Middle school can be tough, but middle school fundraising doesn’t have to be. With a little creativity and community involvement, you can make your fundraising efforts fun and successful. Whether you’re raising money for teams, band, field trips, or on behalf of local charities, we have some fresh ideas to get the students, families, and community involved in. In this article, we’ll explore 10 creative middle school fundraising ideas that will help you reach your fundraising goals.
Why Is Community Involvement Important for Middle School Fundraising?
Community involvement is crucial for middle school fundraising for several reasons:
- It increases awareness and support for your cause.
- It brings in new donors and potential volunteers.
- It creates a sense of unity and teamwork within the community.
- It can lead to long-term partnerships and support for future fundraising efforts.
By involving the community in your middle school fundraising efforts, you not only raise more funds but also build a strong foundation for future success. After all, each year new students and families will leave and enter your middle school. The more familiar your community at large is with your fundraisers the more likely they will be to contribute, whether they’re kids are students or not.
1. Host a Community Yard Sale
by Clem Onojeghuo, Unsplash
A community yard sale is a great way to raise funds while also decluttering your home. Encourage students, parents, and community members to donate gently used items they no longer need, and then hold a yard sale in a central location. You can also offer refreshments or baked goods for sale to increase profits.
How to do it online: As fun as it is to wander aisles of people’s stuff for that perfect find, sometimes it’s not practical to have an in-person yard sale. Try an online garage sale, where you list, sell, and buy items virtually.
2. Organize a Fun Run or Walkathon
A fun run or walkathon is a great way to get students and community members involved in a healthy and fun activity while also raising funds. Participants can collect pledges from friends and family for each mile they complete, and the event can be held in a local park or school track.
How to do it online: Believe it or not it is possible to hold virtual 5K, 10k, etc. walks and runs for charity! Explore options like Gone for a Run and similar tools.
3. Host a Talent Show
by Mirza Causevic, Unsplash
Middle school students are full of talent, and a talent show is a great way to showcase their skills while also raising funds. Charge a small admission fee and sell refreshments during intermission to increase profits. Consider giving out raffle tickets with the price of admission and make more available for purchase, then announce the winner at the end of the show. This could help keep people in their seats even after their child has performed—not that your community has that problem, of course.
How to do it online: If your middle school lacks a stage or it’s under construction, consider asking your students to record themselves and submit videos for a virtual talent show. You can curate the videos and upload a private playlist or one longer video (if you feel comfortable doing that editing) and have people donate to get access to the link.
Printing Your Own Tickets?
4. Create a Cookbook
A cookbook is a fun and unique fundraising idea that also involves the community. Ask students, parents, and community members to submit their favorite recipes, and then compile them into a cookbook to sell. You can also include photos and stories to make it more personal.
How to do it online: It’s a no brainer to release a digital version of your cookbook as well as a physical one. You might even want to include special features like How To videos.
5. Hold a Car Wash
A car wash is a classic fundraising idea that never goes out of style. Get students and community members involved by offering to wash cars for a donation. You can also offer additional services such as interior cleaning or detailing for an extra fee. Best of all, you can probably hold it in the school’s parking lot on a weekend.
How to do it online: Alright, you can’t wash cars from the comfort of your couch. However, you could sell tickets in advance.
6. Organize a Movie Night
A movie night is a fun and easy fundraising idea that can be held in a school gym or outdoor space. Charge a small admission fee and sell snacks and drinks to increase profits. You can also partner with a local theater to host a special screening of a popular movie.
How to do it online: Like we said above, you can easily take the ticket portion of movie night online. You could even investigate livestreaming the event to folks who can’t make it in person.
7. Host a Game Night
A game night is a great way to bring the community together for a fun and competitive evening. Charge an admission fee and offer a variety of games for all ages, such as board games, card games, and video games. You can also sell snacks and drinks to increase profits.
8. Create a School Calendar
A middle school calendar is a practical and creative fundraising idea that also involves the community. Ask students, parents, and community members to submit photos of their favorite school memories, and then create a calendar to sell. You can also include important school dates and events to make it more useful.
9. Organize a Read-a-Thon
by Suad Kamardeen, Unsplash
A read-a-thon is perfect for middle schoolers who are by and large able to enjoy chapter books. Ask family members and friends to sponsor a certain amount per each book their child reads and donate the proceeds. For a twist, offer to match a lesser amount if the parents read the same books: give families something to talk about at the dinner table and encourage the grown-ups to model reading to the kids. Get those aspiring bookworms into the library!
10. Dine Out to Donate
Partner with a local restaurant that will donate a percentage of their profits within a certain time frame to your school. Encourage your school’s families to eat there to boost their earnings for the month. The more they make, the more you raise. Everybody wins!
Download our list of restaurants that do fundraisers.
Conclusion
Middle school fundraising doesn’t have to be boring or repetitive. By involving the community and getting creative, you can make your fundraising efforts fun and successful. Consider trying one or more of these 10 creative middle school fundraising ideas to reach your fundraising goals and build a strong foundation for future fundraising success. If one hits all the right notes with your student body and community, you can make it a yearly tradition and enjoy successful fundraising year after year.
