Must-Use Fundraising Ideas for Kids: Creative Ideas to Boost Fundraising and Make Raising Money Easy
Must-Use Fundraising Ideas for Kids: Creative Ideas to Boost Fundraising and Make Raising Money Easy
Kids are never too young to discover the joy of helping others in need, and igniting their passion for a cause they care about is a wonderful beginning! Not only does lending a hand feel fantastic, but when children realize how enjoyable it is to support their favorite cause, it sparks a lifelong interest in charitable giving.
Whether you're seeking team fundraising activities, event suggestions, or prefer online fundraising options to engage kids, we've got you covered! These creative fundraising ideas are designed to inspire children of all ages to raise funds for a worthy cause- kickstart an amazing fundraiser with these quick and easy ideas. Plus, with Paybee's user-friendly platform, organizing and managing these fundraisers becomes even more convenient, ensuring smooth and successful campaigns.
Why Should Kids Be Actively Involved in Fundraising?
So often, fundraising focuses on parents, teachers, and support staff, but kids can and should be a part of the process. Why? The reasons are numerous, but here are a few great reasons why kids need to be active in your next fundraiser.
Encourages Kindness In Kids
Kids are never too young to learn why and how we should give back to society. We all need a helping hand at some point in our lives- helping someone else makes you feel good, knowing you are part of a worthy cause. Fundraising is a wonderful way for kids to be exposed to that.
Empowering Kids as Contributors
When kids feel part of the process, they put in more effort, understand why fundraising is done, and have a greater sense of ownership for the efforts involved. Children will want to be involved when they feel they make a difference.
Expands Kids’ Learning Horizons Beyond the Classroom
Being part of a fundraising process expands children’s knowledge of the world around them. From learning about others in need to learning how to improve their experience and even creatively coming up with new ways to tackle problems, fundraising can make kids look at life differently.
Introduces New Concepts to Kids
Have your kids collected money for a cause? Do they understand that the money belongs to someone else? Can they manage their time to ensure that an event happens when it is supposed to, i.e., sticking to the deadline of when money needs to be returned? Do they understand why fundraising is undertaken in the first place? These are just some of the new concepts a child can learn when involved with a fundraising event.
Part 1: Simple and Effective Fundraising Ideas
Raising money for your school or an important charity doesn't have to be a challenge. Plenty of easy and effective fundraising ideas can make a big difference and are doable for kids and families. These ideas make fundraising enjoyable, whether selling cookie dough or organizing a used book sale. And the best part? All of them are easy to set up.
Community Carnival
A community carnival is a fantastic way to bring everyone together for a day of family fun- plus, you can incorporate multiple fundraisers into one exciting event! Make sure to offer plenty of games suitable for all ages at the carnival. From rides to guessing games, silent auctions to shoe drive fundraisers, and more, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Carnivals are also perfect for schools. Gather kids of all ages for a fun-filled night with family, friends, and games!
Popcorn Fundraiser
In contrast to candy bars, popcorn remains a reasonably healthy snack option (unless excessively sugared, salted, or buttered). This makes selling popcorn an excellent choice for school fundraising. To streamline the process, numerous companies are available to collaborate with you in organizing a popcorn fundraiser for your school – they supply the gourmet popcorn, you handle the sales, and then you share the profits.
Run a Shoe Drive Fundraiser
Collect gently used or unused shoes belonging to kids in your community who have outgrown their favorite pairs. Kids grow out of shoes quickly, and these pairs deserve a better home than just sitting in a closet somewhere. Parents and children can give purpose to their retired sneakers and sandals by donating them to your shoe drive fundraiser.
Plan a Family-Friendly Charity Run
Similar to a read-a-thon, a fun run incurs minimal overhead expenses. Families can participate by gathering sponsors for their teams. Then, everyone can run or walk together to support a worthy cause while the community cheers them on.
Concession Stand
Set up a concession stand the next time your sports team faces off against another school or club. Have parents volunteer to bake goodies for the menu or donate snacks bought in bulk and get ready to sell treats to your loyal fans. As the weather gets colder, include hot chocolate and hand warmers on your menu to keep your dedicated team supporters warm as they cheer from the stands. Handheld fans will surely be a hit in warmer climates and sell out quickly.
Team Merchandise Sales
Is your sports team looking to outfit its supporters with some gear for game day? Think about offering team t-shirts, hats, jerseys, and other merchandise items, giving your fans a chance to take their support up a notch- if the new year is approaching, organize a fun photoshoot with your team to create a calendar. This way, your most devoted supporters can bring their team spirit home and proudly display it on their walls. If running a physical merchandise stand at your games is impractical due to space or manpower constraints, consider setting up an online store instead.
Flower Sales
Think about selling flowers around holidays, like Valentine's Day or Easter, that kids can send to their friends, parents, or loved ones at an affordable price. You can do this online or in person and take it further by offering delivery services. Recipients are sure to appreciate the added personal touch to the experience.
Face Painting Services
Offer face painting services during events like parades or field days. Encourage children in your community to get involved in face painting as an opportunity to contribute and connect with other kids supporting your cause. Consider requesting donations in exchange for face painting or setting up a stand selling snacks and beverages for guaranteed revenue.
Host a Book Sale
Encourage kids in your area to gather books they've already read or left neglected on their bookshelves and put them up for sale. Offer these books at a steep discount to generate profits for your cause. Parents will be thrilled to find affordable deals on books, especially those they might need for their kids' mandatory reading programs.
Gift Wrapping Services
Collaborate with local community businesses to provide gift-wrapping services, especially during the holiday season- partner with businesses like bookstores, toy stores, clothing stores, candle stores, and perfume shops. Teach children how to wrap gifts and let them offer the service. It might not be perfect, but it's a chance for them to contribute, and any gift wrapped by a child adds a special touch.
Plan a Family Game Night
Make family game night a breeze by providing everything needed:
- A designated space (such as a gym or rec center)
- A variety of games (card games, board games, and party games)
- Tasty snacks (chips, desserts, and drinks)
Recruit some enthusiastic referees for games like Twister or tag, and organize a family tournament with a special prize for the winning family. Families can sign up by paying a fee or fundraising with friends and family. Once they've raised enough money, they can join in on the fun-filled evening.
Hold a Karaoke Night
Get your supporters in a certain age group to showcase their talents at your event and urge them to invite friends and family for support. Request a small entry fee from audience members or encourage them to sign up for volunteer opportunities.
Sell Cookie Dough
Let supporters indulge in a longer-lasting delight than your typical baked goods at bake sales: cookie dough. And the best part? It's simply irresistible. People will love buying this tasty treat from local kids because they can enjoy the raw cookie dough (yes, please!) or bake it whenever they crave fresh cookies.
Host a Parent's Night Out
Gather babysitters to care for the younger kids while parents have a night out. Ask parents for a modest donation or team up with local restaurants on the same night to donate a portion of sales to your cause. These young adults support your cause by volunteering their time either way.
Part 2: Creative Fundraising Ideas for Kids
Get ready to unleash your creativity and have fun while raising funds for your school or organization with these creative and fun ideas made especially for kids!
Teacher or Principal Challenge
Students get a kick out of seeing their teachers and principals in unexpected situations. At a school event like a carnival or back-to-school celebration, set up a booth where students can pay for the chance to dunk their teachers in a dunk tank or to pie the principal in the face. For a more elaborate challenge, persuade a teacher to commit to shaving their head once a fundraising goal is achieved.
Cupcake Wars: A Sweet Fundraising Idea
Cupcake Wars offers a fantastic fundraising option for the sweet tooth enthusiasts in your family. Charge a small admission fee for entry into the competition, and organize age groups to ensure fair play among participants of similar ages. Let the friendly competition begin!
Participants are tasked with decorating cupcakes within a specified time frame. An impartial volunteer judge determines the best cupcake designer in each age group. Finally, everyone gets to enjoy their delightful sweet treats.
Cookie Decorating Contest
Like cupcake wars, display your family's creative baking skills with a cookie-decorating contest. Set a theme, whether it's cookies for Santa or some spooky treats for Halloween.
Organize a bake sale or create an online gallery where participants can submit photos of their delectable treats. Encourage individuals to support their favorite sugary delights by donating, effectively "voting" for them.
Picture Day with Santa: A Holiday-Themed Photo Session
When the Christmas season comes around, kids will enjoy the chance to share their wish lists with Santa and snap a quick photo. If you're hosting this easy fundraising idea in the spring, consider equally charming photos with the Easter Bunny or organize a brief photoshoot featuring kids and their furry friends. Charge a small fee if parents want a copy or two of the photos for their family albums.
Create a Family Photo Booth
Family photos are always a hit, especially when young children are involved. You can organize a photo booth and collaborate with a nearby photographer. Families can contribute to the school or a specific cause by purchasing holiday cards, prints, or digital copies of the photos.
Organize a Family Slime Night
Experience the delightfully messy fun of playing with slime, which is perfect for involving the entire family. Provide all the necessary supplies to create slime and charge a certain amount for admission to the family slime night. Families can gather to concoct slime together and take their creations home.
Pizza Party
Team up with your local pizzeria and set aside a special night for a pizza party fundraiser. Encourage families to come together for some slices and arcade games. A school-friendly option is to organize a fundraising competition among classes, and the class that raises the most money gets to enjoy a pizza party!
Set Up a Scavenger Hunt
Inspire children in a local school to plan a scavenger hunt. You can charge a fee for kids and families to join or let them participate in exchange for volunteering.
To boost children's involvement, ask them to:
- Choose items for the scavenger hunt
- Decide where to hide the items
- Create clues and riddles
- Offer hints when necessary
- Keep track of points
- Acknowledge and reward the winners
Host a Sports Camp
Keep the little ones active and support your high school teams by organizing a sports camp. Choose a week or two in the summer where your team athletes can lead a camp for kids, teaching them valuable skills in their favorite sport. Charge parents a small fee to enroll their kids in the camp.
Rubber Duck Racing Fun
Consider organizing a rubber ducky or matchbox car race if your supporters are up for some friendly competition. To buy a ducky or toy car ask participants to pay a small fee, which will then enter the race. The person who owns the toy reaching the finish line first wins a prize.
Water Balloon or Snowball Fight
Need a fun way to distract your kids from the intense summer heat or freezing winter cold? Create opportunities by turning classic summer and winter activities into a fundraiser by hosting the ultimate water balloon or snowball fight. Then, charge for admission to join the excitement, divide kids into teams, set up forts for added fun, and let the good times roll.
Candygrams
Selling candygrams is an awesome way for kids to spread some sweetness among friends while also raising funds for your school or organization. Just grab some small cards and affordable candies in bulk, like candy canes during the holidays or boxes of conversation hearts for Valentine's Day.
After that, spread the word about your event with flyers and handouts. Set up a table where people can swing by and donate to send a candygram to their friends. They can jot down a quick note on the candygram card, and then your team of kids can deliver them on a specific day.
Make sure to keep a list of students or group members handy so nobody misses out on a candygram. And don't forget to let people know they can order extra candygrams to help cover the costs.
Pro tip: Make the event inclusive by providing safe candy options for the 8% of U.S. kids with allergies.
Lip-Sync Competition
Organizing a lip-sync competition is a fantastic and fun way to raise funds. Invite kids and families to sign up and showcase their favorite songs, while also selling tickets for an entertaining night filled with music and dance. Attendees can show support for their favorite acts by donating to personal fundraising pages, or you can charge a small fee for each vote. To broaden the reach of your fundraiser, consider live-streaming the event so that family and friends can join in from afar.
Part 3: Educational and Interactive Fundraising Activities
Various interactive fundraising activities support charity causes and foster kid's learning and creativity. From spelling bee competitions to mathletes contests, these initiatives offer opportunities for kids to experience friendly competition, skill-building, and community involvement.
Spelling Bee Fun for Kids Fundraising
Organizing a spelling bee is a fantastic fundraising idea for kids' schools, offering several advantages, such as:
- Creating a friendly competition among students
- Providing educational opportunities for young learners
- Being highly affordable and easy to host
- Encouraging active participation from the community
Consider pairing the spelling bee fundraiser with a pledge campaign to make it even more exciting. Kids can gather pledges from family and friends based on the number of words they spell correctly- printing certificates online and seeking donations from local businesses for prizes can add extra enthusiasm to the event.
Have a Trivia Night
Bring families and children together for an enjoyable trivia night. Ask for donations for entry to the event and reward the winning individual or team with a small prize. Remember to encourage participants to seek pledges from their community in advance. For instance, a family could collect pledges based on their accumulated points.
Book Access Fundraiser
Another straightforward educational initiative is hosting a book access fundraiser, allowing kids to gather donations to unlock their preferred books! Students can contact friends and family for donations using peer-to-peer fundraising tools like Paybee. Students can receive chapter books, graphic novels, and other engaging titles digitally or in print, depending on the funds collected. Additionally, you can recognize top fundraisers with special rewards or include them in a raffle.
Read-a-thon Fundraisers
Suppose you're searching for a simple, low-risk fundraising option with great rewards. In that case, read-a-thons might be the ideal choice for kids- they're among the top school fundraising ideas because they're convenient, have high earning potential, and are educational. Like other school "a-thon" events, read-a-thons involve students participating in an activity to collect pledged donations. However, kids spend time reading and enhancing their education instead of playing sports or dancing.
For the best results, consider using a dedicated read-a-thon platform. This makes it easy to set up your campaign, market your fundraiser, and earn thousands of dollars with minimal effort and planning. Additionally, kids and parents should be able to easily track their reading progress, find potential supporters, and share their fundraising pages through email and social media!
Mathletes Competition Fundraiser
Like spelling bees, schools commonly provide "mathletes" as an extracurricular activity for students passionate about mathematics. These teams engage in structured competitions against other groups. However, you can also organize a mathletes contest as a fundraising initiative for your school. Motivate participants to reach out to potential team sponsors and promote ticket sales for the live competition. Additionally, consider selling snacks to audience members attending the event.
Art Auction Fundraiser
Organizing an art auction is a fantastic fundraiser to spotlight kids' artistic skills. Encourage children in art classes to unleash their creativity by painting or crafting pottery. Then, create an art gallery to showcase their masterpieces. Invite family and friends to attend and bid on the artwork- make it an exciting event by combining it with other fundraisers, like a scavenger hunt. Use mobile bidding auction software so families can bid while enjoying other activities. Remember to include a shoe collection drop-off point at the event.
Interactive Class Cookbook
An interactive class cookbook is an engaging fundraiser for kids and a timeless culinary resource. Encourage every class, team, or group child to actively participate by bringing in their favorite recipe. Compile these recipes into a cookbook, fostering collaboration and involvement.
Make copies to sell to families, promoting interaction and sharing within the community. For added fun, create a themed cookbook, such as holiday recipes, to spark excitement and exploration. Who can resist the opportunity to try out new holiday cookie recipes?
Chess-a-thon
There's no need to break a sweat when it comes to a competition centered on strategy and skill! Hosting a chess-a-thon provides a fun and vintage approach to introducing students to the classic game. Plus, it's as educational as it is interactive, offering a hands-on learning experience- and with the convenience of setting up as easy as reserving space in a gym or library, weather worries are a thing of the past.
Debate Challenge for Kids
Here's an idea to get kids talking – quite literally! It's similar to the trivia competition, but in this version, teams of kids are supported to debate various topics. The teams or individuals who raise the most money can enjoy exciting perks, such as choosing debate questions or deciding who debates first. The top fundraising team even gets to pick their side of the debate. It's a fun and educational way for kids to develop communication skills while fundraising for a good cause.
Discount Card Fundraising for Kids
Join forces with neighborhood stores to provide special deals for supporters of your school. Gather these deals to create a discount card that parents can buy. Involve younger kids by asking which local places they'd love to see featured on the card. With older kids, use this as a chance to teach them about promoting and talking to local businesses by having them come up with ideas and reach out to stores.
Geocaching 101 Workshop
Offer a modest fee for participants to join a Geocaching 101 workshop. Organize a half-day event where you teach the basics of geocaching and lead the group to actual geocache sites. Introduce them to the online system and provide tips on creating their geocaches for added fun.
Field Day
Encourage your children to have fun outside while also fundraising. Organize a field day with various competitions and sports suitable for kids of all ages. Use social media to promote your event and invite the entire community. Ask for a registration fee from teams and individuals, and ensure there are prizes for all the winners.
Uniform Swaps
A helpful fundraising event that can lower the expenses of getting kids new uniforms. Families can save money each term by arranging a pop-up shop for uniform exchange and prevent old uniform items from ending up in landfills. Swaps can be conducted within the school, online, or through a WhatsApp group. Plenty of easy tools are available to upload photos or provide descriptions for the items.
Literary Talent Fundraiser: Create an Anthology
Encourage students to write short stories and poems and gather them into an anthology. You could even host a showcase for family and friends to attend, turning it into an annual event. Utilize school photocopying and binding equipment or seek support from local printers to keep costs low when creating copies for sale.
Part 4: Unique and Uncommon Fundraising Ideas
Prepare for some out-of-the-box fundraising adventures that are perfect for kids! These unique and uncommon ideas will not only help your kid's school or nonprofit organization but also guarantee loads of fun for everyone involved.
Community Cleanup Challenge
Contribute to a good cause by organizing a cleanup challenge to tidy up parks and community spaces. Participants can create individual and team fundraising pages, seeking donations tied to the number of trash bags they fill while collecting litter in their neighborhoods. Cap off the cleanup initiative with an event at a targeted area that needs attention, where participants can compete to earn the title of cleanup champion.
Organize a Pumpkin-Carving Contest
Get into the Halloween spirit and host a pumpkin-carving competition just for kids! Offer pumpkins and carving tools for sale, and consider making it part of a larger fall event or keeping it as a standalone activity. Award the top pumpkin carver a trophy or a small prize to take home.
Singing Telegrams
Tailored for choirs, this fundraiser sells singing telegrams to students who want to surprise their school friends with a song during class. After getting the green light from the school administration, set up a table where students can purchase a singing telegram for someone special. Choose a day for choir members to stroll from class to class, serenading unsuspecting recipients with a delightful song.
Flamingo Flocking Fun
The Flamingo Flocking event is a fundraising activity perfect for communities that enjoy a bit of playful mischief. In this fundraiser, members of your organization can chip in to have kids place a flock of plastic yard flamingos in the yard of a family member, friend, or fellow organization member.
After setting up the flock, it's important to leave a flyer at each home explaining how they can donate money to have the flamingos relocated to someone else's front yard of their choice. Alternatively, those who'd rather skip waking up to a yard full of pink birds can donate money as "flamingo insurance" to be added to a "no flock" list.
Though it requires some planning and coordination, kids are bound to have a blast with their friends and family. Just make sure to start advertising effectively and spread the word so people aren't caught off guard when they wake up or return home to find their front yard transformed into a flamingo haven.
Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament
Charge a small fee for students to join the tournament. Pair them up and kick off the competition! The ones who win two out of three rounds move forward, and they keep playing until only a few are left. Then, offer a five-dollar buy-in for those who want another chance. The final winner receives a prize.
Organize a Pancake Breakfast
Set up a pancake breakfast before school or over the weekend before a busy day of sports events. Pancakes are an affordable option that can yield high returns, allowing you to collect generous donations while keeping costs low.
To get the kids involved, have them manage the toppings station. They can offer guests whipped cream, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, or fresh berries. Whether they serve toppings or keep track of supplies, involving them in some capacity is a great way to introduce them to your cause.
Hula Hoop Challenge
Get students moving and grooving with a hula hoop contest, encouraging them to dance while staying active. Participants grab a hoop and start twirling to their favorite songs. The challenge is to keep the hoop spinning; once it falls, you're out. The last kid standing wins! Make sure to offer prizes to recognize the top competitors as well.
Arrange a Battle-of-the-Bands Show
Give your kids the chance to shine on stage and compete for the title of the best band. Consider dividing the competition into age categories, such as elementary, middle, and high school. Ask for donations for both entering the family-friendly competition and attending the event. Reward the winning band with a trophy and a prize.
Pajama Day Event
For kids, few things compare to the thrill of wearing pajamas to school, especially when it's not the norm- generate enthusiasm for a fundraiser by organizing a pajama day. Select a date and request donations for wearing PJs and slippers all day. Suggest students bring their sleeping bags and blankets to make it even more enjoyable. Wrap up classes early, serve bowls of cereal, and treat everyone to some classic Saturday morning cartoons on the projector.
Dog Washing Fundraiser
Only some people opt for professional pet grooming services; many find bathing their furry companions a chore. Why not organize a dog-washing fundraiser? Spread the word about the fundraiser through local channels and encourage parents, guardians, teachers, and community members to bring their dogs for a refreshing wash by student volunteers.
Transform the school parking lot into the venue and gather all the necessary supplies- make sure to have plenty of kiddie pools for bathing the dogs, hoses, an abundance of towels, and some delicious treats. Elevate your fundraising event by adding music, inviting food trucks, and offering refreshments.
Stone Soup: A Delicious Fundraising Idea
Remember the story of Stone Soup? It's not just a tale but also a brilliant idea for fundraising! Grab some big pots and flavorful stones, and ask everyone to bring their favorite ingredients. Cook it up, stir enthusiastically, and sell bowls of tasty stone soup. Remember to cater to different dietary needs by making various versions.
Cultural Soup Fundraiser: Celebrating Diversity and Flavor
Also, why take your fundraiser to the next level? Invite families to share their cultural soup recipes—from Minestrone to Gazpacho, French onion soup to Arroz Caldo. It's a chance to explore new flavors and learn about different cultures. Plus, reach out to local businesses for soup donations and offer them the opportunity to promote their restaurants with discount cards.
Fundraising with Citrus Fruit and Poinsettias in Late Fall
Late fall presents a prime opportunity to organize a fundraiser where participants take orders for fresh citrus fruit and holiday flowers, such as poinsettias. Poinsettias boast generous profit margins, and though citrus fruit may not offer the same margins, its large order sizes ensure solid profits from each sale. For an additional profit boost, consider consolidating orders to minimize freight expenses and sourcing poinsettias from wholesale nurseries for better pricing.
Lock-in Fundraising Event
We've already mentioned fundraising events geared towards giving parents a break, but what about an occasion where kids can have a sleepover sans parents? A lock-in event provides a fantastic opportunity to raise funds while offering kids a night of safe fun away from home.
Charge a fee for participation in the lock-in, or make it a fundraising reward for kids and families raising funds for your organization. Kids can earn their spot at the lock-in by reaching a certain fundraising target.
Teachers-in-Jail Fundraiser
The Teacher in Jail fundraiser is a fantastic idea for kids and schools. It's a no-cost event centered around friendly classroom competition, and kids of all ages love it! During this fundraiser, students in each class gather donations. Once a class reaches a certain fundraising goal, their teacher is "jailed."
Being "jailed" means students enjoy a free period and a break from regular classes. It's an irresistible opportunity for any student. Before the fundraiser kicks off, enlist a team of teachers and students to participate in the fun and help send each teacher to "jail."
Host a Charity Gala for Grown-Ups
Dressing up is super fun, and adults don't have much chance to do it- if you organize a benefit gala with a DJ and charge for tickets, you can make lots of money for your nonprofit organization. Try to get the DJ to volunteer their services to help keep the costs down. It's a fantastic opportunity for adults to enjoy a glamorous evening supporting an important cause.
Organize a Crafting Event
While kids have a knack for crafting, this activity appeals to all ages. Arrange a crafting event with donated materials. Curate projects that cater to adults and kids and offer tickets for event participation. With many craft projects available, options like string art and seasonal wreaths are bound to draw considerable interest.
Organize a Pet Contest
This event requires minimal or no upfront costs. Coordinate the competition with judges from the community and charge community members to enter their pets. You can offer awards for various categories such as "best trained," "cutest," and "most original."
Elevate Your Kids' Fundraiser: Integrating Technology for Creative Raising Money Ideas
In today's digital age, fundraising for your kids' school or organization has become more accessible and efficient than ever before; thanks to the power of technology, you can take your fundraising efforts to new heights while engaging your community in exciting ways.
Although traditional methods such as bake sales and charity galas remain popular for successful fundraising, online tools have transformed the fundraising landscape. Tasks like booking venues and managing paper forms are now obsolete, thanks to digital technology.
Many innovative virtual fundraising concepts draw inspiration from traditional events like raffles and auctions, allowing them to be conducted entirely online. One of the major advantages of hosting fundraisers online is the increased engagement from donors, as events are no longer confined to local communities but can attract supporters globally.
Set Up Online Donation Forms
Wondering how to supercharge fundraising for your school? Creating easy-to-use online donation forms are
These forms simplify the donation process for all types of supporters. Since they're hosted online, people can contribute wherever and whenever suits them.
Make sure to include these key features in your online donation form:
- Mobile-friendly design
- Buttons for gift suggestions
- Fundraising thermometers
- Your school's logo and colors
- Options for recurring gifts
You will get all contributions when your school has user-friendly online donation forms. With just a few minutes online, your school community will happily make donations to support your kids' fundraising campaigns.
Crowdfunding with Paybee
Crowdfunding is a versatile online fundraising option, perfect for kids who may not have a regular income. It involves gathering small donations from a wide audience, making it an accessible choice. It can easily pair with events like -thon events and Fun Runs, or you can use it for straightforward online fundraising for personal causes.
Consider using Paybee, a crowdfunding platform that lets you personalize your page. Add a photo of your child or family and briefly describe your cause. Use social media to promote your Paybee campaign, appealing to your online network for donations. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the generosity that comes your way!
Text-to-Give
Who doesn't have a cell phone these days? Texting-to-give is an excellent and innovative way for schools to communicate financial needs to parents and guardians. The average donation is $107 for text-to-give fundraising, significantly contributing to your bottom line.
Text-to-give ensures ongoing support from the community during school fundraising. Opt for a text-to-give platform, such as Paybee, providing unlimited texts, personalized campaigns, and affordable recurring gift options. Donors can text a word like "donate" to the text-to-give phone number for the school, confirm the donation amount, and securely save their credit card information for future contributions. Offering a recurring donation option helps maximize the funds raised for continued support.
Organize a Virtual Auction
Hosting a virtual auction with platforms like Paybee is a great idea for boosting funds for your school. If you choose to have a school auction fundraiser, consider offering attendees a mobile bidding app- similar to traditional auctions, participants can check out items, place bids, increase them, outbid others, and claim their items at the end. The only difference is that this happens entirely online and depends on a digital auction platform.
To ensure a successful online auction for your school, follow these steps:
1. Advertise the fundraising event well in advance through your website, emails, and other promotional materials.
2. Create a dedicated event registration form specifically for the online auction.
3. Gather the items you want to auction off.
4. Give participants access to a dedicated mobile bidding app to explore, bid, and complete the checkout process easily.
With an online auction, you eliminate the hassle of paper bids and long checkout lines. You'll be raising money for your school quickly, all while offering participants a fun and unique experience.
Sell Tickets for an Online Event
As online and virtual events become more popular, think about the kinds of experiences your school could host. Then, sell tickets for this online event to raise funds!
For example, many schools have found success in organizing the following online events:
- Virtual talent show
- Online concert
- Virtual cooking class
- And more!
You'll need a few online tools to make your school's online event a reality. Do you require a live streaming tool or a video conferencing platform? What tools will your participants need? These are important questions to think about ahead of time.
Virtual A-Thon Events
Virtual walk-a-thons, read-a-thons, or dance-a-thons offer a lively alternative to traditional in-person events, which aren't confined to a specific location. For instance, the HERS Breast Cancer Foundation provides participants worldwide with a week to complete a personalized run/walk route, encouraging them to share their progress on social media using the #HERSWalkRun tag, fostering a virtual support network.
Raffles
The standout feature of fundraising raffles is that every ticket purchaser becomes a donor automatically. Online raffles maintain the high energy of their in-person counterparts, with participants eagerly anticipating the reveal of their prizes.
Live Streaming
Live streaming is a unifying tool for various online fundraising activities such as auctions, raffles, and a-thons, enabling organizers to engage supporters through live events for draws, updates, and winner announcements. This approach allows donors and participants to connect from their homes, fostering a sense of community and enhancing involvement.
Hybrid Solutions
Hybrid solutions offer flexibility when transitioning to in-person fundraising events, allowing for the reduction of paper waste, costs, and time. For instance, mobile bidding tools enable participants to place and monitor bids through their mobile devices, while online registration and ticket sales eliminate the need for physical forms and tickets. Additionally, live streaming facilitates the inclusion of remote supporters who couldn't attend the event in person, enabling them to participate from the comfort of their homes.
Use Social Media
Social media emerges as one of the top fundraising ideas for kids- you can use popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Craft engaging posts to share your needs and use hashtags to reach more people.
Showcase your fundraising efforts and encourage followers to join in on the school's fundraising events. Instagram offers a donation sticker feature for your posts. Also, consider hosting a live fundraising event on social media platforms, where viewers can easily donate throughout the live stream. Lastly, remember to use geotags to ensure your fundraising appeals reach people in your local community, building trust and credibility.
Get More Done with Advanced Fundraising Tools on Paybee
Turn your fundraising ideas for kids into reality with Paybee. Paybee's fundraising platform empowers your supporters with leading crowdfunding, peer-to-peer, recurring, and fundraising event features- kids will have all the tools they need to fundraise for nonprofits they care about:
- Comprehensive fundraising suite
- Virtual, hybrid, and in-person event management
- In-person nonprofit events with tools like live auctions, silent auctions, donations, pledge drives, and more.
- Optimized, direct-giving technology
- Flexible payment processing
- Best-in-class software integrations
- Personalized donation pages and forms
- Powerful reporting and analytics
Curious to see how your nonprofit can enhance its fundraising with Paybee? Request a demo to chat with one of our Paybee experts.