How to Plan Your Next School Fundraising Idea

Finding the best school fundraising idea for your goals is no small feat. There are a lot of moving parts from planning to promoting to paperwork, however the rewards it brings to your school make that fundraising effort all worthwhile.

First of all, it is important to know when you need funds raised by and start planning early.

Making rough notes and outlining fundraising timeline is a great place to begin so you know how much time you have to get organized!

If you’re wondering the best times to fundraise, long weekends are a time for family get-togethers, parties, camping, and visiting.

By planning your fundraiser around these dates, you can capitalize on sales as gifts, or try our Fill Your Freezer fundraiser to take advantage of summer barbeques, holiday get-togethers, and other special days of the year.

80% of schools that run fundraisers through TeamFund return twice a year.

Once in the Fall (between September to November)
Once in the Spring (such as for Easter, Summer Break, Mother or Father’s Day!)

Whether you’re part of a parent council, a teacher for a specialized program, or another organizer, we hope this guide will help you have more fun and make a bigger impact in your next fundraising campaign.

Define Your School Fundraising Goals

After taking some rough notes, the next important step is to get clear on your purpose. Clarity in your fundraising goals will motivate your supporters because asking for money with no concrete reason is a sure-fire way to have your sales fall flat.

Are you aiming to raise funds for specific educational programs?

Extracurricular activities like sports teams, robotics, bands, or choirs?

Do you have facility enhancements to make?

People feel good when they know where their money is going.

Moreover, establishing your fundraising goals will provide focus and direction. Not only for your fundraising committee, but also a reason for supporters to want to buy.

This is also a good time to consider your budget and financial plan. Take into account both your potential income and your expenses such as upfront costs and printing marketing materials.

Did you know? TeamFund has NO upfront costs and fees to get started!

Find out how it works.

Assemble a School Fundraising Committee

Teamwork means less work! With a team, you have backup, support, enhanced connections, and a bigger group working towards your goal. It’s a great team-building

Start by recruiting some volunteers, including parents, teachers, or community members, who are willing to help out. Divide tasks based on strengths and interests to optimize efficiency.

One example might look like this:

Someone to research potential fundraising platforms, products, returns
Someone to collect funds, organize product distribution, keep an eye on reports
Someone to take charge of engaging the community and marketing
A few extra hands to help distribute your product

Above all, it’s important you have communication throughout the team. Nothing sabotages a plan as quickly as not having everyone on the same page.

Clarifying goals, assigning tasks, motivating your team are great talking points for your first meeting!

Research School Fundraising Ideas!

There are many fundraising ideas to choose from: bottle drives, raffles, chocolate, pizza, and more.

You will want to consider the season and community interests to ensure your idea resonates with potential supporters.

As a school fundraising organizer, I’m sure you’ve tried many fundraising products and ideas. But which ones actually stick?

We recommend online food fundraising as a deliciously practical solution!

Why? We’ll tell you!

1. Food Fundraising is a Year-Round Fundraising Idea with Reliable Profits!

While traditional fundraising options like chocolate bars and poinsettias during the holiday season have their place, food fundraising offers a year-round appeal that can provide a reliable fundraising idea for your school.

Did you know? 80% of schools that try TeamFund return twice a year for a steady stream of revenue!

A sustainable idea can make the difference between raising the money you need and hoping the next idea works.

While seasonal items like chocolate, calendars, and poinsettias can be fun fundraisers, food is a practical everyday necessity.

2. Accessible for Busy Families!

As parents and organizers, we understand that organizing busy schedules, extra-curricular, school events, and more is a constant balancing act.

With just a few clicks, supporters can browse and order from your online fundraiser from a phone, tablet, or desktop.

Better yet, once parents take their first taste and their boxes of food start to run out, they start seeking out those products again! (They’re seriously tasty).

By offering a food fundraiser twice a year allows parents to shop through your school and stock up on their favorites through our trusted platform.

3. A Tasty Variety to Suit Every Palate:

Food fundraising allows you to sell a wide range of delicious products that cater to different tastes and preferences.

Our Fill Your Freezer Fundraiser allows parents to purchase burgers, chicken, perogies, cheese, and other favourites.

We also offer other fun food fundraiser like Bacon, Coco Brooks, Spolumbo’s Sausage, and more!

View fundraisers in my location

⭐️ 5-Star Google Review

“The TeamFund platform has always been excellent to work with, quickly becoming an integral and impactful part of the successful fundraising strategy we implemented for our organization.

We have raised several thousands of dollars through the past few years with TeamFund to help families cover the costs of tours and all kinds of “extras” – all via a slick and easy online platform that takes care of all the tracking and back-end work, meaningful returns, minimal volunteer hours required for distribution and with never having to have our families feel put upon to participate since groceries are something everyone needs!”

– Friends of Banded Peak Organizer

Looking for other ideas? Read our post here for other fun fundraising ideas to try this year!

Promote Your Fundraiser

Once you’ve chosen your fundraising idea and made a plan based on your chosen fundraising method, it’s time to promote!

Craft a compelling message highlighting the fundraiser’s impacts and the benefits it will bring to your school community.

Initially, supporters will need to buy into your fundraising plan. Try to make it personal and emphasize this fundraiser’s connections to your potential supporters!

If a supporter you are approaching does not have students in the school, consider selling them on the product (delicious, practical, save money, etc.)

Utilize every marketing channel you can: social media, email newsletters, posters, and anything else you can think of.

Encourage students, parents, and committee members to spread the word within their networks.

Did you know? TeamFund provides posters and social graphics you can use during your fundraiser!

Have more questions about promoting your fundraiser? Here are some helpful resources:

Express Gratitude & Celebrate Success!

After the hard work and dedication put into planning and executing your school fundraiser, it’s important to express gratitude to everyone involved!

Share the impact of the fundraiser with your school community and show how their contributions made a difference.

School fundraising doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. With the power of online food fundraising and TeamFund’s tools by your side, your next fundraiser can be easier.

The practicality, profitability, and year-round appeal of food fundraising, combined with the convenience of online shopping and promotion, make it a recipe for success.

Food Fundraising is Easy with TeamFund

Our sign-up process is as easy as 1-2-3!

01 Download a Fundraising Package

Our free fundraising package is meant to be shared with your committee and includes important information, goal calculators, and more!

02 Find Fundraisers in Your Area

Find the perfect fundraiser for your group. We have fundraisers featuring local favourites in Alberta and Winnipeg!

03 Sign Up Your Fundraising Group

Ready to get going? All you need to do is sign up for a fundraiser and start planning! Our online fundraising platform takes care of everything except the selling!

Get your own online store to make sharing your fundraiser and collecting payments easy! You gather the supporters, we’ll take care of the boring spreadsheets and logistics.

Did you know? Even though we are an online fundraising platform, we are human! Throughout your fundraiser, we are here to answer any questions you have.

Download a Fundraising Package for Your Next Committee Meeting!