School & Class Fundraising Ideas That Make a Difference

Put on your aprons and get baking to help change children's lives. A school bake sale works brilliantly as a lunchtime event or after-school treat - charge per item or offer a tasting plate for a set donation. A Great British Bake Off-style competition between classes or year groups always goes down well and gets the whole school talking. Head to our bake sale page for tips, posters and everything you need to make it a success.

Pupils draw or paint a design, and a local printer or online service turns the artwork into a tea towel or keepsake that families can buy. It makes a lovely gift, and every child sees their work help others.

Give groups of five children a £5 budget and challenge them to turn it into as much as possible through their own mini-fundraising projects - selling things they've made, organising their own events, or finding creative ways to grow their money. Everything they raise above the £5 gets donated. It teaches entrepreneurship, teamwork and creative thinking while raising real money for children around the world.

Turn a summer or winter fair into a fundraiser, with stalls, games and bake sales run by pupils, parents and teachers. It is a great fundraising idea because everyone can join in, from the youngest pupils to grandparents.

Bring families and teachers together for a quiz night. Teams pay to enter, pupils can write and host the rounds, and a raffle or bake stall can raise a little more. Our quiz night guide has everything you need.

The perfect way to handle your most enthusiastic chatterers - and surprisingly popular with pupils who enjoy the challenge. Ask friends and family to sponsor them for an hour (or more) of silence, or combine it with another activity like reading or drawing. Works brilliantly for younger year groups and can be run within a single lesson or across a whole morning.

Ask pupils to donate for the chance to guess the name of a class teddy bear - or gather everyone's baby photos and challenge them to guess who's who. No budget required, takes five minutes to set up, and works brilliantly as a form group or assembly activity. The simpler the idea, the more people get involved.

Ask pupils and families to bring in books, toys and games they have outgrown, then sell them for a small price at break time or after school. It clears out cupboards and raises money at the same time.

Challenge your students to swim a set number of lengths as a relay team within a given time, collecting sponsorship from family and friends for every length completed. It encourages teamwork, physical activity, and a sense of achievement - and it's one of the fundraising ideas that works equally well for primary and secondary schools.

Pupils collect sponsorship for dancing as many songs, or as many minutes, as they can. Try a dance-a-thon in the hall, or a class routine to perform for families.

Pupils are sponsored for the number of books or pages they read over a few weeks. It builds a reading habit and raises money at the same time.

Pupils design their own school Christmas cards and winter crafts to sell to families, staff and neighbours. Christmas cards for schools make a lovely keepsake, and every card sold helps children who need support. Put them on sale early in the term.

Try an egg-and-spoon race, an egg-decorating competition or a sponsored Easter egg hunt, with pupils paying a small amount to take part.

Hold a costume day or a spooky bake sale, and ask pupils to donate to join in.