17 Creative Fundraising Ideas
If you’re a teacher, student, or a member of a group, team, or organization you know that fundraising can be challenging. Here at Fun Pasta Fundraising, we’ve worked with hundreds of different organizations and schools so we are confident that we can provide you with the most creative fundraising ideas to make your fundraiser engaging and lots of fun too!
When it comes to fundraising, it’s important to find a creative fundraiser that works best for you and your organization. With so many different options, the hunt for the perfect fundraiser can be frustrating. To help you brainstorm the best fundraiser, we’ve compiled a list of our most unique and easy fundraising options.
Check them out below and get to fundraising!
Our Top Fundraising Idea
1: Fun Pasta Fundraising
Cost: 💲
Earning Potential: 💲💲💲💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This isn’t any ordinary pasta, this is FUN pasta! With so many different shapes to choose from – sports to animals and holidays –
you can see why a Fun Pasta Fundraiser would be the perfect way to raise money! It’s perfect for any fundraising campaign!
With our easy-to-use apps, our customizable web pages, and our powerful digital tools, you can raise money for your school easier than ever before.
Our Fun Pasta bags are hearty, healthy food that’s perfect for your community. Even in tough economic times, our bags of pasta are an economical choice: starting at just $6.50 per bag. Because each one feeds a family of four and lasts up to 24 months in the pantry, it’s the perfect stock up and save food.
Even better, our fun-themed pasta bags can match your school names and colors. Even if you’re social distancing, you can run your entire fundraiser with no contact – all transactions can be conducted via web page or app. Shipping is fast and free on orders of $55 or over. And you will keep up to 40% of your sales as profits!
Ready to get started? All you need is an email address… there are never any upfront costs.
Online Fundraisers for Kids During COVID-19
Fundraising ideas during covid are limited. You cannot do what you normally do to raise money due to social distancing rules. These virtual fundraising ideas will help make coming up with a way to raise money during these unprecedented times a whole lot easier.
1: Design A Mask Challenge
Cost: 💲
Earning Potential: 💲💲💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐
Face masks have become our newest accessory, especially for kids in school. With the demand for face masks at an all-time high, your students and staff will love the opportunity to support their school and keep everyone safe during the covid-19 pandemic all at the same time.
To make this kind of fundraiser more fun and even more interesting, challenge your classmates to come up with a design for a mask that will celebrate school spirit. The one with the most votes you can work with a printing shop to get the masks and sell them in order to raise money.
2: Device Drive
Cost: 💲
Earning Potential: 💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐
With schools incorporating online learning over the past year, it has been made clear that not all students have the same access to the resources required to succeed in a digital learning environment.
With a device drive you can ask your community to donate their used – but still in working condition – devices like laptops and tablets. You can also ask for donations to help sponsor WiFi for students who may not have access to the internet.
3: Restaurant Fundraiser – Remotely
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Earning Potential: 💲💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Restaurant fundraisers have always been a well-known way to fundraise. COVID-19 has been particularly hard on restaurants. They’ve had to adapt to survive and it all came at a cost.
Even if your local restaurant has social distancing guidelines that prevent you from hosting a fundraising night, there is still a way to use this form of raising funds.
You can tell parents, teachers, and students to place a to-go order at the restaurant you have partnered with on a given date. That way they will get to enjoy a delicious meal and support two causes: your school fundraiser and the restaurant industry.
4: Social Media Contest
Cost: 💲
Earning Potential: 💲💲💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Students already spend so much of their time scrolling through all their different social platforms so why not use the power of screen time to share your fundraiser and host a virtual fundraising event.
Creating a social media contest will require some word-of-mouth and creativity! You’ll have to set some rules, designate a hashtag, explain the terms, and make sure everyone knows the time and date it’ll be happening.
The possibilities are endless! You could have them show their school spirit through art or outfits or memorabilia. The most outrageous one wins the prize!
Everyone dreams about what would happen if one of their videos went viral. Challenge your students to create one (age-appropriate and safe, of course).
Make sure to specify in the rules that they must link to the online donation form in their posts.
Get creative and encourage your community to challenge one another to participate!
Best School Fundraisers for All Ages
1: Cooking Contest
Cost: 💲
Earning Potential: 💲💲💲💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cooking competitions are some of the most popular shows on TV and Streaming these days. Why not participate and host your own competition!
Since our pasta is so great in so many recipes, it would be exciting to see what students, teachers, or even parents come up with. You could have your principal, leader, or coach be the judge, and don’t forget to promote your event!
Involve other parents and students who are not cooking to pay to watch the event and help vote for the winner. Bonfire is a great option for t-shirt fundraising.
2: T-Shirt Fundraisers
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Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Everyone loves a good t-shirt. This creative fundraising idea is a classic and a tried-and-true tool.
With so much customization, these are great for any fundraising campaign. With so many websites that design and print t-shirts, choosing the right one can be overwhelming.
Our tip would be to find a t-shirt provider that is flexible and gives you the option to do a wholesale purchase.
3: Yearbook Ads
Cost: 💲💲
Earning Potential: 💲💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Yearbooks aren’t cheap but they are so important. They hold all the memories from that school year. One way to help cover costs to get the yearbooks printed is by advertising local businesses.
That can be overwhelming, especially if you live in a large city with hundreds of local businesses. One of the best places to start is by asking if any classmates have parents or families that own any of their own businesses or work at some of them.
Another great way to find businesses – that may be interested in supporting your school – go to places that students like to hang out. It could be a coffee shop down the street or the local sporting goods store where all the athletes get their gear.
One good tip is to offer different sized ads – the smaller ones cost less and the larger ones cost more. Give the businesses an array of options and make them affordable too!
4: Movie Night
Cost: 💲
Earning Potential: 💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐
Everyone loves a movie so movie night is perfect for kids of any age and so easy to set up too! Borrow a projector and find a large space with a blank wall within the school – cafeteria or gym would be perfect!
Pick a family-friendly, classic, or popular kid’s movie and promote it on social media, flyers, or even newsletters. A good way to raise money during this event is by concessions and/or attendance. Fresh popcorn, candy, and drinks are all you need to make this event a hit!
Elementary School Fundraising Ideas
1: Ice Cream Social
Cost: 💲
Earning Potential: 💲
Popularity. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ice cream, ice cream! We all scream for ice cream!
This is a simple, exciting, and extremely effective fundraising idea.
There are multiple ways to achieve this fun and sweet fundraiser. Pick a free period to host the event and offer the students tickets for a fee or just sell ice cream.
An Ice Cream Social is also a great incentive and motivator for other fundraisers. Encourage them with ice cream if they reach their Fun Pasta Fundraising goal, for example!
2: Pajama Day
Cost: 💲
Earning Potential: 💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kids love the idea of getting to wear their favorite PJs to school. This is another great fundraising incentive to get your students involved in participating in your fundraiser.
For example, the class that raises the most money – or sells the most pasta – gets to wear their pajamas for a day!
3: Fall Festival
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Earning Potential: 💲💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Everyone loves to spend time outside during the fall – beautiful weather and lots to do! It’s also towards the beginning of the school year. This is a perfect time to host a fall festival and get your community excited about supporting their schools and students!
A fall fundraiser can be expensive to host but there are many different opportunities to raise money. Selling tickets, food, and refreshments to the festival. Offer plenty of fall-related activities like hayrides, face painting, pumpkin painting, and more!
Plus, you can sell any of our fun fall pasta shapes to raise more money and get everyone into the fall spirit!
4: Principal Challenge
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Earning Potential: 💲💲💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
These young students will love getting to see their principal doing something silly! This creative fundraiser will boost school spirit, excite the students, and raise money!
The students will vote by donating for which funny activity they want to see their principal do the most. Could be dying her hair school colors, getting dunked into a tank, or even a pie in the face!
Be sure to set a reasonable fundraising goal to get the kids excited about reaching the goal too!
Unique School Fundraisers
1: Teachers In Jail Fundraiser
Cost: 💲
Earning Potential: 💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐
This creative fundraising idea is another great way to get the students involved in raising money and supporting their schools. Give them the challenge to raise a certain amount of money – start a Fun Pasta Fundraiser, for example.
If they succeed then their teacher(s) get sent to jail and they are given an extra free period or a longer lunch break. They’ll love it!
2: Karaoke Night
Cost: 💲
Earning Potential: 💲💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Karaoke is an activity that’ll never go out of style! This is a great opportunity for your students to socialize, sing their hearts out, and raise money too!
To get this event started, all you’ll need is a karaoke machine, concessions, and students to buy the tickets. To take it up a notch, turn it into a contest. Set a jar up for the finalists and make it one dollar a vote to choose a winner!
This would also be a fun fundraising option to live stream – especially for the kids who may not be able to make it to the in-person event. Link to the donation page to make sure that they have a chance to vote for their favorites as well.
3: Balloon Raffle
Cost: 💲💲
Earning Potential: 💲💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐
Take the idea of a traditional raffle but add BALLOONS.
Before blowing up the balloons, be sure to place a raffle ticket inside.
Sell the balloons to the teachers, administrators, students, parents, and whoever else may want to participate. Once all the purchases have been made, draw the winning ticket and announce the number. Everyone will pop their balloons and hope their ticket is the lucky number.
Remember, the prize needs to be exciting and desirable – cash, gift cards that have been donated by local businesses, or a free ticket to your upcoming fall festival fundraiser!
4: Cutest Pet Contest
Cost: 💲
Earning Potential: 💲💲💲💲
Popularity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Everyone who owns a pet always thinks their cat or dog or hamster is the cutest. So, find out who’s really is and let your school vote for it.
This is a great virtual fundraiser! As a result, it encourages students to submit the best photos of their furry friends and feature them online. Have them write up a brief bio on their favorite pets so the voters know a little bit more about the animal.
You can charge to submit a vote or have the votes cast by donating – you could even do both for a chance to raise more money.
This is a fun and easy fundraiser. Everyone loves to show off their pets and people love to look at photos of cute animals even more!
Do you want to continue exploring more about fundraising? Check out the rest of our helpful resources and be sure to sign-up to get more fun fundraising info in your inbox!
