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7 Proven Ways for Schools to Raise Money

By Whit Hunter

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It’s that time of year again; time to think about ways to raise money for school!

Fundraising is beneficial for schools in so many ways. Not only does it help support new programs, scholarships, fun activities, and other educational needs, but it also teaches your students how to work as a team toward a common goal.

As a new school year starts and fundraising is at the forefront of many people’s minds, consider going a new route this year. Streamline your efforts with the help of BetterWorld’s online fundraising platform. Once you run one fundraiser through our free platform, you’ll wonder how you ever functioned without it. Sign up for free at BetterWorld today!

How Can Schools Raise Money?

Educators and school staff already have so much on their plates. Adding school fundraisers can add another level of stress.

But it doesn’t have to! Here is a list of some proven ways schools can raise money without adding a ton of stress and work to already overflowing to-do lists.

1. In-School Pajama Days

Not every school requires a uniform but all schools have dress codes. Every once in a while, relax your dress code and let your students wear their pajamas to class!

Charge a small fee between $2 and $5. Set up a donation page on an online fundraising platform to make it easy for parents and guardians to pay their fees electronically.

Turn it into a school-wide competition by giving each teacher their own donation page. Equip the pages with a real-time goal thermometer or another donation tracker to show which classes have the most participation. The class that raises the most money wins a special prize, like a pizza lunch or doughnut breakfast!

2. Read-a-Thons

A read-a-thon is the perfect way to pair your fundraising efforts with an educational activity. Each student can set up their own personalized read-a-thon donation page to share with friends and family. Donors either pledge a certain amount per page read or offer a flat donation if their student reaches a particular goal.

Make it even more fun by turning it into a school-wide competition. Offer prizes to the class and student that reads the most pages, raises the most money, or finishes the most reading challenges over the course of your fundraiser.

3. Balloon Pop Party

This is a fun twist on an auction event! Gather a bunch of smaller prizes or gift cards. Write each type of prize on a piece of paper and put each piece of paper in a balloon. Blow up the balloons and raffle them off!

Your donors then bid for a chance to pop the balloons. Whatever is written on the paper of the balloon they pop is theirs!

Want to run this event virtually? No problem! Collect your bids and then pop the balloons on camera. Embed the video or live stream options directly onto your donation website.

4. Pancake Breakfast

Make good use of your school cafeteria! Host a pancake breakfast for your community. Sell tickets online and offer upgraded food options for an additional fee.

Depending on the time of year, you can make it a holiday-themed breakfast. Think Pancakes with Santa, Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, or a Halloween Costume Breakfast. Offer photos with Santa or the Bunny or run a costume contest for Halloween as an additional way to raise money for your school.

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5. School Picnic Day

Everyone loves the chance to get outside for a bit! School picnics are a great way to bond with friends and classmates while also providing a way for schools to raise money.

Pick a day, either during the school day or on a weekend, to host a school picnic. Charge a set fee for a boxed lunch and set up stations for games and crafts. Include a bouncy house or a face painter for additional fun!

6. Live Auction

Live auctions are one of the most popular ways to raise money for school. Collect items from local businesses or school families and set up your auction page. Share your page in advance on your school’s social media channels to get people excited about your event.

Sell tickets online to attend the event and offer some type of meal or entertainment. As families browse the auction items in person, they can learn more about each item and submit their bids directly on your auction website.

If they can’t attend in person, they can participate in real-time on your auction event website. Text message notifications can alert your bidders when they are outbid and encourage them to try again. Winners are notified automatically and asked to submit their payment to receive their item.

It makes for a fun night out for your families and is one of the best ways schools can raise money for new equipment or activities!

7. Donation Pages

Want to make it as simple as possible? Offer each student a stress-free, personalized donation page that they can share with family and friends.

Have students add artwork or personal stories about how your school has made a difference in their lives to increase the number of donations you receive.

This is a great fundraising idea for schools that are particularly busy, strapped for time, or have a large need in mind. It’s quick, easy, and requires almost no set-up time.

In fact, donation pages on BetterWorld only require 5-10 minutes from start to finish. You’ll be collecting money in no time!

Choose BetterWorld to Raise Money for Your School

When you’re sitting down this fall and wondering how do schools raise money, consider this list of tried and true fundraising ideas. Each of them can be tweaked to fit your school’s specific needs.

Save time, money, and frustration by using BetterWorld’s online fundraising campaign. Our user-friendly platform will help you create beautiful mobile-friendly donation pages that you’ll be proud to share with friends and family.

We are happy to help you learn more about how we can help you identify more money raising ideas for schools. Schedule a demonstration with our support team today!

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Whit Hunter
AUTHOR

About Whit Hunter

Whit Hunter is the co-founder of BetterWorld, the free, easy-to-use online fundraising platform. His passion for empowering nonprofits and tech expertise have shaped BetterWorld’s mission to make fundraising more accessible and efficient.

Whit's innovative vision has helped countless organizations raise more funds and reach their goals, driving BetterWorld’s ongoing success.

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