Lean Stream

Kids Successfully Raising Money for their school

Raising money for a school is tough. Deciding what to sell that will excite people enough for them to buy is even tougher.

This is precisely why you searched “what can I sell to raise money for my school.” 

To help you figure out the best items, we have compiled a list of things people want or are already buying. These are easily sellable items, and you will easily overcome the buyer’s initial resistance and help you reach your fundraising objectives.

Fruit

Fresh fruits are a win for everyone and have been used by many schools to raise funds successfully. Granted, they don’t have the most significant profit margins, but fruits have relatively high price points meaning each sale can return an excellent net profit. The trick is selling as many fruits as possible. 

Trash Bags

I know what you’re thinking. This sounds crazy, but look at it this way; everyone needs trash bags. How about selling them and raising money for a good cause? You can partner with a wholesaler instead of using a distributor. Make sure you know what to look out for in terms of quality.

T-shirts

What’s better than a well-designed t-shirt? We’ll wait. 

Selling t-shirts is a perfect way to raise funds for your school. All you need is a platform that doesn’t charge upfront. There are several sites that will allow you to collect orders before committing to an order. LeanStream’s online fundraising software also allows you to collect orders, and best of all, all fundraising and e-commerce features are included with your subscription.

Parents and community members can’t possibly have enough of their local school’s swag, especially for a good cause. 

You can also use the t-shirts to feature your school, so you’ll benefit monetarily as well as create awareness for your organization. Make sure the t-shirts embody the school’s spirit and mission.

You can make things more fun by making it a t-shirt design contest. Take entries from different school departments like sports and have small prizes for the best-designed t-shirts. This contest can jazz things up while helping you achieve your fundraising goals.

Shoes

You can collect gently worn/used shoes from well-wishers (students, family, friends, and community members) and send them to a company like Funds2Orgs. They will take all your shoes and send you funds within 48 hours. 

The money you receive will depend on the weight of your shoe shipment. It is a unique idea that will give back to the less fortunate while also making money for your school. Win-win.

Cookie Dough

No one hates the taste of soft, freshly baked cookies. However, few people have the time (or skills) to make the cookies.

That’s where your school comes in.

You can quickly start a cookie dough fundraiser by collaborating with a cookie dough fundraising company. They will help you to sell a range of cookies that will be an instant hit with supporters. 

From there, you can ask students, parents, friends, and staff to support the drive by buying their favorite cookies. You may even hold a Bake and Taste event at school where donors can taste their favorite cookies before buying. It will be a chance for your supporters to connect with your team and learn firsthand what the fundraiser is all about.

Chocolate Bars

Everyone loves the sweet taste of chocolate bars. They are also some of the easiest and most profitable things to sell. For context, you can buy many dozens and sell by piece and effortlessly make $1 per piece. They can also be sold at any school.

Bonus tip: look for variety (caramel, milk chocolate, almonds, dark chocolate, etc.) and train your volunteers how to sell and politely ask for a donation in exchange for the chocolate.

Scratch Cards

A scratch card is pretty self-explanatory. It is a piece of cardstock with a covering that can be scratched off. The buyer has to scratch two spots on the card, revealing a corresponding dollar amount that the ‘winner’ has to contribute (typically $0.50 and $3.00). Think about it as playing the lottery but for a good cause.

People of all ages can participate in this kind of fundraiser. You can also sell the cards any time of the year.

Lollipops/Candygrams

Lollipops are inexpensive and easy to sell and can also be sold at any time of the year. 

There are plenty of companies that sell them wholesale to schools and other nonprofits. 

Because they are very affordable, lollipops are a great way of raising funds with a good return on investment. You can easily make a 50% profit by buying a piece at $0.50 and selling it at $1.00. 

As a bonus, they come in different colors, shapes, and sizes, meaning they will satisfy the diverse needs of your supporters. We can guarantee there won’t be a shortage of people interested in buying a $1 treat. 

Pizza

Pizza is every American’s favorite food. Selling pizza would therefore be a great opportunity to raise funds while serving the masses. You can partner with local pizza places or chains like Little Caesar who will work with you along the way and ensure you get your profits. 

There are many ways of popularizing your fundraiser including on social media, school website, and sporting events. 

Calendars

Calendar FundraiserCalendars are a great way to raise money for your school. After all, everyone needs a calendar. Plenty of fundraising companies will allow you to customize the calendars, and you can share photos of past projects that have been completed through fundraisers and create some good memories. A customized calendar will also keep your school in your donors’ minds every time they flip the pages. This is inevitable as they need to keep track of their schedules. You can further boost your profits by selling ad spaces to local businesses. Needless to say, the best time to sell calendars would be at the start of the year. Bonus tip: offer to deliver the calendars to your supporters’ homes to entice them further to buy.

Final Word

Hopefully, the above ideas will inspire you to plan a booming drive to bring much-needed money to your school. 

Luckily, you are not alone in this. LeanStream is here to help. We have numerous fundraising solutions to ensure nothing is holding you back.