Fundraising is a year-round practice, but the holidays make for a perfect time of giving. It’s the time of year when people are most likely to open their hearts and their wallets. These 10 holiday fundraising ideas for schools are designed to help your organization raise much needed funds for projects, and also spread holiday cheer in the process.
Sell Holiday Wreaths
Don’t wait for the holidays to start your holiday fundraising events. Enlist volunteers (grandparents are a great asset) to make wreaths for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and even Thanksgiving. Having a variety of holidays can increase your return. Ask the students for craft donations like ribbons and other trinkets. A lot of people have craft supplies that are collecting dust. You can also request, old, unwanted, or dilapidated wreaths. Grandmas can give them a new life! Also, you might find online suppliers who will drop ship wreaths directly to your customers and give you a small commission. fundraiser companies for schools
Sell Christmas Trees
Partner with a local tree-grower and borrow a section of a parking lot from a neighborhood business to set up your Christmas tree lot. Publicize the school you support and offer free hot cocoa or hot apple cider to set your tree lot apart from others in town. Be sure to advertise that all profits will go to the school to raise money for the specific items you need.
Hold a Holiday Concert
Who doesn’t love an evening of happy music? Find a wide variety of performers who are willing to volunteer their services. A local jazz band, a well-known singer, your city’s symphony orchestra, and a mix of student performances will draw a larger crowd. Pre-sell discounted tickets to the concert and have full-price tickets available at the door. Be sure to let your newspapers and radio stations know about the event in order to receive free publicity. Remember, schools are made up of a mix of people with varying religious beliefs, so focus on secular songs or include music from each December holiday. The more people you can include, the better your rewards.
Host a Holiday Charity Dinner
Turkey, ham and all the trimmings are involved in our tastiest of Holiday fundraising ideas. Ask a local grocer or restaurant to donate items. Many big chain stores, like, Target, Meijer, and Kroger will donate items once a month. Alternatively, you could host a holiday potluck, where everyone brings a dish their family loves and pays a small donation to attend. This way, you’ll probably get some more diverse flavors (and your guests can avoid turkey-fatigue). Add holiday-themed raffle tickets to liven up the event. Request free passes for holiday events at museums, symphonies, or movie theaters, and hand them out as prizes! Use our platform to host a silent auction or to run your raffle, for a hands-off process that will let you enjoy seconds at dinner. You might also consider sharing the leftovers with a local homeless organization.
Plan a Jingle bell Run/Walk
Take your typical charity run or walk and add jingle bells for everyone. Depending on the date of the event, hand out jingle bells, turkey hats, elf ears , Kwanzaa hats, or maybe fun Hannukah shirts. Your jingle bell event is sure to spread joy to the entire community! Have entrants collect donations and award prizes for those with the highest amount of donations. When they register, let them know that everyone gets a free hat or shirt to wear during the race. Be sure to ask them to specify which item they prefer, so you will have plenty on hand the day of the race.
Offer Holiday Carol Grams
Let your community members send holiday musical spirit to family and friends while supporting a good cause. You don’t have to be a professionally-trained vocalist to spread the joy of the season; if you dress festively and have fun, the carol recipient is sure to enjoy your performance! Have a short list of songs to offer. They don’t have to be traditional songs like, Jingle Bells. Offer to serenade someone for a birthday, to sing an uplifting Pop Song (Shake it Off), or a fun Camp Song.
Sell Holiday Ornaments
These days, there seems to be a tree for everything! Twig trees are popular for Easter, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day. You can even make them with a branch, terra cotta pot, and insulation spray foam. Get grandparents involved to help make the trees or create seasonal ornaments. There are also several online companies that will customize Christmas ornaments for your organization. These limited edition ornaments are a great way to raise funds and raise holiday spirits! Put the year in your design, so that supporters will want to buy future years’ ornaments and continue their collections. You can also sell these in an online auction.