Planning a trunk or treat fundraiser for your PTA, church, or nonprofit? This step-by-step guide walks through the whole process, from setting admission and pricing trunk spots to collecting sign ups and running the event day. You can set it all up online, and this template gets you started in minutes:
What is a trunk or treat fundraiser?
A trunk or treat fundraiser is a Halloween event where kids collect candy from decorated car trunks in a parking lot, while the host organization raises money through admission, trunk-spot fees, and concessions. Instead of going door to door, families walk from car to car in a designated parking area, collecting treats from creatively decorated trunks. Each participant, often called a trunker, decorates their vehicle with fun, spooky, or themed displays.
Schools, churches, PTAs, and nonprofits typically host trunk or treat fundraisers in mid- to late October. Because the whole event happens in one contained parking area rather than across a neighborhood, it’s a safe, weather-flexible way to bring the community together and support the organization.
How to Host a Trunk or Treat Fundraiser
Hosting a trunk or treat fundraiser comes down to seven steps, from picking a date to communicating with your trunkers. Here’s the full process:
- Plan the date, time, and location
- Set the price of admission
- Add other ways to raise money
- Market the event
- Collect sign-ups and pre-sales
- Gather volunteers and supplies
- Set rules and communicate with trunkers
The sections below walk through each step in detail.
Step 1
Plan the Date, Time, and Location
When to hold a trunk or treat fundraiser?
Trunk or treat events are held in mid- to late-October. Consider your fundraising calendar, local weather, holidays, and school days off.
How long should the event last?
Average duration is 1 ½-2 hours, 2-3 if combined with a fall festival.
Where should you host a trunk or treat event?
A parking lot or school drop off loop is the perfect place to host a trunk or treat fundraiser. If you have a bus parking area, you can put two cars in each bus parking spot facing each other. If you’re really organized, number the parking spots and have each trunker assigned to a designated spot! Otherwise, make sure to have a parking volunteer on hand to direct the cars.
Step 2
Determine the price of admission for the Trunk or Treat Fundraiser
There are lots of ways you can raise money for your organization at a trunk or treat event. The most common is to charge admission for the trick-or-treaters.
What should you charge families for admission to the trunk or treat fundraiser?
The average cost of admission is $5 per person — both children and adults should pay. Offer family deals that include tickets for food and games.
Pre-sales are essential but you should also sell tickets at the door – for a higher price. Be sure to accept credit cards! People don’t have cash. Make it easy with the Cheddar Up card reader.
Should you charge the trunkers?
Thinking of charging for trunk spots at your event? It’s a great way to boost donations! Here’s how it works:
- Regular trunk spots: $10-$30. Sweeten the deal by including admission for two kiddos and even throw in the candy so trunkers don’t have to!
- Got local businesses wanting in? Offer them a special trunk spot for $150-$250. It’s a win-win as they get to advertise, and your fundraising goes through the roof! 🎃💰
Step 3
Identify Additional Ways to Raise Money
You can raise additional funds by selling items or sponsorships at the event.
Corporate sponsorships
In addition to trunk participation, charge local businesses for logo placement on a banner, social media posts, or flyers that go home. A sponsorship form template makes it easy to collect their info and payment in one place.
Sell food
Allow families to pre-order food such as pizzas, or bring in a couple of food trucks. One school combined their trunk or treat fundraiser with a chili dinner! You can also sell concessions at the event, such as donuts, hot chocolate, or pretzels, using Bluetooth card readers so every sale lands in the same account.
Sell Spirit Items
Sell school spirit items including shirts, backpacks, vinyl stickers, or water bottles.
Sell glow packages or silly string
Sell packages of glow sticks, glow bracelets and necklaces, and more so kids can glow at the event and on halloween. Holding the event during the daytime hours? Sell silly string!
Host a Raffle and Games
Raffle off some baskets of donated items or hold other fun festival games and prizes. Make each game two tickets and sell tickets for $1 each or in bundles as pre-sales or during the trunk or treat fundraiser. Here are some game ideas:
- Candy Guess
- Ring Toss
- Roulette Wheel
- Bean Bag Toss
- Plinko
- Cake Walk
- Cornhole
Sell pumpkins
Work with a local farmer to sell pumpkins at the event, or have families pre-order them and pick them up on the day.
Combine it with another fall fundraiser
There are lots of great fall fundraisers you can combine. Have families pre-order holiday wreaths, boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts, or pick up some fall mums!
Accept Optional Donations
Always ask for optional additional donations at any fundraising event. (Pssst…. You can also collect open amount donations in Cheddar Up.)
Step 4
Market Your Trunk or Treat Fundraiser
Get the word out! Share information about the event early and often to your community. Promote through social media, flyers, banners, community newsletters, and teacher announcements. Include a QR code on all of your communications to make it easy.
Step 5
Collect Sign Ups and Pre-Sales
Collect sign ups for trunk participation and pre-sales at least 3-4 weeks in advance. This will offload some of the pressure on the event itself and give you a better idea of attendance.
Set up a trunk or treat sign up sheet online. Include volunteer and trunk participation sign ups with this template:
Step 6
Gather Volunteers and Supplies
You can’t do this alone. You’ll need volunteers to sign up for:
- Set up
- Direct traffic
- Sell tickets
- Run games
- Distribute food
- Clean up
You’ll also need supplies such as:
- Candy!
- Non-candy items (ex. bubbles, rings, pencils, erasers, stickers, tattoos)
- Speakers with a spooky playlist
- Candy buckets (if providing to trunkers)
- Tables for food and games
- Chairs for volunteers
- Decorations
- Signage to direct the flow of people
- Sidewalk chalk or cones with numbers for the parking spaces
- Ballots and pens (if you’re voting on best trunk or costume)
- Prizes (if you’re voting on best trunk or costume)
Pro Tip
Ask for volunteer signups during the pre-sales process with an online form at checkout!
Step 7
Set Trunk-or-Treat Rules and Safety Guidelines
The key to a successful trunk-or-treat fundraiser is communication! Set rules for safe, family-friendly participation and create a schedule to ensure a successful event.
Example Rules for Trunk or Treat Participants
Here are some rules that you can modify for your community. You can create these in Cheddar Up, too. Set it up as a waiver to complete when they sign up. Don’t forget to include it as a reminder just before the event.
- Trunk participants may enter any vehicle (Car, Truck, Motorcycle, Tractor etc.) as long as it is independently mobile to and from the location and fit in the parking space.
- Trunk participants must provide own power if decorations need it.
- Each vehicle must be decorated in some way, though the decorations do not need to be Halloween themed.
- Each vehicle gets one parking space.
- Vehicle decorations must be socially acceptable and appropriate for children younger than age 5. Vehicles displaying profanity and/or overtly adult themes and/or content will not be permitted to participate in the event. Event staff maintain the right to ask participants with inappropriate decoration displays to leave the event.
- Trunk or Treat attendees will be given the opportunity to vote for the vehicle that has their favorite decorations.
- Each trunk participant must arrive with wrapped candy to distribute to attendees. Trunk participants will under no circumstances be permitted to distribute unwrapped candy or food products. [INCLUDE RECOMMENDED PIECES OF CANDY BASED ON ESTIMATED ATTENDEES]
- Trunk participants will be permitted to distribute flyers, cards, or information advertising their group, business, or programs. Trunk participants will not be permitted to sell any items from their cars or solicit cash or donations in any way. This includes tips.
- Trunk participants should arrive with their decorated vehicles by [INCLUDE TIME 1/2 HOUR PRIOR TO EVENT] in order to be prepared to begin passing out candy at [START TIME OF EVENT] when the event begins. Vehicles may arrive as early as [ONE HOUR PRIOR TO EVENT] should they require additional set-up time. We ask that no vehicles leave prior to [END TIME OF THE EVENT] when the event ends.
- An adult must remain with the vehicle at all times.
Example Trunk or Treat Schedule
Here is an example timeline you can use for your trunk or treat fundraiser. Sharing this ahead of time with participants will ensure a smoother set up:
4:00-5:00 p.m.: Trunkers arrive and set up between this time
5:00 p.m.: Candy buckets will be distributed to trunkers by this time
5:10 p.m.: Trunkers in place and trunks ready; Early entry begins for students with special needs
5:30 p.m.: Event opens to all students
7:00 p.m.: Event Ends, cars can leave
Trunk or Treat Decoration Ideas
For first time trunkers, knowing how to decorate their trunk can be a little intimidating. Share a few ideas to get them started:
1. Classic Halloween Themes
You can’t go wrong with a spooky graveyard, complete with tombstones, cobwebs, and skeletons to get into the Halloween spirit. Or go for a haunted house scene with ghosts and ghouls emerging from your trunk. Throw in some eerie lighting and creepy sound effects to complete the vibe.
2. Favorite Movies & TV Shows
Turn your trunk into a scene from a favorite movie or TV show. Think “Harry Potter” with floating candles, house banners, and potions. Or bring “Toy Story” to life with giant toy props, Woody and Buzz figures, and colorful banners. Movie-inspired trunks are always a hit, especially for families with kids who love to dress as their favorite characters.
3. Under the Sea
Transform your trunk into an underwater adventure. Use blue streamers as ocean waves and fill your trunk with fish, seaweed, and maybe even a mermaid! This theme is bright, fun, and perfect for a non-scary option that still feels magical.
4. Superhero Headquarters
Let your inner superhero shine by turning your trunk into a superhero headquarters. Deck it out with capes, masks, and action figures of your favorite superheroes like Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, or the Avengers. This theme is perfect for kids who want to dress up as their comic book heroes.
5. Pumpkin Patch
If you’re looking for a simple, fall-themed option, a pumpkin patch is the way to go. Fill your trunk with pumpkins, hay bales, and autumn leaves for a cozy, seasonal feel. This theme works great during the daytime or for events with younger kids who prefer a lighter, less spooky atmosphere.
Other tips for a successful trunk or treat fundraiser
- Award the coolest trunk! 🏆
- Stock up on candy, nobody likes running out! 🍬
- Guide trunkers on candy quantities or hand it out yourself (1-2 pieces per kid).
- Rally family candy donations. Drop a box at the entrance or ask for cash contributions. 📦
- Set up an allergy-friendly non-candy zone for those little sweet tooths who can’t partake. 🚫
- Keep the vibe alive with a DJ or some thrilling, spooky tunes! 🎵
- Tell trunkers to be candy-wise; ration so every kid gets their share. 🧐
- Make it clear if parents can drop off their trick-or-treaters or need to stay. 🚗
Trunk or treat fundraisers are a fun way to gather community support. Organize effectively and make use of Cheddar Up’s features to ensure a rewarding experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a trunk or treat?
A trunk or treat is a Halloween event where kids collect candy from decorated car trunks in a parking lot instead of going door to door. Volunteers, often called trunkers, park in a designated area and decorate their trunks with fun, spooky, or themed displays, and families walk from car to car to trick-or-treat. Schools, churches, PTAs, and nonprofits often run them as fundraisers by charging admission and selling food or games.
How do you host a trunk or treat fundraiser?
To host a trunk or treat fundraiser, pick a date and parking location, set an admission price, sign up trunkers, recruit volunteers, and add extra ways to raise money like concessions, games, and sponsorships. Most events run 1.5 to 2 hours in mid to late October and charge around $5 per person for admission, with optional trunk-spot fees of $10 to $30. Collecting sign-ups and pre-sales online a few weeks ahead makes attendance easier to plan.
What are the rules for a trunk or treat?
Common trunk or treat rules require each vehicle to be decorated, an adult to stay with the car at all times, and all candy to be individually wrapped. Decorations must be appropriate for young children, each vehicle gets one parking space, and trunkers are not permitted to sell items or solicit donations from their cars. Many events also ask trunkers to arrive early to set up and to stay until the event ends.
How do you plan a trunk or treat at a church?
To plan a trunk or treat at a church, reserve the church parking lot, recruit trunkers from the congregation, and decide whether to run it as a free outreach event or a fundraiser with admission or donations. Set a date in mid to late October, coordinate volunteer and trunk sign-ups a few weeks ahead, and share the same safety rules used for any trunk or treat. Many churches pair the event with a fall festival, adding games, food, and music to draw a larger crowd.
What are good trunk or treat games and prizes?
Good trunk or treat games include a candy guess, ring toss, bean bag toss, plinko, a cake walk, and cornhole, priced at a ticket or two each. A raffle with baskets of donated items is a reliable way to add revenue, and prizes for the best-decorated trunk or costume give trunkers a reason to go all out. Selling game tickets in bundles as pre-sales, then again at the event, keeps lines moving on the day.
Make it Easy
Set up your Trunk or Treat Fundraiser in minutes with Cheddar Up
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