If you’re a teacher, PTA member, or school organiser searching for the best school fundraising ideas, you’re not alone. Thousands of UK schools search for new fundraising opportunities every term to help pay for school trips, playground equipment, musical instruments and classroom resources, and the right idea can make all the difference between a stressful term and a fun, community-building success.
In this guide, we’ve rounded up 30 of the best fundraising options for schools in the UK, from tried-and-tested classics to creative ideas that take almost no organising time at all.
Classic School Fundraising Ideas That Always Work
These tried-and-tested PTA fundraising ideas are popular for a reason: they’re simple to run and families already know how they work.
- Cake sale: a lunchtime classic that costs almost nothing to set up.
- Quiz night: one of the most popular PTA fundraising ideas, perfect for parents.
- Non-uniform day: ask pupils to donate £1 to wear their own clothes.
- Raffle or tombola: great for school fairs, though UK schools should check Gambling Commission small society lottery rules.
- Sponsored readathon or silence: low-cost and easy to organise across all year groups.
- Talent show: sell tickets to family and friends for an evening of performances.
- Car boot sale or clothes swap: an eco-friendly fundraiser that’s growing in popularity.
- Easyfundraising or Amazon Smile-style schemes: earn a commission every time parents shop online.
For a longer list of stall-based classics, see our guide to fundraising stall ideas for fetes and summer fayres.
Creative Fundraising Ideas for Schools
If your school has run the classics before, these creative school fundraising ideas offer something a little different, and often raise more per family with less admin.
- Turn children’s artwork into keepsakes. This is one of the most effective creative fundraisers, because every family already wants a copy. Children draw at school, the artwork is turned into printed products like tea towels, tote bags, mugs and greeting cards, and every order sends a commission straight back to the school. It requires almost no organising, with no ticket sales, no stalls and no cash handling, which makes it especially popular with time-poor PTAs.
- Design-a-t-shirt competition: pupils design, families buy.
- Bake-off style competition with a small entry fee and prizes.
- Plant or seedling sale grown by a gardening club.
- Teacher vs pupil challenges: sponsored sports or trivia matches.
- Photo booth or class photo day with printed keepsakes for sale.
- Silent disco: a modern twist on the school disco fundraiser.
- Guess the number (sweets in a jar, steps walked, etc.) with a small entry fee.
For more unusual options, see our list of quirky and unique fundraising ideas for schools.
Seasonal and Christmas Fundraising Ideas for Schools
Seasonal campaigns tend to have the highest engagement of the school year, especially in the run-up to Christmas. See our full Christmas fundraising guide for registration deadlines and ideas.
- Christmas card and calendar fundraisers using children’s own artwork, a firm favourite with grandparents.
- Christmas jumper day with a suggested donation.
- Winter fair or Christmas market with stalls run by classes or year groups.
- Santa’s grotto with photos for a small fee.
- Easter egg hunt with an entry donation in spring term.
- Summer fete with tombolas, games stalls and a bouncy castle.
Easy Fundraising Ideas With Minimal Organising
Short on volunteer time? These easy fundraising ideas for schools need almost no setup.
- Fundraising packs sent home with children: families order directly, and the school collects a set commission per order with no stock or cash handling.
- Online giving pages shared via the school newsletter or app.
- Recycling schemes for ink cartridges, batteries or old electronics.
- Uniform recycling shop run by parent volunteers.
- Local business sponsorship for a reading corner, sports kit or playground equipment.
- Grant applications through databases of school funding sources.
How to Choose the Right Fundraising Idea for Your School
With so many ideas for schools to raise money to choose from, it helps to ask a few questions before committing:
- How much volunteer time is available? Cake sales and fetes need more hands-on organising than a fundraising pack sent home with pupils.
- Does every family have an easy way to take part? The best ideas don’t rely on attendance at an event.
- What’s the target amount? A small non-uniform day suits a modest target, while a seasonal keepsake campaign can raise significantly more per family.
- Does it need cash handling? Options that process payments online reduce admin and risk for staff and volunteers.
Related Reading
- 50 PTA Fundraising Ideas for UK Schools
- Fundraising Ideas for Primary vs Secondary Schools
- Nursery Fundraising Ideas
Turn Children’s Art Into Your School’s Next Fundraiser
At Good Dream Design, we help UK schools raise money by turning children’s drawings into keepsakes like tea towels, tote bags, coasters and greeting cards. Every fundraising pack is easy to set up, requires no cash handling, and gives your school a commission on every order, with rates up to 30% for schools that register early.
Register your school to start a fundraising project or read more about how it works.