We’ve recently discussed the differences between fundraising in middle school and elementary school. To help you identify which fundraising events might work for your school, we’ve compiled a list of our 10 top fundraising ideas that are big successes in middle schools:
Educational Middle School Fundraisers
Middle school fundraising events can be more academically focused than those held in elementary school. Not only can middle school students handle more complex events, but because many of the events are tied to specific groups or clubs, the students are often more motivated to participate.
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Math-A-Thon
Math-A-Thons (also sometimes called math marathons, or math challenges) are our top rated school fundraising event! During a Math-A-Thon, students solve as many math problems as they can over a couple weeks and solicit donations from friends and family to support their efforts.
New to Math-A-Thons? Check out ourPlatforms like ForOurSchool.org provide math worksheets and online math problems that tailored to each student’s aptitude, and generally follow the Common Core Math curriculum, while also offering a platform to collect donations.
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Academic Decathlon Competition
Teams of students compete in 10 events spanning various subjects (e.g., math, science, history). The events can include essays, interviews, debates, game show-style competitions, and more. Funding can be raised through event sponsorships, ticket sales, concessions, and donations from friends and family.
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Creative Writing Contest
A common topic is chosen, and students submit original essays, poetry, or stories. The community can vote on the best works, with the top submissions read or dramatized for a live or remote audience. Like the Academic Decathlon, funding can be sourced through sponsorships, ticket sales, and donations, with additional funds coming from sales of the collected works.
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Spelling Bee
Participants take turns spelling words aloud, selected by a judge. The competition can be held in front of a live or remote audience, with tickets sold for attendance. Additional funding can come from sponsorships and donations solicited by the participants.
Creative Middle School Fundraisers
Since fundraisers in middle school often align with clubs, events can be more specialized and niche than in elementary school.
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Art Auction
Students create artwork, either based on a particular theme or medium, and the art is auctioned off to the community. To encourage broader community involvement, the artwork can be loaned to neighboring businesses, which not only promotes the event, but gives students a chance to showcase their talents.
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Talent Show
Students audition and showcase their unique abilities in front of a live audience. The event can be school-wide and encourage a wide range performances, or it can be organized by a particular group (e.g. choir) and the event can be focused on a specific talent. Funding can come from ticket sales, live streams, merchandise, and concessions.
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Escape Room Challenge
Create an academic-themed escape room within the school using science puzzles and history clues. Teams pay to participate, and the fastest to “escape” wins a prize.
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DIY Craft Fair
Students in art, woodworking, fashion, and other creative electives can participate in a craft fair hosted on campus. They can sell their crafts to their peers and others in the community, with a portion of the proceeds supporting their school or club.
Parents’ Night Out Fundraisers
In middle school, parents are less involved in the day-to-day school-related activities of their children, such as walking their kids to school or volunteer in their classes. This means fewer opportunities to meet other parents, so fundraisers that bring parents together can be a welcome social event.
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Parent Trivia Night
Organize a trivia night exclusively for parents. Bonus points if the categories are related to school subjects. If the event is held at a local bar, many bars will donate a percentage of sales to the school.
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Bar Crawl
Sometimes the simplest events are the most effective. A bar crawl is easy to execute and usually well-received, and can be a great way to bring parents together while raising funds for the school.
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