35 Fabulous Fall Fundraisers for Schools, Clubs, Teams, Anyone
Ideas & Tips for Volunteer Groups of Any Size
A successful fall fundraiser doesn’t just happen – parent leaders know this all too well. Detailed planning and organization, plus a dedicated crew of volunteers, are needed to raise the funds to support your group’s important goals and programs. Whether your volunteer group is big or small, we’ve got fresh and fab fall fundraising ideas to make this season your most profitable one yet!
As you’re choosing your fundraiser, factor in an honest assessment about the people power you expect to have from parent and student volunteers. If you have a lot of eager parents to support your efforts, you can plan a volunteer-intensive fundraiser such as those listed below. If your group has the same 10 people helping all the time and it’s difficult to get other parents to commit to pitching in, consider our list of Fundraisers for Smaller Volunteer Groups below. (Pro Tip: Regardless of your group size, SignUp boosts participation by making it easy to ask for help and easy for parents to sign up and pitch in. Automated reminders mean busy parents keep their commitments. Learn more here.)
Fundraisers for Smaller Volunteer Groups
If you’re short on volunteers, consider simpler fundraising ideas like product sales, virtual fundraiser activities, and live events that don’t require more than 10-15 people to run things such as:
1. Autumn Adventure Scavenger Hunt: Create a community-wide scavenger hunt with a fall theme. Participants pay to enter, and you can offer prizes for those who complete the hunt in the shortest time. Include local businesses by having them host some of the scavenger hunt items.
2. Autumn Art Show & Sale: Invite local artists and crafters to showcase and sell their fall-themed artwork. Charge a small vendor booth fee and a general admission fee to visitors. Include a silent auction for any donated art pieces.
3. Apple Picking Day: Partner with a local orchard to host an apple-picking day. A portion of the proceeds from every bushel picked goes to your organization. Include apple-themed games, a cider tasting, and baked goods sales to boost earnings.
4. Bingo: Host the event at an indoor space like a school gym, community hall, or church. Set up tables with Bingo cards, and make sure the space is well-lit and comfortable for attendees.
5. Bonfire: A fundraising event perfect for chilly fall evenings! (Just be sure you check your local fire ordinances first.) Charge an admissions fee and/or sell hotdogs for roasting in the fire and s’more kits. Have attendees take turns telling scary stories and/or set up a game of flashlight tag a safe distance from the bonfire.
6. Caramel Apple Dipping Party: Set up a caramel apple dipping station at a local event or festival. Offer various toppings like nuts, sprinkles, and chocolate chips. Charge per apple or offer a flat rate for all-you-can-dip fun.
7. Cider & Donut Tasting: Host a tasting event featuring different varieties of apple cider and fall-themed donuts. Partner with local bakeries or cider makers and charge admission for attendees to sample the goods. You can also sell extra cider and donuts for take-home.
8. Corn Maze Challenge: Partner with a local farm to host a corn maze fundraiser. Participants pay an entry fee to navigate the maze, and you can add fun challenges or checkpoints inside the maze. Offer small prizes for the fastest completion time.
9. DIY Wreath-Making Workshop: Host a workshop where participants can create their own fall wreaths. Charge a registration fee that includes materials and instruction. You could also sell pre-made wreaths for those who prefer to buy instead of DIY.
10. Fall Photo Shoot: Set up a fall-themed photo booth with pumpkins, hay bales, and autumn leaves. Hire a photographer to take professional photos of families, pets, or individuals, with a portion of the proceeds going to your cause.
11. Football Watch Party: Organize a community football watch party for a big college or NFL game. Charge an admission fee, sell snacks and drinks, and consider adding a raffle or 50/50 draw to boost funds.
12. Givebacks Virtual Fundraisers: With options like online auctions, raffles, and crowdfunding campaigns, it’s easier than ever to raise the much-needed funds for your cause with our friends at Givebacks (previously MemberHub) – all virtually and seamlessly.
13. Hayride & Storytelling Night: Organize a hayride followed by a cozy storytelling session around a bonfire. Sell tickets for the event, and offer hot cocoa, cider, and s’more kits for additional fundraising.
14. Movie Night on the Field: With donated equipment, host a viewing of Hocus Pocus, The Addams Family, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, or another family-friendly seasonal film – costumes optional. Rent the rights to the movie and then sell tickets to attend. Consider adding picnic dinner or pizza sales, a concession stand, or a GiveBacks Raffle to boost profits.
15. Outdoor Yoga & Meditation: Partner with a local yoga instructor to host an outdoor fall-themed yoga or meditation session. Charge a fee for participation, and provide refreshments like cider or tea afterward.
16. Pet Costume Contest: Use SignUp to gather participants and host a fun costume contest for pets. Charge a small entry fee to attend and ask the local pet store to donate prizes. Find a photographer for your event who will donate their services or a portion of their earnings to your cause.
17. Pie Bake-Off: Embrace the fall frenzy for pumpkins, apples, and aromatic spices by hosting a pie bake-off. Collect a registration fee from each contest participant, and welcome supporters to savor the array of delectable treats for a small fee. Spice things up with a panel of local celebrity judges, and voilà – an exciting contest awaits! Consider auctioning or selling surplus pies to further boost your revenue.
18. Potted Mum Sale: Partner with a local garden center or nursery to sell beautiful fall mums in a variety of colors. Offer them for pre-order and have a pick-up day. This is a low-labor event, with minimal volunteer time needed.
19. Product Sales: The most successful product fundraisers are for items that parents want to purchase – either for their own family, or as gifts. Think gourmet coffee, delicious chocolate from See’s Candies and frozen pastries from ButterBraid. Other successful items are home and garden basics such as mulch, bulbs, trash bags, light bulbs, mattresses (yes, mattresses), and sheet sets.
20. Pumpkin Carving Contest: Host the contest in the school parking lot and charge an entry fee – set aside a portion of the proceeds as prize money for the selected winner.
21. Punkin Chunkin Contest: Have contestants build their own catapults to launch their pumpkin or make it a contest of personal skill in which participants hurl their pumpkins to see who can throw it furthest. This post-Halloween fundraiser gives folks one more chance to have some fun with their seasonal pumpkin! (Pro Tip: Make it a fundraising trifecta by offering pumpkin sales at your patch early in October, hosting a pumpkin carving contest mid-month, and sponsoring a punkin chunkin contest in early November!)
22. Rake-a-thon: This one is perfect for high-schoolers. Wrangle the team or club and go door-to-door (in pairs) and sign up neighbors to rake their yard for a suggested donation. On raking weekend(s), gather the crew with rakes, lawn bags and a truck for removal to beautify the neighborhood.
23. Restaurant Fundraiser: Allow people to participate in your fundraiser at their convenience with a tried and true restaurant fundraiser. Check out these tips for hosting a profitable restaurant fundraiser.
24. Tailgate at the "Big" High School Game: Sponsor a tailgating event for the football game against the big rival team. Charge a fee for special food (or sell food-truck tickets), and add fun games like corn hole, limbo, and football toss to get families of all ages excited and participating. You can also use this opportunity to sell school and team t-shirts, magnets, mugs, etc.
25. Virtual Dares for Dough: Make a list of funny and bizarre tasks that school leaders, older students and parents will (voluntarily) do in exchange for donations. (Pro Tip: Use GiveBacks' Auction tools to make this task a breeze!) Will the 2nd grade teacher plank in the drop-off line, will the principal shave his head, will the coach wear a crazy wig for a day, will the student council race to eat a pudding cup with no hands? Ask volunteer participants to sign up for challenges they wish to complete. Then, using the GiveBacks auction software to set a minimum price, have supporters bid on the dares. All dares are completed on the same day or designated time period.
Fundraisers for Larger Volunteer Groups
If you have enough volunteers to successfully host a bigger fall fundraising event, consider:
1. Chili Cook Off: Host a chili cook off competition at the school or sports field. Ask participants to bring out their signature recipes and let attendees judge which ones are the best. To raise funds at the event, charge an admission fee and allow attendees to taste test and vote on their favorites. Host a prize ceremony at the end to recognize the favorites and crown the winner.
2. Cornhole Tournament: Host a cornhole tournament at a local park or school. Teams pay an entry fee to compete, and you can offer prizes for the winners. Sell snacks and drinks to increase your fundraising efforts.
3. Fall Carnival: This all-time favorite fundraiser takes an army of parent (and/or high school student) volunteers and is sure to build school-spirit, lasting memories, and meaningful profits! Check out everything you need for organizing your carnival here!
4. Fun Run / Walk: Great for promoting exercise and great for raising funds! Reach out to local businesses to secure sponsorships for your event and/or ask participants to find their own sponsors (i.e. crowdfund). You could make this a themed or costume event – think superhero run, zombie walk, or turkey trot.
5. Harvest Market: Partner with local farmers and artisans to host a harvest market. Sell locally grown produce, homemade goods, and fall-themed crafts. Charge vendors a small fee for booth space, and consider adding live music or cooking demonstrations.
6. Pumpkin Patch: Use the fall season to your advantage and host a pumpkin patch fundraiser at the school baseball field, local park, or another community venue. Many pumpkin farms will provide pumpkins to you on consignment and you get to keep a portion of the proceeds. If you have a sufficient number of volunteers, consider these fun pumpkin patch fundraiser additions to pump up your event (and profits)!
7. Pumpkin Tic-Tac-Toe Tournament: Create a large outdoor tic-tac-toe board (or a few) – use orange and white pumpkins for the playing pieces, and set up hay bales for seats. Charge an entry fee for participants to compete in a tournament. Offer small prizes for winners and sell refreshments to boost fundraising.
8. Schoolwide Garage Sale/Craft Sale: Sell parking spaces to families and local small businesses to bring their wares and also charge a small admission fee for community members to come and shop. (Vendors keep all the money for items they sell.) Ensure a healthy turnout and make it an 'event day' by arranging for a concession stand or food trucks (sharing proceeds) and having students perform during the event (think band, choir, dance troupe, drum line, etc.)
9. Tag Football Game: Host a faculty versus students tag football game and task the players with asking friends, colleagues, neighbors, and family to buy tickets to this special event. Pair with a concession stand fundraiser for maximum profits.
10. Thanksgiving Meal Kit Sale: Work with local grocery stores or farms to offer pre-packaged Turkey Day meal kits for sale, which include everything needed for a holiday feast.
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