The Ultimate Guide to Catholic School Fundraising

In the 2023 edition of Momentum, The National Catholic Education Association’s magazine (NCEA), shared that tuition isn’t enough to cover all required educational expenses. Thankfully, that’s where fundraising can help! With the right strategy, fundraisers can help Catholic schools cover expenses such as classroom technology and student scholarships.

While putting together a fundraising strategy can feel overwhelming (especially for small teams with tight budgets), there are achievable and inspiring ways you can encourage donations from parents, community members, and alumni. 

In this guide, we'll discuss simple and effective practices for Catholic schools, review popular fundraising types, and offer tips for measuring success. We’ll also share how to set up your campaign in just five minutes through BetterWorld. Let’s dive in!  

5 fundraising ideas to spark your creativity  

If you're part of a development team or flying solo, gathering ideas from other schools or fundraising groups can be really helpful. 

The ideas in this section are presented to help spark your creativity and help determine what would work best for your school! 

Incorporate your school's mission and values into your event

Your school’s mission, vision, values, and charisma are at the heart of everything you do, and incorporating them into your fundraising efforts could be a big motivator for donors. 

Be sure to make it clear how their contributions help the school maintain its core beliefs.

Fundraising idea: Faith & Service Day 

This event brings together students, faculty, families, and the broader community to participate in a series of service projects that align with Catholic values of compassion, stewardship, and social justice. 

Participants engage in activities such as preparing care packages for the homeless, visiting nursing homes, or organizing a food drive for local shelters.

Each participant or team seeks sponsorships or donations for their involvement in fundraising, with all proceeds going directly to support the school's programs and initiatives. 

During the event, incorporate moments of reflection and prayer, emphasizing the connection between faith and service. This initiative raises funds and deepens the community's understanding and commitment to living out the school's mission in everyday life.

Create memories with themed events 

People love a fun and engaging theme! A fun themed event will create lasting memories and serve as a reminder of your organization–amplifying the overall impact. 

Lean on a memorable or alliterative name (think: “Saints and Scholars” Gala) or choose something instantly understood or noticed when it appears in emails, on signage, or in videos.

Consider weaving in elements of religious holidays or cultural events to leverage the festive, joyful time of year. For instance, hosting an Advent market can create an enchanting holiday atmosphere, while an Easter luncheon might offer fun activities for families. Such events naturally draw crowds and can perfectly fit the seasonal spirit.

Engaging alumni through reunion fundraisers & alumni giving campaigns

Your alumni are some of your most valuable and passionate supporters. Campaign initiatives like reunion fundraisers and alumni giving campaigns can be a lucrative fundraising channel for Catholic schools.

However, it can be challenging to earn their attention when many are also solicited by their college’s alma mater or other organizations they support. 

Here are a few ways to rally alumni support:

• Co-host events with local businesses 
• Host student-centered initiatives
• Organizing a themed day of giving 

Remember: An essential part of successful alumni fundraising is staying in touch year-round to develop an authentic relationship and build trust beyond the ask. 

Empower students to lead fundraisers and facilitate transformative experiences 

Your students can be your most valuable fundraisers! When a student reaches out to a potential donor, it often feels more meaningful as the donation directly impacts them. 

Consider organizing a student-led effort through initiatives like leadership committees and peer-to-peer fundraising, which can empower students and foster a sense of ownership and responsibility. 

Plan creative and engaging rewards for donations that involve the students, such as personalized thank-you cards or small, handmade gifts with sentimental value. 

Additionally, record videos of students explaining what a donation would mean to them and how it would enhance their educational experience and opportunities at school. These heartfelt messages can be powerful tools for your fundraising campaign. 

You can use the videos strategically on your donation pages, social media platforms, and pre-campaign email outreach to create a compelling narrative that resonates with potential donors. 

Engaging students in fundraising benefits the school financially and provides them with valuable skills and transformative experiences!

Free up time and energy by hosting virtual events

We all know that fundraising events can be a full-time job! However, there's an easier and more engaging way to host an effective event campaign: host a virtual or live-streamed event through a digital fundraising platform like BetterWorld!

Through virtual platforms, you can host a raffle or a live auction to inspire donors to participate actively from the comfort of their homes. 

Here are a few other ideas for virtual fundraising events:

• Silent auction for student artwork, local services, or school spirit merchandise
• Virtual talent show that accepts donations for votes
• Virtual pray-a-thon walk-a-thon with prayer requests
• Virtual family game night charging entry fees and extra rounds

The different types of fundraisers for Catholic schools

Now that you’ve started considering what’s possible for a fundraising campaign, let’s go through some of the fundraisers that typically see considerable success.  

Galas & auctions

Galas are formal events designed to bring together school supporters, including parents, alumni, parish members, and local community leaders, for an evening of dining, entertainment, and philanthropy. 

The primary goal is to raise significant funds for the school while promoting community engagement and celebrating the school’s mission and achievements. Galas have long been classic fundraising events. They aren’t the easiest to pull off, but they often bring in large gifts through an auction that typically takes place during the event. 

School carnivals & festivals

A school carnival or festival is another fun, larger-scale option for a fundraiser. A carnival or festival is a community-oriented event that typically includes games, food, entertainment, and activities designed to bring together families, parishioners, and the local community.

The primary goal of these events is to raise funds for the school while fostering a sense of community and fun. While they can generate a lot of excitement and, in turn, donations, carnivals and festivals require a lot of time, resources, and money to host. 

If you choose to host a carnival, some fun things to consider include:

• Food and drink booths or trucks
• Raffle tickets and auctions
• Inflatable attractions for children
• Carnival games with prizes
• Live entertainment 

Walk-a-thons & 5Ks

Want to rally your supporters in a way that requires less overhead and resources but still engages and excites the community? Consider hosting a walk-a-thon or 5K race. A walk-a-thon is a fundraising event where students, families, parishioners, and supporters participate in a sponsored walk to raise money for the school. 

Participants collect pledges or donations from family, friends, and local businesses, which are used for school programs, scholarships, or other needs. The event often incorporates a faith-based theme, fostering physical activity, community engagement, and school spirit. 

Walk-a-thons and races are great ways to tap into school and community spirit without breaking the bank!

Golf tournaments

Golf tournaments have long been used as fundraisers for schools, nonprofits, and charities. And it makes sense why that’s the case – they’re fun, versatile, and driven by community action.

A golf tournament fundraiser typically includes a full day of golfing and other fundraising elements like auctions, raffles, and sponsorships. 

When choosing a fundraising model for your golf tournament, consider these sponsorship options:

• Hole sponsorships: Businesses or individuals can sponsor a hole with their company name or logo displayed on signage at the hole.
• Event sponsorships: Local businesses can sponsor different aspects of the event, such as lunch, dinner, awards ceremony, or golf carts. This type of sponsorship provides additional funding while giving businesses visibility in the community.
• Prize sponsorships: Prizes for winners or raffle items are often donated by sponsors, with businesses recognized during the awards ceremony or in event materials.

You might consider hosting a closing awards ceremony and dinner at the end of the tournament. Use this opportunity to make a formal fundraising appeal or host an auction. 

Fund-a-need

Donors love to see the tangible effects of their contributions, and what better way to showcase that than through Impact Giving? This type of campaign offers a unique opportunity to create specific items or projects that people can donate towards. 

For example, you could design an entire Impact Giving campaign focused on classroom necessities. This approach allows donors to directly fund specific needs, such as purchasing a new projector required for an 8th-grade classroom or providing new building blocks for a pre-kindergarten class.

By aligning donor contributions with clearly defined goals, Impact Giving enhances the sense of connection and fulfillment, making the donation experience more meaningful and impactful for everyone involved.

Online auction

Auctions are a classic way to raise vital funds for your school. An online auction is a virtual event where individuals can bid on various items or experiences to raise money. 

Hosted on a digital platform like BetterWorld, it allows participants to view and place bids from the comfort of their homes. Online auctions are a popular fundraising option because they are accessible to a wide audience, offer flexibility in timing, and can engage donors who can’t attend in-person events.

TIP: When considering running an online auction, it’s essential to select a digital fundraising platform like BetterWorld that can handle the auction logistics, such as listing items, managing bids, and processing payments. The platform also allows for customization with your school’s branding, details about the fundraiser, and descriptions of the auction items.

Peer-to-peer fundraising

Peer-to-peer fundraising helps Catholic schools raise money in a way that inspires their entire community and taps into the power of their networks. 

The top 30 peer-to-peer fundraising programs activated 3.8 million participants — a 15.6% increase for 2023 following 2022’s 58% increase.

Personal fundraising pages through BetterWorld allow participants to share their stories, explain why the school matters, and build a stronger emotional connection with potential donors. It’s low-cost, too. 

BetterWorld’s fundraising platform is 100% free for schools. 

Since much fundraising happens online and through social sharing, there are fewer logistical costs compared to in-person events like galas or carnivals.

To learn how to measure the success of these fundraisers with clear, actionable KPIs, DOWNLOAD the full article for all the insights you need.