6 School Fundraising Ideas to Make Your Field Trip a Reality

Try these unique fundraising ideas and open donors’ hearts and wallets to fund your Kindergarten, Grade or High School trip

Step away from the usual bake sales and traditional school fundraising ideas. Our innovative approaches are designed to not only raise funds but also to engage the community, fostering a sense of unity for a noble cause.

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Foster Support with These Creative School Fundraising Ideas

Prior to executing these unique fundraising ideas, it’s crucial to comprehend your community audience. Are they highly active? Do they have a penchant for supporting the arts? Is family involvement a prominent feature? By posing these questions, you can select the most suitable school fundraising idea for your students.

Once you’ve gauged community interest, contact different school boards to garner support from diverse sources, such as the Parent-Teacher Organization, the administrative team, and the event planning committee. These entities will assist in assessing interest and spreading the word about your school fundraising idea. The PTO can aid in reaching out to families, the administrative team can secure staff buy-in, and the event planning committee can provide valuable advice!

#1 Festivities for Fitness-Oriented Families

Gather support for your next student trip by hosting a Fun Run for the entire school as a unique fundraising idea. Fun runs are friendly races where people participate for enjoyment rather than competition. Participants can engage with this school fundraising idea by running or walking in the event or cheering on from the sidelines. Raise money by charging participants a small fee to run, such as $5 per runner. The run is ideally volunteer-led, so all the profits will go straight to your fundraiser. Take this event to the next level by adding a theme to the race. Some ideas for fun run themes include cartoon costumes, decades attire and animal runs!

More fitness-oriented school fundraising ideas include teacher vs. student games. Everyone loves seeing teachers engage with students in silly ways, so organize opportunities for them to compete in various sports games against each other, such as soccer, volleyball or basketball. Publicize this event to the school community and charge a small fee to spectate, and you’ll be surprised how quickly this school fundraiser turns into a major donation.

#2 Crafty School Fundraising Ideas with a Twist

Collaborate with the school’s art teacher and gather your students’ art projects to sell at a craft fair. Whether your students are making art at home or in school, collect some of their work, organize a sale and sell to community members, teachers and families. Host the event in front of the school during dismissal to maximize exposure to families or set up in a neighborhood park to reach more members of the community. Extra points for getting the art teacher to assign projects solely for the purpose of selling at this school fundraiser.

Clear out your closets to contribute to another unique fundraising idea – a community yard sale. Ask friends, family and students to donate clothes, shoes and household items for a classic yard sale. Post flyers, spread the word, and organize a time to host this sale where all proceeds go to your class field trip. To spice this classic yard sale up a bit, bring in some fun, interactive games and activities.

#3 Fun Photo Booth Fundraisers for the Whole Family

Photo booths are fun, interactive, and easy fundraising ideas for your next field trip. In the age of social media, getting a cool new shot for Instagram is a major win! Photo booths can work as standalone fundraisers or are easily added to almost any event. Set up a booth at a sports game, talent show, or school party to give students a memory to share. You can open this opportunity up to the entire school community, including families and staff. Bonus points if you can get some pets in the shots! Find some funny pet accessories as props to get the whole family involved. You can reach out to local vendors to find a pre-made photo booth, or you can take the DIY route by finding affordable backdrops, cut-out props, and silly accessories!

To fundraise for your cause, sell the photo op for an affordable price. If you want to take this photo booth to the next level, take photos on a Polaroid and sell the physical photo for a slightly increased price. The nostalgic film aesthetic and tangible item are both reasons to opt for a Polaroid shot!

#4 Game Nights for a Good Cause

Everyone has a blast playing games…so why not do it for a good cause? Organize a trivia or Bingo night where players can participate by paying a few dollars. Ideas include a chess tournament, playful poker night or even a spelling bee. For extra fundraising efforts, sell snacks and drinks to hungry gamers.

#5 Talent Show Fun for the Whole Community

Host a talent show open to the entire school community to showcase student and staff talents. By charging a nominal entrance fee, this unique fundraising idea will engage viewers while raising money for your trip. Encourage individuals and groups to participate and publicize the event in school newsletters and posters to increase exposure.

Take these talents to the next level by hosting a Dance-A-Thon! Organize a space, set aside time, and recruit participants to dance for as long as possible. Similar to a walk or run-a-thon, sponsors donate money per increment of time participants dance for. Extra points for getting the principals or teachers to dance!

#6 Crowdfunding Donation Pages

In addition to these out-of-the-box school fundraising ideas, don’t forget to set up a crowdfunding page, where anyone can donate to your cause through an online platform. This strategy allows family and friends from far away to send money even though they can’t participate in your planned activities. Be sure to post this opportunity on social media pages to maximize outreach to your networks. Be creative with your fundraising slogan and page design to attract donors.

Launch a digital campaign in addition to a classic crowdfunding page. Utilizing and leveraging digital platforms is a dynamic and simple fundraising strategy. Whether you set up a social media challenge, online auction, or Instagram sale, you can create a donation approach that is easily shareable and taps into a broader audience.

With intentionality, a bit of organizing and community involvement, fundraising can be a fun activity. From this wide range of school fundraising ideas, your students are sure to raise sufficient money for their next adventure!

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By Elise Mackanych, Contributing Writer

Images courtesy of Freepik.com