Keen to support your school? Raisely is here to help. Try our Top 5 PTA Fundraising ideas - guaranteed to inspire your students and connect your community.
Do you remember when you were in elementary school?
Whether you had a blast at a bake sale or rocked the stage of a talent show, chances are some of your best school memories happened because of one group: the PTA.
A powerful force for good, Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) are a vital part of any school.
More often than not, PTAs improve their schools through diverse, dynamic fundraising. Through raffles, rallies and events, money gets shared for better school supplies, new sports equipment, or upgraded facilities.
The new iPads for the classroom? That’s the PTA.
A new gym floor? Yep, PTA again.
Enough books and resources for all our students? Thank you, PTA!
Like local superheroes, Parents, carers, and teachers unite together for one common goal - to make our schools better.
Want to join their ranks and ramp up your fundraising? We’re here to help.
Raisely is passionate about fundraising to help improve our education system, so every child has the chance to shine.
So, whether you are a parent who wants to help improve their school or a teacher who has some big plans for the year ahead, here are some of our best tried-and-tested PTA fundraising ideas.
Idea #1: Talent show (live or virtual)
Whether it is singing, doing impressions, or magic tricks, everyone has a special talent. Why not give them a chance to show it off?
Not only is it fun to celebrate each other – it’s a great way to raise funds for your school.
There are a lot of different formats for hosting your own talent show. Some of the options are:
🎤 Singing contest, like The Voice
🎸 Battle of the bands, like School of Rock
🧙♂️ Show your best magic trick (and see if the audience can guess the trick)
🧵 Fashion show, where you can make your own costumes
🎭 Impressions or dramatic performance contest
🤹♀️General talent competition, where you pull out your best talent, whatever it is.
Set it up:
Once you have picked your show and format, use Raisely to set up an event page (including all the logistics and fundraising functionality you need) and send out a message to participants with the details.
Make it digital:
The added bonus is talent shows can be held in person or online through a live stream. All you have to do is pick a video-sharing platform (such as Zoom, WebEx, or Google Meet) and pick a host who can run the evening. Each person can perform for the camera, and at the end, the judges (or audience) decide on a winner!
Idea #2: Bake sale
Everyone loves a tasty treat, and with a bake sale, they also get to give money to a cause. These are a classic PTA fundraising idea for a reason! After all, any excuse is good when it comes to brownies.
But bake sales don’t just have to be about the sweet stuff. You can host a “bake sale” to sell anything you enjoy making. Some ideas for “bake sale” items include:
🎂 Brownies
🍪 Choc-chip cookies
🍰 Ted Lasso’s famous shortbread
🧶 Knitted hats, scarves, or water bottle covers
🕯 Candles
📿 Hand-made beaded necklaces
Set it up:
You can set up an online fundraising page or collect cash on the day, depositing the final amount after the event.
Check out this bake sale fundraising page by Shake it Up for inspiration when planning your event.
Make it digital:
If you can’t hold a sale in person, you can always deliver. Make sure you follow local health guidelines and remember to include delivery costs when planning your sale. Whether you use a courier service or get a team of volunteers, it's possible to have a totally virtual sale.
Idea #3: Walkathon
Walkathons are a great way to raise funds and awareness – and your heart rate! Students can challenge themselves to do as many laps as possible around the school – running, walking, or however they want to move.
Some of the big benefits of a walkathon are:
💓 Encourages kids to be active
✔ Effective, with minimal planning and enormous fundraising potential
💰 Affordable for everyone
👩👩👧👧 Builds community
🤾♀️ Can be adapted for every fitness level
Set it up:
Before the walkathon, you'll need to pick a place to hold the event – which can be around the school, a nearby park, or even a sports ground. Pick a warm day and make sure to set up water stations with plenty of volunteers on hand to make sure everyone stays safe and hydrated.
Make it digital:
With Raisely, you can set up a specialized fundraising page for events like walkathons that come with inbuilt activity tracking. With our Strava integration, you can set goals, track movement and encourage your community - giving participants ‘kudos’ as they champion your cause.
Idea 4: Color run
Color your world, encouraging fitness, positivity, and fun – all while raising money.
Participants wear a white t-shirt and run through a crowd who toss non-toxic color powders and paint (similar to celebrations for Holi, an Indian festival).
By the end of the event, participants are covered in bright colors, from head to toe (don’t worry, they wash off in the shower).
Set it up:
Like a walkathon, the first thing you need for a Color run is a location - or a route. You can choose your school oval and do some laps, or plot out a track throughout your town. Use bright signage to show the way (and don’t forget to get permission if you’re using a public space).
Check out Laithlan Primary School’s recent color run event, listed online with Raisely, for extra inspiration.
Make it digital:
As your runners become more colorful, capture your images and share them with Raisely. Creating a gallery of your experience will help people engage, and it means your participants can share the fun once their run is done.
Idea 5: Coding Bootcamp
Learning to code is an excellent skill for kids, but not every school offers computer science. Why not kill two birds with one stone, and offer a code Bootcamp to fundraise?
Kids get to learn essential computer skills, 💻 and part of the profits can go towards the PTA.
Set it up:
You can set up a code camp with a company that donates part of its profits towards the PTA. Or, if you have any parents or family members who know how to code, they can teach the camp.
No matter which of these events you choose, your next PTA event will help fund a brighter future for your children.
From all of us at Raisely, we say thank you for bringing fun fundraising to new generations!
Ready to start raising some funds? Find out how Raisely can make your event easier.
