30+ Easy, Profitable PTA & PTO Fundraising Ideas

Many schools operate with tight budgets but still need additional revenue to fund educational programs, extracurricular activities, and even school renovations. That’s where parent-teacher organizations (PTOs) or parent-teacher associations (PTAs) make a powerful difference.

With nearly 3 million people involved in PTAs nationwide, we know how much time and passion goes into improving the quality of your school’s mission, education, and programs, especially through fundraising efforts. To help drive success, we’ve gathered the most profitable PTA and PTO fundraising ideas across four categories:

1. The Top PTA & PTO Fundraising Idea: Auctions
2. Easy PTA & PTO Fundraising Ideas
3. Creative PTA & PTO Fundraising Ideas
4. Affordable PTA & PTO Fundraising Ideas

As you get started, review the fundraisers you’ve had in the past and discuss whether you met your goals and where opportunities lie. Then, put a strategy in place to raise even more funds to continue to enhance your school’s educational experience.

The Top PTA & PTO Fundraising Idea: Auctions

School auctions are the number one fundraising idea for PTAs and PTOs – and for good reason! Auctions are engaging, profitable, and provide friendly competition as guests place their bids to win items like travel packages, sports tickets, themed gift baskets, and more.

However, running a school auction means managing a lot of moving parts. Let’s break them down.

Types of Auctions for School Fundraising

First, determine what type of auction will interest your school’s community:

Easy PTO & PTA Fundraising Ideas

PTO/PTA members often have busy lives! Whether you’re working a full-time job or carpooling kids, you need some quick and easy fundraisers to raise money for your school. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:

Raffles

Raffles are a simple, engaging way to raise funds for your school. Sell tickets to give participants a chance to win prizes like gift baskets, electronics, or items donated by local businesses. The excitement of not knowing who will win often drives last-minute ticket purchases and keeps energy high throughout your event.

Raffles are popular because they require minimal setup while appealing to a wide audience.

Raffles can follow several formats, including:

• Balloon raffle. Balloon raffles are just like an ordinary raffle, but each ticket is placed inside a balloon. Donors will have a lot of fun popping their balloons to see if they’ve won!
• 50/50 raffle. In this raffle, the winning donor will receive half the amount of funds raised. So, if you raise $1,000, they’ll earn $500. Donors will quickly realize that the prize increases with each donation. Plus, your school is guaranteed to make a profit!
• Straw draw. Students and teachers pay $1 to draw a straw. Each straw has a hidden reward attached to it, such as a homework pass, a free pencil, or the chance to be principal for a day. Make your best prizes scarce, and students may buy more straws to uncover your most valuable offerings.

Start by securing prizes, setting ticket prices, and promoting the raffle through school newsletters, social media, and online channels.

If you leverage an online fundraising solution, make sure it offers the ability to alert raffle winners by text and provides instructions to help them claim their prize easily.

Penny War

A Penny War, also known as a Coin Drive or Coin War, is a fun and competitive fundraising activity. Students compete to collect the most money in their homeroom. With Penny Wars, classes can also sabotage others by adding silver coins or bills to their jars, which count as negative points. This engaging activity not only raises funds but also fosters school spirit.

Your PTA or PTO will want to create rules and share them with students and parents in advance. Include start and end dates, how often the teachers tally/track the leaderboard and announce progress, etc., and determine who will announce the winning classroom. Don’t forget to reward the classroom that raises the most money with an ice cream or pizza party or other activity that stirs excitement!

Coupon Books

Coupon books are a practical, high-value fundraiser that families love. Packed with discounts for local restaurants, shops, and services, they make it easy for parents, neighbors, and community members to say “yes.” Whether you use ready-made books or create a custom version with local businesses, this fundraiser keeps costs low while offering strong potential returns.

This fundraiser is perfect for schools because you can get students involved. Have individual students or entire classes compete to see who can raise the most. By gamifying the fundraiser, you can boost participation and increase overall fundraising potential. Coupon books also make excellent prizes, rewards, or incentives when incorporated into other school events like carnivals, auctions, or back-to-school nights.

There are many discount card and coupon book providers to help you get started. If you want to offer an online option, platforms like Goodshop make it easy for supporters to shop at discounted prices from their favorite online stores, while a portion of the money goes back to your school. Simple, versatile, and effective, coupon books are a fundraiser that families enjoy and schools can rely on.

Peer-to-Peer Walkathon

A walkathon is a healthy and engaging way to raise funds. Participants collect pledges based on the distance they walk or a flat donation. This event can be held on the school grounds or a local park, encouraging physical activity while fostering community spirit at no cost! Your organization can enhance the event with music, refreshments, and themed activities.

Here are the key steps to hosting a peer-to-peer (P2P) walkathon:

1. Set Your Structure & Goals: Define your format, fundraising target, and what success looks like.
2. Choose Your P2P Platform: Pick a tool that supports team pages, individual pages, and easy sharing.
3. Recruit Fundraisers: Invite supporters to sign up, join teams, and spread the word.
4. Build Strong Campaign Pages: Create clear, compelling event, team, and participant pages.
5. Equip Participants: Give walkers email templates, social graphics, and tips to fundraise confidently.
6. Track Progress: Monitor registrations, donations, and milestones to keep momentum high.
7. Show Appreciation: Thank donors and participants early, often, and personally.
8. Keep Relationships Going: Follow up with impact updates and next steps so supporters stay engaged.

Be sure to take advantage of peer-to-peer fundraising software for your walkathon. The software you choose should make it easy for students, parents, and the community to register online, create their fundraising page, and begin raising money for your cause.

Read-a-thon

A read-a-thon encourages students to read more while raising funds for the school. Students find sponsors who pledge money for each book, chapter, or page they read, promoting literacy growth while raising money for your school!

For a successful read-a-thon, your PTO or PTA should first set up rules to determine what each student/parent will need to track (younger students could tally the number of books read, while older students might add up pages read). You’ll also need to determine how long the read-a-thon lasts. If your goals are high, consider a longer timeframe.

Personalized donation pages or peer-to-peer pages make it easy for supporters to donate continuously throughout the read-a-thon. Make sure to offer a small prize to the students who hit their goals!

Movie Night

Hosting a movie night is a family-friendly fundraising idea that brings the school community together. To maximize success, you can:

• Charge an admission fee to enter the event.
• Sell concessions such as popcorn, candy, and drinks.
• Pick a popular movie that appeals to families.
• Create a cozy atmosphere with blankets, pillows, and comfy seating.

It’s a simple, fun way to build community while raising funds.

Holiday Candy Grams

Candy grams are small, festive treats sold around holidays like Valentine’s Day, Halloween, or Christmas. Students and parents can purchase candy to be delivered to friends, teachers, or family members.

This fundraiser is easy to organize and adds a touch of holiday cheer to the school. Your PTO or PTA will need to order candy, ribbons or bags, and card stock so senders can write a personalized message to the intended recipient. Determine how long the candy gram sale will last and give your organization time to sort and label candy before delivery. Ask for student volunteers to help distribute the candy grams as well!

Pet Costume Contest

We love our furry friends, and a pet costume contest can be a fun and unique fundraising idea. Participants pay an entry fee to show off their pets in creative costumes, or you can charge a small fee for parents and community members to attend the contest. You can hold this event in person or virtually, allowing more people (and pets!) to participate.

Here are a few best practices to keep in mind:

• Give students plenty of time to sign up to participate.
• Advertise the event in your school newsletter and online.
• Determine who will judge the contest.
• Choose prizes for various categories, such as funniest costume or best-dressed duo.

Restaurant Night

Partner with a local restaurant to host a fundraising night! This fundraiser requires minimal effort and can generate significant revenue while supporting local businesses. Families dine at the restaurant on a specified evening, and a portion of the proceeds goes to your PTA or PTO.

Your PTO or PTA should advertise the event in advance and request that families add it to their calendars. Tell them how the proceeds from the night will be used, whether it’s for new playground equipment, a scoreboard in the gym, or new trees and benches in the courtyard.

Consider adding a raffle to generate even more proceeds. Prizes could include free entrees or even gift cards to the restaurant!

Be sure to ask volunteers to take photos of your event to promote it on social media. And don’t forget to send the restaurant a thank-you note after the event, showing them appreciation for their support.

Prom

High school wouldn’t be complete without the annual prom, which can also serve as a fundraiser. Sell tickets to the event and include additional fundraising activities, such as a photo booth or raffle. This approach not only covers prom costs but also contributes to the school’s fundraising goals.

A few months in advance of prom, consider hosting a drive for students and the community to donate formal dresses, gowns, purses, dress shoes, and tuxedos. Then hold a sale (and don’t forget to set up dressing rooms so students can try on the outfits!)

Polar Plunge

While this PTO fundraiser idea requires a cold climate, polar plunges are incredibly fun and unique. Supporters jump into icy water after donating or reaching their fundraising goal.

Many times, polar plunges are combined with other fundraisers such as auctions or raffles. They can also be part of larger events like festivals or parties to add a bit of excitement to the day.

Polar plunge fundraisers are the perfect place to test out tiered donations with your audience. Instead of just giving your donors a single option on your online giving site, your PTO or PTA can instead list out tiers of donations, each with a different ‘reward’:

• The highest tier: participation in the polar plunge
• The middle tier: participation in a 5K race
• The bottom tier: admission to the event

Shoe Drive

A shoe drive is a simple, low-cost way for your PTA or school to raise money while giving gently worn shoes a new life. Students, families, and the broader community can all participate by donating shoes they no longer need – making it a fundraiser that’s easy to support and environmentally friendly.

Running a shoe drive is straightforward. Here’s how to do it:

• Set up drop-off locations around your school and community.
• Encourage students to bring in shoes through announcements and flyers.
• Turn it into a friendly competition between classrooms or grades.
• Offer fun rewards, like pizza parties or extra free periods, to motivate participation.
• Keep excitement high.

To raise funds, partner with a company that will pay for your donated shoes. Organizations like Funds2Orgs will collect gently worn shoes and send your school a check based on the total pounds donated.

Creative PTA & PTO Fundraising Ideas

New, creative fundraising strategies can inspire more people to join in and donate. We gathered some creative ideas from schools across the country:

The Party Book

One of the hottest trends in school fundraising is The Party Book. Members of the school community have fun while getting to know each other, and the school receives 100% of the proceeds. Here’s how it works:

1. Ask school parents and community organizations to host or donate to a small special event, such as a wine tasting for 12 or a self-defense class for six.
2. Using the OneCause Fundraising Platform, create a Party Book (or sign-up party) where donors can purchase experiences throughout the year.
3. Since you have 365 days to fundraise, update your Party Book regularly so donors come back and purchase multiple times.

Example school party ideas include a parents-only night, mom’s margarita night, a holiday craft day, and private tennis or golf lessons.

School Carnival

A school carnival is a large-scale event that can raise significant funds, usually held during the fall. While carnivals require extensive planning, they can become a highly anticipated community tradition! Charge an admission fee and sell tickets to participate in the games and fun, like face painting, jump houses, and live entertainment.

Be sure to buy fun prizes and candy that kids can win at each carnival station. Some PTOs offer a punch card to participate in the games, and the kids who fill their cards get a free ice cream or get to pick out an item from the prize table.

Cooking Class

Hosting a cooking class taught by a local chef or talented parent can be a unique and delicious fundraising idea. Participants pay a fee to learn new recipes and cooking skills – it’s a win-win for everyone! Think about your school kitchen or a community center as potential venues.

Consider offering multiple classes for students and adults with a variety of options, from learning new baking techniques to healthy eating, an adults-only wine-pairing with appetizers, and even a grilling masterclass.

PTOs and PTAs can ask local chefs to donate their time, but don’t forget that you’ll need to shop for the ingredients. Make sure you charge participants the appropriate fees to cover the cost of the cooking classes and raise money for your school.

Themed Bake Sales

Bake sales are a classic fundraiser, but adding a theme can increase their appeal! Whether it’s a holiday theme, cultural cuisine, or a cupcake competition, themed bake sales attract more interest and can generate higher profits.

Ask students and their families to make treats and invite the community to support the bake sale. You can also hold your fundraiser during a school sporting event or parent-teacher conferences to increase your proceeds.

Trivia Night

Spark friendly competition with trivia nights! Organize teams and charge an entry fee that helps with your PTA’s fundraising efforts.

• Include rounds of general knowledge, pop culture, and school-specific trivia.
• Cut down on costs by hosting the event in your school’s auditorium.
• Use a trivia app where attendees can lock in their answers on their phones.
• Find an engaging host to make the night entertaining, competitive, and fun.
• To increase proceeds, determine if you’ll sell light refreshments during the event.

It’s a good idea to also find local businesses to sponsor your trivia night. Promote their logo on table tents and in email invites, and be sure the host thanks the sponsors throughout the evening and shares a few facts about the participating businesses.

Art Show

Foster student creativity and raise funds for your school by hosting an art show. Consider selling the artwork – or host a silent auction for the community to bid on the artwork! Get the kids involved by having them share their inspiration as guests admire their work.

You can even ask other students with musical talents to play their instruments throughout the evening and make it a night to remember for the community to celebrate the arts.

Determine how often you’d like to showcase student art. Some PTOs or PTAs hold an art show once a year, while others do it once a quarter.

Talent Show

Allow students to showcase their skills in singing, dancing, performing a comedy skit, and more! Talent shows are one of our favorite school fundraising ideas because they’re entertaining and foster school spirit.

Don’t forget to find a host who keeps the crowd on their feet! And just like trivia night, ask local businesses if they’re interested in sponsoring your event. To entice businesses to show their support, you can:

• Include them in the show program.
• Have the host give them a shoutout throughout the talent show.
• Place a banner with their business name at check-in.
• Even ask them to judge the show if it’s a competition!

Color Run

Get the whole community involved when your PTO or PTA hosts a color run. Participants run or walk a designated course while being doused with colored powder.

The OneCause Giving Experience Study found that Run, Walk, Ride events are highly engaging, with 69% of participants saying they would take part in another event for the same cause.

That’s why a color run is a great opportunity to have participants help spread the word about your event while raising money through personal fundraising pages. With easy setup and customization through your PTO or PTA’s fundraising software, participants can set up their fundraising page in minutes and add their own personal message to get support while increasing money for the school.

Don’t forget to charge an entry fee for each participant and sell additional color packets to make it the most colorful fun run yet. Set up a before-and-after photo shoot area and encourage participants to share their color run photos on social media to showcase your success.

Dance-a-thon

Get students energized to raise school funds through an upbeat dance-a-thon. Ask students to collect pledges based on how long they dance – many last 24 to 48 hours.

Be sure to create a fun environment and keep participants engaged, fed, and entertained throughout the dance-a-thon. Not sure how to fill the time?

• Host a groovy dance competition.
• Have students dress like their favorite singer and lip sync.
• Offer activities like a Hula Hoop face-off or a limbo contest.

Consider asking for community support through a Text-to-Give option to gather even more donations.

With a text option, you can create a unique keyword, such as DANCE2026, that you and your participants can advertise and promote to drive one-time or recurring donations to the school.

Scavenger Hunt

What’s more interactive than a classic scavenger hunt at the school or around the community? Participants can pay an entry fee to join teams and search for hidden items or complete challenges. Your PTO or PTA can offer prizes for the first team to finish or find all items.

Your scavenger hunt should foster a sense of teamwork. Be sure to provide clear rules, such as the amount of time supporters have to find the items!

Video Game Tournament

Gaming philanthropy, also called charitable gaming, continues to grow! And that’s no surprise since more than 60% of Americans report that they play video games. So, why not turn it into a fundraiser?

A video game tournament appeals to students’ interests and can attract a large crowd. Be sure to include popular games and offer prizes for the winners. Hold the event in the school gym or cafeteria with multiple gaming stations.

You can also consider live-streaming the tournament, where players encourage the audience to donate throughout the event through a text-to-give option. Your PTO or PTA can also leverage peer-to-peer fundraising pages so students can collect donations leading up to game day.

Culture Night

Celebrate the diverse cultures within your school community by hosting a culture night. Families can set up booths showcasing their heritage with food, music, performances, and traditional attire. Hold the culture event in the school gymnasium or outdoor school parking lot so you have plenty of space for both booths and visitors.

To make the evening even more meaningful, invite students to participate in a “cultural passport” activity where they collect stamps or stickers as they visit each booth. This not only encourages engagement but also creates an interactive learning experience that sparks curiosity, conversation, and appreciation for the many backgrounds represented in your school.

Product Sales

Product sales are a tried-and-true PTO fundraising favorite because they’re simple, engaging, and give supporters something they actually want. Think spirit-wear merch, tote bags, or fan-favorite local treats. Families feel good about supporting the school and getting a little something in return.

Most campaigns run through easy pre-orders, keeping the entire process low-risk and low-lift. Your team collects orders, sends them to your product partner, and they handle production and delivery. No inventory management, no upfront costs – just a straightforward way to raise meaningful dollars.

What really makes a product sale shine is your school’s built-in champions: your students. When they share order forms or online store links with family and friends, your reach extends far beyond the school, giving this fundraiser a natural peer-to-peer boost.

Affordable PTO & PTA Fundraising Ideas

Has your PTO or PTA tried a new fundraiser where you only broke even or even overspent? It happens! If you’re looking for affordable fundraising ideas, we’ve got you covered! Here are a few to get you started:

Matching Donor Gifts

Matching gifts are one of the most cost-effective ways for PTOs and PTAs to instantly boost fundraising results. When parents or community members donate, many employers will match their gift, essentially doubling the contribution at no extra cost to the donor. Some companies even offer higher match ratios or limited-time matches, such as doubling all donations made during the first day of your fundraiser.

To make the most of this opportunity, build matching gifts directly into your fundraising strategy. Promote the idea through emails, social media, and printed fliers sent home with students. Adding matching gift information to your school website or online donation form can also make a huge difference.

If your PTO is ready to explore matching gifts, platforms like Double the Donation and 360MatchPro offer easy-to-use search tools that integrate into your school’s website. Donors simply enter their employer’s name, and the tool displays eligibility requirements and instructions. With minimal effort, matching gifts can quickly become one of your most affordable and impactful fundraising ideas.

Holiday Craft Fair

Year after year, holiday craft fairs remain a popular option for PTAs to raise money for the school and students. Sell booths/tables to a variety of vendors, and don’t forget to provide a few free tables for students to sell their artwork and crafts. Limit the types of vendors you have so that you provide a variety of shopping options. (If you have 40 booths, you don’t want 10 to sell soap or candles!)

Besides charging an admission fee on the day of the event, you can also pair this with a bake sale or raffle to raise more money. Ask parents to volunteer, including working at the concession stand or raffle table, cleaning up food tables, emptying trash, or checking in on vendors.

To spread the word, ask local businesses if you can advertise the fair, including at the post office, library, police station, or local pizza hangout or diner.

Pie-a-Teacher

While PTO fundraisers are often serious in nature, some can be downright silly. Pie-a-teacher is exactly what it sounds like. Students can pay for or bid on the opportunity to smash a pie in a teacher’s face.

A pie-in-the-face fundraiser can turn a field day, school assembly, or other gathering into a way to bring in donations.

Here’s how they work:

• Set up your main online giving page where families can easily purchase tickets in advance.
• Boost participation with optional peer-to-peer pages, allowing students or classrooms to promote their fundraiser.
• Sell tickets in school leading up to the event to keep excitement high.
• Add a walk-up sales booth at the event for last-minute buyers.
• Then gather the teacher(s) and let the pies fly!

School Spirit Wear Store

Spread school spirit and help your PTO or PTA raise some money at the same time with great swag featuring your school’s mascot, name, or slogan. Consider selling a variety of T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, water bottles, socks, dog collars, and more!

Setting up a booth at your football games and/or offering an online store helps parents and students support the school all year long. Remember that if you decide to sell merchandise in person, you’ll need a locked location/closet to store your items.

Top tips for running a successful spirit wear store:

• Research vendors and compare pricing, turnaround times, and customization options.
• Request product samples to ensure you’re choosing high-quality merchandise that students and families will love.
• Evaluate bulk pricing so you get the best bang for your buck.
• Avoid overbuying to reduce risk of leftover stock that cuts into your fundraising revenue.

Halloween Decorations Contest

Don’t get spooked by the thought of having a Halloween decorations contest! Ask families to decorate their yards according to a Halloween theme, then charge a small entry fee per family or launch a donation-to-vote campaign for the best yard.

Consider also coordinating a Halloween carnival (see carnival ideas above) or a scarecrow decorating contest in conjunction with the house decorations contest to raise more money. Host a parade during your festivities where kids can dress up, and don’t forget to ask parents to also hand out candy.

Garage Sale

Garage sales are cost-effective and provide an opportunity for the community to support the school while finding great bargains.

Schedule a drop-off time for donations, and don’t be afraid to say no to items you aren’t accepting. Any leftover items will need to be donated to a local charity.

Advertising your school’s garage sale will be important to draw a crowd. Consider reusable lawn signs, and be sure to share information in the local newspaper, on social media, and in your school’s newsletter.

Ask parents and teachers to donate their time before, during, and after the garage sale. And don’t forget to ask your city if they require a permit to hold a garage sale, too!

Used Book Sale

A used book sale promotes literacy, provides affordable books to everyone in the community, and is easy to organize! Start by collecting gently used books from families and from your local library or even a bookstore. You can also ask local stores to set up collection boxes for book donations.

Consider laying out the books during your sale by age or reading level, and by genre. This takes time, but it makes it easy for shoppers to find what they are looking for. Some schools combine the book sale with a bake sale to attract even more buyers.

PTO Cookoff/Bakeoff

A cookoff or bakeoff is a simple, affordable way to bring your school community together around something everyone loves – food! Choose a theme like chili, wings, cupcakes, or BBQ, charge a small entry or tasting fee, and let families compete for the coveted “master chef” title. It’s an easy, high-energy event that feels more like a neighborhood gathering than a fundraiser.

A little friendly competition goes a long way. Offer fun award categories, such as Best Overall Dish, Most Creative Recipe, or Best Presentation, and recruit impartial judges or hold a vote. Multiple awards encourage more cooks to participate and keep the event lighthearted.

Sports Tournament

Looking for some friendly competition? Organize a sports tournament for your next school fundraiser. Charge an entry fee for students or even adults to participate in basketball, soccer, flag football, or a volleyball tournament.

Some PTOs or PTAs will ask alumni to come back to play in a tournament, which can be a fun way to get the entire community involved. Be sure to charge spectators an entry fee. For additional revenue, sell spirit wear and refreshments, and host a raffle.

Spelling Bee

PTOs can collect a registration fee for students to compete in a spelling bee, while also charging the community to come watch the contest.

When planning your spelling bee event, be sure to:

• Encourage students to participate by offering fun prizes.
• Ask teachers to create “buzz” about the spelling bee.
• Share flyers and posters around the school.

After the event, determine if your district or state has other opportunities for top spellers to continue the competition even further!

FAQs About PTO & PTA Fundraising

What are the best PTO fundraising ideas?

The best PTO fundraising ideas combine creativity, community engagement, and ease of participation. One of the top strategies for PTOs is hosting auctions, which are a simple and effective way to engage families and raise funds. Other popular options include penny wars, bake sales, and school spirit events.

How can schools use peer-to-peer fundraising?

Schools can leverage peer-to-peer fundraising by having individuals, teams, or classes create their own fundraising pages to raise money on behalf of the school. This approach sparks friendly competition, engages students, and expands the school’s fundraising reach. Peer-to-peer campaigns can also be combined with other events, like walk-a-thons or fun runs, to amplify participation and increase overall fundraising results.

Which platforms work well for school fundraising?

Fundraising platforms like OneCause work especially well for school fundraising because they support events like walk-a-thons, auctions, and giving days all in one place. The best options include team and classroom fundraising pages, mobile-friendly donation forms, social sharing tools, and progress tracking.

For students and parents who want to raise money via custom t-shirts, hoodies, or spirit gear, Bonfire offers an easy, no-inventory merch-fundraising option – great for school walks, spirit weeks, or booster club drives.

Wrapping Up Our PTA Fundraising Ideas

PTOs and PTAs understand the importance of fundraising to enhance the educational experience at their schools. Whether you’ve been raising money for years or are new to a school organization, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

Think outside the box and create events that interest students, families, and your community. Start planning your fundraising today, and don’t forget to have FUN!

To learn more about raising money for your school, check out these resources:

• 50 Best School Auction Ideas + Complete Planning Guide
• Innovative Guide to School Event Fundraisers
• 8 School Donation Page Examples to Inspire Fundraising