24 Christmas Fundraising Ideas For Schools
Updated October 2025
Table of Contents
Easy to Implement Fundraisers
- Gift Wrapping Station
- Caroling
- Holiday Bottle Drive
- Santa's Story Time
- Treasure Box
- Wine Draw
- Christmas Cakewalk
- Santa's Helper Dress Up Day
- Holiday Movie Day
- Coffee and Cocoa Sale
- Letters to Santa
- Bake Sale
Moderate to Implement Fundraisers
- Ice Skate a-Thon
- Snowman Competition (Build-A-Thon)
- Breakfast With Santa
- Sleigh Rides
- Holiday Gift Baskets
- (Pet) Pictures With Santa
- Poinsettia Sales
- Holiday Cookbook
- Soup Bar
- Ornament Sales
- Santa's Helpers Chore Auction
- Wreath Auction
The weeks leading up to Christmas are some of the most effective ones in the whole school calendar for raising money, so make sure your school is prepared!
Here are 24 holiday-themed ideas to help you plan and run fundraisers that bring joy to your school community while supporting important causes.
Run Your Christmas Fundraiser with FutureFund
Our platform comes with powerful tools that can help you fundraise more effectively this holiday season. These include:
- Ready-to-go campaign templates so you can sell tickets or items for different events.
- A built-in messaging system you can use to announce your fundraisers and provide details.
- Powerful financial reporting tools to help you track your earnings, stay compliant, and plan future fundraisers more effectively.
Get started with FutureFund today or book a demo to see how it can work for you.
Donation Campaigns
These campaigns encourage parents and volunteers to donate directly to your school group. FutureFund makes it easy to collect money online during the campaign, but you can also include an in-person event with a winter theme if you want to make your fundraiser more meaningful.
Learn how to run a donation campaign with FutureFund here.
Tip: Use FutureFund's messaging system to announce the fundraiser and include a link to the online campaign so that people can still donate even if they can't attend the event.
Gift Wrapping Station
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - table + supplies |
| Time to Implement | 1-2 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (paper, tape, tags; seek donations) |
| Volunteers Needed | 4-8 (wrappers, intake, checkout) |
| Ideal For | Parent nights, mall/library pop-ups |
Accept donations to wrap presents for busy parents. Make sure to put a system in place to keep all of the presents labeled and together so there won't be any confusion on Christmas day.
Set up a donation campaign in FutureFund to collect the donations online and then offer gift-wrapping services to all who contribute. This is a great service to add to any larger event you plan to have as well.
Caroling
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - organize routes + song sheets |
| Time to Implement | 1-2 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (printing, signage) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-20 (singers, chaperones, driver/lookout) |
| Ideal For | Choirs, neighborhoods, town squares |
Make a sign to let everyone know that you're accepting donations for your school, then pull together a group of singers and go around the community caroling for your neighbors! Refer listeners to your online donation page and let them know what they're donating to as well.
Holiday Bottle Drive
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - collection + redemption logistics |
| Time to Implement | 2-3 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (bags, posters) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-12 (collection, sorting, transport) |
| Ideal For | Communities with deposit refunds |
Ask students and their families to set their empty bottles and cans aside over the holiday. Once school is back in session, ask them to bring the cans and bottles in for donation. The club can then take the cans and bottles to the local recycling plant and exchange them for cash. Run a donation campaign alongside the drive so those who cannot donate bottles can also contribute.
Santa's Story Time
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - reader + cozy space |
| Time to Implement | 2-3 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (decor, cocoa; borrow books) |
| Volunteers Needed | 3-5 (Santa/reader, greeter, photos) |
| Ideal For | Early grades, library evenings |
Have parents donate per person for Santa to read them a Christmas story! This can be set up through your online donation page and the little ones will get a moment to remember as well.
A-Thons (Pledge Campaigns)
An "A-Thon" fundraiser is a special kind of pledge campaign you can run in FutureFund. Once you create the campaign for the event, students who sign up to participate each get a link they can use to collect donations from family and friends.
Find step-by-step instructions for successful pledge campaigns here.
Tip: The link you'll share when you create the campaign is what you'll use to sign up student participants. When they register for the event, they'll each get their own unique link that they can use to raise money from members of the school community.
Ice Skate a-Thon
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - rink + pledge setup |
| Time to Implement | A-Thons require 8-12 weeks preparation |
| Expenses Required | $$ (rink rental if not donated; rentals optional) |
| Volunteers Needed | 8-12 (check-in, lap counters, safety) |
| Ideal For | PE programs, winter sports boosters |
This is a great indoor or outdoor event! Treat the ice skate a-thon the same way you would treat any other type of a-thon: register online, secure your pledges or sponsorships, and have a blast with it!
If you decide to do this as an outdoor event, feel free to combine it with a coffee and cocoa bar (see idea below) that sells by the cup and by the bag or a soup bar that sells hot soups to the patrons as they skate!
Snowman Competition (Build-A-Thon)
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - outdoor space + judging |
| Time to Implement | A-Thons require 8-12 weeks preparation |
| Expenses Required | $ (prizes, hand tools, signage) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-10 (registration, judges, safety) |
| Ideal For | Schools with reliable snowfall |
Winter fundraisers are always more fun in the snow! Take advantage of all the snow on the ground and hold a snowman competition! For a registration fee, patrons will get a set amount of snow to work with (you can base this off the number of pledges each student collects if you want to encourage them) plus any handheld tools they'll need to sculpt their masterpiece. The person with the best snowman wins a prize!
Purchase Campaigns
Any kind of fundraiser where you sell physical items or event tickets is a Purchase campaign. Add each item type to your online store in FutureFund by creating a specific Purchase campaign for it.
Learn how to run a purchase campaign here.
Tip: Always run Purchase campaigns alongside physical events like bake sales, since this allows you to make sales 24/7 and lets people make purchases even if they can't attend the event.
Breakfast With Santa
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - catering + photos + ticketing |
| Time to Implement | 6-10 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (food, decor; offset with sponsors) |
| Volunteers Needed | 12-20 (kitchen, servers, Santa/photos) |
| Ideal For | Elementary families, community mornings |
Host an event where kids can come have breakfast with Santa! This is a great opportunity to combine a bunch of smaller events together to make one big fundraising event, or you can keep this event small to just breakfast and visiting with THE Santa Claus.
Sell tickets in advance in your school's online store with FutureFund. This ensures tables for patrons and fundraising for your school or club-you can also sell vouchers in advance for photos with Santa.
See also: 15 December Fundraiser Ideas
Sleigh Rides
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - vendor partnership + permits |
| Time to Implement | 6-10 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$-$$$ (carriage/horse fees) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-10 (queue, ticketing, safety) |
| Ideal For | Town centers, park events |
Come together with a driver and horse-drawn carriage and see if they'll be able to discount their services for your fundraiser and hire them to take your patrons for sleigh rides! Ticketed experiences like this can be set up through FutureFund and you can easily pair this activity with some others for larger events in the community.
Treasure Box
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - prize sourcing + mystery box |
| Time to Implement | 1-2 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (prizes; aim for donations) |
| Volunteers Needed | 2-4 (sales, supervision) |
| Ideal For | Add-on at fairs, breakfasts, concerts |
This is the perfect prize-style event that can be added to any activity that you already have set up. Depending on your budget and the prize style for your event, go to your local Dollar Tree, Target, or Best Buy and grab a few items to wrap in festive paper and throw in your "treasure box".
Have your patrons buy a ticket for a chance to dig through the box and pull out a prize of their choice. The fun is in the mystery of what they end up unwrapping! Make sure to do the math and price your prize box trips appropriately!
Wine Draw
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - wrap/number bottles |
| Time to Implement | 2-3 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (bottles; seek donations/discounts) |
| Volunteers Needed | 2-4 (ID check, sales, fulfillment) |
| Ideal For | Parent nights, galas |
Very similar to the Treasure Box idea above is the Wine Draw. Wrap a few bottles of wine of varying price points in Christmas wrapping paper and number them 1-50 or however many bottles your club bought.
Then charge a fee for the parents to choose a bottle at random to take home with them. Make sure to crunch the numbers ahead of time and price your bottles correctly.
Holiday Gift Baskets
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - donation sourcing + assembly |
| Time to Implement | 3-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (wrap, filler; donated contents) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-10 (procurement, assembly, auction) |
| Ideal For | Auctions, online raffles |
Put together a few themed gift baskets for the holidays and auction them off at an event-you can even pair this with the wreath auction idea above and make it an ultimate holiday event.
Themes can include Christmas Eve with cozy pj's, Christmas movies, and holiday snacks, Christmas Morning with pancake mix, chocolate chips, and mimosa essentials, or a Wine and Cheese basket with some great pairings of wine and cheeses.
(Pet) Pictures With Santa
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - photo setup + scheduling |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (photographer/backdrop; prints) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-10 (check-in, handlers, traffic flow) |
| Ideal For | Families, pet-friendly communities |
Hire a Santa to pose for pictures with either kids, families, or pets. Consider partnering with a photography company that will let your patrons pick backgrounds and everything else ahead of time!
Vouchers for photos and even time slots can be purchased ahead of time through FutureFund making logistics easier as well as the fundraising.
Christmas Cakewalk
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - numbered spots + music + prizes |
| Time to Implement | 1-2 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (baked prizes; seek donations) |
| Volunteers Needed | 3-6 (MC, music, prize table) |
| Ideal For | School fairs, gym events |
Write prizes on a few pieces of paper and laminate them (if possible) before taping them to the floor. Then, kids can purchase tickets per round to walk around on the paper while Christmas music plays. When the music stops, the kid stops, and whatever they're stopped on is the prize they win!
Santa's Helper Dress Up Day
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - spirit day w/ flat fee |
| Time to Implement | 1 week |
| Expenses Required | $ (posters; students bring costumes) |
| Volunteers Needed | 1-2 (approval, comms) |
| Ideal For | All grades, low-lift campus fundraiser |
Collect a flat fee for the kids to dress up as Santa's helpers! Elves, reindeer, and Mrs. Claus are all welcome! Run tickets for the dress-up day beforehand so the kids can prepare their outfits. This is just as great as running $1 pajamas or hat days-but festive!
Holiday Movie Day
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - screening + concessions |
| Time to Implement | 2-3 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (license fee, snacks) |
| Volunteers Needed | 4-8 (AV, concessions, ushers) |
| Ideal For | Family afternoons, classroom rewards |
Similar to dress-up day ideas, accept a flat fee from your students to have a holiday movie day! Feel free to make it Christmas-themed including letting the students dress in pajamas and having snacks and other cookies available during the movie.
Poinsettia Sales
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - vendor preorders + pickup |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (wholesale plants; prepaid) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-10 (orders, distribution) |
| Ideal For | PTA holiday sales, church partners |
Partner with a poinsettia nursery and buy poinsettias to resell to your patrons! Make sure to shop around before settling in with a nursery to make sure you get the best deal possible.
Coffee and Cocoa Sale
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - booth or preorders by bag/cup |
| Time to Implement | 2-3 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (beverage supplies, cups) |
| Volunteers Needed | 3-6 (bar, cashier, prep) |
| Ideal For | Outdoor events, skate/sled add-ons |
This event can be organized as a booth at an event or as an order and delivery style service! Depending on how you're organizing this event, sell premium coffee and cocoa by the bag or by the cup.
Holiday Cookbook
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - recipe collection + layout |
| Time to Implement | 4-8 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (printing or PDF design) |
| Volunteers Needed | 4-8 (editing, design, sales) |
| Ideal For | Online sales, gifts for families |
Pull together the best holiday recipes that you can find and compile them into a single book to sell to your patrons online. Make sure to test each recipe so you know it's complete and you know it's PHENOMENAL before it goes into your cookbook.
Soup Bar
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - food service + tickets |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (ingredients, serving ware) |
| Volunteers Needed | 10-16 (cooks, servers, cleanup) |
| Ideal For | Cozy evening events, pair with concerts |
Gather your community's favorite and hearty soup flavors and charge per person to host a dinner event with all-you-can-eat soup. Feel free to include other sides like a salad bar and bread options or keep it just to soups. Again, tickets to the event can be purchased ahead of time to ease the planning/logistical process as well as the fundraising itself.
Letters to Santa
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - writing station + mailed replies |
| Time to Implement | 2-3 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (stationery, stamps; templates) |
| Volunteers Needed | 3-5 (desk, data entry, "Santa" replies) |
| Ideal For | Elementary events, library corners |
At your next event, include a station where kids can write letters to Santa. Have them put them in envelopes and hand them in to the event organizers to be mailed to Santa. What the kids don't know is that their parents paid a fee through your FutureFund page to have Santa reply personally to each letter.
Bake Sale
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - table + donated treats |
| Time to Implement | 1-2 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (packaging, signage) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-10 (bakers, sellers, cash box) |
| Ideal For | Any holiday crowd, after concerts |
Bake the community's favorite recipes and post them for sale! This is a classic fundraising idea that always seems to produce a good amount of support and cash too. Holiday favorites are a must throughout this time of year-gingerbread cookies, pumpkin pie, and traditional brownies go quickly!
Ornament Sales
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - vendor/customization + pickup |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (blanks/printing; prepaid orders) |
| Volunteers Needed | 4-8 (designs, orders, fulfillment) |
| Ideal For | Keepsakes, personalized gifts |
Partner with an ornament company and allow your patrons to order customized ornaments for the holiday! This idea can be paired with your larger events or as a singular experience for your clubs or school.
Other Fundraising Ideas
Santa's Helpers Chore Auction
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - recruit helpers + auction |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (promotion, bid sheets) |
| Volunteers Needed | 8-12 (recruitment, MC, scheduling) |
| Ideal For | Yard/home tasks before the holidays |
Pull together a group of your most knowledgeable and capable volunteers to take part in a chores auction. Guests can either bid on specific chores or on students to help them out during a given period during the holidays.
Wreath Auction
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - crafters + live/silent auction |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (materials if not donated) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-10 (makers, staging, auction team) |
| Ideal For | Holiday fairs, evening galas |
Pull a few of your more creative parents together to make wreaths for the holiday, and then auction them off at an event. Parents can bid on the wreaths-the winners get beautiful decorations and your school group gets closer to your financial targets!
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I use FutureFund's messaging system to promote my fundraiser?
FutureFund's messaging system lets you:
- Send messages to every parent in your school community or filter your audience to reach specific groups.
- Create unique sender profiles to make sure the message is always coming from the appropriate party.
- Use customizable message templates to save time when broadcasting updates or announcements.
Should my Christmas fundraiser be a Purchase or a Donation campaign?
Use Purchase campaigns to sell event tickets or physical items (like baked goods, merchandise, or arts and crafts).
Use Donation campaigns to collect money from community members in support of a specific goal or cause (like a food drive).
The great thing about a Christmas fundraiser is you can leverage the spirit of the holidays to market the event or campaign with even more appeal to the community.
How do I sell sponsorships with FutureFund?
FutureFund displays sponsors on your school group's online directory once they have agreed to make a contribution. You'll be able to set the price for sponsorships on your own-but our team can provide guidance and support if you're not sure what to charge.
How can I use FutureFund to track my fundraiser's success?
FutureFund gives you the ability to generate financial reports for your fundraising campaigns in just a few clicks. To do this, navigate to Store and click the Reports tab near the top of your screen. Then choose Campaign Summary from the drop-down menu and click Generate Report.