Most guides to PTA fundraising give you a list. This one gives you a plan. Your committee has limited time, limited volunteers, and a real revenue goal to hit.
The school fundraising ideas here are organized by how much effort they take, so you can find what fits your situation and skip what doesn’t. It also covers what’s working in 2026, how to pick the right PTA fundraising ideas for your school type, and how to collect money online to make it easy for parents and volunteers.
PTA fundraising ideas by effort level
The right fundraiser depends on how much time and volunteer capacity your PTA has. These ideas are organized by effort level so you can find what fits your situation, not just what sounds good on paper.
Pro-Tip:
You can layer peer-to-peer fundraising onto almost any campaign in this list. When participants share their own fundraising pages with family and friends outside your school community, it consistently multiplies results without adding work for your committee. Start a peer-to-peer campaign for free on Cheddar Up.
Quick and easy PTA fundraisers
Looking for easy PTA fundraising ideas? These are low lift to set up and fast to launch. They work well when your committee is stretched thin or when you need to raise money between bigger campaigns.
Matching gift drive. A local business or donor agrees to match contributions up to a set amount. The match gives families a concrete reason to give now rather than later. Run it through an online collection page with a goal tracker showing how close you are to the match limit.
The unfundraiser. Skip the wrapping paper, the cookie dough, and the catalog entirely. Just ask. Send a direct message to families explaining exactly what the money funds are for and how much you need. Parents who are short on time will appreciate an easy ask. It’s efficient and more effective than most PTAs expect.
Tattoo a teacher. Set a fundraising goal. When your PTA hits it, a volunteer teacher or administrator gets a (temporary) tattoo chosen by the students. Families donate online to vote on the design or location. Kids go wild for it, parents find it irresistible, and it costs almost nothing to run.
Event-based fundraisers
PTA fundraising events take more planning and volunteers, but they also build community in a way a donation link never will. Pick one or two big events per year and do them well rather than spreading your committee thin.
Readathon. Students collect pledges for every book they read over a set period, with parents and family sponsoring them online. Cap it with a celebration event where top readers and fundraisers are recognized. The online pledge collection eliminates the paper-envelope chaos, and the end event gives kids something to work toward.
Casino night. An adults-only evening event with table games, food, and drinks. Charge an entry fee, sell chips, and add a raffle or a live auction for extra revenue. Ticket prices run higher than for all-ages events, and parents tend to spend more when kids aren’t in the room. Plan to partner with a local vendor who supplies the equipment.
Trunk or Treat. Families are already looking for Halloween events, so the demand is built in. Charge a small entry donation or add a costume contest and game booths to layer in more revenue. One of the easier large-group events to organize because participants essentially run their own stations.
Digital coin wars. Classes compete to raise the most money on a live online leaderboard. Families contribute to boost their class or “sabotage” a rival class by donating to their total. No physical jars, no cash handling, no counting. It has the energy of a big event without the volunteer lift to pull one off. Cheddar Up’s Coin Wars collection page makes it easy to set up a page per class and track totals in one place.
Peer-to-peer in action
Voyager K-8 PTO layered peer-to-peer fundraising onto their Read Athon and raised over $21,000 with 150 participants. Treasurer Ansel Crombleholme: “If I can do everything on Cheddar Up, it makes it easier to be in one place and not waste time.” See the full story.
Ongoing and passive fundraisers
The strongest PTA programs don’t rely on a single big event. They layer in revenue streams that run in the background or repeat on autopilot. Set these up once and let them work.
Donation drive. A standing collection page with a goal and a link to share. No deadline, no event, no activity required. Lives on your group page year-round so families can give anytime. Offer a recurring monthly giving option for families who want to contribute automatically without having to think about it each time.
Monthly restaurant night. Partner with a different local restaurant each month to donate a percentage of sales during a set window. Families get a reason to go out, local businesses get promotion, and your PTA builds a recurring revenue stream that practically runs itself once the restaurant relationships are in place.
For more ideas that run in the background, see our full guide to passive fundraising ideas.
Fall PTA Fundraisers
The strongest PTA programs don’t rely on a single big event. They layer in revenue streams that run in the background or repeat on autopilot. Set these up once and let them work.
Winter PTA Fundraisers
Spring
End of year fundraisers
Staff appreciation collection. May is Teacher Appreciation Month. A group collection for a teacher gift takes the pressure off individual families and is easy to run online. Your staff wishlist drive tends to spike naturally at this time, too.
PTA fundraising ideas by school type
The same fundraiser doesn’t work equally well at every school. Here’s what to keep in mind at each level.
Elementary schools
Best PTA fundraising ideas for elementary schools: Readathons, color runs, and digital coin wars. Formats where students are active participants and families rally around a visible goal.
Elementary PTAs have a built-in advantage: kids are enthusiastic and parents are engaged. Keep donation pages visual with a goal tracker and photos of how the money is used. Elementary parents respond to concrete impact far more than a generic progress bar.
Middle schools
Skip fundraisers that rely on students knocking on doors or selling to neighbors. A monthly restaurant night gives middle schoolers a reason to show up with friends and families without feeling like a fundraising obligation. And, if you try spirit wear, involve students in the design process rather than picking it for them.
High schools
Best PTA fundraising ideas for high schools: Targeted program campaigns, casino nights, and peer-to-peer drives tied to milestones. Fundraising works best when it’s tied to something students and families are already invested in.
Fundraising is often program-specific at the high school level. Build each campaign around a single goal: “Help us send the robotics team to nationals” raises more than “support your school” every time. Casino nights also perform well because parents are comfortable attending an evening event without kids.
Small schools
Fewer families mean every campaign has to work harder. Peer-to-peer fundraising matters more here than anywhere else. Each family that shares their page extends your reach to grandparents, neighbors, and friends who would never otherwise hear about your campaign. Cheddar Up includes peer-to-peer on the free plan, which matters for small schools with tight budgets
PTA fundraising trends for the 2026/27 school year
Online collection is the baseline. Families expect to pay by credit card or phone, not cash. PTAs still relying on envelopes and checks are leaving participation and money on the table.
Peer-to-peer fundraising is growing. When students share their own fundraising pages, campaigns reach grandparents, neighbors, and family friends who would never see a school email. This extends reach without adding work for your committee.
Passive revenue is becoming more intentional. The strongest PTA fundraising programs aren’t just running one big event. They layer in a spirit wear store, a recurring donation drive, and a giving platform that stays open year-round. Each stream is small, but together they add up.
Simplicity wins participation. The fewer steps it takes for a family to donate or buy, the higher your participation rate. No login required, mobile-friendly checkout, and multiple payment options all move the needle.
All of these trends point to the same thing: the PTAs raising the most money are the ones making it easiest to participate. That starts with how you collect PTA payments.
How to collect PTA fundraising money online
Cash and checks create real problems: you’re chasing down families, manually logging payments, and hoping nothing gets lost in a backpack. Venmo and PayPal are convenient for individuals, but they’re not built for group coordination. There are no forms, no reporting, and no way to track who paid.
Cheddar Up is made for exactly this. Your PTA can set up a collection page in minutes, share a link with families and start collecting right away. Payers don’t need to create an account or download an app. They can pay by credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, eCheck, or even cash if needed.
For organizers, everything is tracked automatically. You can see who’s paid, send reminders to those who haven’t, download a report for your treasurer, and manage it all from one place.
Processing fees are passed on to payers by default, so most PTAs collect them at no cost to themselves. (You can also choose to absorb fees or let payers opt in to cover them.)
Learn With Us: Live Sessions for PTA Leaders
Ready to see how it works? Check out a quick 3-minute demo or start your free PTA collection at cheddarup.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best PTA fundraising ideas?
The best PTA fundraisers balance effort with return. Readathons and color runs consistently perform well because students drive participation, and the format is low-overhead for organizers. Online giving days and matching gift drives are effective for schools of any size with minimal planning. For events, casino nights generate strong revenue and real community energy.
What are the best PTA fundraising events?
Casino nights, color runs, and readathons with a celebration component are among the strongest PTA event formats for revenue and community engagement. Trunk or Treat is one of the easiest large-group events to organize because participants run their own stations.
What are the top PTA fundraising companies and platforms?
The most commonly used platforms for PTA payment collection and fundraising include Cheddar Up, Givebacks (formerly MemberHub), and Membership Toolkit, among others. Each has different strengths: some focus on payment collection and group coordination (like Cheddar Up), while others emphasize communication tools or membership management.
What PTA fundraising trends are working in 2026?
Online collection is now the baseline expectation for most families. Peer-to-peer fundraising is growing because it extends reach beyond the school community without adding coordinator work. PTAs with the strongest results are building layered programs with a recurring spirit wear store, a giving page that stays open year-round, and one or two focused campaigns.
How do PTAs collect fundraising money online?
The most common approach is a dedicated collection platform like Cheddar Up, which lets you create a page, share a link with families, and collect payments by credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or eCheck. Families don’t need to create an account or download an app. Organizers get automatic tracking and reporting.
Before You Go
Your PTA raises money so your school can do more. Pick the formats that fit your capacity, keep the giving simple, and let the results speak for themselves. Cheddar Up makes it easy to collect payments, manage forms, and track everything in one place.
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PTA Fundraising Letter Templates: Kickoff, Reminder, and Thank-You
Your fundraiser is set. The goal is in place. Now you need families to show up for the campaign. A well-written PTA fundraising letter is what makes that happen.
The templates below are ready to customize. Swap in your school name, your goal, and your dates. Then send.
If you’re still deciding on your fundraiser format, the PTA fundraising ideas guide covers your options from top to bottom. But if you’re already in motion, start here.
The best letters are short, specific, and personal. Families don’t need a history of your PTA. They need to know what you’re raising money for, how much you’re asking for, and where to go to give.
Fall Activities for Preschoolers: 20+ Classroom and Outdoor Ideas for Ages 3–5
Fall is one of the easiest seasons to make exciting for preschoolers. The colors, the textures, the smells. But if you are a teacher building out a fall lesson plan or a parent trying to fill a few October afternoons, the challenge is finding fall activities for preschoolers that are achievable for ages 3 to 5.
Preschoolers do not need elaborate activities. They need interesting materials, a little space, and permission to explore. Everything on this list is designed with that in mind.
Classroom autumn and fall activities work best when they tie into something kids are already learning. Counting, sorting, color recognition, and fine motor skills all have natural fall connections. Here are seven ideas that pull double duty as both fun and educational.
The Ultimate Guide to Field Day Activities (for Every Age and Group)
Nobody forgets a great field day. The sunburned cheeks, the kid who took the egg-and-spoon race way too seriously, the team that somehow won tug of war three years running. It’s one of those events that doesn’t need much to be memorable. Just the right activities and enough space to run around.
Planning a school field day, a family reunion, a neighborhood block party, or a community fundraiser? This list is all you need. We’ve organized the best field day activities by audience so you can build a lineup that fits your crowd.
Already thinking about logistics? Check out our complete guide on how to plan a field day from start to finish: it covers everything from budgeting and registration to collecting fees stress-free.
How to Plan a Field Day: Easy Games & Planning Tips
Most people who get asked to plan a field day have about two seconds of excitement followed by a wave of “wait, how do I actually do this?” If you are wondering how to plan a field day for your school, workplace, or community group, the good news is you don’t need to have a degree in event-planning or a big budget to get started.
What you do need to succeed is a clear checklist and the right approach. From coming up with easy field day games for kids to recruiting volunteers and managing group communication, running a field day is all about preparation and a positive attitude.
This guide will teach you what a field day is, why it matters, and simple steps you can take to stay on budget and handle all of the logistics of your activities.
A field day is an organized outdoor event built around physical activities, games, and friendly challenges.
Schools typically hold them in the spring as a capstone celebration, but community groups, summer camps, corporate teams, and neighborhood associations also run them year-round.
When most people think of field day activities, pictures of stations scattered across a field, relay races on a track, and bean bag tosses under a shade tree come to mind.
But, what is the purpose of a field day and why should you take the extra step to make sure your field day is planned properly for your group?
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