15+ Unique School Fundraiser Ideas
From tattooing the teacher and stuffie sleepovers to mini seasonal photo sessions, check out these unique school fundraisers your PTO has probably never thought of...until now!
Whether your PTO is brainstorming for your school's next big fundraiser or just looking for fresh, fun ways to rally your school community and raise some money in the process, this list of unique fundraising ideas will engage your school community—and make fundraising feel (dare we say it?) fun!
Iced Coffee in the School Drop Off Line Fundraiser
By now, you've probably seen the now-viral meme, "If PTOs sold iced coffee in the school drop off line line, they'd be richer than Starbucks by Friday". Well, a few determined and creative PTO groups took this idea to the streets (specifically the school the drop off line) and made the magic happen. Check out how to do a coffee in the drop-off line fundraiser at your school—plus get our free bundle of coffee in the drop-off line printables.
@cfsknights ☕️ From idea ➡️ reality! Remember those TikToks about how PTA should sell iced coffee in the drop-off line? Well, we did it! 🙌 PTF had the BEST morning serving up vanilla + caramel iced coffees, and raising funds, to spoil our amazing teachers. ❤️🖤 Knights know how to start the day right! #icedcoffee #PTA #schoolfundraiser #coffeelovers #fundraiserideas ♬ original sound - CFS
Tattoo the Teacher Fundraiser
This school fundraiser went viral on TikTok, and for good reason - is there anything that could get kids more excited than paying to see their teacher get inked? Probably not! And of course, we're talking temporary tattoos. Here's how it works: students pay $1 for a small tattoo, $3 for a medium tattoo, and $5 for a large tattoo. Forms and payment are turned in by a specified date, and teachers have fun getting tatted. Now that's what we call school spirit! Here's everything you need to plan a tattoo the teacher fundraiser...including a free flyer (with order form) and social media graphic.
@genevieve.gaston New fundraiser was a blast and so successful! #fyp #tat #teacher #tattoo #fundraiser ♬ Jackass - TV Theme Players
Mini Photo Session Fundraiser
To set up a fall or holiday themed mini photo session fundraiser for your school, set up 3 or 4 seasonal “sets” featuring festive backdrops and fun props. Parents can book a $25 time slot to take their own photos of their kids (or their family) in any of the provided seasonal sets. Your PTO could also provide an instant printer so that parents are able to print photos on the spot.
McTeacher's Night Fundraiser
A fundraiser that involves teachers and school admin serving up burgers and fries at your local McD's? We're lovin' it! During McTeacher's Night, teachers and staff work behind the counter serving your school's families, and McDonald’s donates a percentage of sales earned during the program to your school.
Human Fruit Slot Machine Fundraiser
Coal Valley PTA in Coal Valley, Illinois, incorporated a human fruit machine into their fall festival. To turn this game into a fundraiser, attendees pay for tickets to play the slot machine. Here's how to make a human fruit slot machine
@ptotoday This #humanfruitmachine will be everyone’s fave stop at your school’s Fall festival! More unique school fundraiser ideas at PTOtoday.com/trending 📸 Coal Valley PTA in Coal Valley, IL #fyp #ptolife #ptopresident #ptapresident #fallfestival #schoolfundraiser #fundraising #games #schoolvolunteer #humanslotmachine ♬ original sound - PTO Today ✨School Family Media
Pay the Day (or Donate the Day) Calendar
To do a pay the day (sometimes called "donate the day") calendar, parents sign up for a day and pay the date. For example, a parent who signs up for day "25" on the calendar pays $25.
Stuffie Sleepover Fundraiser
As a kid, having your favorite stuffed animal spend the night at your school is pretty much the coolest thing ever. In true fashion, creative PTOs have taken this fun idea and turned it into a successful school fundraiser. Think about how much you want to charge (e.g., $5 or $10 per stuffed animal). Once the animals are dropped off, have a few volunteers available to take photos of the stuffed animals doing fun things in classrooms and on school grounds: playing with the parachute in gym, cutting shapes out of construction paper, reading in the library, and eating a snack in the caf. (This is also a fun follow-up activity after a Stuff a School Mascot event!)
Adamsville Primary School in Bridgewater, New Jersey, had a lot of success with their first ever stuffie sleepover. The PTO shared it was a 95% profit fundraiser, with their only expense being the photos they shared with families after the event. They charged $10 per stuffed animal and offered three drop off times for families (parents could bring a stuffed animal to the PTO meeting, students could bring their stuffed animal to school in a sealed bag with the ID tag, or parents could drop it off afterschool). Adamsville PTO had four volunteers at the school on a Saturday for around 3.5 hours to take photos of 47 stuffed animal friends at the playground, cafeteria, gym, music room, tech room, art room and classrooms. The PTO returned the stuffed animals to classroom teachers on Monday morning for students to take home. Each student received three photos from the PTO: a group photo of all the stuffed animals, a photo of their stuffie with the school mascot, and a photo of their stuffie doing something fun at school.
Photo credit: Bernie Andersen, Adamsville Primary School PTO, Bridgewater, New Jersey
Beard fundraiser
And no, this school fundraiser doesn't involve students growing beards 😂 Students purchase beard "dots" for 25 cents each or 5 for $1 to give their teacher a beard. Which teacher's beard will end up the longest?
@creativelibrarian These students gave back to their community with generous hearts! #studentcouncil #serviceprojects #bigbrothersbigsisters #school #schoolmemories #schooldays ♬ The Polar Express - Main Theme - Geek Music
Candy Cart (or Snack Shack) Fundraiser
Stock up on candy or snacks at Sam's Club to sell at a "candy cart" or "snack shack" during lunch or after school one or two days a week. (Psst: we heard Takis are a hot commodity at elementary and middle schools🔥)
Jeans Day Fundraiser (free Jeans Pass Canva template)
Ask all the teachers you know and they'll agree: a jeans day is the bomb diggity. Here's how it works: Your PTO sets the price - for example, charge $10 for a sheet of five jeans passes. Parents select how many jeans day passes they want to purchase for each teacher and your PTO keeps the funds raised. Once purchased, teachers receive their jeans passes and scan the QR code to "cash in" on their jeans day. Use our FREE Jeans Day Pass Canva template
Deck the Lockers Fundraiser
Forget about decking the halls...deck the lockers instead and raise money for your school during the holiday season! Ask families to donate rolls of wrapping paper. Then, charge a set amount for each locker and staff door. Volunteers then "wrap" the doors for a festive school spin on decking the halls! Cass City Red Hawk PTO charged $4 per locker and $5 per staff door and raised just over $1,600. More fun holiday traditions for schools
@ptotoday Deck the lockers! This festive fundrasier raised just over $1,600 ✨ 📸 Cass City Red Hawk PTO #ptolife #schoolfundraiser #ptopresident #ptamom #ptomom ♬ Deck the Halls Fa La La - Fat Cat
School Cookbook Fundraiser
Highlight the uniqueness and diversity of cultures that span across your school community by sharing collected recipes from families, teachers, and school staff in a school cookbook.
Hat Pass Fundraiser
Endy Elementary PTO sells an annual "hat pass" for $25 that allows students to wear a hat every Friday ("Hat Day") for the school year. Parents can also purchase a one-time hat pass for $1.
Sock Hop Dance Fundraiser
Invite parents and students to dress up in attire from the 1950s attire for a fun night at a sock hop dance!
School Spirit Rock Fundraiser
Rent the rock for birthdays, teacher celebrations, and more. As an alternative to a rock, some schools use their school marquee, sign, or a banner with text they can easily change out. Charge $10-$25 for a parent to "rent" the rock and feature a special message.
Adult Prom Fundraiser
With this fun fundraiser, parents get to take a trip down memory lane by getting dolled up for an adults-only prom at school! Try a fun theme parents will find nostalgic (so they'll want to attend!), like the 80s (big hair, don't care) or 90s.
Croc Charms Fundraiser
Our kids' Crocs are having a moment. Leave it to a PTO parent to turn Croc charms into a school spirit building fundraiser...a great way to build school spirit while tapping into a trend students love. Custom straw toppers are another great trendy item to consider!
Pie a Teacher Fundraiser
A "pie a teacher" fundraiser is a great one to do on Pi Day (March 14), National Pie Day (January 23), or any time of year, really! Students purchase a ticket for 50 cents to cast a vote for a teacher they'd like to see get a pie in the face. Those teachers are some good sports!
Sticker Machine Fundraiser
A sticker machine is a great passive fundraiser. Sticker machines run around $400 (like this sticker machine from CandyMachines.com). If your PTO plans to stock the machine with your own stickers, you'll also need these empty flat vending folder sleeves. Stickers that are popular with students include Pokemon, Squishmallows, Taylor Swift (of course!) and seasonal/holiday stickers, like Halloween. Tip: before stocking your machine, be sure to look through all the stickers if purchasing online; occasionally PTOs have come across a few that are not appropriate for school.
Sticker Picker Fundraiser
During a "sticker picker" fundraiser, your PTO sells stickers (for example, one sticker for 50 cents, or three stickers for $1.00). Here's the fun part: first, you'll need to mark a few lucky stickers on the back. Whoever gets the lucky stickers win a prize!
Celebrate National Rubber Ducky Day with an Adopt-a-Duck Fundraiser
This fun adopt a duck fundraiser is a great one to do ahead of National Rubber Ducky Day (January 13). Charge students a flat fee (like $2) to adopt a rubber ducky.
@latoya.turner4 The LHS SGA needs your help in finding a home for our new friends!!! Adopt-A-Duck for $2!! #co2024 ♬ Happy Cute & Playful - Yevhen Lokhmatov
Flocking Flamingos or a "You've Been Ducked" Fundraiser
Here's how a flocking flamingo fundraiser works: parents pay to have a friend's yard flocked with a dozen pink flamingos which are placed on the lawn or porch overnight. They are asked to pay a fee that your PTO sets (e.g., $20-$30) to have “flamingo removal experts” remove the flock. "Flocking insurance" can also be paid to ensure the flock doesn't end up in your yard. The fun isn't just for flamingos, though: try a seasonal theme, like ghosts yard stakes for a "You've Been Boo'ed" fundraiser in October, or leave rubber duckies in yards to celebrate National Rubber Ducky Day on January 13 ("You've Been Ducked").
@christenrush PTO FLAMINGO FLOCKING FUNDRAISER 🦩🩷 #pto #fundraiser #doitforthekids #pta #ptomoms #friends #shenaningans #momsoftiktok #dontbesuspicious ♬ Don't Be Suspicious - Parody Mix - Pojammer
Potty with a Purpose Fundraiser
Looking to one up that flocking flamingo fundraiser? Potty with a Purpose is a popular fundraiser among high schools as a fundraiser for prom, but it could also work as a regular school fundraiser, too (just think of all the buzz it'll generate!). When the colorful potty shows up in your yard, you can pay to have it removed and delivered to a friend's yard. And of course, there's the option to pay a "potty insurance" which guarantees said potty from showing up in your yard again. (Ummm...worth it 😂)
@wes_pto From neighbors to schools and everyone in between our toilet has traveled many miles lately. Have you seen it? If so, tag us by using #wespto so we can see the fun its had!! But, its not over yet!! Where do you think the toilet will go next?? #funny #fundraiseridea #ptolife #wherewillthetoiletgo ♬ Livin' My Best Life - Dylan Scott
Penny Wars (Coin Wars) Fundraiser
Sometimes referred to as "coin wars", a penny wars fundraiser is a great way to earn quick cash for your school. Here's how to organize a penny wars fundraiser.
@ptotoday This popular #schoolfundraiser is easy to organize and can raise a LOT of money quickly! Learn how to organize one at www.ptotoday.com/penny #pennywars #ptopresident #ptapresident #fundraiserideas #ptolife ♬ SHIMMY SONGTRADR 30 HIT WONDER - Artist manager manager
Bubble Run Fundraiser
A bubble run is a fun spin on a school fun run. To make the bubbles, PTO leaders in our community recommend this Foam Daddy Cannon, a tripod stand, and hypoallergenic Foam Daddy gel solution (1 gallon makes 400 gallons of foam, which lasts approximately 2-3 hours). You can also use this bubble maker for foam parties - a fun prize to motivate students to meet school fundraising goals!
@ptotoday Bubble run - such a fun spin on a school fun run! #schoolfundraiser #funrun #ptolife #ptopresident #schoolvolunteerlife ♬ Chichiquetere - HCTM
Turkey Feather Fundraiser
During a Turkey Feather Fundraiser, every classroom has a featherless turkey that needs feathers. Students purchase feathers for $1. The class who collects the most feathers for their classroom turkey gets to see their teacher dress up as a turkey for the day (check out this comfy turkey onesie from Amazon). This is a fun, easy fundraiser to do ahead of Thanksgiving break!
@saraa_jamess The money we raised from this fundraiser goes right back to our students! We will be using it to purchase incentives for all of our students’ hard work and great behavior ❤️🫶🏼 #schoolfundraiser #schoolspirit #turkey #teacher #kindergartenteacher #kindergarten #disguiseaturkey #disguiseaturkeyproject ♬ original sound - Sara James
Duct Tape the Principal to the Wall Fundraiser
A popular fundraiser at elementary schools, families pay to purchase strips of duct tape. At the end of the fundraiser, PTO volunteers get to duct tape the (very good-spirited) principal to the wall. Here's everything you need to know about duct taping a principal to the wall.
Cereal Drive Fundraiser
A cereal drive fundraiser is a great community service project that gets the whole school involved in helping your wider community. A great time to do a cereal drive is during the Thanksgiving season, or in the spring ahead of National Cereal Day (March 7). Set a goal and encourage families to donate boxes of cereal. The cereal fundraiser culminates with a cereal drive domino train set up throughout the school.
@ptotoday Awesome idea that your PTO or PTA can champion in November! Nice work, @neisdschools 👏🎉 #thanksgiving #schoolvolunteer #ptolife #ptomom #ptamom #ptodad #ptadad #cerealdominoeffect ♬ original sound - PTO Today ✨School Family Media
Check out the Ultimate List of 75+ Easy School Fundraiser Ideas 👉
