Fundraising Ideas

Special Events & Creative Fundraisers

These fundraisers require considerable planning and organization, but have earned some groups $10,000 or more!

• Sell tickets to a “Battle of the Bands” or talent show.
• Host a Dance-a-Thon where students form teams and must dance for 24 hours.
• Coordinate a coffeehouse at the school and invite student acoustic bands, jazz acts, interpretive dancers, and poets to perform. Sell hot beverages and baked goods to raise funds.
• Plan a school dance or carnival and sell tickets and refreshments.
• Organize a drive-through spaghetti supper or barbeque dinner and sell meals to busy parents on their way home from work.
• Sell meals at school before evening events (like PTA meetings) for parents that didn’t have time to get dinner beforehand.
• Ask local businesses to donate valuable prizes and host a silent auction. Serve dinner to raise even more funds.

Even if your school has multiple groups that hold fundraisers, you can certainly find a creative fundraiser that hasn’t been done yet at your school.

• Sponsor a Flamingo Flocking: community members can pay to have a pink flamingo stuck in a friend or foe’s front yard, and recipients can pay to have it moved.
• Organize a dodgeball tournament and charge participants an entry fee.
• Collect pledges for your group to participate in a community service project that benefits the local area, like trail clean-up or painting.
• Sponsor a “Rock-a-thon.” Students collect pledges to rock in a rocking chair during a lock-in or after-school event.
• Contact the community relations office of a nearby national sports team and ask if they will sell you a block of seats at a discounted rate. Sell the tickets to your school at face value and have a fun “night at the game” spirit event.
• Ask teachers to participate in a good-natured “Teacher Torture” day where they volunteer to do fun stunts, like color their hair or wear pajamas to school, and students pay for each vote of which stunt they want most to see.

Direct Sales

Our Program Leaders and directors have been successful in selling all of these products:

• Chocolate or candy bars
• Cookie dough
• Lollipops
• Magazines
• Pizza discount cards
• Frozen cheesecakes
• Donuts
• Candles
• Poinsettias
• Pizza kits
• Honeybaked^® hams
• Bulk fruit from Florida
• Glow necklaces
• Christmas trees or Christmas wreaths
• Attractions or Entertainment coupon books
• Gift cards or SCRIP
• Ground coffee
• School logo merchandise (t-shirts, sweatshirts, flip flops, auto air fresheners)
• Flower bulbs
• Nuts and popcorn

For Music Groups

Your students’ talents open up even more fundraising opportunities to your group! Consider implementing one of these fundraisers to showcase your abilities to the community and generate support for your music program.

• Ask a restaurant to donate a portion of their profits on the night of your concert; then encourage students’ families to go for dinner before the concert or grab dessert after!
• Hold an all-day Rehearse-a-Thon. Collect pledges for each hour of practice.
• Sell advertising space in your concert program to parents and local businesses.
• Sell tickets to a special holiday concert. Offer dinner or refreshments to raise even more funds.
• Sponsor “Singing Valentines” in February to students at your school.
• Host a karaoke night for friends and family, and charge a small entrance fee or sell refreshments.
• Sing or perform for tips at your local farmer’s market.
• Host a benefit concert and invite current students, school alumni, and community members to perform.