Fall is fast approaching, and for PTAs and PTOs, this means that progress towards annual fundraising goals is reset to $0, and it is time to kick off a new set of fundraisers. However, fundraisers that do well in the fall are not necessarily the same as those that work the rest of the year. Particularly in the first few weeks, you have new students getting acclimated to the school, teachers working hard to get students back in learning mode, and a flurry of emails trying to get everyone on the same page.
As a result, the best fundraisers to host in the fall are those that are easy to organize and participate in, and create minimal disruption to the already busy schedules of students, parents, and teachers. Big bonus points if they also help foster a community and provide new students with a way to engage with their peers.
We’ve brainstormed some fun and unique fundraising ideas to help you get started. Many of these fundraisers are unconventional, but it is a new school year, so why not consider a few new options?
Virtual Fundraising Ideas
Fundraisers that are entirely online can be easier to coordinate and avoid the craziness of the hectic start to the school year.
1. Math-A-Thon
Math-A-Thons are one of the best ways to start the school year as they give students the opportunity to review the previous year’s math curriculum! During Math-A-Thons, students solve as many math problems as they can over a couple weeks and ask friends and family to support them by making a donation to their school. Websites like ForOurSchool.org can make hosting these events a breeze. They provide personalized donation pages and generate fun math problems that can be solved online or via worksheets, and include most types of problems taught throughout the year. They also offer free online math practice for students who want to get an early start!
2. Pet Costume Photo Contest
Kids love their pets and love to show them off, so why not give them that opportunity and raise money while you do it? Invite students and families to dress up their pets in creative costumes and submit photos online. Charge a small entry fee and have the community vote on their favorite costumes, with the winners receiving fun prizes. This fun and simple fundraiser also gives new students something that they will love to talk about with other students.
3. Online Talent Show (Pre-Recorded)
Talent shows are complex and cumbersome, but pre-recorded talent shows are as easy as they come. Ask students and parents to take a video of whatever skill they are proud of (e.g. yo-yoing, jokes, hopscotch, etc.) and have them upload those videos online. Similar to the pet photo contest, you can charge an entry fee or charge a fee to vote with the winners receiving fun prizes.
4. Playdate Auction
Set up an online auction entirely for the kids. Auction items can include trips to the zoo, aquarium, or a baseball game; art playdates; dress-up sessions; and more – anything that kids love to do and want to share with others.
5. Digital Jokebook
Ask students to submit their favorite jokes and compile them into a digital jokebook. Sell the jokebooks online and offer them as a download, or use a service like Blurb to print copies of the book on demand.
6. Roblox Meetup
Many kids love Roblox, so why not set up a school-sponsored event where kids can meet and play together? All you need to do is set up a private Roblox server (it costs 100 Robux per month, which is about $1) and charge an entry fee for participants. This limits who can join and keeps it safe for the children. If successful, the school can keep the private server available year-round and charge a monthly subscription fee to be a part of it.
Family Fundraising Ideas
These ideas encourage parents and students to participate together! For new students, this can be a safe and comfortable way to be a part of the community.
7. Parents vs. Teacher Baseball Game
Fall is the perfect time for a baseball game. It may not be the MLB World Series, but a baseball game that pits teachers with parents can be a fun way for everyone to meet one another. It also gives students the chance to root for (or against) their own teachers and parents. You can charge to view and participate, plus sell snacks and refreshments.
8. Pumpkin Pick-up Picnic
Partner with a farm or just cleanout the pumpkin supply of the local supermarket. Then host a picnic where parents can share food, play games, and choose their favorite pumpkin. Not only is it a fun day for all, but if you buy all the pumpkins in town, then you can teach kids about the value of monopolies.
9. Scavenger Hunt
Organize a scavenger hunt with clues hidden around the neighborhood or school grounds. Parents and students can work together to find all the clues, with prizes for the teams the complete the hunt the fastest. You can have some parents stationed at each stop to give the clues and track the progress.
10. Clothing Swap
Clean out your closets and bring bags of clothes to the school that no longer fit. Charge an entry fee, and parents can come and take all that they want, which saves money and reduces waste. Anything left over can be donated to a local charity.
11. Haunted School Tour
Magically transform your school into a haunted house, complete with spooky decorations and scary principals. Students get the thrills, and parents get to see the classrooms.
Parent Fundraising Ideas
These ideas are for the parents. No kids involved. Yes, they involve alcohol. Yes, you need babysitters. And yes, they will be awesome!
12. Bar Night
I know we said that these fundraising ideas were unconventional, but sometimes, you have to stick to the classics. Bar nights are easy to host, and most bars will offer to give schools back 20% of the bar tab if they come on a night that would otherwise be less busy for them.
13. Stoop Crawl
This is similar to a bar night, but parents now host these events on their stoop or in their backyard. This event works best when a parents live in very close proximity to one another – ideally within walking distance. Otherwise, you can potentially use school buses to move everyone around.
14. Beer and Bingo Night
Everyone loves Bingo, but you can make it even better by bringing in a selection of craft beers. At the start of each Bingo game, hand out fresh cups of beer, so that by the time you get to the final game, the winners’ bellow of the word “BINGO!” will wake up every kid in the neighborhood.
15. Wine Tasting and Painting Night
This is similar to the beer and bingo night, but to keep the parents from drawing outside of the lines, bring in an instructor to walk parents through creating their masterpieces.
Creative Fundraising Ideas
These fundraising ideas put a twist on traditional fundraiser events to make them new, fun, and easy to manage.
16. Reverse Raffle
We rated raffles as the fundraising event that requires the least amount of time to organize and host, but to make them unique and exciting, try a reverse raffle. In a reverse raffle, the last ticket drawn wins the grand prize, which helps build excitement and anticipation as numbers are eliminated one by one during a live event. You can combine this with other events, such as the beer and bingo night, and sprinkle the eliminated numbers throughout the entire event.
17. Anonymous Art Auction
Art auctions are always popular and great fundraising events, but you can add a little mystery to your event by keeping the artists anonymous until after the auction. The pieces can be created by students and local artists, leading to higher bids as everyone tries to guess who is behind them.
18. Outdoor Yoga Class
Yoga can be a healthy and peaceful break from the hustle and bustle of the school year. Organize a pop-up yoga class in a scenic outdoor location and hire a local yoga instructor to lead it.
19. Silent Disco
Host a silent disco where attendees wear wireless headphones and dance to music broadcasted by a live DJ. This event brings all the fun of school dances without the noise complaints.
20. Family Photoshoot
Students get new photos every year, so why not offer them for families as well? If you time it to coincide with the student photos, you can use the same vendors and keep set-up and management time to a minimum.
Bonus Idea: Virtual Reality Classroom Experience
Partner with a local VR business (if available) to take students on educational field trips without leaving the classroom.
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