How to Plan a School Fundraiser Event: 4 Steps for Success

Pre-event tips and tricks to prepare for a fabulous fundraiser.

Avoid the temptation to put fundraising on hold as winter break approaches. If your PTO, school club, or youth sports team hopes to organize a successful fundraiser event in 2022, now is the time to start planning. Since event planners need two months of planning for every 100 guests, teams must jump headfirst into organizing before the spring semester starts.

But incredible fundraiser events for schools require more than starting early – research, a strong leadership team, administrative support, engaged students, supportive parents, outstanding marketing, and meticulous event planning.

Not to worry, follow these four steps for success.

1. Pick a fundraising idea.

Get your students, their families, and friends excited by brainstorming ideas. Many new and creative fundraising events stand out from the rest, happening constantly.

To start, consider the types of fundraisers that have or have not been successful, the amount of time and resources you can invest in the event, what appeals to your target demographic, and whether the event needs to be virtual.

As Qgiv explains, “With technology improving, virtual and hybrid events rising in popularity, and new event ideas coming to fruition, it can be hard to determine the best fundraising event that aligns with your audience, goals, and overall mission.”

Not sure where to start with brainstorming? We have you covered with plenty of ideas, from fundraising with food to virtual college events.

2. Set fundraiser event goals.

Set financial and qualitative goals before searching for out-of-the-box fundraising event ideas. Youth fundraising not only offsets the costs of co-curricular activities but also teaches students valuable skills like interpersonal communication, working towards a goal, and being a part of something bigger. Be sure to document these harder-to-measure goals in your fundraiser event planner.
For qualitative goals, decide how much money the team needs to raise and then set targets based on the number of students. For instance, an event raising $2,000 requires 100 students to sell $20 in tickets.

Use specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based (SMART) goals to create a clear vision of a given outcome, provide a sense of direction, and maintain momentum.

3. Have a kickoff meeting.

Host a kickoff meeting before launching the advertising and asking for student involvement. This kickoff meeting should be energizing and engaging and not feel like a chore. Make it fun by “gamifying” the meeting with Jeopardy-style FAQs, candy prizes for participation, and music.

Important concepts to cover during the kickoff include only selling tickets or products to people the students know, understanding the event’s goals and objectives, and incentives for involvement.

4. Advertise.

The last step to planning before your team gets into the nitty gritty of event logistics is advertising. Cover the “who, what, where, when, and why” of the event in all marketing materials.

Maximize your marketing reach by using all potential marketing methods available to your school – printed flyers, social media, email, morning announcements, letters to parents, etc. Be sure to use consistent branding and messaging for a cohesive marketing campaign. For instance, use your school or team’s colors, fonts, and photos to help supporters recognize the cause.

By implementing these simple fundraiser event ideas for nonprofits, your group can find its way to reaching its financial goals.

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.