10 Fundraising Ideas That Will Keep Your Kids Active


Young person holding dollar bills in hands after fundraising event

Fundraisers seem to be a part of every child’s life at one point in time or another. Whether it’s for school, a club, sports, or another extracurricular, it’s nice to find ways to raise the money but in a way that keeps everything busy and fun. Some fundraising strategies are classic and are proven to work well, others are more unique and off-the-beaten-path.

Today, we’re sharing some of the ones that will keep your kids active. Whether you’re pulling in the cash for a cheerleading national championship trip or working to get your child’s school some new technology, here are 10 fundraising ideas for you to jump on!

#1: Home Run Derby

Young person playing baseball at fundraising event

Hold a home-run hitting contest between your young athletes—or even invite parents and other family members to participate. You can get local donations to support each home run hitter as well. Make sure you charge for entry into the event, and perhaps create some light-hearted betting opportunities to raise extra cash as well.

#2: Dunk Tank

All you have to do is rent a dunk tank and then it’s game on! Recruit local favorites to participate and then charge people for a chance to dunk them. Of course, the coaches, teachers, students, athletes, and the like should be welcome to join in as well.

#3: Gamer Night

There are so many different ways to go about this idea. Video games are a great place to start. You could rent arcade machines. You could rent old home game consoles like Atari or Nintendo 64, and have a Mario Kart racing tournament. Or if you want to go the tech-free route (and make this one a bit more active), you could set up physical games in a gym. Whatever your vision, fun and activity will be had, and cash will come in!

#4: Kickball Tournament

Any type of sports tournament can be a lot of fun and has the potential to gather a lot of people (which equates to a lot of fundraising). Kickball is an especially great choice because it doesn’t take much in terms of equipment and everyone already knows how to play!

#5: Car Washes

Young person wearing pink glove and washing front of car with soapy sponge

We’ve given our two cents about car washes before, because they truly are a great way to fundraise and keep the kids busy. The kids can make signs, parents and community members can donate supplies, and then they can all just wait for the cars to pile in.

It’s also a good idea to set up the event so each driver can choose how much to donate for their wash. This is a great way to encourage donations that are a bit more than your typical $5, and it reels in people that want to budget smaller amounts as well.

Want to learn more about raising or saving money? Check out this article on tracking your expenses, or this one on teaching your kids about spending.

#6: Pancake Breakfast

Gather the kids and have them put on the best pancake breakfast ever. Charge people for the meal and create an experience for families to enjoy. Pancakes are easy because they can be made in batches without spending tons of money. Have toppings, syrups, and some other add-ons available to satisfy everyone.

#7: Karaoke Contest

If you’re looking to infuse your fundraising efforts with some laughs, a karaoke contest could be just the ticket. You can charge for entry and sell snacks as well—then count on all the participants to reel in the crowds with their singing skills.

#8: 5K Run

Make this a buddy run—canines allowed—or just a classic 5K to excite the local community. The key here is to make enough news about the event to get a lot of participants to join. Try reaching out to organizations in nearby towns as well to make the event even bigger.

Take it a step further and turn this into an A-Thon style fundraiser! Walk-a-thons and jog-a-thons are awesome ways to get people moving and excited about fundraising. Or, game it up a notch with a bowl-a-thon!

#9: Talent Show

Young person playing violin during talent show fundraising event

Similar to the karaoke contest, but with a little more… talent… and prep involved. Have everyone in the community show off what they have in store. This will create a bigger crowd than if only the kids participate, resulting in better ticket sales as well.

#10: Silent Auction

And finally, silent auctions are a great fundraising opportunity for causes, teams, and school functions. But they’re also a great way for small businesses to get involved and put the word out about themselves. To keep this one active, make sure the kids run the entire event—from the door to the auction itself and the clean up.

If you’re unsure of where to start, check out these silent auction ideas. Using a tools or apps is a great way to simplify running a silent auction. Bid Beacon is a good auction app with a free option that is perfect for small fundraisers!