More Ideas!
Fundraisers for elementary schools are a great way to pay for extracurricular activities. They also help foster a sense of school spirit from the oldest to the youngest students because they get to give back to their schools in a tangible way. School fundraising ideas that even the youngest students can get involved in can be a challenge to think of, but there are plenty out there. Keep reading to learn about the school fundraising ideas that you can set up easily.
Partner with a School Fundraising Company
Many companies specifically partner with schools to help them raise funds. This one can be a challenge for kids who don't have many family members; however, it's a classic elementary school fundraiser. Kids take a catalog and sell items like wrapping paper, candles, food, cookie dough and more.
Once the fundraiser ends, orders are placed and the items are delivered to the customers. Many parents often feel they end up doing most of the work as they take the catalog to work. However, this type of fundraiser requires less planning than some others, and there won’t be leftover products that weren’t sold.
Plan a Read-a-Thon
A love of reading can help your students be successful throughout their education. If you want to help your students practice their reading skills and raise money, consider planning a read-a-thon.
This is like a marathon, but instead of running, students spend time reading. The best way to do this is by having students track their reading time. For example, they read for 15 or 30 minutes and track their time.
This ensures that fast readers don't get an advantage and slower readers don't feel left out. Have your students get family members and friends to sponsor them in the read-a-thon. For every 15 or 30 minutes the student spends reading outside of school, they'll donate a certain amount of money.
Bottle or Can Drive
Only 10 states currently have bottle deposits. However, if you live in one of those states, this is a great opportunity for a fundraiser. If you don’t, many states have recycling centers that will take bottles or cans and pay by the pound rather than by the redeemable item.
States with redemption include:
- California
- Oregon
- Hawaii
- Connecticut
- Iowa
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New York
- Vermont
If you don't live in one of these states, you can still have a can drive. Not only will this fundraiser help raise money, but it's also an eco-friendly school fundraiser idea.
You need to do some advance planning for this event to give people time to collect cans and bottles.
There are two ways you can do this event. First, you can set up receptacles around the school where students can drop off bottles and cans all year.
Second, plan an event if you don't want to worry about finding space to store bottles and cans until you return them. This can be a barbeque, picnic, or potluck.
Ask everyone to bring a dish to share and as many bottles and cans as they can donate. Have some men on hand with trucks to take the bottles and cans to your local recycling center.
Book Fairs
Book fairs are a great way to raise money, making them one of the best school fundraising ideas. They are relatively easy to organize and can be a lot of fun for students and parents alike. Plus, they offer a great opportunity to get the community involved in supporting the school.
Book fairs typically involve setting up tables with books for sale in the school gym or auditorium. Students and parents can browse the selection and purchase books they like. The school usually receives a percentage of the sales, so it's a great way to earn some extra money.
Another benefit of book fairs is that they promote literacy and a love of reading. Students who participate in book fairs often become more enthusiastic about reading, which is great for their academic success.
If you're looking for an elementary school fundraiser that is both effective and enjoyable, a book fair is a great option.
Family Sports Day
A family sports day is a great way to get the whole community involved in raising money for your school. This can be done by setting up a series of fun and competitive games that everyone can participate in.
Families can pledge to donate a certain amount of money for every game their child participates in. This is a great way to get people moving and having fun while also raising money for a good cause.
Greeting Card Fundraiser
Selling greeting cards is a great school fundraising idea. You can sell them online or in stores. You can also sell them at craft fairs or other events.
There are many different ways to design your own greeting cards. You can use online tools, or you can design them yourself. If you are selling them in stores, you will need to have professional-looking cards.
You can also sell premade greeting cards. There are many companies that sell greeting cards for schools. You can find these companies online or in magazines that cater to school fundraisers.
However, having the children design greeting cards is a great way to get them involved.
Coin War Fundraiser
A coin war fundraiser is a great way to raise money for your school. It's simple to set up and can be a lot of fun for the participants.
Here's how it works: each student collects coins from their home and brings them to school. They put their coins into a jar labeled with their name. At the end of the day, the jars are collected, and the coins are counted. The student with the most coins in their jar wins a prize.
To make it more fun, you can divide the students into teams. The team with the most coins at the end of the day wins a prize as well.
This fundraiser can get students excited about raising money for their school.
Pizza Party Fundraiser
Who doesn't love a good pizza party? This fundraising idea for schools is easy to put together and quite tasty.
You need to find a good pizza place that will give you a good deal on pizzas. You can either call around to different places or search online for deals. Once you find a place, you need to order enough pizzas for everyone who is coming to the fundraiser.
You may want to consider polling participants on their favorite type of pizza before ordering. Around 64 percent of Americans list pepperoni as their favorite topping.
Pajama Day
Pajama day is a great school fundraising idea that really works! It is simple to set up and can be done in one day. All you need to do is collect donations from students and staff members.
Then, hold a pajama day at your school, where everyone wears their pajamas all day long! This is a fun way to raise money for your school and get everyone involved.
Raffles
Raffles are easy to set up and can be a lot of fun for everyone involved. Here are a few tips for setting up a successful raffle:
First, you will need to find some prizes. Prizes can be donated by local businesses or individuals. You can also ask for donations of gift cards or other items that can be given away as prizes.
Next, you will need to sell tickets. Tickets can be sold online, through mail order, or in person. Selling tickets in person is often the most successful way to sell them. You can set up a table at school events or in the community.
Finally, you will need to hold the raffle. The raffle can be held at a school event or on social media. Be sure to promote the raffle ahead of time, so people know when and where it will be held.
Spelling Bee
Hosting a spelling bee is a fantastic elementary school fundraiser that encourages young students to develop their vocabulary skills. Your elementary school can organize a spelling bee and allow students interested in language to compete in a healthy environment under pressure.
While there might be a competitive element to spelling bees, these events can help students improve communication and public speaking skills. These skills will benefit children later in their education and throughout their lives. You can charge parents a small fee to attend this event at your school hall or another venue and award a prize to the winner of the competition.
Lemonade Stand
Setting up a lemonade stand outside your elementary school can help you generate money and teach younger students the basics of entrepreneurship. Students can sell lemonade to parents at pickup time and collect funds for your school. Don't forget to place leaflets on your stand explaining school fundraising ideas and how you collect and spend donations.
Ask a local store if they are willing to provide the supplies for your lemonade stand for free or at a reduced cost. You will need pitchers, cups, straws, napkins, and lemonade!
Superhero Day
Many elementary school students are fascinated by the superheroes in Marvel movies and DC comic books. So why not host a special day where students can dress up as their favorite characters at school? You can ask parents to pay a fee for this event and use donations to cover the costs of a school project.
Fundraising ideas for schools like this one can encourage creative thinking and socialization between students. You can also award a prize to the person with the most imaginative costume and post images on your website.
You can also substitute Disney characters or sports teams for superheroes.