5 Student Council Fundraising Ideas Schools Should Consider

How To Empower Your Students to Raise Money for Your School.

The students elected for your school’s student council are often gifted and motivated. They help solve social problems and keep students engaged, entertained, and networking with one another by hosting events. Why not let them take it further and earn the funds they need? With a bit of help from you, your students can launch their fundraiser to fund the needs of their group.

What Is Student Council Fundraising?

A student council is a group of students elected by their peers to address the concerns of their student body and organize school activities and events. Student council fundraising also benefits students by allowing them to develop new skills while taking control of their educational experience.

Student council fundraising is imperative. Funds help implement solutions to problems and plan student activities and events. The more funding available to the student council, the more significant the possible impact. Successful fundraising will also lead to a confidence boost for the students involved.

Student Council Fundraising Ideas

There is a myriad of ways to raise money for the student council. We’ve listed five of our ideas below. Feel free to get creative- use our ideas as inspiration to discover the best way to raise funds for your school’s student council.

1. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Students can organize a peer-to-peer fundraising page. The student council can work together to create a fundraising story and formulate the ‘ask’. They then upload this to the fundraising page and encourage their student body to participate in raising funds.

2. Sell Gifts and Other Goods

Product fundraisers are the tried-and-true go-to in the school fundraising world. This is because they work. There is a wide variety of products to choose from, meaning there is something to target every type of donor. These fundraisers also benefit from being run simultaneously online and in-person.

Book Sale or Read-a-Thon

Encourage students to read for fun! One way to do this is to host a read-a-thon. This can be an event or an ongoing contest. Another way to do this is to host a book sale. Students can donate old books and, in turn, be inspired to read new books, which can be purchased at prices accessible to your students.

4. School Spirit Sale

Sell school merchandise to raise funds. Students, parents, alums, community members, and major donors are all possible buyers. Sell mugs, t-shirts, key chains, bumper stickers, coasters, and more with your school’s name, colors, logo, and mascot.

5. Go Digital

Take your fundraiser online to expand your market reach. Your students will love the easy accessibility, and parents will appreciate the flexibility an online fundraiser offers. Events, contests, classes, or direct donation pages are all options.

Student Council Fundraising FAQs

Below are some common questions regarding student council fundraising.

How Often Should Student Council Fundraise?

This depends on the needs of your student council and their level of need. Some student council groups are more active than others, facing different scenarios and differing fundraising requirements. We recommend that the student council fundraises at least once per year. Older students and active groups may consider fundraising multiple times throughout the school year and summer.

Can Student Council Incentivize Their Peers to Participate in School Fundraising?

Yes! The student council can host an assembly to share the need and ask for participation. They may pass out letters or send emails. They can incentivize students by offering prizes or a school-wide reward such as a no-homework day or an event. There are many ways to get excited about fundraising, and it will be a great learning opportunity for your student council to figure out the best way to motivate their peers.

How Involved Should Faculty Be in Student Council Fundraising?

This is a delicate balance and will depend on your particular group of students. Faculty should be available to offer guidance and, at a minimum, should review student plans before launching and assist in evaluating success after the fundraiser is complete.

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.