High School Fundraising Ideas to Engage Students

Whether to facilitate new programs and activities, improve school grounds, or contribute to a good cause, fundraising can be an excellent idea. Of course, getting the fundraiser off the ground is often easier said than done, but with the right school fundraising ideas and technology by your side, it can be fun, exciting, and effective.

So, where do you begin? When planning your fundraisers for the school year, coming up with ideas is usually a good place to start. Let us help. Ahead, you’ll find a list of unique and captivating school fundraising ideas to help you reach your goals.

5 Engaging High School Fundraising Ideas

Planning a fundraiser is one thing, executing it is another entirely. Student participation helps you raise money, but how do you do that, exactly? Choosing an engaging high school fundraising idea is a key component of increasing student interest.

Consider these 5 ideas and plan out a year of exciting fundraising events everyone will love.

1. Student Perks Auction

Your school has policies in place and rules to follow. But what if some of those rules could be broken for a day? That’s a perk many students can get behind. Some ideas to consider include:

VIP Parking Spot: Auction off a prime parking spot for a student for a semester or the whole year. If your school’s parking lot is limited, this can be particularly appealing.
Principal for a Day: Students can bid on the opportunity to be Principal for a Day, where they can work alongside school administrators and make fun, approved decisions.
Homework Passes: Auction a limited number of homework passes that students can use for an assignment of their choice—subject to certain restrictions so no important projects are missed.
Dress Code Waiver Passes: Students can bid on passes that allow them to bypass the normal dress code for a day (with certain restrictions). If your school has a uniform, this could be a non-uniform day.
Personalized Locker Location: Allow students to bid on their choice of locker location for the year, giving them the chance to pick a spot that’s most convenient for them.
Exclusive School Merchandise: Create special items like limited edition school t-shirts, hats, or jackets that students can bid on, possibly personalized with their name or graduation year.

2. Teacher Karaoke or Lip Sync Battle

This fundraising idea for schools often garners tons of engagement. With it, students can pay to vote for the teachers they want to see perform. The event can also include a small entry fee and a concession stand to raise more funds.

Here’s how to make it work:

Set a date and venue: Choose a date that doesn’t clash with other school events and a venue that accommodates a large audience. School gymnasiums are perfect for this!
Gather equipment: Make sure your sound system is ready to go and gather microphones and a projector to display lyrics or background videos.
Recruit participants: Not every teacher will want to participate, but sometimes those will be the ones students will want to see perform the most. Get as many teachers on board as you can.
Promote the event: Use school announcements, newsletters, social media, and posters around the school to advertise the event. Highlight some of the teachers who will be performing to create a buzz.

3. Color Run

Encouraging both physical activity and fun, color runs are loved by people of all ages. Because they’re so visually exciting, students and teachers will love snapping photos.

Some ideas to make your event even more interesting and engaging for students include:

Theme Your Color Run: Ideas like seasonal themes, neon night, and superhero sprint are all fun options.
Consider Course Design: Multiple color stations, obstacle elements like balance beams or foam pits, and surprise elements like spray water stations can make the course more exciting.
Add Entertainment & Activities: Organize a fun warm-up session with music or dance, play music along the course, or host a post-run festival with food stalls and dancing to keep students engaged and entertained.
Participation Options: Offer different types of participation options such as team runs, family entries, and non-competitive waves.
Marketing & Fundraising: Between sponsorships from local businesses for color stations, school merchandise sales, and registration fees, this fundraiser idea will help you meet your goals.

4. Themed Online Silent Auction

The beauty of online silent auctions is that they can be accessed from anywhere. Students simply need to log in to their silent auction app and they can bid on their favorite items.

Rather host your silent auction in person? Using an app eliminates the need for silent auction bid sheets. Whichever way you choose to host your silent auction, here are several strategies to make it more appealing:

Choose Engaging Themes: From Hollywood Glamor to Video Game Universe, offer related auction items or have participants dress up to match the theme.
Have Interactive Displays: Themed booths, live demos, and augmented reality can make auction items come alive and lead to higher engagement and bidding.
Using Technology: Choose an online bidding app that lets students bid from their phones, like Bid Beacon. Our platform provides real-time updates that encourage friendly bidding wars.
Incentives & Prizes: Incorporating additional incentives can encourage higher bids. For example, match donations through a sponsor or offer a raffle entry for every bid over a certain amount.

5. Art Gallery Auction

Students of all ages can be incredibly creative and talented when it comes to art. Whether it’s realistic sketching, still life drawing, abstract painting, or sculpture, art is an accessible activity for the entire school. Here’s how to bring this high school fundraising idea to life:

Plan & Organize: Encourage students to create artwork specially for the auction or ask them to donate pieces they have already made. Set submission deadlines, choose a theme (optional), and select a venue.

Set Up the Online Auction: Choose a user-friendly and secure online auction platform. Photograph the artwork and upload it to the platform with descriptions. Set up bidding rules including starting bids, bidding increments, and auction closing times.
Promote the Event: Market the event through the school newsletter, social media, local community boards, and press releases. It’s always encouraged to promote early and often to generate excitement leading up to the auction.

Legal and ethical considerations, such as getting permission from students and their guardians, and being transparent about how the funds raised will be used are important.

Successful High School Fundraising with Bid Beacon

Getting students to participate in school activities isn’t always easy. Phones, for example, tend to be a big distraction. But what if the fundraising took place on their favorite device? That’s one of the many advantages of using Bid Beacon.

Since Bid Beacon is accessed through an online platform, it’s a great way to help high school students engage in fundraising.

Combined with these exciting high school fundraising ideas, Bid Beacon becomes an easy way to maximize student engagement and can lead to a more successful event.