14 Unique Cheerleading Fundraising Ideas

Fundraising is a necessary part of any cheer squad’s success, but let’s be real, it can feel repetitive and exhausting if you’re stuck with the same cookie-cutter ideas year after year. That’s where your team’s true power comes in: performance energy, spirit, and creativity. 

Consider this blog your high-impact playbook filled with spirited twists on the classics and totally fresh, show-stopping ideas made just for cheerleaders.

Whether you’re raising money for uniforms, travel expenses, or competition fees, you’ll find ideas here that let your squad take center stage, build team pride, and rally the whole community. 

Classic Fundraisers with Spirited Twist

Bring the pep and the profits. These aren’t your average bake sales. We’re giving classic cheer fundraisers a spirited twist with ideas that keep your squad center stage, spotlight your energy, and maximize engagement.

If you’re ready to raise more, these fresh takes are your next game-winning move.

1. The Dance-A-Thon: Fun Run’s Funky Sister

The Dance-A-Thon is all about turning performance into profit. Instead of just promoting a fundraiser, your squad becomes the main event: dancing, showcasing routines, and keeping the energy high.

If there’s one thing cheerleaders do best, it’s bring the hype. A dance-a-thon puts your team center stage, builds school spirit, and turns every eight-count into dollars raised and memories made.

2. Pancake Breakfast + Spiritwear Sale

Picture this: your squad serving up golden pancakes, sizzling sausage, and side orders of school spirit.

The cheer twist? Add a spiritwear pop-up shop right in the dining area. Parents can shop T-shirts, bows, car decals, and more. Even better, set up a photo booth with the team in full uniform. People love snapping pics with their favorite cheerleaders, and it’s a perfect moment to add a tip jar.

3. Candy Grams with Uplifting Cheers

This one’s an easy win around any holiday. But instead of the standard “you’re sweet!” notes, have your team write mini cheer-style messages.

Think:

• “You’re T-E-R-R-I-F-I-C!”
• “Go team go, thanks for being a friend!”
• “We’re cheering for YOU!”

Students love the fun delivery. Teachers appreciate the positivity. And your squad gets a feel-good way to raise money that’s equal parts heartwarming and hype-worthy. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, just give it some pom-poms and a megaphone. 

And that’s when fundraising stops feeling like work, and starts feeling like cheer magic.

Original Cheer Fundraising Ideas You Won’t See Elsewhere

Let’s break away from the basics for a moment. If your squad is ready to stand out and shake things up (pun totally intended), these unique fundraising ideas are made just for you. They’re bold, fresh, and so cheer-appropriate that your community will remember them.

4. “Give Me 3 Cheers” Yard Sale

Yard sales are great, but yard sales with cheerleaders in full uniform, shouting thanks and high-fiving customers? That’s a whole different level.

Here’s the move: Ask families to donate gently used items, then have your team run the sale with flair. Signs made by cheerleaders, donation jars at the checkout table, and maybe even a pom-pom entrance arch to draw in shoppers.

Want to go bigger? 

Set up a “mystery cheer bag” booth, shoppers pay $5 for a wrapped bundle of surprise goodies. It’s fun, fast, and incredibly effective.

5. Personalized Pom-Pom Sales

Why settle for basic merch when you can offer custom pom-poms in school colors with names, jersey numbers, or fun phrases?

These are a hit with elementary kids, proud parents, and even the squad itself. You can partner with a local craft shop or DIY them as a team bonding project.

Bonus idea: Let buyers snap a photo with their pom-poms and post using your team’s fundraiser hashtag. It builds hype and keeps the fundraiser going online.

6. Cheer-Style Fitness Classes

This is one of my favorite under-the-radar ideas. Your cheerleaders are already training hard, why not turn that energy into a fundraiser?

Host a cheer-inspired fitness event: think stunting basics, flexibility training, or even an intro to sideline cheers. Offer a “Mini Cheer Bootcamp” for younger kids, or a Saturday morning stretch class for parents looking to stay active with a fun twist.

It taps into the wellness trend and shows off your squad’s skills, all while raising money.

7. Cheerleader Recipe Book

You know what sells? Homemade, heartfelt recipes from your team’s families.

Collect recipes from every squad member’s household, game day snacks, family favorites, even a coach’s secret energy smoothie, and compile them into a printed or digital cookbook.

Want to take it to the next level? Include team photos, cheer quotes, and personal notes next to each recipe. It becomes part fundraiser, part keepsake.

8. Flash Mob Fundraiser

Nothing stops traffic (or goes viral) like a flash mob of cheerleaders breaking into a routine at a local fair, festival, or school lunchroom.

Here’s how it works: plan a short, powerful routine, coordinate a surprise performance, and have donation QR codes ready on signs, shirts, or handouts. Encourage onlookers to donate on the spot, and share your team’s video for even more reach.

You’ll raise funds and showcase your team’s creativity, energy, and confidence in a way no one else can replicate.

No-Contact Fundraising for Busy Squads

We get it, cheer teams today are running a million miles a minute. Between after-school practice, weekend travel, and everything in between, finding time for an in-person fundraiser can feel downright impossible. And in some communities, in-person events aren’t feasible.

The good news?

You can still raise money without ever setting up a table, baking a cookie, or hosting a crowd. Whether you’re short on time, short on help, or need something simple, these online-only fundraising ideas are made for you.

9. Custom Fundraiser Links

Let us introduce you to one of our secret weapons at our company: custom fundraiser links.

Every team gets a personalized online shop, with their name right in the URL. It’s the ultimate plug-and-play solution. Parents, students, and even grandma in another state can share the link through email, text, or social media with just a tap.

The best part is you can track sales by participant, which is a dream for coaches who want to see who’s putting in the effort, without chasing paperwork. And for parents who are low on time or burned out from bake sales? 

Clicking a link is as easy as it gets.

10. Crowdfunding with a Personal Touch

A generic “donate now” button doesn’t move people, but stories do. When cheer teams build a digital fundraising campaign that includes:

• A short video from the squad
• A clear fundraising goal
• Regular updates with thank-yous and milestones

…it feels personal. Real. And worth supporting.

You can run this through platforms like GoFundMe, Snap! Raise, or even Facebook Fundraisers. The key is making your message resonate: show people how their support helps with uniforms, competition travel, or new gear, and they’ll rally around you.

11. Online Spiritwear Store

If your team has any kind of logo, slogan, or inside joke (“Eat. Sleep. Cheer. Repeat.” sound familiar?), you’ve got a merch opportunity on your hands.

Tools like Printful, Areswear, or Bonfire let you set up an online store with zero inventory, zero shipping responsibilities, and all the profit potential. You upload designs, they handle fulfillment, and you collect the proceeds.

Let your cheerleaders help create the designs, it’s a fun team activity and gives them ownership. From hoodies to tote bags, fans love repping their team, and you don’t lift a finger.

And around here, we’re all about making fundraising fit your life, not the other way around. That’s why our custom links and online tools were built to support teams who need flexibility, simplicity, and results without the chaos.

No in-person meetings. No melted chocolate. Just straight-up success, from wherever you are.

Event Fundraisers That Build Team Bonding

One of the biggest concerns we hear from coaches and team leaders is this:

“How do we keep the squad motivated and involved?”

It’s a fair question. Cheerleaders are balancing a lot, practice, school, performances, and sometimes multiple activities. The last thing anyone wants is another “just sell this” fundraiser that feels like a solo task. That’s where event-based fundraisers shine. They’re not only profitable, they’re powerful tools for building team spirit, leadership skills, and genuine excitement.

These ideas let your cheerleaders be more than sellers. They become the stars of the show.

12. Talent Show Takeover

Let your cheerleaders run the stage, literally. Host a school-wide talent show where your squad acts as the emcees, timekeepers, stage crew, and spotlight stars.

Not only does this give your athletes a chance to lead, it shows off their creativity and confidence. They can open the show with a routine, sell concessions during intermission, and maybe even host a “Coach vs. Squad” bonus act to pack the house.

13. Cheer Bingo or Movie Night

Sometimes it’s the simple things that bring people together. Hosting a Bingo Night or a Movie Night gives your team a low-pressure way to connect with the community while raising funds.

Add your cheer twist with themed intermissions, mini performances, raffles, or cheer trivia rounds between games or film acts.

Let the squad run snack tables, sell glow sticks or popcorn buckets, and greet guests at the door in full uniform. It gives everyone a role, and that sense of ownership is what keeps motivation high.

14. Spirit Nights with Local Restaurants

This one’s a cheer classic for a reason. Partner with a local restaurant or café for a Spirit Night, where a percentage of the night’s sales are donated to your team.

Have your cheerleaders there to welcome diners, bus tables (with permission), or do a short performance outside to draw a crowd. You can even have a selfie station set up with a donation QR code to make giving extra easy.

It’s simple, social, and zero stress for parents, plus it deepens ties with your community.

When fundraising feels like a team event, it stops being a chore and starts being something your squad looks forward to. That’s what we love most about these ideas, they’re not just about the money (though they work!). They’re about building leadership, creating memories, and reinforcing the real spirit of your team.

And when your cheerleaders feel like they’re part of something bigger? That motivation you were worried about takes care of itself.

14. Pasta Fundraisers (The True Champion)

Why does pasta beat cookie dough?

• It doesn’t melt, no more panicking about warm delivery trucks.
• It has a long shelf life, which means buyers aren’t in a rush to use it.
• And it’s made in the USA, which customers love to hear.

But what truly sets Fun Pasta Fundraising apart is the uniqueness of the product itself. Fun-shaped pasta for sports, holidays, hobbies, even cheerleaders! It’s fun, functional, and something people actually want to buy again. That’s why we have repeat groups coming back every single year.

When your fundraiser stands out on the kitchen counter instead of blending into a freezer full of cookie dough, you know you’re doing something right.

How to Overcome Cheer Fundraiser Burnout

Let’s have a heart-to-heart for a moment. Working with fundraising leaders for over 20 years has taught us that burnout is real.

And it doesn’t only hit students. 

It wears down coaches, parents, and volunteers, too. We’ve had a lot of team leaders tell us they’ve skipped fundraising altogether some years, not because they didn’t need the funds, but because everyone was simply… tired.

If that sounds familiar, we want you to know: you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re doing a lot, and it’s okay to rethink the way you approach fundraising.

Here’s how to help teams stay energized, not exhausted:

Rotate Fundraisers

That sense of constantly being in “ask mode” can wear thin fast, for you and your supporters. One strategy that works well? Rotating fundraiser types by season. For example:

• Fall: Pasta fundraiser with a custom online link
• Winter: Candy Grams with cheer messages
• Spring: Flash mob or pancake breakfast

This approach keeps things fresh and avoids putting the same pressure on your community again and again. It also gives you breaks between pushes so your team can recover and refocus.

Low Participation

This one breaks our hearts a little, because when cheerleaders don’t engage, fundraising becomes a solo sport. But often, it’s not a lack of interest, it’s a lack of connection.

One of the best ways to fix this is by offering role variety. Not every cheerleader wants to be a top seller. And that’s okay! Create roles like:

• Social media promoter
• Event emcee
• Poster designer or merch artist
• Tracker or prize announcer

When students have a say in how they contribute, they start to take ownership. And that’s when participation picks up, naturally.

Mix It Up

We always recommend a hybrid model: mix one passive, online fundraiser (like our pasta program) with one active, in-person event (like a talent show or spirit night).

This balance lets your team rest while still raising funds. And it turns the “grind” into something your squad can look forward to.

Burnout doesn’t mean your team lacks passion. It means your system needs a refresh. At our company, we design everything to be simple, energizing, and easy to run, because we know what you’re juggling.

Your cheerleaders should be focused on stunts and spirit, not stress. Let’s get you back to that.

Ready to Kick Off?

You’ve got the ideas, the energy, and the team. Now all that’s left is to get started, and we’re here to help make that part easy, too.

We’ve spent over 20 years helping squads just like yours raise serious funds without the stress. From custom online links and individual sales tracking to built-in promotional tools and fun-shaped pasta that practically sells itself, we’ve designed every detail to help you win.

• No upfront costs
• Direct-to-home shipping
• Real-time progress tracking
• Cheer-themed pasta shapes your supporters will love

Whether you’re raising money for new uniforms, competition travel, or just keeping your program strong, our system is simple, profitable, and yes, actually fun.