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School Fundraisers
20 High School Fundraising Ideas for Clubs and Classes

20 High School Fundraising Ideas for Clubs and Classes

The best high school fundraising ideas give students a chance to take the lead. They can dream up the idea, design the merch, spread the word, and make the fundraiser their own. As a bonus, it lightens the load for advisors, teachers, and parent volunteers.
Need a little inspiration? At Cheddar Up, we like to go straight to the source. We looked at fundraisers school groups ran on Cheddar Up during the 2025-26 school year, from Egg My Yard to holiday craft fairs, and pulled together our favorites.
We’ve organized the top 20 ideas by how you want to run your fundraiser, with options for student council and class officers, academic clubs, and schoolwide campaigns. You’ll also find a simple way to collect payments online while students handle the rest.

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Easy Elementary School Fundraising Ideas Kids Love and Parents Support

Easy Elementary School Fundraising Ideas Kids Love and Parents Support

Elementary school kids are energetic, playful, and not into anything too complicated, so why should their fundraisers be? The best elementary school fundraising ideas feel like fun for the kids while staying simple for the volunteers who make them happen.
Below are 20 ideas built for elementary schools, grouped by how you want to run them, plus an easy, online way to collect payments.
Elementary school fundraising is different because younger children can be active participants, but they still need adults to take the lead on money, sales, and logistics. The best fundraisers play to both strengths: kids bring the creativity, excitement, and school spirit, while adults keep everything running smoothly.
Take payments, for example. A first grader isn’t going to manage a cash box, make change, or operate a point-of-sale system. Keeping payments with adults (and collecting online when possible) makes it easier to track every dollar, so cash doesn’t get lost in backpacks.
Door-to-door selling can be tricky as well. Young kids need adult supervision, and caregivers may not be comfortable sending them out to sell to strangers. Fundraisers that families can support from home or through a school event tend to make more sense.
So, what can elementary students do? All the fun stuff. They can color posters, run laps, cheer on classmates, perform, create something to sell, or proudly share the fundraiser with family and friends.

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How to Host a Trunk or Treat Fundraiser

How to Host a Trunk or Treat Fundraiser

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. 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.

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PTA Virtual Fundraising: 10 Ideas That Raise Real Money

PTA Virtual Fundraising: 10 Ideas That Raise Real Money

Running a fundraiser entirely online isn’t a backup plan anymore. For a lot of PTAs, it’s the smarter plan. No venue to book, no weather to worry about, no families who can’t make it because of work or a conflict on the calendar.

The strongest virtual PTA fundraisers share three things: a specific dollar goal, a clear deadline, and a payment link that’s easy to find and easy to use. This post covers 10 virtual PTA fundraiser ideas, from simple donation campaigns to ticketed events, plus practical guidance on running an online PTA fundraiser and collecting payments without the usual friction.

For a broader look at PTA fundraising options including in-person formats, see our PTA fundraising ideas guide.

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10 Best PTO and PTA Fundraising Platforms (2026)

10 Best PTO and PTA Fundraising Platforms (2026)

This guide is for PTA and PTO leaders comparing fundraising platforms before making a decision.

Picking a fundraising platform should take an afternoon, not a semester. But with dozens of options out there, most PTA and PTO leaders end up doing one of two things: choosing whatever a predecessor used or going with whichever platform they heard about at a conference.

Neither approach is wrong. But if you’re setting up your group for a new year, or switching away from something that’s been driving you (and parents) a little crazy, it helps to have a real comparison.

We reviewed the field of PTA and PTO fundraising companies and narrowed it to the 10 that make sense for PTA and PTO operations. Not generic school software. Not platforms built for large nonprofits. The ones parents and volunteers are using to run fundraisers, collect dues, sell spirit wear, and get paid without chasing anyone down.

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PTA Fundraising Letter Templates: Kickoff, Reminder, and Thank-You

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.

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