Fundraising is a vital aspect of high school life, enabling students to support various causes, fund school activities, and foster community engagement. However, finding fresh and exciting fundraising ideas can be challenging. To inspire creativity and maximize success, here are some innovative fundraising tips tailored for high schools:

1.  Amazon Smile

Amazon Smile is a minimum-effort way to raise funds for your school. The process is simple:

• Register your school with Amazon Smile
• Once your school has been accepted to the program, notify your student’s parents and the local community
• Shoppers can add your school as their chosen charitable organization and shop items that are eligible for Amazon Smile

That’s it! Your school will then receive 0.5% of every fundraising ideas for high schools eligible purchase they make. There are no fees or costs for your school and shoppers donating to you.

2.  Video Challenge

97% of teens use social media! Therefore, a video challenge is an excellent fundraising idea for high school. Social media video entertainment is highly popular, and students can utilize platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to post videos and hope it goes viral.

We have seen fundraisers or awareness viral videos such as the ice bucket challenge, eating a hot pepper challenge, and other fun activities that increase engagement. For example, you can create a dance, activity, or something fun for the kids to perform. Each student who performs the challenge will donate to the online fundraising site.

3.  Dorm Decorating Contest

For new college students, decorating their dorm room is the time to let their creativity shine. Shopping for storage boxes, fun wall art, and adding color to spruce up the dorm room is a great bonding experience for kids and their parents or guardians. Make this activity exciting by adding competition to the mix with a prize for the winner.

Host a dorm room decorating contest where students pay a small fee to enter and have them compete with each other for the best-looking room. This event can be held throughout the year during the holidays, such as Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and summer.

4.  Beard Challenge

College students love the beard challenge! In addition, fraternities and other social clubs can all join in on fundraising for the college by growing a beard. Each student will donate to enter and get sponsors who have faith in their beard-growing skills to donate too.

As donations increase, the longer the participants have to grow their facial hair, and the bigger their beards get!

5.  Chore Auction

A highly entertaining way to earn money for your school is through a chores auction. The wonderful aspect of this type of fundraiser is that it is completely free, allowing all of the money you raise to support your fundraising goal.

Approach your students to volunteer for the chore auction. Invite your community to the live auction where attendees place bids on household chores, errands, or menial tasks they want to be completed by students.

For a fee, the school can auction the following:

• Classmates can clean other students’ lockers
• Students can clean the classrooms
• Parents can have their lawn mowed
• Students can wash cars

6.  Movie Night

From the glitz and glam of Bratz and Barbie to the animated adventures of Disney Plus, having a movie night or movie day is a fantastic way to raise money and keep the children occupied simultaneously.

Movie days are a great way for families to bond while raising money for your fundraiser. With themed classrooms and snacks, the movie day/movie night is the perfect family-friendly night for both parent and child!

7.  Carnival Game Day

Hosting a Carnival game day is a great way to create a fun-filled activity day. This fundraiser will surely be a success with games like a dunk tank, dunking for apples, and various games to win prizes!

What better way to have students and teachers connect on a more personal level than to let students pay a dollar or two to dunk their favorite teacher?