission.

Start a secondary school fundraiser

Private school fundraising ideas

It isn’t uncommon for private schools to have a large and active philanthropic programme that requires pupils and families to make contributions of time and money. For example, families may be required to volunteer a specific number of service hours to the school. 

Service learning builds community, encourages compassion and helps instil a sense of ownership and pride. As part of these efforts, students and parents can use crowdfunding to help finance clubs, sports and community service projects, or add to the school’s endowment or the general fund.

Reach your goals with crowdfunding

  • One of the biggest requirements in private school communities is for need-based scholarships. Dedicate a crowdfunding fundraiser or event to the school’s scholarship fund to take the pressure off stretched low- and middle-income families
  • Private school pupils often have a wealth of supplies and resources. Raising money for supplies for a sister school, in Australia or around the world, can help pupils appreciate their good fortune
  • Let pupils lead. When giving arises out of pupils’ passions and interests, it helps build commitment and motivation

Six ideas for private school fundraising

1. Support refugee relief efforts

Encourage students to be citizens of the world. Climate change and regional conflicts have created huge waves of refugees globally.

  • One way for students to showcase compassion is to start a fundraiser and raise funds to keep refugees safe and ease their suffering
  • Find a reputable charity aimed at helping refugees and raise funds for it

2. Keep scholarships alive

Often, a school’s fundraising committee dedicates a fair amount of time and resources toward raising money for financial aid. Private schools offer scholarships and discounted tuition to students whose families can’t afford to pay the full cost of tuition.

  • By providing need-based and/or merit-based scholarships, private schools maintain a more vibrant and diverse student body
  • Crowdfunding can help pupils, parents, staff and alumni replenish the coffers that make financial aid possible

3. Stay active

Depending on your school’s extracurricular budget, participating in a school sport may require fundraising for things like uniforms, field maintenance and repair, sports teacher salaries, travel to tournaments, equipment and more. Athletic students welcome the opportunity to raise funds for their athletic programs. Whatever the team’s needs are, crowdfunding can help make the season a smashing success.

4. Host a cook-off

To start a friendly competition between students, faculty and parents, organise a cook-off to display cooking or baking skills.

  • You can either charge an entrance fee (via a donation to your fundraiser) or require tasting fees from participants (in the form of a contribution)
  • Find a venue such as your school’s dining hall to host this event
  • The winner is awarded bragging rights as the best chef at your school

5. Organise a march

As a play on the movie March of the Penguins, hold a school-wide march. This works especially well for environmentalist clubs or students interested in protecting and preserving the environment.

  • Have everyone design his or her own penguin costume and require an entrance fee to participate in the march
  • The costumes allow people to get creative while raising awareness for your chosen environmental cause

6. Host an outdoor film night

Host a social gathering for parents and their children by organising an outdoor movie fundraising event.

  • Pick a famous movie (or vote on one) and invite everyone to enjoy the film together from the comfort of lawn chairs and blankets
  • Find an outdoor space, a powerful projector, a screen (or sheet, or flat white wall) and speakers that can fill the space with the right level of sound
  • Take donations with a mobile device. Whip up some popcorn and sell it for a small price
  • A fun variation: host a summer dive-in film in a swimming pool

Get your school fundraiser off the ground

Now you’re well-equipped with these fundraising ideas for schools, there is no need to delay planning how to raise funds for your next school event, class trip, programme, club or worthy cause. 

Get the ball rolling with a crowdfunding fundraiser on GoFundMe — because it has a 0% platform fee for organisers, you get to keep more of the funds you raise. 

Once you’ve picked your fundraiser, have a read of our fundraising tips to make it a success. If you haven’t already launched your school fundraiser, create your fundraiser today.

Note: to create a GoFundMe account, you must be at least 13 years old and have your parent or guardian’s permission.

Start a private school fundraiser