10 Foolproof Fundraising Ideas for School Sports

Funding in schools has become essential to support extracurricular, sports, and cultural activities. With limited budgets and growing needs, principals, daycare services, and activity coordinators must be creative to finance their projects.

Good news: there are several simple, proven, and engaging ways to raise funds.

Here are practical school fundraising ideas that are easy to implement and appreciated by both students and parents.

Selling school apparel and accessories is one of the most effective fundraising methods. It combines revenue generation, school pride, and community engagement.

Focus on products that are useful, durable, and appealing to families:

• Hoodies

• Cotton or athletic T-shirts

• Caps and beanies

• Reusable water bottles

• Sports bags

• Stickers or patches

Logistics tip: Unisex items simplify size management, reduce ordering errors, and make restocking easier if you repeat the campaign later in the year.

A strong design makes all the difference. Use:

• The school’s official colors

• A mascot or strong symbol

• A unifying slogan

How to do it practically:

An effective visual can easily be created using accessible tools like Canva. You can also involve a graphic designer parent, an older student, or reuse an existing logo to reduce costs. What matters most is visual consistency—not complexity.

To avoid paper forms and manual follow-ups, centralize everything in an online form that includes:

• Visual preview of each item

• Available sizes

• Price per item

• Order deadline

• Online payment option (e-transfer, Stripe, etc.)

Result: fewer mistakes, fewer emails, and significant time savings.

Pre-orders are a key practice in school fundraising:

• No upfront inventory purchases

• No surplus or unsold items

• Order only what has already been paid for

Financial advantage: This approach eliminates almost all financial risk and makes it easier to obtain approval from the administration or school board.

Turn the sale into a fun activity:

• Team or group challenge

• Class that sells the most wins a reward

• Collective fundraising goal

Why it works: Students become natural ambassadors. They share the initiative with their network, amplifying reach without extra effort from organizers.

Explain why you’re raising funds. For example:

“The hoodie sale will help cover registration fees for the regional tournament.”

Concrete impact: A clear goal reassures parents, justifies the effort requested, and significantly increases participation rates.

A campaign can be repeated:

• Before Christmas (gift ideas)

• In the spring (graduation or limited editions)

• At the end of a sports season

This maximizes revenue without starting from scratch.

Best practice: Keeping the same suppliers and visuals allows you to relaunch quickly without recreating everything.

In addition to merchandise sales, several school fundraising activities remain highly effective.

A classic school fundraiser:

• Simple to organize

• Brings people together

• Strong local visibility

Practical tip: Choose a high-traffic location (school parking lot or partner business) and promote the event in parent Facebook groups and the school newsletter.

Some campaigns remain reliable:

• Chocolate

• Cheese

• Gift cards

Key to success: Clearly state what the money will fund (e.g., transportation, equipment, tournament). Families are more likely to participate when they understand the direct impact.

Example: A local sports team offers tickets.

• Ticket sales or contest

• Visibility for the partner

• Family engagement

Why it’s a win-win: The partner gains exposure, the school limits costs, and families participate in a simple and attractive activity.

The 50/50 draw is very popular at sporting events:

• Half of the funds go to the team

• The other half goes to the winner

• Friendly announcement at halftime or end of game

Organizational tip: Assign one person to handle sales and announce the winner to keep the activity smooth and credible.

Invite a parent, alumnus, or local partner to offer a workshop:

• Mental preparation

• Sports nutrition

• Injury prevention

• Stress management or confidence building

💰 Paid access or voluntary contribution.

How to structure it: A short format (45–60 minutes), held in the evening or on weekends, with online registration, maximizes participation while limiting organizational effort.

Go beyond the traditional team photo:

• Individual or small group mini-sessions

• Action shots during a game

• End-of-season highlight video

Why it works: With a local photographer—or even a passionate parent—and a simple online gallery, parents easily purchase high-emotional-value keepsakes.

Turn collective effort into a fundraising lever:

• Kilometers completed

• Practice attendance

• Global objective (e.g., 1,000 cumulative activity hours)

Educational value: This approach rewards engagement, consistency, and team spirit rather than individual performance.

Offer to collect cans and bottles from neighborhood residents.

Why it’s effective: People dislike returning bottles and cans to the grocery store. Do it for them in exchange for the deposit refund. This method has long proven successful with scout groups—serve your community while filling your fundraising account.

A virtual bingo brings together parents and relatives remotely. Participants pay an entry fee, and partners can offer prizes.

Technical tip: Platforms like BingoMaker or simple videoconferencing tools make it easy to host a friendly event without technical expertise.

Alternative fundraising for schools does not need to be complicated or exhausting. By combining:

• Personalized merchandise sales

• Online pre-orders

• Engaging activities

• Clear and transparent goals

… it is possible to fund an entire season while strengthening the school community’s sense of belonging.

👉 Good organization makes all the difference.