Dates to Remember for 2025 School Fundraising Year-Round

By Coryn Diehl on December 9, 2024 / School Fundraising Ideas

Dates to Remember for 2025 School Fundraising Year-Round

At Kids’ Kastle, we are more than just a school holiday shop. We offer seasonal fundraising opportunities to help schools and PTAs make fundraising exciting and easy year-round.

As the year wraps up, we’ve put together a month-by-month guide to the best dates and activities for 2025 school fundraisers year-round. Start planning now for the 2025-2026 school year fundraising to make dances, field trips, and holiday shoppes easy and simple.

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Why Should My School Fundraise Year-Round

Before we dive into notable dates throughout the year, keep in mind that school fundraisers offer a lot of opportunities for the school, the teachers, and the students. Year-round school fundraising in 2025 can help with dances, school supplies, field trips, sports equipment, band equipment, dance shows, holiday shops, and more.

Consider every activity your school hosts and make a plan to host a fundraiser to help boost the possibilities for the new year.

Seasonal Fundraising Events to Raise Money For:

Homecoming and Prom
Teacher Appreciation Week
Winter Holidays
Spring Field Trips
Sporting Seasons
- Football Fall
- Basketball Winter
- Baseball, Softball, Track Spring
Band Seasons
- Marching Band Fall
- Jazz Spring
- Concerts Spring

2025 Fundraising Dates for Schools

Here is a month-by-month guide to fundraising opportunities that are available based on seasonal school activities, national holidays, and niche celebrations you can take advantage of in 2025.

January: New Beginnings and Winter Activities

January is a great time to gear up for winter events. Even though the holidays are behind us, remember that winter sports are in full swing. Don’t let the momentum from the holidays slow down as you prepare for sports tournaments and spring preparations.

Notable Dates:
January 1: New Year’s Day
January 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
All Month: Winter sports tournaments

January Fundraising Ideas:
New Year, New Goals: Encourage families to pledge donations toward a big school project for the year.
Warm-Up Drive: Sell cozy items like scarves, gloves, or hot cocoa kits to help boost funds for winter sports and upcoming spring field trips or travel.

February: Share the Love

February is when the holidays are fully behind us and spring is up ahead. Take advantage of Valentine’s Day, Black History Month, and a change in the weather to gear people up for spring fundraising and field trips.

Notable Dates:
February 14: Valentine’s Day
All Month: Black History Month

February Fundraising Ideas:
Valentine’s Grams: Sell candy, cards, or flowers for students to give to friends and teachers.
Trivia Night: Celebrate Black History Month with a family-friendly trivia event.

March: Spring into Action

March is the peak time to fundraise for spring field trips happening in the coming months. Your school can take advantage of St. Patrick’s Day and warmer weather to get together a spring fundraiser for the school.

Notable Dates:
March 17: St. Patrick’s Day
March 20: First Day of Spring
All Month: Spring sports kick-off

March Fundraising Ideas:
Luck of the Irish Raffle: Hold a raffle for fun prizes.
Spring Clean Sale: Collect and resell gently used items from the community.
Spring is in the Air: Spring fundraising from Kids Kastle, with a brochure full of home goods, baked goods, candles, spring decor, and more; perfect for sports, field trips, and other events that need a funding boost.

April: Blossoms and Bright Ideas

Have you held your spring fundraiser? Are you looking ahead to prom, graduation, and other end-of-the-year celebrations? Now is the time to raise funding for end-of-the-year activities.

Notable Dates:
April 1: April Fool’s Day
April 22: Earth Day

April Fundraising Ideas:
Plant Sale: Partner with local nurseries to sell flowers and vegetable plants.
Recycling Drive: Collect cans and bottles for money while teaching eco-friendly habits.

May: Celebrations and Sweet Endings

As the school year comes to a close, school fundraising doesn’t need to stop. Take advantage of end of the year celebrations to boost next year’s finances so you have a bigger budget to plan school activities.

Notable Dates:
May 5: Cinco de Mayo
May 12: Mother’s Day
End of the School Year Celebrations

May Fundraising Ideas:
Mother’s Day Market: Sell handmade gifts or crafts students can give to moms.
Year-End Bash: Host a fun carnival or talent show to celebrate the students.

June: Hello, Summer!

To wrap up the school year, throw one more big bash that celebrates the school, the students, graduates, welcome next year’s freshmen, and bring the community together.

Notable Dates:
June 14: Flag Day
End-of-School Fun

June Fundraising Ideas:
Summer Kick-Off Party: Organize a picnic with games, food, and music.
Car Wash: Get students, teachers, and parents involved in this classic fundraiser.

July: Independence and Community Fun

While most schools are on hiatus, your PTA can come together for a community event that doubles as a school fundraiser in 2025. Partner with local businesses and find community hosts to represent your school and hold raffles, fundraisers, and more to prepare for the coming school year.

Notable Dates:
July 4: Independence Day

July Fundraising Ideas:
Fourth of July Fair: Sell refreshments or crafts during local parades or fireworks events.
Back-to-School Raffle: Start prepping for the school year with a themed giveaway.

August: Back-to-School Buzz

As everyone shifts into an end-of-summer mindset, take advantage! Piggy back on back-to-school marketing to get students and families in the mood to donate, buy second hand, or attend social events.

Notable Dates:
Back-to-School Season

August Fundraising Ideas:
School Supply Drive: Partner with local businesses to sell supply kits for students.
Welcome Back Event: Host a family BBQ or ice cream social to build excitement.

September: A Fresh Start

Everyone is back and ready to go! Homecoming dances are sneaking up, sports training begins, and everyone is planning their fall and winter activities. Take advantage of the momentum by planning a fundraiser, possibly a color-a-thon, and more to get everyone excited for the new year.

Notable Dates:
September 2: Labor Day
All Month: Fall sports and music rehearsals begin

September Fundraising Ideas:
Sports Booster Drive: Sell team spirit items like hats and T-shirts.
Fall Carnival: Plan games, food trucks, and entertainment.
Color-a-Thon: School-A-Thon takes your events from bland to grand! Created to give schools a fun, interactive alternative to a traditional product sale fundraiser that boosts bright colors for a festival, dance, race, and more.

October: Spooky and Spectacular

Embrace the Halloween season with spooky activities, trick-or-treat walks, costume contests, and more. Everyone is ready for the season and is a great time to encourage fundraising and donations for the rest of the school year while building community spirit.

Notable Dates:
October 31: Halloween

October Fundraising Ideas:
Pumpkin Patch Sale: Work with local farms to sell pumpkins.
Halloween Dance or Haunted House: Charge admission to a spooky school event.

November: Thanks and Giving

November is full of holidays like Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday. Boost your marketing to take advantage while raising funds for your school.

Notable Dates:
Thanksgiving
Small Business Saturday
Giving Tuesday

November Fundraising Ideas:
Pie Sale: Partner with bakeries to sell delicious pies for the holiday.
Thankful Hearts Drive: Collect donations to fund special school projects.
Gourmet Goodness: Everyone is ready for the holidays, so prompt them to stock up on their favorites with a Gourmet Goodness school fundraiser in 2025.

December: Festive Cheer

This is the prime time for a school holiday shop fundraiser! Teach kids to shop, get gifts for everyone in the family, and boost school funding for the new year. Kids Kastle makes school holiday shops easy and exciting – are you ready to begin?

Notable Dates:
December 25: Christmas
All Month: Holiday concerts and winter celebrations

December Fundraising Ideas:
Holiday Shop: Let students buy small gifts for family and friends.
Winter Wonderland Festival: Create a festive event with games, food, and crafts.

Year-Round School Fundraising Made Easy

Kids Kastle makes school fundraising in 2025 easy. Choose from festive holiday shops for the winter, Color-a-Thon for a spirit boost, Gourmet Goodness and Spring Fundraising for treats and home decor, Smencils, peanut-free candy bars, and more (see all of our year-round fundraising).

Whether you’re fundraising for a dance, field trips, or general school needs, we have something for everyone and everyone’s budget. Plus, we make it easy. Get in touch today for free info and learn how your school can get started with seasonal fundraising ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions

How early should I plan a fundraiser?

Start planning 2–3 months ahead to organize and promote effectively. Use our monthly fundraising guide to plan out your fundraiser for each season well ahead of time and take advantage of holidays and events.

What if we have a small budget to start?

No worries! Many fundraisers, like car washes or recycling drives, cost little to no money upfront. Kids Kastle can recommend budget-friendly year-round school fundraisers to start with.

How can we get students involved in school fundraisers?

Assign fun roles, like designing flyers, hosting games, or selling items at events. Students can help with marketing, volunteer, or organize based on their skill sets.

What’s the best way to promote our fundraiser?

Use social media, newsletters, and word of mouth. Don’t forget to hang posters in the school! Check out more ways to promote your school fundraiser.

Can we do fundraisers year-round?

Absolutely! There’s always a good reason to raise money—holidays, sports, or special school needs. Take advantage of Gourmet Goodness, peanut free candy bar sales, Color-a-Thon, and more.

Why Host an In-School Holiday Gift Fair

By Kids' Kastle Holiday Shoppes on September 22, 2022 / Holiday Fundraising, School Fundraising Ideas

Why Host an In-School Holiday Gift Fair

Hosting an in-school holiday gift fair around the winter season can be just the exercise children need to get into the holiday spirit. Holiday gift fairs help with budgeting lessons and financial responsibility, allows children to purchase gifts for their families and friends in an accessible venue, and provides holiday cheer and merriment all around.

So why should your school invest in a holiday gift fair this season? We delve into what it takes to host a holiday gift far and how to set up a successful Santa Gift Shop that’s friendly for all families and children.

What Is An In-School Holiday Gift Fair?

An in-school holiday gift fair, also known as a School Santa Shop, is a seasonal gift shop hosted by the school. It is run by teachers, parents, and volunteers, offering low-cost gifts for students to purchase for their family and friends.

Children visit the store, set-up on school premise, under a teacher’s guidance during school hours with a list of people they plan to buy holiday gifts for. Volunteers at the in-school holiday gift fair assist kids with the purchase of items, which kids then take home for their loved ones. There can be gift wrapping stations, a variety of products to purchase, and everything is low-cost and affordable.

Why Host An In-School Holiday Gift Fair?

While it lasts only for a few weeks, an in-school holiday gift fair is remembered by children for a long time. School Santa Shops instill confidence and independence for kids by letting them shop with their own money for gifts for their loved ones. They feel excited to tour so many items and pick out their favorites all by themselves.

If you’re wondering why host an in-school holiday gift fair, these are just a few of the many benefits:

Safe and practical space to buy gifts for the holidays
Hone children’s organizational skills.
Learn about budgeting, making a purchase, and finances
Practice mathematical skills such as addition, subtraction, and getting change
Sharpen emotional skills by learning the virtues of sharing, kindness, and spreading joy

How To Get the Most From Your School Christmas Shop

The Selection of School Santa shop gifts

The gifts for your school holiday shop should be affordable, low-cost, and speak to kids. Remember, while they are buying the items for their families, they want to buy things that get them excited. A great way to think about Christmas gifts for your holiday shop is to categorize them relationship-wise.

Mom, Aunt, Grandma: Feature lockets, roses, bracelets, and books
Dad, Uncle, Granddad: Sports goodies such as balls, whistles, and trophies
Friends, Teachers, and Neighbors: Photo frames, mugs, and stationery items with messages of love and joy printed on them
Siblings: Fancy lip-glosses and purses, racecars and fidget toys, as well as art and craft items
Themed Sections: Christmas Greetings, Sports Booth, and Letters and Postcards
Pets: Small toys, treats, and tennis balls or frisbees

Appealing displays for gifts

All school Christmas shops have one thing in common – their displays are attractive and made especially for the eyes of children. Using L-shape and U-shape tables can leave enough room for kids to navigate their way around. For decoration, consider using confetti, balloons, Christmas posters, and stickers to grab the kids’ attention.

To get the most out of your school holiday shop, have the kids help with set-up, decoration, and more so they see the value of what goes into setting up a shop each season. You can make this grade specific so every year the kids get involved in a new part of the marketplace.

Don't forget gift wrapping service

Wrapping holiday shop gifts is as much of a tradition as the gifting itself. Working with a volunteer, have the kids assist with wrapping paper, taping, and placing into bags. They will better learn how to protect their new gifts by being a part of the wrapping process, allowing them to feel pride at their contributions.

Volunteers help make the experience Christmasy

As they say, the more, the merrier. Having volunteers handy is always a good idea for organizing a successful in-school holiday gift fair. You’ll need volunteers who can:

Attend to each table of gifts.
Help the children with budgeting from their lists.
Manage and monitor the room in general.
Help at the cash desk with transactions and queries.
Wrap up the gifts at the wrapping station.

Organizing An In-School Holiday Gift Fair?

With our expertise in school Santa shop gifts, we are the right fit for all your school holiday fair needs. We bring a diverse range of gifts to pick from for the students that help everyone feel included. Consult with our team on the best school holiday fair package for your school and let us help you outline planning, promoting, and executing your fair.

12 Easy & Creative High School Fundraising Ideas

By Kids' Kastle Holiday Shoppes on March 11, 2022 / High School Fundraising, School Fundraising Ideas

12 Easy & Creative High School Fundraising Ideas

Fundraising is critical for all grade levels to raise funds for school activities, trips, resources, and more. As students move from grade school to high school, finding interesting and creative fundraising ideas that don’t conflict with busy high school schedules can be challenging.

If you’re looking for high school fundraiser ideas for after-school clubs, sports organizations, field trips, and more, we’ve got you covered. Check out our 12 creative high school fundraising ideas that are easy and simple.

Quiz Competition

A quiz competition can be a great way to raise funds in high school. Not only is it fun, but it’s also educational and aligns well with practice for AP courses and SATs.

To host a quiz competition, you must first decide on a theme and it’s best if students are involved in the process — do you want to focus on SAT prep or something fun like Pop Culture? Then, all that’s needed are the invites.

You can fundraise by having an entry fee per team and then a small entry fee per audience member. Be sure to get a great MC host to make the night fun and have prizes for the winning team. Partner with a local restaurant or cafe if you want to boost promotion and participation, too.

Sports Day

Nothing gets students and families more excited than sports. For a high school fundraiser, arrange a sports day where you set up various games and activities. This can include classics like field day activities or you can create tag-teams for basketball, soccer, football, volleyball, and more. Use indoor school space for E-sports as well and get even more participants involve.

As a fundraiser, charge spectators a small entry fee and sell merch like snacks, drinks, and custom shirts and more.

Yard Sale

Yard sales are a classic fundraiser you don’t want to miss out out on! Don’t keep those yard sales limited to your house.

Ask students, teachers, and parents to donate items that aren’t extensively used. Along with that make sure you double down on marketing — post on social media, send home postcards, and promote across your community that the local school is having a yard sale for their newest fundraiser.

Art and Science Exhibitions

Organize multiple exhibitions, such as art exhibitions or science exhibitions, for a creative high school fundraiser. Make it competitive, declare a winner, or the best presentation to encourage participation.

Charge visitors with a ticket & give a discount for people who come in groups. By doing this you not only have an amazing fundraising event but also make it creatively enriching for the students, it’s a win-win. Plus, high school students can add the exhibit to their high school resume when searching for creative jobs after graduation.

Food Stalls

What better way to have fun and raise money than with good food. Allow students to set up food stalls -by themselves or with parents- for a fun fundraising event.

Don’t fail to expect a big crowd, because no one is saying no to food. After subtracting the costs incurred, all the profits raised can go towards fundraising. To make even more sales students can sell packaged items like healthy chips and cookies. Encourage bake-offs, creative recipes, and more. Plus, food stalls can be active at all other high school events.

Talent Show

A talent show is probably the biggest event that can be performed at scale. We all know, no school is deprived of talent, if anything, it’s overflowing. Your students know how to beatbox, teachers are somewhat of a magician themselves and who knew a parent is a melodic singer.

Sell tickets in advance and possibly charge the participants as well for a small entry fee if you rent out a large venue or theater. Also, to make it even better try to find a local sponsorship for the event to partner with and help promote.

Costume party

Every day can be Halloween if you let it. When the season is right, host a costume party with music, gifts, and costume prizes. There can be a small entry to enter the costume contest and a small fee to enter the dance.

Encourage everyone to participate, including teachers, for this fun seasonal high school fundraiser.

Car Wash

Set up a small car washing station at your school during the warmer months. Advertise it outside the school gate and on the street to help boost awareness in your local community. Have teachers, parents, and other students bring their cars and charge a small fee. This is fast, fun, and a great way to raise money.

Yoga day

Over the last decade, yoga as a form of exercise has received a lot of attention. Not only are parents doing it but so are many college-going students. But there are also many who want to do it but haven’t yet.

Dedicate a day to yoga: where an instructor will run everyone through the basics of the discipline and perform the required introductory exercises. Everyone can be charged a small fee and a voluntary donation box can also be set up. Include tips on wellness, sell healthy snacks, and more to help boost even more sales. If you can, partner with a local group for puppy yoga or goat yoga.

Virtual Concert

In the past year, a lot of big artists arranged virtual concerts and the craze for them was no less than the stadium ones. To organize a virtual concert, contact a local band and ask them to donate a performance.

Students, from the comfort of their home, can attend it by giving a small fee. Also, the supporters of the band wouldn’t mind paying extra to have a Q&A with the performers, and that’ll make for some extra bucks. This is a great way to reach students and parents all across your community.

Auction

This could be a great opportunity for people who’ve been procrastinating on getting that art piece to a pawn shop. Every family has an item they wish to exchange in return for money.

Organizing an auction can be done offline and online. Collectively everyone lists a certain item and a decided percentage of the sale goes towards the fundraising. If done right, this can be a great success and gets everyone involved with the bidding. Also donate parking spots, gift baskets from local stores, and more.

School Calendar

One of the best ways to raise funds and at the same time promote your brand is by creating a school calendar. A school calendar can be targeted towards students and parents involving students’ artwork, class photos, and pictures of school events. All the profits can be dedicated towards the fundraiser. Make sure to include notable school days and easy reminders so the school calendar is functional and fun.

School Fundraising Ideas