Creative Ways To Raise Funds
Art Show
Hold an art contest where you and
your friends enter up to three pieces of their art at $5 per entry. Try to get a local gallery owner to donate space for the
event and recruit local celebrities as judges. You could also sell this artwork and donate a portion of the proceeds to your
favorite organization.
Bake Sale
Everyone's favorite! Include baked foods from around the world.
Birthday Donations
On birthdays students can ask parents, friends and grand-parents to make a donation to a special
organization instead of buying a gift. Students can do the same for other people's birthdays. Make up a card for the birthday
person explaining that a donation was made in honor of his/her birthday to a local organization. Explain how the organization
works
Car Wash
Hold a weekend car-wash to raise money or make yourself (and friends) available to run errands,
do yard work, or walk dogs, etc. Make up fliers to advertise your services and explain where the money will go that is earned.
Community Auction
Ask families, friends and community businesses to donate their specialties - including skills
- to be auctioned off. Be creative! Some teachers and students have had themselves auctioned for a day of baby-sitting, or
a day of museum-gazing with a small child, etc. Teachers have made videos of their classroom over the course of the year and
auctioned them off to parents. Restaurant and theater owners can donate dinners and seats to shows. This takes some organizing
but can raise lots of money for your cause and will alert the community and get everyone involved as well. Students can create
posters, canvas the neighborhood for donations, etc.
Costume Ball
Hold this event around Halloween. Give it an international theme. Charge admission.
Dance, Read or Walk A-Thon
Collect pledges from family, friends, and neighbors for each hour or mile you walk or dance,
or for each book read.
Fast
Give up one meal a week or give up junk food for one week and donate the money to a cause.
Get your school involved by going around to other classes and explaining where their money will go. Place large containers
in each classroom in which students can place their change.
Neighborhood Flea Market
Kids and their families can get their books, used clothes, or hand-made crafts together to
sell. Donate part or all of the profits to a particular cause.
Poetry Reading
Hold a poetry reading in your favorite cafe. Get students or family members to volunteer to
read their own or other's poems related to hunger, homelessness, discrimination, animal rights, environmental issues, etc.
Pass the hat and ask diners to contribute. Explain where the money will go. Try to get local news coverage for your event
--- this will also appeal to the restaurant owner whose establishment gets free advertising!
Season Celebration
Hold a seasonal pot-luck dinner. For instance, in autumn ask participants to bring a seasonal
dish. Eat outside under colorful trees. Organize simple games and activities to attract children to the event - leaf rubbings,
scavenger hunt, story-telling, autumn poetry readings, etc. Charge admission.
Sing-a-thon
Combine a service project with a fundraiser. Get a bunch of people and collect pledges
for every home you visit bringing joy to a shut-in.
Student-Facily Play Off
Compete for the benefit of others. Choose a sport -- volleyball, basketball, etc., -- and invite
the rest of your school as well as parents to watch and cheer. Sell tickets or charge admission at the door.
Talent Show
Hold a student-faculty talent show at your school. Sell tickets. Advertise the event. Donate
the proceeds.
