Middle School Fundraising Ideas That Motivate Students to Sell

How to get middle school students on board.

Middle school students are indeed going through lots of changes. One such change is how they view fundraisers. As younger students, they were excited about winning prizes in exchange for selling items. They never questioned the idea of selling; they just sold.

So how do you get your students to commit? Finding middle school fundraising ideas that work is much more challenging because they deal with increased school activities, peer influence, and social and physiological changes.

Let’s face it; selling is no longer fun for many students. You must therefore employ a different strategy when attempting to encourage them to participate.

Here are some things to think about as you plan your next sale:

Find a Unique Brochure to Sell

Depending on your group, you may try involving them in the brochure selection process. For example, a choir group may be interested in a peanut-free candy bar fundraiser. Many groups complain about having to compete against elementary schools that are selling large shoppers. So why not offer something different? Many students favor selling lower-priced items like lollipops, or perhaps you can offer something with a bit of nutritional value, like a popcorn fundraiser. Middle school students enjoy selling these products because they can offer them to their peers.

Use Middle School Fundraising Prizes

The elementary school prize programs no longer inspire students to sell as they age. Therefore motivate them with a middle school-level prize program. Some alternative age-appropriate prize programs to consider are:

• Cash Prize Programs
• Sportswear Prize Programs

Incorporate Additional Fundraising Motivators

Successful middle school fundraiser ideas work because they make students want to participate. Therefore, employ additional incentives that will make them want to get out and sell. Here are some ideas:

• Top seller (this could also be the top seller after the 1st day to get your sale started)
• Prize drawing coupons (can tie to special privileges like free dress day, no homework pass, etc.)
• Money Game
• Jump for George
• Mystery Person

Older students can succeed at selling. The approach used to get them to participate may have to be different.

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.