Yes, summer is almost here. Have you started thinking about school fundraising ideas for next year? I know it might seem silly to think about starting a fundraiser now for the 2013/14 school-year, but summer is only 3 months, which is often the minimum amount of time you need to plan a successful fundraising event. So, if you’re hosting a Fall fundraising campaign, NOW is the time to start planning!
Summer is also an excellent time to raise money for the upcoming school year with a summertime school fundraising campaign. Think about rallying parents before school lets out and give the kids a summer fundraising “project”. They’ll have 3 months of travel, activities, playing with friends, and summer camps…so why not initiate a fundraising project to make themselves productive on those days where they can’t make it to the pool with their friends.
Here are a few fun school fundraising ideas for summer:
Summer Walk-a-thon: Once summer hits, kids don’t see their friends from school as much. Their playmates become the neighbors. Consider planning a summer school walkathon to reunite children w/ their classmates. Host it at a local park, or you can even host it at the school and have children walk laps around the track. Challenge children to raise pledges during the first 6 weeks of summer and then join their classmates in a walk-a-thon and afternoon family BBQ before summer ends. Students will have fun creating their own personal fundraising sites and sharing links with family and friends on Facebook, as well as telling neighbors, grandparents and others about their fundraiser during their summer activities. Offer prizes for top performers as well as fun awards during the event (as children are often motivated by prizes and recognition)
Mini-Golf Fundraiser: Summer is a great time to host a mini golf fundraiser. Just like a regular charity golf tournament, a mini golf event is fun, encourages team-building, and can bring in a great deal of funds. The great thing about mini golf is that anyone can play… and it only takes a couple hours, rather than an entire day on the golf course. You can raise money by charging a registration fee, or ask students and participants to play a mini-golf marathon where they raise money for the school by collecting pledges! Ask local businesses to sponsor the mini golf tournament with a small donation and give them recognition at each hole. (this could be a local pizza joint, kid’s clothing store, etc.) Add fun contests and reward people with prizes. (i.e. hole in one, lowest score, most pledges raised, etc.)
Fundraising Car Wash: Hot summer days make for a perfect opportunity to host a fundraising car wash. Host it in a parking lot that is very accessible for traffic and charge $10/wash to raise money for your school. You may also want to set up a table to sell fundraising raffle tickets. Prior to hosting the car wash, have students and parents contact local businesses to request donations. Create a flyer that tells of all the great prizes that could be won and sell raffle tickets to neighbors, friends and family in advance of the car wash, as well as on the day of the event.
Summer Babysitting Fundraiser: For older students, consider offering a summer babysitting service for a unique high school fundraising idea. All the young kids are out or school and perhaps parents need a few hours to run errands, go to the gym or get some work done. You can host this service at the school and choose a couple mornings per week that it’s available as a walk-in service. Collect a fee for child drop-off daycare and raise some extra money for your school while teaching older kids to be caring and responsible role models.
There are plenty of additional creative ideas for summer fundraisers for schools. Be sure to check out our school fundraising resources for more ideas and helpful tips and planning tools!
