6 Creative Fall School Fundraising Ideas
Once autumn fully arrives, the new school year is in full-swing and both students and adults are more comfortable with their schedules. As the madness of back-to-school subsides and new school relationships and routines develop, it is an excellent juncture for a school community to come together and host a fall fundraiser. This might raise funds for a school trip, a new piece of school technology, a food bank or other local non-profit, or another cause. Getting students, parents, teachers, and staff on board as volunteers early on will help immensely. Older students may be able to earn community service credit through participating and students of any age may get hooked by working towards a valued goal, helping people in need, or being engaged in a fundraising competition. Here are six creative fall fundraising ideas you may want to try out at your school:
1. Local Park Clean-Up and/or Hike
Spend some time in the fresh autumn air and raise money at the same time! For older students, school classes can form clean-up teams to pick up litter at a local park and compete to find the most trash. Local businesses can provide lunch and supplies and perhaps be featured on an event t-shirt. An environmental clean-up can also be paired with a nature walk or hike–National Take a Hike Day is in November. Nature pamphlets or nature trivia games and trail snacks can be sold ahead of time. Another nature-related fundraising idea is to build and sell birdhouses that support native species.
2. Community Harvest Dinner
Food is always a no-brainer when it comes to fundraising and the tastier and more locally sourced, the better. Local restaurants, farms, and even vineyards or breweries may want to get in on the game. Sponsors can be thanked on napkins, decorations, and websites, among other advertising methods. A school or community-wide dinner is also a great time to raffle off locally made desserts or to incorporate a canned food drive for the holidays.
3. Rake Leaves in the Community
Raking leaves is an excellent way to connect the school to its surrounding neighborhoods and to earn money. Either through online sign-up or door-to-door agreements, community members can pay students and volunteers to take care of their fall raking chores. Local businesses may want to hire student-rakers as well or offer discounted or free raking supplies for your fundraiser.
4. Fall Art Show
Autumn is a beautifully colored time of year. Hosting an art show and/or art auction highlights student and community members’ talents and can raise significant funds as well. Choosing a theme such as “changes,” or requiring all artworks to incorporate leaves or the color orange can all be good ways to help participants get their creative juices flowing. Artworks and refreshments can be offered for sale. Artwork images can also be printed on sellable cards, magnets, and other memorabilia with the artists’ permission. A pumpkin carving/ pumpkin art contest, described below, is another popular fall interpretation of an art show fundraiser.
5. Pumpkin Sale and Carving Contest
Pumpkins are a wonderfully popular and lucrative seasonal symbol. The fundraising site, Double the Donation, advises you to start by “calling a local pumpkin patch or farm and see if they are willing to sell pumpkins in bulk in order to give your school a good deal.” You will often be surprised by how willing business are to collaborate and earn some positive community advertising. The pumpkin sale can be held after school or in the parking lot on a fall weekend when the school is closed. A pumpkin-carving contest is also a lot of fun. You can charge an entry fee, ask local businesses to donate prizes, and sell food and drinks.
6. Apple Picking
Apple orchards are luscious in the fall so if there is one near you, it’s a great idea to seek out a fall fundraising partnership. Families can buy tickets to walk in the orchard, pick apples, or even go on a hay ride. Why not get a local band to play and have an apple pie bake-off as well?
If you’re not sure how to plan a budget or a goal for your fundraiser this fall, Nonprofit Hub says that, “a good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that you should raise double whatever your fundraiser costs your nonprofit [or school]…these events require a lot of time and effort on your part, so you want to make sure that the fiscal payoff is worth it.” I hope your fall fundraiser is fun and successful!
Written by Julia Travers
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