Kid-Friendly Fundraising Ideas From A-Z

No matter where you volunteer, fundraising can be a real challenge. Sometimes the hardest part is just thinking of an idea that suits your group’s needs − whether it’s your school, scout group, congregation or community group. SignUp is here to help make your kid-friendly fundraiser more than just a financial success; we want to make it FUN!

Fundraising is a great way for kids to learn about financial responsibility and how to work together. You'll find suggestions for manageable, easy-to-do local kid-friendly fundraisers listed below from A-Z. Choose the right fundraiser for your group and you'll find tips for using SignUp’s free online tool to organize and get more people to participate!

Art Gallery: Help kids create artwork or craft items. Sell their creations at a local art gallery or at the next school event.

Auction: Ask families to donate items and hold a silent or live auction.

Badminton Tournament

Bake Sale

Balloon-o-Grams: Take orders for balloon telegrams as a donation. Deliverers can also sing a song and deliver a card. (Use SignUp to coordinate delivery dates and times.)

BINGO Night: Charge per bingo card or per game. (Check with your municipality first; a license may be required.)

Bollywood Dance Party

Car Wash

Cat-sitting: Make flyers offering to care for pets while neighbors are on vacation or at work.

Collect Change: Place labeled jars at local businesses so customers can fill them with pennies and spare change.

Cooking Contest

Coupon Books: Ask local businesses to offer a discount in a coupon book that can be sold to raise money.

Decorate Cakes: Create a catalog and take orders.

Dog Show: Invite dog owners to a community dog show! Have fun categories like cutest outfit, fanciest leash or best tricks. Charge an entry fee for pets and admission for spectators.

Dog Wash: Organize a community dog wash.

Egg Decorating Contest: Sell hard-boiled eggs to the kids, provide decorating supplies, then give prizes for best decorated egg in various categories.

Face Painting: Offer face painting for a fee at your next event like a carnival, picnic or bake sale.

Fashion Show

Fishing Day: Plan a community outing at a pond or lake, or bring a pretend fishpond to the ballpark or soccer field. Charge kids a small fee to fish for candy or prizes.

Football Tournament: Charge a fee to participants. Organize a contest to see who can kick, pass and punt the furthest. Give out small prizes to the winners.

Fun Run

Game Night: Invite families to play board games. Charge a small admission fee and sell popcorn and drinks.

Garden Party: Supply homemade baked goods, light music and tea served in fancy cups.

Go Green: Decorate and sell reusable grocery bags and other eco-friendly items.

Hair Braiding

Hat Day: Charge a small fee for the privilege of wearing hats to school. The crazier the better; give awards.

Haunted House

Hula-hoop Sales: Check online for easy instructions for making custom hoops. Create a catalog or make-to-order.

Ice Cream Social: Host an ice cream event for your next fundraiser everyone loves ice cream!

ID Tags: Design, personalize and laminate ID tags for kids’ backpacks.

Jewelry: Have children string beads, weave colorful thread bracelets and make other jewelry to sell for a low price. Brings out the creativity in kids while raising money!

Jump Rope Contest

Karaoke Night: Charge an entry fee to a karaoke event. Sell food or partner with a local pizza restaurant to donate a percentage of sales.

Key Chains: Make and sell a variety of colorful key chains made out of beads and lanyard.

Kite Day: Hold a kite flying and decorating contest. Charge an entry fee and sell food and simple kite making supplies.

Lollipop Sales: Sell lollipops at pep rallies, sporting events, band concerts or other special events. Sure to be a crowd pleaser! Ask local businesses to donate lollipops in exchange for free advertising and promotion!

Make Memories: Create a photo-book or DVD of your group’s activities to sell.

Marathons: Ping Pong, Badminton, Dancing. 

Movies on the Lawn

Night Out for Parents: Provide group babysitting in an auditorium or gym at a nominal rate ($10 – $25/child). Older students plan games, movies, crafts and other fun activity stations. Little kids have a blast with each other and with the BIG KIDS!

Note Cards: Decorate note cards for holidays and other occasions. Package and sell them in sets.

Old Christmas Tree Pickup: Help neighbors dispose of their Christmas trees by arranging to pick them up for a small fee.

Pancake Breakfast: Host a pancake breakfast. Kids can mix pancake batter and serve plates, but keep them away from the stove.

Picture Taking

Potted Plant Sale

Quiz Night: Gather families together for a night of trivia fun.

Raffle

Read-a-Thon

Reserved Seats: Reserve the best seats at your school’s next performance or sporting event and raffle them off.

Seeds: Sell seed packages and offer to plant them for another small fee.

Sing-a-long: Kids and parents enjoy singing to classic movies like Sound of Music or Grease, or joining in to sing Christmas Carols and Holiday Songs. Gather in a large hall or on the lawn and sell snacks and drinks.

Skateboard Fun Day: Coordinate with your local skate park to plan a day of demonstrations, lessons and a competition with prizes.

Sock Hop

Soup Delivery: Take orders for delicious soups this winter. Kids have fun helping prepare and deliver the soup (usually cold, in small coolers).

Spelling Bee

Talent Show

Temporary Tattoo Studio

Tricks: Create a trick/practical joke menu and take orders for a small fee. Also sell ‘Insurance’ to avoid the pranks.

Used Book Sale: Organize a used book and CD/DVD drive then resell them for a small price.

Vacation Babysitting Fun: Older children plan fun activities and crafts for younger ones as drop-in group babysitting. (see Night Out for Parents)

Watermelon-Eating Contest

Wreath Sales: Make seasonal wreaths to sell for all occasions including Spring, Autumn and Winter holidays.

X Marks the Spot: Host a Pirate Party for young children in your community. Include treasure maps, games and refreshments.

Yard Sale

Zany Ideas: Brainstorm with your group to think of more fundraising ideas and share them with us social media @SignUpdotcom

Zap: That was easy! Plan your next fundraiser with SignUp and make it easy to coordinate parents and get the help and materials you need to be successful! With a few simple clicks, SignUp can help you organize your next fundraising event – and it’s free!