35 School Fundraising Ideas for PTAs and Classrooms

As a PTA volunteer or teacher, your time is precious. You need school fundraising ideas that actually deliver results without burning you out. Ideas that help bring families together, create memorable moments for pupils and support the things your school cares about most. Here are some simple, fun ideas to get you started:

• Bake Sales & Cake Sales: The classic, reliable way to raise money fast in the classroom.
• School Fetes & Summer Fairs: Big seasonal events packed with games and stalls, perfect for pulling in a crowd.
• Sponsored Runs & Fun Runs: Active challenges that make it easy for people to donate online.
• Non-Uniform Days & Dress-Down Days: Simple, low-effort days that raise money without any extra planning.
• Raffles & Tombolas: An easy add-on to any school event for a bit of extra cash.

That’s just for starters. Keep reading for more easy school fundraising ideas below, which will help you raise funds all year round.

• Big events: Summer fetes, Christmas fairs, discos, and quiz nights bring the school together for high-impact fundraising.
• Quick wins: Non-uniform days, sponsored reads/walks, bake sales, and guessing games need minimal setup.
• Ongoing income: A 100 club, shopping donation schemes, and recycling generate steady funds with little effort.
• Collecting online: Set up a page, set a target, enable Gift Aid, and share the link with families.

Creating memorable moments

When you want to bring the whole school community together, big-ticket events are your best bet. They take a bit more planning, but the outcome for your school can be huge. From seasonal celebrations to energetic outdoor challenges, these PTA fundraising ideas pull in parents, teachers, and local businesses while raising money for your cause.

Summer fete

A summer fete is another great way to bring your whole school community together. It’s a chance for families, supporters and pupils to spend time together while supporting something that benefits the whole school community.

Festive fundraising

Bring festive cheer to your school with a Christmas fair. Set up craft stalls, run a tombola, and invite Santa to make a special grotto appearance.

School disco

Get students dancing while raising money with a school disco. You can encourage them to make a small donation as an entry fee of sorts. Add a tuck shop with drinks and snacks to help raise more money on the night. It’s an easy, festive way to bring everyone together and do something amazing for your school.

Quiz night

Quiz nights are a great way for parents to connect with each other. They inspire people to work together as a team and bring out people’s competitive spirit. You can encourage small donations to replace an entry fee. You can then split everyone into tables and let the friendly competition begin. You can even add a mini raffle to raise even more money. It’s an easy, budget-friendly way to raise extra funds for your school.

Easy ways to start fundraising

Looking for easy school fundraising ideas without giving up your weekends? We’ve got you covered. Running a successful PTA fundraiser doesn’t need months of planning. Explore these low-effort fundraising ideas that are simple to organise and easy to fit around a busy school schedule. They’ll help you raise the money your school needs, with minimal stress.

Non-uniform day

Ask your students to swap their uniform for their favourite everyday clothes in exchange for a £1 donation. It’s quick to set up, and the kids will love it.

Fun group challenges

A sponsored read or walk can motivate children to read more and/or become more active. They can set a personal goal, gather sponsors from family and friends, and track their progress. It’s an easy way to build healthy habits while raising money.

A delicious school bake sale

A bake sale or a cake stall is a great way to raise money for a cause you love. You can set up a stall at your school, workplace, or local community venue. Our bake sale guide can help you with the planning, pricing, and running of the sale/stall.

Guess the name or 100-square grid

• 100-square grid: Number a grid of 100 squares, charge a small fee per square, then draw a winning number. Whoever holds it wins a prize.
• Guess the teddy’s name: Give a toy a secret name, charge a small fee per guess, and whoever’s closest (or exactly right) takes it home.

Easy ways to get regular support

Want to keep funds rolling in without running events every single week? Background and repeat schemes are the secret to reliable fundraising for your school. Low-effort primary school fundraising ideas, such as shopping donations to recycling schemes, help you free up your time to focus on teaching.

A monthly community fundraiser

This is a great way to get more sustained support from your school community throughout the year. All the members of the 100 club can donate a small amount to enter the regular prize draw. Half the cash goes to your school, and the rest is paid out as prizes. It’s an easy, reliable way to bring in extra funds for your school.

Shop and donate at the same time

You can raise money for your school by simply doing something you do often, shopping online. Sign up to a free online shopping scheme, and you’ll raise money every time you shop at participating stores. There’s no extra cost to you, and it’s an effortless way to raise additional funds for your school.

Recycling schemes

Turn unwanted items into extra cash with a school recycling scheme! Collect old clothes, printer cartridges or used electronics and swap them for cash. It’s an easy, eco-friendly way to raise money for your school while teaching pupils to look after the planet.

Make it easier for supporters to get involved

Setting up an online fundraising page is one of the easiest ways to help supporters, grandparents and other family members get involved with your fundraising projects from wherever they are. It’s a simple 4-step process.

1. Set up your school’s fundraising page: Create your school’s fundraising page in just a few clicks to start collecting online.
2. Set a target: Give your supporters a clear goal so they can see the impact their money makes.
3. Turn on Gift Aid: Reclaim 25p extra on every eligible £1 donated, at no extra cost to your donors.
4. Share the link: Send your page link out via parent group chats, emails and social media.

If you’re planning to fundraise outside of school, here are some more fundraising ideas.

Now that you have some great school fundraising ideas, it’s time to set up your school’s fundraising page.

School fundraising: your questions answered

Got questions about fundraising ideas for schools? Here are quick, simple answers to help you get started.

How to bring people together and raise money

The best school fundraising ideas are simple to run and get everyone involved. Classics like summer fetes, festive fairs, school discos, and non-uniform days are always big hits. You can also try sponsored reads for an active challenge or set up a 100 club for steady monthly donations.

How can a PTA raise money?

Raising money can be a great way to strengthen the bond between parents, teachers and students. It can also be helpful when trying to help fund special projects for the school. You can do this by mixing fun community events like school fairs with quick wins like non-uniform days.

How do primary schools raise money?

You can raise money at your primary school through a mix of fun events and simple daily activities. Popular options include PTA summer fairs, school discos and non-uniform days. You can also try a sponsored read for an extra boost. Or set up a background scheme, like shopping donations or recycling, to bring in steady funds all year round.

What is the easiest school fundraiser?

A bake sale is one of the easiest school fundraisers to run. All you need is a table, some baked treats, and a bit of promotion; no special equipment or set-up is required. Add a fun theme, offer card payments alongside cash, and turn on Gift Aid to help raise even more for your cause.

How can I raise money for my school quickly?

A non-uniform day is a wonderful opportunity for children and teachers to strengthen their bond by expressing themselves through their fashion choices. It’s also a simple and fun way to raise money for your chosen cause. It takes almost no setup. Just ask pupils for a small donation to wear their favourite clothes for the day. Bake sales and sponsored reads are other simple, low-effort options worth trying too.