Winter is when most schools choose to hold the bulk of their fundraisers. Meanwhile, summertime means most donors are focusing on their vacations, meaning your school needs to come up with creative ways to fundraise at this time of the year. At LeanStream, however, we believe any time of the year can be used to fundraise successfully.
The summer presents its fair share of unique opportunities. The great weather and abundance of outdoor activities mean you can still develop donation ideas to give your school that healthy stream of donor dollars.
We have put together a list of summer fundraiser ideas to show your community how to mix fun with making a difference. These ideas are appropriate for the summer break and the the back to school season.
Dance Marathon
There is no better time for your supporters to show off their dance moves for a good cause than in the summer. A marathon can last anywhere between 24-48 hours.
Participants pay to dance while donors can chip in and sponsor the dancer’s time and energy. It is also easy to organize.
Benefit Concert
Music and summer are a match made in heaven. Why not turn this into fundraising ideas?
You do not even need big bands. You can approach the local bands and convince them to perform for free or at a reduced fee.
Advertise the event and sell tickets. You can also partner with the local food and drink vendors in this endeavor. You will be able to raise funds for your school while supporting the local businesses/musicians.
Ice Cream Party
This one will be a major hit with children and adults.
All you need to do is pick a location (which can be done in the school park), pick a day (preferably Saturday/Sunday), and make sure it is a hot day.
You will also need volunteers to pass the ice cream and a cool place to store it. All this should be easy to organize.
You can increase the funds raised by partnering with a local ice cream producer.
Do not forget to advertise the event on your social media pages.
Further reading: How to Make Headlines with Your School Fundraisers
Swim a Thon
A summer fundraiser is never complete without a water-related activity. Take advantage of the hot weather and host a swim a thon.
You can use the school or community swimming pool.
Find swimmers who can take pledges for every lap they swim. Alternatively, you can involve the local swimming team.
Make sure the participants know it is for a worthy cause. For example, you could be fundraising to upgrade the school sports ground or to raise funds for the school band’s competitive tour.
You can make the swim-a-thon more fun by dropping weighted, non-glass items at the bottom of the pool and having the teams dive in for a treasure hunt.
Car Wash
This is always a win because of its simplicity.
Have students volunteer to wash cars for members of the community. You can host this in the school’s car park.
Even better, it only needs water, buckets, and shampoo. Community members will be more than willing to participate because they know it is for a good cause.
In any case, they will still need to have their cars washed. You may as well use it as an opportunity to raise funds for your school. You can add extra services like wax or a towel-dry.
Summer Fun Run
Granted, your school can always organize a charity 5K run any time of the year.
However, the fabulous summer weather will no doubt attract more participants.
Popularize the run using flyers, your school website, social media pages, and word of mouth. You can have tiered runs for children, young people, and the community’s older members. Charge a small fee to participate.
It is a chance for people to have fun, keep fit, and raise funds for a worthy cause. A big win for everyone.
Water Balloon Fight
What better way to fundraise in the summer than a water balloon fight? It is an excellent opportunity for people to be outdoors, have fun, cool themselves, and raise money.
This idea is also very easy to pull off and can potentially raise a lot of money for your school. You can charge $1 for each balloon or charge an admission fee for participants.
All you need is a location that will not be damaged by water balloons (the school ground is a perfect venue), a few hundred balloons, and a place to store water. You will also need a few volunteers to oversee the exercise.
You can set up a booth where people can buy school merchandise, bringing you more money. Furthermore, who is to say you can’t organize a series of such events throughout the summer?
A Barbeque Cook-Off
This is a casual event with the potential to bring the community together to spot a cause. A brilliant idea is a barbeque cook-off where all the proceeds from food sales go to your school’s fundraising kitty.
You can improve it by encouraging community members to put their best dishes forward.
Make sure there are diverse food categories to accommodate diverse tastes and preferences. This will help you attract a bigger crowd. You could also invite local chefs to judge the dishes.
Alternatively, you can partner with local butchers, farmers, and restaurants and have them donate in exchange for advertisement and visibility in your barbeque.
One important thing to consider is food safety. Make sure everything, and especially the meat, is of good quality and appropriately preserved.
You may also have the school band perform to make the event livelier.
Do not forget to thank your donors and all participants for their time.
Final Word
All the above are fantastic fundraising ideas for the summer. However, remember you must be well prepared even for the smallest events. Set your goals and determine the budget you will need during your planning process.
Have fun fundraising, and most importantly, all the best!
Ready to see how Lean Stream can partner with you in your fundraising drives? Check out our fundraising solutions.
