Whether you are trying to make an addition to your facilities, upgrade your equipment, or fund an extracurricular activity, your school needs the support of parents and the community to make it happen. And to make it happen, you need a great fundraiser. The best high school fundraisers require teamwork between the students and staff (and sometimes parents as well). Here are nine high school creative fundraising ideas.
School Dances
Prom and homecoming dances are some people’s strongest memories of high school. They are usually not thought of as a fundraising opportunity. However, there are lots of opportunities to raise money. You can charge admission to the dance, sell refreshments, raffle off prizes—you name it! You can host such an event on a budget by asking parents and teachers to volunteer.
Dunk Tanks
This may sound like an unusual fundraiser, but hear me out on this. Every student has a teacher that grinds their gears. How fun would it be to dunk that teacher in some ice-cold water? To turn this into a fundraiser, start by reaching out to a local carnival vendor. Ask them if they would be willing to lend you a dunk tank for a school fundraiser, or at least rent it out at a discount. Then, set up shop in a parking lot and let your students try to dunk your brave teacher volunteers. This activity can be incorporated into other celebrations, such as homecoming. fundraiser companies for schools
Jazz and Spaghetti
Here is a fun one—turn your gymnasium into a fancy restaurant with live music. Have your high school’s jazz band perform a concert for parents, students, and other community members while your student and teacher volunteers prepare and serve a delicious spaghetti dinner. You can make money by selling admissions wristbands, serving wine, and holding raffles.
School Spirit Bracelet Sales
Show school pride and raise money with silicone bracelets. You can design the coolest rubber bracelets with custom text and your school’s logo. These bands can be purchased for just cents and can be sold for as much as $6. This high margin makes them an excellent fundraising item that your students and teachers can wear every day. This is our favorite high school creative fundraising idea.
Parking Spot Auctions
This is an unusual one, but it offers 100% profit margin. On a monthly basis, you can hold auctions for the most-coveted spots in your parking lot. This allows schools to monetize their parking lots. It also ensures that there is no more bickering over who gets which spots. Honestly, I am surprised more schools aren’t doing this already.
Polar Plunges
It is just so much fun to watch your friends and family freeze their butts off. But when they are jumping into ice-cold water for a good cause, it makes the event so much more entertaining. Ask your participants to raise pledges from friends and relatives to be donated to your school.
Don’t have a frozen lake? Don’t want to assume any liabilities from having participants do a polar plunge? No worries! You can have participants take an ice bath instead. You can also use your school’s swimming pool and have your participants jump into the cold water in silly costumes.
Trivia Night
A fun trivia night is a great way to raise money for your school, especially if you allow your participants to create their own teams. Heck, you can even do students vs. teachers to see who’s the smartest! Make it a fun event by including prizes, raffles, food—you name it!
Chocolate Sales
Who doesn’t love chocolate? It’s sweet, delicious, and great for school fundraisers. You can run chocolate sales during holidays, homecoming, dances, and more. The way it works is simple. First, begin by buying a few large bags of candy or chocolate. Bag them up in a decorative manner and have students and teachers buy them for themselves or somebody else. Then, choose a time towards the end of the day and deliver the chocolate.