Back to School Event Ideas for Fundraising - Boosterthon

The beginning of each school year brings excitement among students, teachers, and the community, creating ample opportunities for well-attended and profitable fundraising events. If you’re looking for back to school event ideas, you’re on the right track for your school fundraiser this year.

In this blog, you’ll learn more about:

• ​Tips on Where to Get Started
• ​Different Options for Fundraisers
• ​How Booster Can Help with Your Fundraiser

What makes back-to-school events special, and how are they different from those held during the rest of the school year? Here are some advantages of holding fundraisers at the start of the year, followed by a list of specific back to school event ideas to boost profits year after year.

When done well, the right back to school event ideas should be able to:

Drum up school spirit

The beginning of the school year comes with unparalleled levels of school spirit. This is especially true among students in the lowest grade levels who are excited to start at a new school, as well as those in the highest grade level (and their families) who are enjoying their last year. The right back to school event ideas will help increase this positive and contagious school spirit energy, setting the tone for the rest of the year.

Ride the “fall sports” wave

Similar to school spirit is the energy behind fall sports. After several months without school sporting events, everyone is ready to get back into the swing of things! Even if your school doesn’t have fall sports teams, you can join the fun by cheering for local high school or college teams. Back to school events that ride this wave will be sure to go far.

Locate volunteers for the rest of the year

Fundraisers often rely on a small number of volunteers who make the biggest difference. By asking for volunteers early in the school year, it becomes easier to identify who will provide the best help for the remainder of the year’s events. Many times these volunteers are parents of students in their first or last year at the school. Get them signed up for future events to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Provide info for other events

Back to school events are often the most well-attended events of the year, making them prime opportunities to provide information on other events throughout the school year. Use your fundraiser to spread communication and awareness throughout the community, whether about other fundraisers or general school events and needs.

Take advantage of the weather

The first few weeks of the school year often have stretches of mild weather. Take advantage of this by planning a back to school event outdoors. Be sure to have a “Plan B” or rain date ready and advertise that information so everyone knows what to expect.

Now that we’ve covered the advantages of hosting a fundraiser during the back to school season, here are some specific event ideas that are sure to be a hit:

Sell School T-Shirts

T-shirts are a perfect way to promote school spirit and increase awareness within the community.

• ​Effort: Low
• ​Age group: All ages
• ​Tips for success: Include the school year on the design to increase sales. Hold a competition for students to submit and vote on designs. Offer adult sizes to include parents in the school spirit.

Fall Festival

A fall festival can easily become an annual favorite for students and teachers alike.

• ​Effort: Medium to high
• ​Age group: Best for elementary
• ​Tips for success: Sell tickets ahead of time at a discount. Offer plenty of events, games, and booths to keep people engaged. Ideas include face painting, cotton candy, cakewalk, 3-legged race, cornhole tournament, and more. Set up decorated areas for photo opportunities and invite the local newspaper to cover the event.

Movie Night

A movie night can be a stand-alone fundraising event or part of a bigger event like a fall festival or open house.

• ​Effort: Low
• ​Age group: Elementary or middle school
• ​Tips for success: Make the evening themed to match the movie. Offer activities before the movie, such as popcorn sales or face painting. Use a large screen, projector, or a white sheet as a background. This event can be held indoors or outdoors.

Homecoming/Tailgate Event

Homecoming or tailgating events bring the school community together. If your school has a parking lot, you have everything you need.

• ​Effort: Low to medium
• ​Age group: Middle or high school
• ​Tips for success: Advertise the event to the general public and invite alumni. Sell food and drinks, and offer school swag like t-shirts and foam fingers. Section off part of the parking lot for festivities, and encourage people to bring lawn chairs and outdoor games.

Silent Auction

A silent auction is a great way to get local businesses involved in supporting your school.

• ​Effort: Low to medium
• ​Age group: Any
• ​Tips for success: Businesses are more likely to donate if they receive advertising. Allow them to set up ad materials with their donations or thank them publicly. Keep the number of auction items limited to drive up bids—no more than one item for every 2-3 people. This works best alongside another event like an open house or fall festival.

Glow/Color Run

Glow and color runs are fun ways to encourage families to come together in a non-competitive way while raising funds.

• ​Effort: Medium to high
• ​Age group: Any
• ​Tips for success: Sell t-shirts designed for the event—white for color runs, neon for glow runs. For glow runs, provide glow sticks for participants. Have good running music and plenty of volunteers with water. Set up a photo-op area for before and after pictures, especially for color runs.

The beginning of the school year is an exciting time with many opportunities for growth and change. These back to school event ideas offer some of the best opportunities to raise funds for your school. When done right, they also build positive community engagement, increase school spirit, and create wonderful memories for staff, students, and families.

Need help getting your back to school fundraiser going? Learn how Booster can help!