Planning a School Fundraiser

Planning a school fundraiser

“An hour of planning can save you 10 hours of doing.” Dwight D. Eisenhower.

For most of us, planning a  school fundraiser is an additional event in our already busy lives. Truly, a well-devised plan can make the most of your time when extra hours are in short supply, .

First and foremost, start planning a school fundraiser well in advance of your intended event.  Give yourself as much time as possible to round up resources. The more time you can give people in advance, the more likely they will be available to volunteer. If you intend to ask local businesses to sponsor your event, you may need a few weeks to get that lined up. By the way, the more specific the details of your cause, the more likely people are to support it. Community members may be more positive about “raising money for the award-winning band to march in The Rose Bowl Parade” than “raising money for our school”.

Here is a list of items to consider when outlining your school fundraising plan.

  1. Expenses – What are the nitty-gritty needs? How granular can you get?
  2. Monetary Goals – How much money would you like to make?
  3. Budget – How much money is available to spend preparing for and promoting your event?
  4. Team Demographics – Who is on your selling team? What are their strengths?
  5. Resources –Who can you ask to support your event? Who can donate physical products or supplies?
  6. Time Restraints – When do you need the funds? When is the best time to execute your fundraiser?
  7. Location – Where will you hold your fundraiser? How will you distribute products to the team?
  8. Product – What is the best product for your group? This article provides helpful information on how to make this choice.

Planning a school fundraiser demands an additional level as your sales force may be kids. Successful school fundraisers base their product choice on them. What do they like, what can they get excited about, how sophisticated can the product be? For instance, cookie dough is much more approachable for elementary school kids than candles. You may consider an incentive for youth sales teams. Converse with local business’ to explore donating a coveted prize, such as a gaming system. Or incentive the group with a fun event when you reach your sales goal. Such as, field days, pizza parties or a free day off from school.

Finally, design the event to fit the cause. Meaning, if you would like to receive large donations for a major project, selling candy bars is not the most effective course of action. Or say you need a small amount of money to send your group to a state competition. In this case, setting up and hosting a casino night is too complicated and unnecessary.

The initial school fundriaser planning stage helps determine your goals. From there, devise an outline to support achieving those goals. The more details you can include, the better. Don’t worry if you miss an item or two. A good fundraising foundation allows you the freedom to pivot, ensuring you don’t miss a step towards your ultimate objective.

Yummy Hearts Lollipops

Our Yummy Heart Lollipops virtually sell themselves leading up to Valentine’s Day. But they are also appropriate any time you want to show your supporters love. There’s a 1 case minimum, shipping is free and you will make 50% profit on each Yummy Heart Fundraising Lollipop sold. Each case comes with 640 Yummy Heart Lollipops.

What You Should Know

Yummy Heart Lollipops are the same as all of our other lollipop fundraisers. You will make the same profit no matter how many cases of lollipops you purchase or sell. Sell the lollipops for twice what you pay for them. In other words, you will always double your investment. Here is a quick profit chart for you to review:

Profit and Cost

  • In-hand products
  • Free shipping
  • Start in under a minute
Cases Bought Cost Per Case Profit %
1 min $320.00 50%
Buy Now Send Me Info More Info
Home for the Holidays candle fundraiser

If you are looking for a holiday season fundraiser, our Home for the Holidays Candle Fundraiser is it.  With their cheery labels and seasonal scents, these candles make a fantastic gift. There’s no upfront cost, so this fundraiser works for any type of group.  We provide everything you need to get started and there’s no obligation.

What You Should Know

Candle fundraising is different than other fundraising programs. Easy Fundraising Ideas gives you a 50% profit on each candle you sell. The only additional charge you may incur is a $65 shipping fee if your group sells less than 150 candles.

Each candle sells for only $18 each.

Profit and Cost

  • No upfront cost
  • Free brochures for your participants
  • Free shipping (orders of 150 items or more)
  • Start in under a minute
Items Bought % Profit Free Shipping
150 plus 50% YES
1 to 149 50% No
Start Now Send Me Info More Info
Custom Discount Fundraising Cards

Raise money by creating your own discount card fundraiser. Sign up between 8 and 12 local merchants to advertise on the back of your fundraising discount cards. We will custom design the front for your group. These fundraiser discount cards make terrific annual fundraising tools.

What You Should Know

Custom Fundraising Discount Cards offer some of the highest profits possible. Take a look at the profit chart below to estimate what your group can earn with this outstanding program:

Profit and Cost

  • In-hand products
  • Free shipping
  • Start in under a minute
Cards Bought Profit Cost per Card
2500 90% plus Call for Pricing
1000 90% $1.00
500 80% $2.00
250 70% $3.00
100 min 60% $4.00
Buy Now Send Me Info More Info
Better Baking Fundraiser

Our Better Baking fundraiser is a great option for all types of groups. We offer 9 of the most popular baking mixes that appeal to everyone.  Our premium baking mixes are easy to use and taste great!  Everything you need to bake cookies, pretzels, cinnamon rolls, funnel cakes, and bread. Easy fundraising starts with a Better Baking fundraiser.  You will not be handling a frozen product.  The $15 price makes it a fun and easy fundraising idea.  Like our Candle Fundraisers, our Better Baking Fundraiser has a 50% profit for your group.

What You Should Know

Like our other popular $15 programs Easy Fundraising Ideas gives you a 50% profit on each and every item you sell. The only additional charge you might incur would be a $65 shipping fee if your group sells less than 150 items.

Profit and Cost

  • No upfront cost
  • Free brochures for your participants
  • Free shipping (orders of 150 items or more)
  • Start in under a minute
Items Bought % Profit Free Shipping
150 plus 50% YES
1 to 149 50% No
Start Now Send Me Info More Info
All Sports Scratch Card

If you want an easy fundraising idea for all sports, scratch card fundraisers are just what you are looking for. If you can not find your specific sport in our collection of scratch off graphics,  All Sports Scratch Cards are your best option. You can make up to 90% profit.

What You Should Know

Here is an example of the coupon page you give to the people as a “Thank You” for participating. You can also create a custom coupon hand out with your town’s unique businesses.
As you can see from the profit chart below the lowest profit percentage you will make from using scratch cards for fundraisers is 70%. There are, however, price breaks that can increase your profit percentage. The more cards you purchase the higher your profit potential for each card.

Profit and Cost

  • In-hand products
  • Free shipping
  • Start in under a minute
Cards Bought Cost Per Card Each Card Raises Your Profit $ Your Profit %
100 $10.00 $100.00 $9,000 90%
25 $12.00 $100.00 $2,200 88%
10 $15.00 $100.00 $850 85%
1 min. $30.00 $100.00 $70 70%
Buy Now Send Me Info More Info
School Fundraiser

School Fundraising Made Easy

If you feel that selecting the best school fundraising idea is a daunting task, don’t worry! Since it seems the gap between school budgets and funding required for extracurricular programs is getting larger every year, the need for profitable school fundraisers is growing.

Sports Fundaising Ideas

Sports Fundraising Ideas That Win

Sports fundraising goes hand-in-hand with playing sports. Whether you are a basketball, football, soccer, or cheerleading organization, we have fundraisers that will score big money for your team.

Church Fundraisers

Church Fundraisers Move the Spirit

Top Church Fundraisers by Group

Non-profit fundraisers

Non-Profit Fundraising for Charity

Top Non-Profit Fundraising Ideas by Group

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Selling Hot Dogs for a Sports League Fundraiser

Does a hot dog stand work for fundraising? You betcha! If you are a sports league that has a concession stand, a high school group with access to electricity, or any other resourceful group, you might want to consider selling hot dogs for a sports league fundraiser.  Having a hot dog at a sporting event Read More »

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Candy Sales for School Fundraising - No Cost Upfront

Candy bar sales for school fundraising, no cost upfront, sounds like a fundraising dream come true. Finally, a way for schools to fund raise successfully with no risk of lost profits due to unsold products. We apologize for bursting your bubble; that, our friends, is a fantasy.

Read more »

Creative School Fundraising Ideas

Here’s a list of top picks for Creative School Fundraising Ideas Arts and Crafts Fair – Have students create masterpieces and auction them off. Put paintings, sculptures, jewelry, or anything handmade by students up for bid. Bonus – It’s easy to host this event virtually! TikTok Dance Challenge – Create a simple dance and get Read More »

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School spirit fundraisers, however, are a great way to help you reach your financial goals, while also spreading a positive message to all the students and teachers that are taking part. School spirit fundraisers encourage everyone involved to unite in supporting the school and remind everyone why the school is so important.

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Private School Fundraising Ideas

The best high school fundraising event ideas are the ones that all of the students at your school will want to get involved with, an idea that will spark interest long before the event is to be held, and will be remembered as a true success long after the event has taken place.

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