30+ Most Profitable PTA & PTO Fundraising Ideas for Schools

Schools often have limited budgets but need extra revenue to fund educational programs, extracurricular activities like field trips and sporting events, and even school renovations. That’s where parent-teacher organizations (PTOs) or parent-teacher associations (PTAs) come into play.

Across the U.S., nearly 3 million people are part of a PTA. As a member of the PTO/PTA, we know how much time and passion you put 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 in four areas:

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

Whether you’re a small but mighty PTO/PTA or a large, established organization that has been fundraising for years, the future of your success comes down to fresh ideas that create excitement in your community. As you get started, review the fundraisers you’ve had in the past and discuss whether you met your goals and what you’d like to change. Then, put a strategy in place to raise even more funds to continue to enhance your school’s educational experience.

To get started, gain inspiration with these PTO fundraising ideas from successful school organizations across the county!

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, art, dining packages, themed gift baskets, and more.

Running a school auction, however, means managing a lot of moving parts.

Easy PTO & PTA Fundraising Ideas

PTO/PTA members often have busy lives! Whether you’re working a full-time job or shuttling your kids to and from activities, you need some go-to, quick, and easy fundraisers to raise money for your school. Whether it’s a raffle or walkathon, get inspired by these ideas:

Raffles

Consider holding a raffle, which can be a standalone activity or held during an event, for your next school fundraiser. PTOs and PTAs can sell tickets for a chance to win prizes, such as gift baskets, electronics, or donated items from local businesses.

Raffles are popular because they involve minimal setup and can attract a wide range of participants. Uncertainty about who will win can lead to a ticket-buying frenzy, last-minute rushes, and even live appeals or cash grabs at the end. To get started, obtain raffle prizes, set ticket prices, and promote the raffle through various social media channels, online, and in your school newsletter.

A few of our favorite raffle prizes include:

• Smartwatches
• TVs
• School spirit gear
• Restaurant or store gift cards
• Movie night-themed gift basket
• Staycation basket
• Tickets to a local baseball, basketball, or hockey game

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 coin drives or coin wars, 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

Selling coupon books is a practical fundraising idea that offers value to buyers. Coupon books can be used in conjunction with another popular strategy to help participants expand their reach and raise more for your PTA or PTO.

Partner with a company that provides ready-made coupon books or work with local businesses to create a custom book. Books often contain discounts for local restaurants, shops, and services. This fundraiser requires minimal upfront costs and can yield high profits.

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 little-to-no cost! Your organization can enhance the event with music, refreshments, and themed activities.

Be sure to take advantage of peer-to-peer (P2P) 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.

With the OneCause P2P solution, for example, new and returning participants can register and take a quick tour so they get familiar with the giving site, and easily invite friends through email, text, and social media platforms to support them. Leaderboards keep participants (and you) aware of who is raising the most money, and participants can also record the number of miles they walk and share photos and videos of their activity. You can even set up registration pages specific for volunteers and sponsors to be part of your walkathon.

Read-a-thon

A read-a-thon encourages students to read more while raising funds for school. Bookworms seek sponsors to pledge money for each book, chapter, or number of pages read. This fundraiser promotes literacy and academic achievement, making it a win-win for schools.

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. Some organizations do 3 months – others do two weeks. 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 readathon. 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. Charge an admission fee and sell concessions like popcorn, candy, and drinks.

Choose a popular movie, create a cozy atmosphere with blankets and pillows, and get ready to bring the school community together for an enjoyable evening!

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 (many schools choose two weeks) 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 the parents and community 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. Families dine at the restaurant on a specified evening, and a portion of the proceeds goes to your PTA or PTO. This fundraiser requires minimal effort and can generate significant revenue while supporting local businesses.

Your PTO or PTA should advertise the event in advance and request 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, 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 making a donation 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

Creative PTA & PTO Fundraising Ideas

With so many activities throughout the year, some PTOs or PTAs find it difficult to come up with new fundraising ideas. Don’t get stuck in a rut! 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. Include games, food, face painting, and entertainment. Charge an admission fee and sell tickets to participate in the games and fun. While carnivals require extensive planning, they can become a highly anticipated community tradition!

School Carnival Entertainment Ideas

Looking for inspiration for your next school carnival? Try these fun ideas:

• Ring toss
• Balloon darts
• Basketball toss
• Bean bag toss
• Bounce house
• Bowling
• Duck pond
• Face painting
• Fishing
• Mini golf
• Ping pong ball toss

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, face painting, 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 pay 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. Just remember to advertise!

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.

And don’t forget fun prizes for the winners. You might offer gift cards for local restaurants and businesses, school swag, and gift packages focusing on themes like “A Night at the Movies,” “Card and Boardgame Fun,” and “Go Green with Gardening”.

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.

Talent Show Ideas to Spark Student Imagination

Provide students at your school with inspirational ideas to get their creative juices flowing:

• Read a poem
• Perform a short skit
• Do a dance routine with friends
• Sing a song
• Ride a unicycle
• Showcase drum skills
• Play the piano, violin, or saxophone
• Tell your top 10 dad jokes
• Showcase your pet’s tricks
• Show off skateboard skills
• Wow the crowd with magic or card tricks

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. During this vivid fundraiser, participants run or walk a designated course while being doused with colored powder.

The OneCause Giving Experience Study found that Run, Walk, Ride events attracted every generation. When asked how participants heard about these events, 68% said it was through a friend, family member, or colleague.

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 vibrant 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 limbo contest.

While it’s important to make sure the participants have fun, the main goal of a Dance-a-thon is FUNdraising for your school!

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 DANCE2024, that you and your participants can advertise and promote to drive one-time or recurring donations to the school. With a seamless donor experience, everyone can see your fundraising progress through an interactive scoreboard.

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.

What to include in your PTO’s or PTA’s scavenger hunt

To get started, use these helpful scavenger hunt tips:

• A kickoff ceremony at a “home base” where everyone learns the rules.
• An app where participants get clues, upload photos, and answer trivia questions.
• Local sponsors who host break stops throughout the hunt
• A celebration ceremony with lunch or light refreshments.

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.

Tips for Hosting a Successful Culture Night

If you’ve never hosted a culture night or are looking for some new ideas, we’ve gathered some inspiration from PTO/PTAs across the country:

• Charge an admission fee and sell food samples to raise funds while fostering cultural appreciation.
• Ask local restaurants if they’d like to participate, sell food at the event, and share the proceeds.
• Ask families to donate food to offer a buffet-style dinner followed by music and dancing.
• Require attendees to register in advance so you have enough food for everyone.
• Consider cultural gift baskets and include a raffle at the event to raise even more money.

Affordable PTO & PTA Fundraising Ideas

Has your PTO or PTA tried a new fundraiser where you only broke even or even overspent? It happens! Set clear goals for your fundraiser, track your budget, and leverage your online fundraising platform to help you with reporting along the way.

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 can help your PTO or PTA double the impact of donations. Encourage parents and community members to inquire if their employers offer matching gift programs. For example, local businesses may consider matching every dollar donated up to $5,000 or during the first day of your fundraiser.

Most effective matching gift ideas include:

• Multiple sponsors/major donors over a week
• Dedicated matching gift day
• Team matches for peer-based fundraising
• Matching hours – best used in the last hours of your fundraiser
• Corporate sponsorship matches

With a few well-placed advertisements, a strategic digital marketing campaign that includes social media, and the right online donation software, your PTO team can optimize your fundraising efforts in no time.

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. For example, if you have 40 booths, you don’t want 10 to sell soap or candles.

Besides charging an admission fee 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 delicious cream 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 these events work:

• Kids buy tickets at school leading up to the big moment. Or, sell tickets online via your online giving page.
• Create peer-to-peer fundraising pages to spur sales and increase reach.
• Have a booth at the event for walk-up ticket sales.
• Then grab the teacher (s) and let the pies fly.

The most important tip… just remember to have plenty of pie on hand!

School Spiritwear 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.

Do your homework to narrow down what vendor you’d like to work with. Ask for samples to make sure you’re choosing quality merchandise. You’ll want to consider the cost of buying in bulk and determine how much profit you can make. Remember not to overbuy or you may end up losing money.

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 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 for 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 makes it easy for shoppers to find what they are looking for. Some schools combine the book sale with a record sale to attract even more buyers.

PTO Cookoff/Bakeoff

Communities love a good cookoff or bakeoff, so why not host a fun lunch or dinner where people compete for the master chef title? Many PTOs will pick a theme, such as chili, wings, BBQ, mac and cheese, pasta, pies, cookies, or cakes.

A cookoff is generally an inexpensive fundraiser! Charge an entry fee, but don’t forget to provide plates, bowls, napkins, and silverware. Consider adding a raffle or silent auction to raise additional funds.

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. Sell spirit wear and refreshments and host a raffle for additional funds.

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!

PTO and PTA Fundraiser Ideas: Wrapping Up

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 of the box and determine the interests of the students, families, and your community! Start planning your fundraising today and don’t forget to have FUN. Have more ideas? Email us at hello@onecause.com.

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

• 60 Profitable School Fundraising Ideas to Raise More. Looking for more fundraising ideas? You’re sure to find something students and their families will love in this list.
• Planning a Showstopping Fundraising Event in 10 Steps. Now that you have ideas for your next PTO fundraising event, you must start planning. This guide will teach you how to host a show-stopping event.
• 35 Proven Donation Page Strategies to Maximize Giving. Donation pages are great for generating passive revenue for your school. Learn how to optimize your donation page here.