Freshman Class Fundraiser Ideas: Start Your 4-Year Fundraising Foundation in 9th Grade

Freshman-year fundraising serves a different purpose than senior-year fundraising. The money is not covering an immediate expense. It is building the reserve that will make junior prom and senior events possible without a frantic emergency campaign the week before deposits are due. That longer time horizon changes how the campaign should be framed to class members, their families, and the community.

Big Fundraising Ideas has supported high school fundraising programs since 1999. This guide covers what freshman classes fund, which product programs are best for 9th-grade sellers and their networks, and how to frame a four-year fundraising strategy that makes senior year sustainable.

What Freshman Classes Fundraise For

• Class Social Events: Freshman socials, class mixers, orientation events, and the early-year activities that build class identity and community.
• Class Operating Costs: Student government materials, planning meetings, and the organizational costs of running an active freshman class program.
• The Four-year Fund Foundation: Money raised in 9th grade carries forward to 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. This reduces the pressure on senior year campaigns to cover everything at once.
• Class Trip Deposits: Some classes begin planning multi-year class trips in freshman year, with early deposits funded by freshman-year campaigns.
• Community Giving: Some freshman classes direct a portion of fundraising toward a community cause, building service orientation alongside class identity from the start.

Why Freshman Year Is the Right Time to Start

The argument senior advisors make for starting in freshman year is compelling in the opposite direction as well. A class whose first fundraiser is prom ticket sales has no practice, no established community relationships, and no momentum. A class that has run three successful campaigns in 9th through 11th grade knows how to organize a kickoff, activate the seller network, and sustain participation through the close. Senior year campaigns run by classes with fundraising experience consistently outperform those run by first-time sellers.

Scratch Card Fundraiser

The scratch card fundraiser from Big Fundraising Ideas is personalized with the school name and photo. For a freshman class of 250 students each distributing one card, a one-week campaign generates $25,000 gross from community outreach alone: with no product to carry, no order forms to process, and no delivery day to manage. The format also works for smaller campaigns: the minimum order is 10 cards, and it scales to any class size.

• No Product Cost: Donation-based format keeps the highest share of every dollar raised.
• One Week: Fastest high-yield format: the card is the campaign, and a motivated freshman class can complete it before the school week is out.
• Personalized: School name and photo on every card, and the class community sees its own identity on the product they are distributing.
• Any Class Size: Minimum 10 cards, which works for a small class of 60 or a large class of 400.

Candy Bars, Lollipops, and Discount Cards

Candy bars at $1 to $2 per bar are the fastest direct-sale transaction available at school events. Peanut-free and kosher options are available. Lollipops at $1 each (particularly the Color Xploder and Yummy Lix varieties) work naturally with 9th grade sellers because the product is familiar, the price is low, and the transaction takes seconds. Discount cards at $20 each are the strongest format for adult parents and family networks that freshman sellers can access through their parents.

All products through bigfundraisingideas.com. No upfront cost. Free shipping.

Run Two Campaigns in Freshman Year

• Fall Campaign (September–October): The school year is fresh, community contacts haven't been approached, and class energy is at its peak for a new experience.
• Spring Campaign (February–March): Close the freshman year strong with a campaign framed around the four-year fund — what the class is building toward.
• Communicate the Total: Share the combined freshman-year total with the full class before summer, so every member knows exactly how much they have already put toward senior year.

Framing the Campaign for 9th Graders

• Name the Goal: Post the class fund total and communicate each campaign's contribution to it, like 'We added $3,400 to our four-year fund this week'
• Connect to Senior Year: Tell freshmen that prom tickets, senior trip deposits, and graduation events are what they are building toward. This makes the abstract concrete.
• Celebrate Class Milestones: Announce when the freshman class fund passes $5,000, $10,000, and $15,000. These milestone celebrations build the class culture that sustains participation year after year.
• Involve Class Officers Early: Freshman class officers who run the first campaign arrive at senior year with four years of fundraising experience (that experience compounds over time).

Frequently Asked Questions About Freshman Class Fundraising

Why should a freshman class fundraise in 9th grade?

Starting in 9th grade builds the class fund over four years instead of one, establishes a donor community that has already given once before senior-year asks, and creates the class identity around collective action. See also junior class fundraiser ideas and senior class fundraiser ideas for the companion guides.

What are the best fundraiser ideas for a high school freshman class?

Scratch cards (donation-based, $100 per completed card, fastest high-yield format), candy bars ($1–$2 at school events), lollipops ($1, fast direct-sale), discount cards ($20 for adult networks) all through bigfundraisingideas.com (no upfront cost, free shipping).

How much should a freshman class try to raise?

Set a goal based on two targets: covering freshman class events and activities, and starting the four-year class fund with a meaningful opening balance. A class that raises $3,000–$5,000 in freshman year has a head start that compounds over four years. Communicate both the specific goal and its connection to senior year. The four-year framing motivates participation more than a generic dollar target.

Can freshman class members sell during school hours?

Smencils (non-food) can be sold during school hours. Candy bars and lollipops must be sold before or after school or at events outside instructional time. Scratch cards can be distributed and collected at any time since supporters complete them off campus.

How does freshman class fundraising compare to senior class fundraising?

Freshman fundraising builds the fund and establishes the community; senior fundraising closes the gap and pays for specific events with immediate deadlines. The class that starts fundraising in 9th grade consistently outperforms the class that starts in 12th grade. This is measured both by total dollars raised and by the ease of senior year campaigns. See senior class fundraiser ideas.

What is the fastest fundraiser for a freshman class?

Each class member distributes Scratch cards through their personal network. Each completed card collects $100 in gross revenue in about one week, with no product to carry or deliver. For a class of 200 students, each distributing one card, a one-week campaign generates $20,000 in gross revenue.

How do you get 9th graders motivated to fundraise?

Connect the campaign to senior year with specific numbers: 'Every dollar we raise now is a dollar we don't have to raise during AP week junior year.' Post daily standings by homeroom or advisory. Celebrate milestone totals publicly. Freshman class officers who lead the campaign arrive at senior year with fundraising experience that makes every future campaign more effective.

Should a freshman class run two campaigns per year?

Yes! Fall and spring campaigns together build significantly more than one campaign alone. The fall campaign (September–October) establishes the class fundraising identity. The spring campaign (February–March) closes the year strong. Communicate the combined annual total to the full class so members can see the four-year fund growing.

What do freshman class fundraisers pay for?

Freshman year class events and social activities, class officer operating costs, and the beginning balance of the four-year class fund. Some classes also direct a portion to a community giving project, which builds class service identity alongside the financial reserve.

How does the freshman class fund carry into later years?

Money raised in freshman year carries over into the class fund, which pays for junior prom, the senior trip, and graduation events. A class that raises $3,000 in freshman year, $3,500 in sophomore year, and $5,000 in junior year has $11,500 before a single senior campaign runs. See junior class fundraiser ideas for the year-three continuation of this strategy.

Author Bio

Clay Boggess has been designing fundraising programs for schools and various nonprofit organizations throughout the US since 1999. He’s helped administrators, teachers, and outside support entities such as PTAs and PTOs raise millions of dollars. Clay is an owner and partner at Big Fundraising Ideas.