50 PTA & PTO Fundraising Ideas For Schools
Fundraising is what helps many Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) and Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) go beyond what school budgets can usually cover. From funding field trips and classroom supplies to supporting extracurricular programs and campus improvements, fundraisers create opportunities that directly benefit students. The key to a successful fundraiser is finding ideas that are engaging, profitable, and tailored to your school's interests. Here are 50 fundraising ideas to get your creative juices flowing!
Read-A-Thon⎯Encourage students to gather pledges for reading a set number of books within a month.
Penny Wars⎯Set up jars for each class or grade, and every penny dropped into the jar counts as a point. Count totals at the end of the week and announce the winning group. Offer a prize like a pizza party, extra recess, or spirit day to the winning group.
Dress Down Day⎯Have students pay to a small donation to wear pajamas to school for a week.
School Apparel⎯Sell school-branded apparel and gear for extra funds.
Recycling Drive⎯Collect bottles, cans, or electronics for cash.
Snack Cart⎯Sell snacks during lunch, after school, or during events.
Bake Sale⎯Parents and students contribute baked goods to sell to help the school raise money.
Candy Grams⎯Sell small treats with personalized notes for holidays.
Photo Booth⎯Set up a photo booth at events for fun, instant pictures and charge a small fee for each photo.
Fun Run / Color Run⎯Sponsored run with colorful powder or water stations is a fun way to get everyone involved and for local businesses to support the school.
Talent Show⎯Host a talent night where students can showcase skills and charge an admission fee.
Family Bingo Night⎯Charge an entry fee and sell concessions for extra revenue.
Movie Night⎯Show a film in the gym or outdoors for a small fee to watch.
STEM Night⎯Charge a fee per family or per person. Another fund thing to do is sell a “STEM Passport;” each station a student completes gets a stamp in the passport and ones that are all filled out get entered into drawing.
Art Show & Sale⎯Sell student created art with suggested donations for each item.
Board Game Tournament⎯Invite students, families, and teachers to compete in a friendly tournament featuring popular board games. Charge an admission fee to the tournament.
Karaoke Night⎯This is a fun activity that everyone can participate in. Have volunteers help run the event, and sell concessions for more revenue.
Escape The Gym⎯Set up a giant escape room setup using PE equipment and props. Charge a small fee to enter and offer group discounts.
Holiday Gift Shop⎯Open this event to the community so anyone that wants to can sell items they’ve made and donate the proceeds to the school.
Pumpkin Decorating Contest⎯Charge to enter a pumpkin carving contest. This is especially fun around Halloween.
Rubber Duck Race⎯Sell numbered ducks and race them down a stream or in a pool. Whoever's duck wins gets a prize.
Teacher Karaoke Showdown⎯Staff performs, and charge a small fee for each vote.
Parent vs. Teacher Sports Game⎯Charge an entry fee to watch parents and teachers compete against each other.
Winter Wonderland Festival⎯Set up games, crafts, and concessions that have a winter wonderland theme. Ask for sponsors so you can have free admission and just ask for suggested donations to enter.
Giant Jenga Tournament⎯Anyone that wants to participate pays an entry fee and then compete to see who can win a game with giant Jenjas.
School Calendar Sales⎯Sell calendars featuring student art or photos.
Seasonal Craft Fair⎯Vendors pay for booths and have concessions for more revenue.
Cookie Decorating Night⎯The fee can includes cookies and supplies.
Restaurant Night⎯Local restaurants who want to participate, donate a percentage of their sales to the school.
Local Business Coupon Books⎯Sell books with participating deals local businesses are willing to offer.
Parking Spot Auction⎯Top bidders (at high schools) get the best parking spots for a week.
Community Yard Sale⎯On a weekend, families set up tables for items they want to sell, with all proceeds going to the school.
Car Wash⎯Ask students, parents, teachers to help out one weekend at a car wash to raise money.
Pet Photo Contest⎯Charge an entry fee for students to submit their pet picture. Ask a local pet store to donate a gift card to the winner.
Library Read-In Sponsorships⎯Businesses sponsor reading hours for studets.
Glow-In-The-Dark Mini Golf⎯Convert the gym into a glow-in-the-dark mini golf course and charge a small fee to play.
Fitness Class⎯Partner with a local fitness student where one day, all proceeds they make go to the school.
School Garden Plant Sale⎯Sell flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Offer other fun activities students can do like coloring or painting stations, with a fee to participate.
Teacher Experience Auction⎯Students buy raffle tickets and the winner gets to choose between “Principal for a Day” or “Lunch with a Teacher.”
Night Activity⎯A night activity is especially fun during the fall like a corn maze, kid-friendly haunted house, bonfire. Charge a fee to participate in each event.
Obstacle Course Challenge⎯Charge per run or per team and the winner gets a prize.
Reverse Raffle⎯A fun take on raffle drawings would be to have the last ticket drawn winning the prize.
Lip Sync Battle⎯A lip sync battle is a fun way for students to dance and sing to their favorite songs. Allow people to enter individually or as a team, and ask for suggested donations.
Silent Auction Items⎯Bid on donated items, services, or vacation packages and experiences.
Pie In The Face Contest⎯Have students pay to vote for which teacher gets pied.
School Cookbook⎯Ask parents to submit recipes, and then sell the cookbooks online and at events. Give people who pre-order a small discount.
Drone Races⎯Have students or parents to race drones for prizes, charging a small entry fee to participate.
DIY Tie-Dye Party⎯Students pay to make custom t-shirts or socks.
Crowdfunding Campaign For Specific Projects⎯Promote a new playground or library expansion that the school wants to raise funds for.
Pancake Breakfast⎯This is a great family-friendly weekend event to have a delicious breakfast.
All the funds you raise will create opportunities that extend far beyond the current school year. Students will remember the field trips, the new playground equipment, classroom supplies, and more that will help towards learning and cultivating a bright future. You can start small, learn from each fundraiser, and build on your successes.
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FAQs
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The most successful elementary fundraisers are when students are directly involved. Examples include:
Fun runs or walk-a-thons
Art shows featuring student creations
Classroom challenges
Family movie or game nights
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Fundraisers usually have higher participation when they’re easy to join, easy to donate to, and clearly tied to how they benefit students. Also sharing how funds will be used builds trust and motivates more families to participate.
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Fall and spring are typically the best times to fundraise. Fall events generate early momentum in the school year, and spring fundraisers are great for warmer weather and a school community that’s already engaged.
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PTAs and PTOs plan fundraisers based on their goals, volunteer availability, school size, and family engagement. A good idea is to combine a large fundraiser with several smaller ones that don’t take a lot of effort.
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Most PTAs and PTOs run 2–4 fundraisers every year. This strategy helps prevent donor fatigue while still generating enough funds to meet school needs.
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