Fundraisers That Make The Most Money

When it comes to raising significant funds for your school, not all fundraisers are created equal. While there are many ways to engage the community, some strategies consistently outperform the rest in terms of profitability. So what school fundraisers will help you reach those big goals? Read on for the top eight fundraisers that make the most money, plus tips to maximize their impact.

8 Fundraisers That Turn Big Profits  

• Fun Runs, Color Runs, and Glow Runs

Fitness fundraisers are an ideal choice when you’re trying to hit a big fundraising goal while also offering your students a fun and exciting experience. Students collect pledges based on how far they will run or walk and then enjoy a high-energy event day. Glow runs are a great choice for an indoor fundraiser, while fun runs and color runs get students active outdoors.  

What Works Best: Encouraging participation from students, families, and your community is essential to making this type of fundraiser a success. Bringing in an outside fundraising company can help with this and offset the workload for your volunteers. Booster offers options like an online fundraising platform, prizes and incentives, professional marketing materials, and expert team members on the ground. You can choose exactly how much extra help you need!

• Product Fundraisers

When done right, product fundraisers can be extremely profitable. These fundraisers involve selling popular items such as cookie dough, candles, gift wraps, and more. The key to success is choosing products that your donors will love. This provides them with an opportunity to support your cause and purchase something they want or need.

What Works Best: Partnering with a reputable fundraising company that offers high-quality items will get your students and donors excited to participate and can ensure a smooth process from start to finish. 

• School Auctions

When searching for fundraisers that make the most money, silent and live auctions are a great option—especially when the right items are secured for bidding! These can include everything from experiences such as vacation packages to donations from local businesses or even student art projects.

What Works Best: Engaging both the local community and school families to donate items can give your fundraiser a huge profit margin! Big-ticket items, especially experiential ones like trips or premium event tickets, tend to drive the highest bids.

• Direct Donation Campaigns 

The simplest way to raise funds is to use an online fundraising platform to ask families and community members to donate to your cause. This approach allows your participants to reach donors anywhere in the world quickly via text, email, and on social media, saving them valuable time and expanding your outreach.

What Works Best: Crafting a compelling story is the key to making this fundraiser a success. When your donors know what their money is going towards and feel connected to the cause, they are more likely to give.

• Raffle Events

Raffles are another option when your school is looking for fundraisers that make the most money. Whether it’s a 50/50 raffle or prize-based, these fundraisers appeal to a wide range of donors beyond your immediate school community.

What Works Best: Offering highly desirable prizes, like electronics, cash, or exciting experiences. Getting local businesses to donate prizes reduces costs and boosts profits.

• Car Washes or Bake Sales

While traditionally smaller-scale, these fundraisers can bring in significant revenue if well-organized and heavily promoted. For maximum impact, involve as many students as possible and couple the event with additional fundraising methods, such as raffles.

What Works Best: Combining these with other events like school festivals or carnivals, ensuring that a large crowd is present to support the cause.

• Corporate Sponsorships

Many companies are willing to sponsor school events or activities in exchange for branding opportunities or community goodwill. This is especially true for large events like sports tournaments, school carnivals, or educational competitions.

What Works Best: Targeting local businesses and corporations with a strong community presence. Offering various sponsorship packages with tiered benefits can encourage more participation from sponsors.

• Discount Cards 

Selling discount cards filled with deals from local businesses can raise significant funds for your school. These cards are easy to sell and donors love getting discounts to places they already frequent while supporting a good cause.

What Works Best: Ensuring the deals are relevant and valuable to the school’s community. The more local businesses that participate, the more attractive the discount cards become. Partner with Booster and allow their team of experts tol do all the heavy lifting for you, securing the deals from local merchants. 

Raising big bucks for your school is easy when you choose one of these fundraisers that make the most money. Whether you’re selling delicious cookie dough, hosting an auction, or gearing up for an exciting fun run, there are plenty of creative and profitable ways to reach your fundraising goals. The key is to pick a fundraiser that gets everyone excited—from students and parents to local businesses. With the right planning and maybe a little help from experts, you’ll turn your next school fundraiser into a huge success.