School fundraisers

School fundraisers

Last updated
Boxes of books

Fundraising can play an important role in schools; it can be an important means of increasing resources to purchase equipment and/or provide enriching school experiences for students. Fundraisers may also:

  • Build connection and community within a school
  • Add some fun
  • Provide a way to build excitement around food, including creating occasions to discover and explore new foods

Here are some creative ideas to help your school launch a fundraising event that aligns with the Toolkit’s nutritious suggestions or is a creative non-food-related alternative.

Fundraising ideas

  • Apple or root vegetable sales
  • Fresh-to-You Fundraiser
  • Citrus fundraisers
  • Cookbooks made with recipes submitted by students and school staff
  • Dehydrated soup mixes
  • Family picnic basket auction
  • Harvest dinner
  • Homemade pet treats
  • Pumpkin sale
  • Themed smoothie sale (for example, green smoothie for Earth Day)
  • Grocery card or gas card programs
  • Gift card fundraisers
  • Raffle tickets for spring break activity
  • Iron-on name tags
  • Graduation sale (flowers, bracelets)
  • School calendar, including dates of holidays, professional development days, PAC meetings and other school events
  • School logo merchandise
  • School supplies
  • Clothing swap or sale
  • Coin drive
  • Collect pledges for clean-up activities in the community (beaches, parks…)
  • Recycling (batteries, bottle drives)
  • Reuse-recycle sale
  • Reusable food storage containers
  • Seed sale, compost sale
  • Toonie treasures (parents donate lightly used toys or items and students get to “shop” for gifts for friends or family)
  • Babysitting for parent’s night out
  • Teacher or services student auction
  • Teachers performing silly activities
  • Yard clean-up services
  • Book sale
  • Read-a-thon
  • Donation-based gift wrapping services at your local mall
  • Face-painting by donation
  • Holiday cards
  • Holiday craft fair
  • Other holiday event (concert, dinner, play)
  • Pumpkin walk
  • Singing telegrams
  • Themed centerpieces (for example, Thanksgiving)
  • Themed dance-a-thon (for example, Halloween dance-a-thon)
  • Winter wreaths
  • 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament
  • Battle of the bands
  • Board game or bingo night
  • Staff-on-student games
  • Talent show
  • Trivia night
  • Unplug and play-a-thon
  • Workshops/classes offered by a school club
  • Car wash
  • Family portraits
  • Flower, flower basket, planter sale
  • Fun photo booth
  • Spring fair

Additional resources

Fresh to You Fundraiser

Annual initiative from the BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation (BCAITC).