Unique School Fundraising Ideas

unique school fundraisers for new jersey schools

Unique School Fundraisers

Fundraising Ideas for Any Grade Level

It may be early for the holidays, but school fundraising can happen any time of the year and shouldn’t be put off until just winter. When trying to raise money for various programs and a bright new school year for both faculty and staff, taking advantage of fundraising for every season can be the most beneficial way to go.

School fundraising is great all year round and can utilize a host of different school christmas shop ideas. If you’re looking for unique school fundraisers in New Jersey, companies like Kids Kastle cater to every grade level with creative school fundraising ideas. Some of the best school fundraisers are those that are simple and unique to your area, and a company based in your location can help recommend the most successful fundraisers they have helped to host.

Here are just a few holiday gift shop fundraisers that you can tweak to your liking or use as is. Whatever you choose, remember that school fundraising is supposed to be fun, and the best school fundraisers usually involve the entire school as much as possible to maximize the fun and to make the students and faculty realize that this will have an impact on everyone.

unique school fundraisers for new jersey schools

Cookie Dough Fundraisers are a Tasty Idea

Is it making your stomach growl and your mouth water already? A Cookie Dough Fundraiser could be held in a couple of different ways, but the preferred method is to sell homemade dough that can be specially made for each individual order.

It’s a lot of work to be certain, but with dedicated and capable workers and volunteers for a good cause, this could work, and be a sweet treat that could earn a lot of goodwill in the community and for the school. If homemade cookie dough isn’t an option for your cookie dough fundraiser, there are plenty of companies that offer catalogs you can utilize instead to get the word out! 

Candy Fundraisers Attract a Lot of People

Candy fundraisers are typically something you’d see for baseball, softball, and other sports’ teams, but there’s nothing like a good candy drive, especially if you buy in bulk and give people options when purchasing what they want.
 
It might sound like a unique school fundraiser, but in truth, it’s taking an idea and expanding it a bit to ensure that people have more than one choice and can buy what they want while helping with a good cause. Utilizing New Jersey school fundraising companies that offer multiple candy options is a great way to expand on the traditional candy fundraiser.
kidz kastle

A Snowman Building Event is a Great Unique School Fundraiser

Next up is creating a realistic goal and budget for your holiday fundraiser. A lot of fundraisers fall short because of budgetary reasons. As a matter of fact, as many as 43% of organized fundraisers fail because of misuse of the budget, according to a recent study. According to the study, the biggest misuse of funds came from overestimating incoming dollars and donations.

When you are creating your budget, it is very important to use dollars you actually have and not to base it off of future donations or fundraising. If you do want to create a budget based on future dollars, then set goals and only use the money if certain milestones are met.

An example would be if we hit X dollars then we are going to host a dinner but if we hit Y dollars then we are going to host a gala; only start planning the events when you hit the right dollar amounts. The most common mistake is to host an event or spend money you don’t have, thinking the dollars spent will bring in a return on the investment. If your event doesn’t get you what you thought, that is when your fundraiser fails.

This is true even for smaller fundraisers or events. If you are raffling off items, offering rewards, or doing giveaways, make sure minimum thresholds are met and that those thresholds will cover the costs of your giveaways.  

A Virtual School Party is a Fun Get Together for All Grades

Sometimes, the best school fundraisers are going to be those that will be able to promote some type of social distancing while still keeping things fun and engaging. While a virtual party isn’t quite the same, it’s a fun way to connect with people and maintain a good line of communication among the community.

Games can even be planned online that will be fun for everyone involved, for a small donation of course. Have online raffles, promotions, talent shows, and more! The great thing about a virtual party is that everyone can attend!

A Picnic Can Be a Simple Idea for School Fundraising

Although picnics may sound simple, these are easy to arrange and simple to plan with endless possibilities. The event can be the picnic itself, a competition for the best picnic meal, a picnic on location somewhere new and exciting, or something else entirely. Picnics are great for every grade level and every season.  

One of the Best School Fundraising Ideas is a Movie Night

Plenty of people still love watching a good movie with their family, and an outdoor feature is a good way to practice social distancing while raising money for your school. All a person needs is a big enough surface, plenty of space to sit, and a few dollars for concessions, and voila! Investing in a projector and some comfy blankets will really boost the level of the event, and people will be lining up to donate for access to the premier. 

fundraising gala

A School Play is Timeless

Whether in person or as a virtual showing, donations towards a school play could go a long way towards the continued education and appreciation for the arts that many children enjoy.
 
The emphasis on the arts is definitely an idea that can help an institution benefit from school fundraising, as many schools have had to cut back over the years. Get the students involved in the play and whether it’s a short production or a longer one that uses every grade level, parents and families will enjoy the show while donating to a great cause.

A Parent/Student Trivia Show Is a Fun and Unique School Fundraiser

Why only allow the kids to have all the fun? This idea can go a long way towards getting kids and their parents together to do something fun that can be modified for each grade level and can possibly earn enough donations to make a difference for various school programs.
Plus, getting parents and children together to think of the answers while competing against other parent/children duos could be a lot of fun as it could test the parents’ knowledge as much as the children’s. No matter what way you frame it, everyone will have a great time!

Talent Shows are One of the Best School Fundraisers

It feels as though this type of fundraiser is overlooked quite often, when it is actually one of the school holiday shop fundraiser ideas in New Jersey to utilize! Talent shows can include singing, dance, art, or anything else! Done online or in person, talent shows use very little finances to begin and can raise a lot of money for those who wish to attend and donate. Plus, the kids get to be the star of the show! 
school santa shop gifts

A School T-Shirt Fundraiser is a Creative and Engaging School Fundraising Idea

This is definitely one of the more unique school fundraisers as it’s typically undertaken by a lot of schools in very different ways. In a lot of ways, it does depend on the grade level as to how involved a community might get, as middle and high schools tend to become far more involved in sports and overall design.

However, it is entirely possible to hold a t-shirt fundraiser for grade school, depending on the involvement of the community and the unit cost. It gets the entire community involved and is always a showstopper! 

Conclusion

There are many unique school fundraising ideas out there to pour through, and many of them are bound to pique your interest. But one thing to always think about is the community that a school belongs to and what would best serve their interests when seeking to raise funds for your institution. The possibilities are out there, it is up to you to explore them!