School fundraising ideas
Most schools fundraise every year, whether it’s for playground equipment, library books, school camp, technology or a new shade sail. The fundraisers that work best are the ones whānau enjoy and can join easily. Here are ideas for every size of school community, and how to plan them so they raise what you need.
What are easy school fundraising ideas?
These need little planning and a handful of volunteers, so they suit a busy term:
- Gold coin mufti day: students pay a gold coin to wear mufti or a costume
- Cake stall: families bake at home and you sell at pick-up or assembly
- Sausage sizzle: at an athletics day, working bee or election day
- Mother’s Day or Father’s Day stall: small gifts students can buy for under ten dollars
- Kiwifruit or lamington drive: families pre-order, you deliver on one day
- Second-hand uniform sale: helps families and raises money at the same time
- Book swap or book fair: students bring a book and buy one, or you host a supplier’s fair
What fundraisers can students get involved in?
Students are your best fundraisers, because their families want to support them:
- Read-a-thon: students collect sponsorship for every book or minute read
- Fun run or colour run: sponsorship per lap, with a family day on the field
- Talent show or concert: families buy tickets to watch
- Art show: families buy their child’s framed artwork or a class canvas
- Disco or movie night: a ticketed evening for younger students
- Parents versus teachers match: netball, touch or rugby, with a gold coin entry
Which school fundraisers bring the community together?
The bigger events take more organising and more volunteers, but they often raise the most money and become the highlights of the school year:
- School gala: stalls, rides, food and entertainment, and often the biggest earner on the calendar
- Quiz night: tables of eight to ten, a host, a raffle and a silent auction
- Dinner and auction: a night out for parents, with donated prizes from local businesses
- Market day: local stallholders pay for a site and families come to shop
- Family movie night: a big screen in the hall or on the field, and a food stall
- Carols night: students perform, and you sell food, glow sticks and raffle tickets
For more inspiration, see our 100+ fundraising ideas, which covers clubs and community groups too.
How do you plan a school fundraiser?
Start with what the money is for. “New shade sails for the junior playground” motivates families far more than “general funds”. Then:
- Set a target and a date, and check the school calendar for clashes
- Get approval from your principal and check school policies on food, photography and child safety
- Build a small team, usually through your PTA or Home and School association, with one person looking after money
- Work out your costs, so you know what you need to sell to reach your target
- Check the rules: raffles come under the Gambling Act, and food stalls may need council approval
- Promote it early, through the newsletter, school app and class chats
- Thank everyone afterwards and tell families what you raised
Our guide on how to plan a school event covers each step in more detail, and the raffle fundraiser guide explains when a raffle needs a licence.
How can you raise more from a school fundraiser?
Small changes make a real difference to what you take home:
- Show progress: share a fundraising thermometer in the newsletter so families see the goal getting closer
- Sell tickets ahead: online sales tell you how many people to cater for and bring money in before the day
- Offer family tickets: so parents with several children aren’t priced out
- Add extras at booking: raffle tickets, meal deals or a glow stick pack can be sold with the ticket
- Take card payments: many parents don’t carry cash, so use EFTPOS or tap to pay on stalls
- Ask local businesses: for prizes, sponsorship or a discount on supplies, and thank them publicly
How can TryBooking help with your school fundraiser?
TryBooking is built for schools. Sell tickets to your gala, quiz night or movie night online, collect the details you need with custom forms, and take payments at the door or on stalls with the Box Office app. Ticketing for free events is free, so you can manage numbers for a free family day too. See how it works for schools.
