30 Fundraising Ideas For Middle Schools
Updated November 2025
Table of Contents
Easy to Implement
- Coffee Fundraiser
- Read-A-Thon
- Ice Cream Social
- Dress Up Day
- Movie/Dress Up Day
- Principal For A Day
- Walk A-Thon
- Tumbler Sale
- Rent A Spot
- Silicon Bracelet Sale
- Trivia Night
Moderate to Implement
- Tile Painting
- Shadow A Hero
- Neon Lights Dance
- Happy Hour
- PNO (Parents Night Out)
- Field Day
- Lunch And Learn
- Painting With A Twist (Of Lemonade)
- Nachos And Numbers
- Mom Made Market
- Young Michelangelo Night
- Loaded Baked Potato Night
- Crawfish Boil
- Mother and Son Night Of Fun
- Pj Party
- Lock In
- Roller Rink Night
- Indoor Skydiving
- Paintball Night
Read-A-Thon
| Ease of Implementation | Very easy - integrates naturally with class time |
| Time to Implement | A-thons require 8-12 weeks planning |
| Expenses Required | $ (flyers, incentives for top readers) |
| Volunteers Needed | Minimal (teachers track minutes/books) |
| Ideal For | Encouraging literacy and independent reading |
Your kids will have a blast with this fundraiser and get some extra time to let their imaginations explore their favorite pages. Event organizers can run a read-a-thon event where sponsors pledge a certain amount per page read or provide flat donations for the event. Feel free to pair this event with another opportunity for your patrons to give and support your school!
Tile Painting
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires material prep, drying space, and installation coordination |
| Time to Implement | 2-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (drop tiles, paint, brushes, sealant, installation supplies) |
| Volunteers Needed | 4-8 (setup, cleanup, art supervision, tile installation) |
| Ideal For | School beautification projects, art-focused communities, family craft nights, PTO/PTA-led events |
Pull some of the drop tiles from your school ceiling and allow your families to come and turn them into works of art! For a $20-$30 donation, your families will have access to everything they'll need to turn their tiles into works of art. The only things they'll need to bring are any premade plans or blueprints for how they want the tiles to look and their imaginations.
Coffee Fundraiser
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - requires ordering products and simple sales logistics |
| Time to Implement | 2-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (wholesale coffee purchase, promotional materials) |
| Volunteers Needed | 2-4 (order handling, distribution, promotion) |
| Ideal For | PTA/PTO groups, holiday fundraisers, teacher appreciation weeks, community-wide sales |
Purchase prepackaged coffee and resell it by the bag! Make sure to shop around to find a good quality for the price in order to maximize your profits. Your club can accept orders and payments for the coffee before purchasing it from the wholesaler if your club money is tight or you can just buy what you think you'll be able to sell. Either way, make sure to spread the word and have fun with it!
Shadow A Hero
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires community coordination and raffle management |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (raffle tickets, signage) |
| Volunteers Needed | 4-6 (ticket sales, raffle coordination, communication with participating heroes) |
| Ideal For | Elementary and middle schools, community engagement events, character education programs |
Challenge your students to sell raffle tickets to their friends and families for different raffles that the school will hold. Whoever sells the most tickets gets to follow a local hero for the day and find out what they do from day to day. A few local heroes that we can think of are nurses, doctors, EMT's, school social workers, fire fighters, the mayor, or anyone else you can think of that would be a special treat for your students. Make sure to get your local heroes' permission before offering them up as a prize to your students.
Ice Cream Social
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - requires minimum preparation |
| Time to Implement | 3-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (ice cream, toppings, utensils) |
| Volunteers Needed | 5-8 (setup, serving, cleanup) |
| Ideal For | Family-friendly events, end-of-school celebrations, sports teams, summer carnivals |
Host an all you can eat ice cream bar for your students! For an entry fee of $10-$15 per person, they can make all the ice cream they want with any of the fixings your club can provide. Feel free to also pair this event with an outdoor, more active event to get everyone moving after the sweet treats.
Dress Up Day
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - simple dress-up theme with minimal setup |
| Time to Implement | 1-2 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (signage, optional small prizes) |
| Volunteers Needed | 2-4 (promotion, donation collection, photo-taking) |
| Ideal For | Spirit weeks, elementary and middle schools, themed fundraising days |
Collect donations for a themed dress up day for your students! For $5-$10, allow them to participate in whichever theme of dressing up really speaks to them. Some popular themes are your favorite video game character, your favorite meme, twin day, your favorite book or movie character, the list goes on!
Neon Lights Dance
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires decorations, music setup, and supervision |
| Time to Implement | 3-5 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (DJ or sound system, black lights, glow sticks, refreshments, decorations) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-10 (chaperones, ticketing, setup/cleanup, concessions) |
| Ideal For | Elementary and middle schools, spirit nights, themed dances, indoor fundraisers |
Encourage your students to boogie the night away with a neon lights dance party! Sell tickets and remind the students to dress in as many bright colors as possible. Make sure to provide a DJ, refreshments, and plenty of black lights and glo sticks to allow the kids to party like they never have before.
Movie/Dress Up Day
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - simple setup with a movie, seating, and snack distribution |
| Time to Implement | 2-3 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (movie license if needed, snacks, drinks, cups/napkins, signage) |
| Volunteers Needed | 3-6 (setup, snack distribution, supervision, cleanup) |
| Ideal For | Elementary and middle schools, winter celebrations, spirit days, low-cost indoor events |
Collect donations to show a movie!
Principal For A Day
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - requires minimal coordination and set up |
| Time to Implement | 3-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (small supplies for activities, certificate, signage) |
| Volunteers Needed | 2-4 (promotion, supervising activities, coordinating with administration) |
| Ideal For | Elementary and middle schools, leadership-themed fundraisers, auction events, student engagement initiatives |
Auction off the opportunity to shadow the Principal for a day to see what the job is actually like.
Happy Hour
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires coordinating with a restaurant and promoting the event |
| Time to Implement | 3-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (marketing materials) |
| Volunteers Needed | 2-3 (liaison, promotion) |
| Ideal For | Adult-only community networking events |
Leave the kids at home and get to know your fellow school parents! Have this event at a restaurant and shop around for one who will share the proceeds for the event with the PTO/PTA before setting a date and location.
PNO
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - needs childcare space and supervisors/babysitters |
| Time to Implement | 3-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (snacks, activities, babysitter fees if not volunteer-based) |
| Volunteers Needed | 5-8 to supervise children |
| Ideal For | Schools with many young families |
Allow the kids to party with the babysitters for this event while the parents take care of business, enjoy a date night, or both! Parents pay a flat fee per child at registration. Check with your local high schools for responsible seniors who need the volunteer credit for college and include a few teachers/PTO/PTA parents for additional supervision. Other than that, plan some games/hang out time, and include dinner and a movie for a successful night!
Painting With A Twist (Of Lemonade)
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires art supplies, tables, drink station, and cleanup |
| Time to Implement | 3-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (canvases, paints, brushes, lemonade, cups, table covers) |
| Volunteers Needed | 4-6 (setup, art station helpers, drink station, cleanup) |
| Ideal For | Elementary and middle schools, art nights, family events |
Collect a registration fee for your students to don their smocks, grab a drink, and paint their masterpieces! Everything is included for the price of registration and at the end of the event, the young artists get to take home completed masterpieces!
Field Day
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - multiple stations |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (equipment, prizes, permits if offsite) |
| Volunteers Needed | 15-25 (station leads, first aid, admissions) |
| Ideal For | All grades, family participation |
Pick a beautiful day for outdoor games, treats, and prizes! Have your students register for the event with a flat fee or invite the school parents to get active with the kids. Explore the big games like relay races or the smaller pay-to-play games like the ring toss and enjoy all the baked goods you possibly can.
Walk A-Thon
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - classic, low-cost fundraiser |
| Time to Implement | A-thons require 8-12 weeks planning |
| Expenses Required | $ (signage, water/snacks, optional medals) |
| Volunteers Needed | 4-6 to set up course and monitor walkers |
| Ideal For | All ages, schoolwide participation |
Have your students reach out to relatives and friends to sponsor them with either a flat fee donation or a per lap/per mile donation in your walk-a-thon. On the day of the event, track how many laps/miles the students walk and all the money raised goes to PTA/PTO for the event.
Lunch And Learn
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - finding a topic expert, coordinating dates and availability |
| Time to Implement | 3-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (speaker lunch, light refreshments) |
| Volunteers Needed | 3-4 (coordination, setup) |
| Ideal For | Educational fundraisers or community engagement events |
Pick a topic that your students are passionate about, like comic drawing or video game design, and bring in an expert to tell them more about it! Anyone who wants to listen to the seminar should bring their donation and their lunch and be ready to learn!
Nachos And Numbers
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires food setup and math game stations |
| Time to Implement | 3-5 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (nacho ingredients, toppings, plates, math game materials) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-10 (food service, game station leaders, registration, cleanup) |
| Ideal For | Family math nights, STEM programs, community-building events |
Enjoy a family math night and build your own nacho bar! For a registration fee, families get access to the nacho bar. Your families also get access to games like geometry battleship or an "unlock the box" game, where you solve a series of math problems to unlock your own box and get whatever prize is inside.
Tumbler Sale
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - simple order collection and product pickup |
| Time to Implement | 2-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (vendor partnership, printing order forms) |
| Volunteers Needed | 2-4 (order collection, communication with vendor, distribution) |
| Ideal For | All grade levels, merchandise fundraisers, holiday gifting |
Reach out to a tumbler wholesaler or a local tumbler retailer for their rates and sale items! If the retailer makes items custom, check to see if they have order forms for their products for customers to fill out and return.
Mom Made Market
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires vendor coordination and event space |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (tables, signage, optional advertising) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-10 (vendor check-in, table setup, admissions, cleanup) |
| Ideal For | Elementary and middle schools, holiday markets, family events |
Have any crafty moms in your area? Host a market-style event where they all set up their wares to sell! The club can collect vendor fees to rent the space to set up their booths plus any electrical hookups or tables that the vendors will need to rent.
Young Michelangelo Night
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires clay, tool sets, and workspace |
| Time to Implement | 3-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (clay, sculpting tools, table covers, optional meal/snacks) |
| Volunteers Needed | 4-6 (setup, art assistance, meal service, cleanup) |
| Ideal For | Art nights, hands-on learning events, family craft evenings |
Let your inner Michelangelo shine through with this kids sculpture night! For the price of entry, the artist gets a lump of clay plus all the tools they'll need to create their masterpiece. Feel free to include a meal with this event! Nothing says creative quite like...
Loaded Baked Potato Night
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - buffet-style food prep, food safety knowledge |
| Time to Implement | 3-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$-$$$ (potatoes, toppings, soups, utensils, serving equipment) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-10 (food prep, serving, ticketing, cleanup) |
| Ideal For | Family dinner nights, fall/winter events, paired activities |
Invite your students and their families to enjoy a loaded baked potato and soup bar! For the price of the entry fee, families get access to an all you can eat soup and loaded baked potato bar. Your club can also combine this event with any other event (like the Young Michelangelo Night) for an even more satisfying dinner and evening away from home.
Crawfish Boil
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - large-scale food prep/safe handling and outdoor setup |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$$ (crawfish, sides, propane, pots, tables, drinks) |
| Volunteers Needed | 10-15 (cooking, serving, ticketing, setup/cleanup) |
| Ideal For | Southern communities, spring festivals, weekend fundraisers |
Everyone loves a crawfish boil! Sell tickets for $20-$30 each and have a big day of fun on a weekend. Include all of the sides, like corn on the cob, potatoes, mushrooms, and other veggies plus drinks! Also, consider having some additional space for families to play a few games or lounge in the shade while socializing with each other.
Mother and Son Night Of Fun
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires restaurant partnership and promotion |
| Time to Implement | 3-5 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (depends on restaurant agreement) |
| Volunteers Needed | 2-4 (check-in, coordination, promotion) |
| Ideal For | Family-bonding events, themed restaurant nights |
Partner with a restaurant that has food and games and host an event for moms and their sons! Make sure the restaurant that you pick is willing to share the proceeds from the event with your club.
Pj Party
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires supervision, activities, food, and movie setup |
| Time to Implement | 3-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$ (dinner, games, art supplies, movie setup) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-12 (supervision, activity stations, meal service, cleanup) |
| Ideal For | Elementary schools, Friday night events |
Host a pajama party for your students on a Friday after school! For the price of the ticket, provide games, dinner, face painting, nail polish, ghost stories, and a movie! Consider hosting the girls one night and the boys another.
Lock In
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires large space, supervision, and multi-activity setup |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$-$$$ (food, crafts, music, gym equipment, security) |
| Volunteers Needed | 10-20 (overnight chaperones, activity leaders, food support) |
| Ideal For | Older elementary/middle school, high-engagement nights |
For the price of a ticket, the lock-in will include music, dancing, arts and crafts, fun in the gym, dinner, plus anything else your students would have fun doing over the course of the evening.
Rent A Spot
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - simple auction setup with minimal materials |
| Time to Implement | 1-2 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (signage, printing, optional customization for the winner) |
| Volunteers Needed | 1-3 (auction coordinator, promotion, signage setup) |
| Ideal For | High schools, campuses with limited parking, orientation days, back-to-school events, auction-based fundraisers |
Is parking a bit of an issue at your school? Auction off a few of the better parking spots for the duration of the school year! Order a "______ only parking" sign to post over the spots, marking them for only the winner's use. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get your signs made and hung before the next school year!
Roller Rink
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires venue partnership and ticket coordination |
| Time to Implement | 3-5 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (venue fee if not donated, promotional materials) |
| Volunteers Needed | 3-6 (check-in, supervision, coordination with rink) |
| Ideal For | Elementary and middle schools, family nights, PE-themed events, community fundraisers |
Host a skate night for your students! Check around to different roller rinks to see if theyd be willing to share the proceeds of the night for your school having the event there.
Silicon Bracelet
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - simple ordering and sales process |
| Time to Implement | 2-3 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (bulk bracelet order) |
| Volunteers Needed | 1-3 (order organization, distribution, money collection) |
| Ideal For | All grade levels, spirit wear fundraisers, year-round sales |
Sell silicone bracelets! Have your school name or emblem printed on it, or print one that your students design.
Trivia Night
| Ease of Implementation | Easy - venue, MC, question set |
| Time to Implement | 3-4 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $ (prizes, printing) |
| Volunteers Needed | 6-8 (host, scorekeepers, admissions) |
| Ideal For | Families, staff teams, community groups |
Let your students show their knowledge by hosting a trivia night! Charge an entry fee and consider offering a prize for the winner/winning team. Feel free to make it themed and encourage your contestants to dress up!
Indoor Skydiving
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires partnership with an indoor skydiving facility and advance scheduling |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $$-$$$ (experience fee unless discounted or donated; promotional materials) |
| Volunteers Needed | 2-4 (coordination, promotion, auction management) |
| Ideal For | High schools, auction nights, premium prize raffles, community events |
Auction off a night of indoor skydiving!
Paintball Night
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate - requires coordination with a paintball facility and participant waivers |
| Time to Implement | 4-6 weeks |
| Expenses Required | $-$$ (facility fees if not donated, safety gear, signage) |
| Volunteers Needed | 3-6 (check-in, waiver collection, event coordination) |
| Ideal For | Middle and high schools, sports teams, weekend events, active communities |
Check with your local paintball parks to see if any would be willing to share the proceeds with your school for hosting an event there.
