Remember when the school fundraiser meant cheese and sausage or a variety of candles? The old standbys still work but aren’t always allowed. The once popular fall carnival, spaghetti night, or door-to-door sales of classic stuff you can find at a dollar store, are fading fast. No one wants to send the kids door to door. Sure, the scouts still set up outside of stores, but it isn’t as easy for regular kids, and the incentives for winning aren’t so coveted anymore. What’s an underfunded school to do? Get with the times and fundraise online. These fundraising websites for schools will help you meet goals with less stress.
First, make sure you make it mobile friendly, so people can donate from anywhere on their phone. The easier it is to do, the more people will do it! Just about any online fundraising site is prepped and ready for mobile technology. While you might not be getting any younger, elementary parents are. If you want to reach them, you have to go where they are. Sure, nostalgia still works, but technology works better. We’ve written a few posts on the best online fundraising sites, donation tips, and even ways to volunteer online. In this post, we’re focusing on the best fundraising websites for schools. Since it is a list of the best, we’ve shared some of old-fashioned ways to fundraise too. Good luck!
Some of the Best Fundraising Websites for Schools
Create a classroom project at DonorsChoose.org. This process is free for teachers, and allows you to set up your own fundraising page for classroom supplies, projects, and other school needs.
Try a charity mall approach with eScrip.com. Families and communities can support your school or classroom simply by shopping on this site!
Create a donation page on AdoptAClassroom.org to help outfit classrooms with the items every teacher needs. You can always go with a more generic site like GoFundMe, too, but this school-specific fundraising website is ideal for teachers.
BigEventFundraising.com is a traditional brochure fundraiser, with candy, flowers, and popcorn you can sell. This fundraising website for schools might look a little old school (See what we did there?) but it is one of the most trusted sources of fundraising products.
Facebook. That’s right, Facebook is your best friend when it comes to fundraising. You can make your own Facebook fundraiser manually, it’s a pretty straightforward process, or you can get a quote from a company a that specializes in maximizing social media fundraising, like GoodUnited.io.
Host a shoe drive with Funds2Org.com: raise money by asking parents and the community for new or gently used shoes. The best part is, these shoes go to developing countries. Not only does this redistribute the global footwear wealth, so to speak, it also creates jobs for those folks who resell them.
Upload kids’ art to a site like Artsonia, where family can admire their creativity and more importantly, they can order keepsakes like mugs, t-shirts, mousepads and lots more, customized with their child’s art! 20% of each purchase goes back to your school!
No surprise here, CharityAuctionsToday is a great resource for online fundraising. We can help you host an online-only auction or help you manage a silent auction at an in-person event. And even better, folks can donate through your auction page, without bidding on anything. Learn how to start an online auction for charity.
The best part about using fundraising websites for schools is you don’t have to choose just one! Host a live event, sell shopping discount coupon cards, do a Facebook fundraiser, and have an online fundraising auction all at the same time. Be sure to leave links and mention your other fundraising endeavors on each platform.
Meeting school and classroom budgets can be a real challenge: the NEA reports that a staggering 94% of teachers spend their own money stocking their classrooms. Use these new tools alongside traditional backpack drives, classroom auction projects, and other traditional fundraisers to help bridge the gap so that students have everything they need to succeed.
