The Ultimate List of 75+ Easy School Fundraisers

Whether you're a seasoned PTO pro or a first-time fundraising chair (welcome aboard 👋), bringing fresh new school fundraiser ideas to the table is always a good thing. We asked our community for their school's most popular fundraisers and compiled the ultimate list of 75+ school fundraiser ideas—jam-packed with fun and effective ways your PTO can raise money for your school. You just might discover your school's next big fundraiser! 

Product and Catalog Fundraisers

Food Fundraisers

Raise money with food-based fundraisers—always a hit with families.

• Baked goods fundraiser (e.g., donuts, Bundt cakes, cinnamon buns, butter braids, etc.)
• Beef jerky/dried foods fundraiser
• Candy/chocolate fundraiser
• Coffee/tea fundraiser
• Cookie fundraiser
• Fruit fundraiser
• Pasta fundraiser
• Pickle fundraiser
• Pie/cake fundraiser
• Pizza/pizza kit fundraiser
• Popcorn fundraiser
• Pretzel fundraiser

Other Product Fundraisers

Discover high-earning product fundraisers that offer great profit margins and community appeal.

• Bed sheet, blanket, pillow and/or mattress fundraiser
• Calendar magnet fundraiser
• Candle fundraiser
• Car magnet fundraiser
• Cookbook fundraiser
• Coupon/savings fundraiser
• Cutlery fundraiser
• Discount card fundraiser
• Flower and bulb fundraiser (poinsettias, mums, etc.)
• Gift catalog fundraiser
• Greeting card fundraiser
• Holiday seasonal/ornaments/wreaths
• Jewelry fundraiser
• Personalized product fundraiser
• School spirit wear/school spirit products fundraiser
• School photography/school yearbooks fundraiser
• School store fundraiser
• School supplies fundraiser
• Socks fundraiser
• Student art fundraiser
• Tote and bag fundraiser
• Water bottle or tumbler fundraiser
• Wooden roses fundraiser
• Wrapping paper fundraiser

Event-based Fundraisers

Plan memorable events like fun runs, danceathons, school carnivals, and movie nights that double as fundraisers and community-builders—ideal for engaging students and families while meeting your fundraising goals.

• Athon fundraiser (fun run, walkathon, danceathon, readathon, kindness, etc.) using an online donation platform
• Auction using an online platform
• Book fair
• Bowling fundraiser
• Coin wars (also referred to as penny wars)
• Family Bingo Night
• Family Fun Night
• Family Game/Trivia Night
• Family Movie Night
• Food truck night fundraiser
• Gala or dinner dance event
• Glow dance fundraiser
• Holiday shop
• Homecoming dance
• Restaurant spirit night fundraiser (also called "Dine to Donate")
• School bake sale
• School carnival
• School festival
• Skate Night
• Talent show
• Ticketed family entertainment events

Online and Direct Donation Based Fundraisers

Simplify fundraising with tech-savvy tools and low-effort donation drives. These options are perfect for busy volunteers and can reach a wider community fast.

• Affiliate program fundraiser
• Direct donations/check writing
• Crowdfunding
• Pledge drive fundraiser (readathon, walkathon, fun run, kindness, etc.) using an online donation platform
• Raffles
• Virtual auctions

Community Service Fundraisers

Combine giving and fundraising with projects that teach students the value of helping others while raising money for your school.

• Can and bottle return drives (in states with refunds)
• Clothing drive
• Shoe drive

Passive Fundraisers

Set it and forget it! Maximize your school’s earnings with low-effort passive fundraisers like grocery rewards and affiliate programs—great for boosting your PTO's income year-round with minimal volunteer time (we like the sound of that!).

• Box Tops for Education
• Cashback shopping sites that send a portion of each purchase to your school
• Consumer surveys
• Grocery store loyalty programs
• Ink cartridge and electronics recycling
• Local restaurant/business givebacks
• Snack or concession stand
• Vending machine

Other School Fundraising Ideas from Our Community

We asked our Facebook community of more than 61,000 PTO and PTA leaders for their fan favorite fundraisers—check out the list below. Got one you'd like us to add? Tag us on social at @ptotoday.

• Gram fundraisers: Boo Grams for Halloween, Turkey Grams for Thanksgiving, Candy Grams and Cupid Grams for Valentine’s Day, Sham Grams for St. Patrick’s Day (lollipops on a cut out shamrock)
• “Snow Cone Day” fundraiser (charge a flat fee, like $45 per year, and students get a snow cone once per month)
• Tattoo the teacher fundraiser 
• Flamingo Flocking fundraiser
• Flag fundraiser
• Hat pass fundraiser 
• Jeans pass fundraiser
• Sticker machine fundraiser
• Mini family photography session fundraiser
• Duct tape the principal to the wall fundraiser
• Human slot machine fundraiser (a fun game at the fall fest!)
• Chili cookoff fundraiser
• Color war
• Cookie kit fundraiser
• Birthday club fundraiser (parents sign up their child to get their picture taken with the school mascot, a special birthday button and a lollipop during their birthday month)
• “Paint and Sip” fundraiser
• Pie a teacher fundraiser
• Stuffie (stuffed animal) sleepover fundraiser 
• Sell school spirit shirts for "Elf on the Shelf" 
• Haunted school bus fundraiser for Halloween
• Locker decorating fundraiser (parents pay to decorate their student's locker)
• School spirit rock fundraiser

Love this list? Get more in 15+ unique school fundraising ideas 👉

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