Updated November 2025

Table of Contents

Easy to Implement Fundraisers

• Bake Sale
• Pie Eating Contest
• Hot Dog Eating Contest
• Kickball Tournament
• Cornhole Tournament
• 4th of July Scavenger Hunt
• Name the Capitols
• Ultimate Lemons

Moderate to Implement Fundraisers

• Fireworks Show
• Movie in the Park
• Pie Auction
• Barbeque Cookout/Competition
• Treasure Box
• Star-Spangled Slime
• Craft Corner

Movie In The Park 

Ease of Implementation	Moderate - requires projector/screen setup and nighttime staffing
Time to Implement	2-4 weeks
Expenses Required	$$-$$$ (projector, screen, movie rights, snacks)
Volunteers Needed	6-10 (concessions, equipment crew, ticketing, setup/clean up)
Ideal For	Family nights, all-school events

Set up a projector and a screen in a park at night and charge an entry fee for patrons to watch a 4th of July movie, like THE SANDLOT! This would be a great alternative to the fireworks show if its not feasible for the budget or if another organization already called dibs on it.

See also: 20 Summer Fundraising Ideas for Schools

Pie Auction 

Ease of Implementation	Moderate - requires pie donations and auction setup
Time to Implement	2-4 weeks
Expenses Required	$-$$ (tables, decor, pies if not donated)
Volunteers Needed	2-4 (auctioneer, registration, display)
Ideal For	All-school events, community events, festivals

Pull out those favorite pie recipes and sell them at a 4th of July event! If the Booster Club doesn't have any community favorites on hand, they can also reach out to a pie shop in town and see if they would be willing to donate or discount a few pies for them to then resell at the event. 

Fireworks Show

Ease of Implementation	Moderate - requires permits, safety planning, and a crowd area.
Time to Implement	6-8 weeks
Expenses Required	$$$ (fireworks vendor, security, barriers, insurance)
Volunteers Needed	10+ (crowd control, ticketing, safety)
Ideal For	Community-wide events, evening fundraisers, summer festivals

This is the perfect big event to bring all of the smaller fundraising opportunities together for the summer holiday! Make sure to put up signs around town to have the largest turnout possible and start the event around mid-afternoon to give everyone the chance to explore and give as much as they can.

Bake Sale

Ease of Implementation	Easy - requires baked goods and easy table/booth setup
Time to Implement	1-2 weeks
Expenses Required	$ (ingredients, packaging, signage)
Volunteers Needed	2-4 (bakers, sales helpers, setup/clean up)
Ideal For	All grade levels, PTA events, add-on for larger 4th of July events

Red, white, and blue treats for everyone! 

Pie Eating Contest 

Ease of Implementation	Easy - Straightforward setup with pies, tables, and a timer
Time to Implement	2-3 weeks
Expenses Required	$-$$ (pies, table covers, small prize)
Volunteers Needed	3-5 (registration, setup, judges, clean up)
Ideal For	School festivals, community events, add-on for larger 4th of July events

Charge a registration fee for contestants to compete in a 4th of July pie-eating contest. Whoever eats the most pies within the designated time frame wins!

Hot Dog Eating Contest

Ease of Implementation	Easy - minimal setup; requires hot dogs, tables, and safety monitoring
Time to Implement	2-3 weeks
Expenses Required	$$ (hot dogs, buns, water jugs, trophy/prize
Volunteers Needed	4-6 (registration, judges, safety monitors, setup/clean up)
Ideal For	Middle/high school groups, family cookouts/festivals, July 4th carnivals

Have competitors register to compete for the GOLDEN HOTDOG, aka a trophy in the shape of a hot dog, by eating the most hot dogs within a designated timeframe.

Kickball Tournament

Ease of Implementation	Easy - standard kickball equipment and field
Time to Implement	2-4 weeks
Expenses Required	$-$$ (field and equipment rental if applicable, medals)
Volunteers Needed	4-8 (refs, registration, scorekeeping, setup)
Ideal For	All-school tournaments, community field days

Allow teams to sign up and pay a registration fee to compete in a 4th of July kickball tournament! 

Cornhole Tournament

Ease of Implementation	Easy - requires cornhole boards and scoring area
Time to Implement	2-3 weeks
Expenses Required	$-$$ (boards, bean bags, prize items if applicable)
Volunteers Needed	3-5 (registration, scoring, setup)
Ideal For	Family events, community fairs, multi-age groups

Have teams register to compete in a cornhole tournament to celebrate the 4th of July! 

Barbeque Cookout/Competition 

Ease of Implementation	Moderate - requires grilling areas, food-handling plans
Time to Implement	4-6 weeks
Expenses Required	$$-$$$ (sides, plates, utensils, signage, pits/BBQs if not provided)
Volunteers Needed	~10 (food stations, judges, setup/clean up)
Ideal For	Community fairs, all-school summer events, add-on to larger 4th of July events

This is a perfect pairing for a fireworks show! Event organizers can decide if they want the barbeque to be a competition or a more relaxed cookout environment. Either way, provide the sides and space for the patrons to set up their pits in exchange for a donation! 

4th Of July Scavenger Hunt 

Ease of Implementation	Easy - printable lists and small prizes
Time to Implement	1-2 weeks
Expenses Required	$ (printing lists, small prizes or treasure box items)
Volunteers Needed	2-4 (setup, check-in table, prize distribution)
Ideal For	All grade levels, festival add-on activity, community events

In exchange for a donation, provide the young explorers of your community with a list of things to find at a 4th of July gathering! The person who completes their list first gets to pick a prize from the treasure box!

Name The Capitols 

Ease of Implementation	Easy - printed worksheets and pencils
Time to Implement	1-2 weeks
Expenses Required	$ (printing, optional prize)
Volunteers Needed	1-2 (monitoring, judging, distribution of sheets)
Ideal For	Classroom competitions, history clubs, quieter event zones

Print out pages of US states and have groups of people compete to see who can fill out the capitol names the fastest. Whoever fills out the correct names the fastest gets a prize!

Treasure Box 

Ease of Implementation	Moderate - requires purchasing, wrapping, and displaying prizes
Time to Implement	2-3 weeks
Expenses Required	$$ (box items $10-$20 each, wrapping supplies)
Volunteers Needed	2-4 (setup, prize distribution, restocking)
Ideal For	Add-on prizes for contests, carnival booths, younger students

Go to the local Walmart or Target and grab some cool items priced between $10 and $20 each. Once you get them home, wrap them in plain brown paper, newspaper, or a decorative gift wrap and put them in a box for winners to grab as they compete in the smaller fundraising games.

Star-Spangled Slime 

Ease of Implementation	Moderate - requires hands-on craft station
Time to Implement	1-2 weeks
Expenses Required	$ (glue, starch, glitter, bowls, mixing tools)
Volunteers Needed	4-6 (setup, supervision, clean up)
Ideal For	Elementary school events, craft corners, family activity stations

Set up a slime station where people can mix their own star-spangled slime (washable glue, skin-safe starch, and red, white, and blue glitter stars) and buy slime kits to take home and mix themselves.

Craft Corner

Ease of Implementation	Moderate - requires craft supplies and guided instruction
Time to Implement	2-3 weeks
Expenses Required	$$ (craft kits, paints, brushes, table coverings)
Volunteers Needed	3-5 (instructors, helpers, clean up)
Ideal For	Elementary and middle school groups, festival craft tents, community events

Have any cool and festive crafts for independence day? Set up a booth and seating space where you can take patrons through the steps to create the crafts for a small donation.

Ultimate Lemons

Ease of Implementation	Easy - requires lemons, basin filled with water
Time to Implement	1-2 weeks
Expenses Required	$ (lemons, basin, coins for demo, small prizes if applicable)
Volunteers Needed	2-3 (setup, supervision, prize table)
Ideal For	Carnival-style fundraisers, elementary/middle school events

This game is pretty easy to organize and play. All you need are a few lemons and a deep container filled with water. When set in the water, the lemons will float! The name of the game is balancing a coin on the lemon for either a certain amount of time or indefinitely. The money that rolls off of the coin and falls into the water is for the club to keep and whoever can do it gets a prize!