25 Unique And Creative Fundraising Ideas For Kids

Teaching kids to raise funds for a good cause can make them socially responsible citizens.

Written by Nisha Bharatan
Last Updated on

Sowing the seeds of compassion in children at an early age provides a strong foundation for helping them grow into better community members. Fundraising ideas for kids are an excellent way to encourage your child and their friends to raise money for a good cause.

The first step in teaching your children kindness is pique their interest in a worthy cause. It can also help children empathize with others and teach them the value of helping the needy. As a result, they will become more generous, compassionate, and empathic.

In other words, by doing so, you’re preparing the future generation to be capable of caring for those around them. This post offers various fundraising ideas that you can try with your kids.

25 Fundraising Ideas For Kids

You could do several things to help your children know the importance of being charitable. Check out this long list of cool fundraising ideas for kids that are fun and easy to put into effect.

1. Donate or sell old toys

Donate or sell old toys as a fundraising idea for kids
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Make your children go through their old toys and donate some of them. They can even sell those toys in a garden sale and make money for the cause they support.

2. Ask for donations instead of gifts

Ask for donations instead of gifts as a fundraising idea for kids
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On your child’s birthday or special occasions, ask your child to let their friends and relatives donate for a charity instead of giving gifts.

3. Host a craft sale

Host a craft sale as a fundraising idea for kids
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Homemade crafts add a special touch to the living room. From beaded necklaces to wall hangings, you could lay out attractive craft items for everyone. Children can arrange all such crafts and invite the community to attend the sale. They will feel good to know that their hard work benefits a good cause.

4. Host a dog wash

Host a dog wash as a fundraising idea for kids
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Identify the houses in your neighborhood with dogs, and ask your child to invite the neighbors on the weekend for a dog-washing event. They can also advertise it through posters and social media. This is a great fundraiser idea where everyone will enjoy, even their furry friends.

5. Host a spelling bee event

Host a spelling bee event as a fundraising idea for kids
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This is a fundraiser for learning and giving back. Host a spelling bee event for both children and adults and charge a fee for the participants and spectators. Give the participants enough time and notice to prepare well for the competition, and make the event exciting and memorable.

6. Organize a scavenger hunt

Organize a scavenger hunt as a fundraising idea for kids
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This is an exciting fundraising idea that is full of suspense. Children can participate by paying a certain amount of fee. Younger children can search for common items such as a ball, pencil, or a specific book, whereas the elder ones can solve some brain teasers or puzzles within a given time frame.

7. Collect spare change

Collect spare change as a fundraising idea for kids
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Get your children to host a drive for spare change. It is an excellent idea for raising funds wherein adults can donate a small amount of the spare changes they have, which will mean much for the children. Give your child an empty jar and let them reach out to their grandparents, neighbors, teachers, or kind neighbors to contribute their spare changes for the noble cause.

8. Host a pizza party

Host a pizza party as a fundraising idea for kids
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Help your child arrange a pizza party in the school or community and sell the slices to the students or people of your community. Your child can take the help of the pizza store of your locality—they may be willing to donate pizzas or offer them at a lower rate to support the cause.

9. Guess the jelly beans

Guess the jelly beans as a fundraising idea for kids
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Arrange for an empty jar, a box for dropping the guesses, and jelly beans. Fill the jar with jelly beans and let the children guess the number of jelly beans in the jar. Each child has to make a guess by paying a small fee. The child with the correct guess will win the jar full of jelly beans, and the collected amount will be used for charity.

10. Organize a walkathon

Organize a walkathon as a fundraising idea for kids
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A walkathon is an excellent fundraising idea as it includes many people. You can organize a themed walkathon to make your children more excited. A Halloween- or pajama-themed walkathon could be a great idea where children will get the chance of dressing in their best outfit or comfy pajamas while walking the neighborhood. Ensure every child and parent contributes money for participation.

11. Decorate cupcakes

Decorate cupcakes as a fundraising idea for kids
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Get some cupcakes, creams, and decorating items, and organize a competition for your children and their friends. After completing the task, let the children sell the cupcakes to their friends, family, and neighbors and make them vote for the best sweet treats. If you want to reach a wider audience, post pictures of the cupcakes on social media.

12. Say bingo

Play Bingo as a fundraising idea for kids
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Children always have fun while playing for a noble cause, no matter how long the game. Let your child arrange Bingo cards for their friends and charge some amount for each card. As for the awards, arrange some gift items, snacks, or toys.

13. Organize a talent show

Organize a talent show as a fundraising idea for kids
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Give your children a chance to bring out their hidden talents by organizing a talent show where they can sing, dance, act, or tell jokes. Sell tickets to your family members, friends, and neighbors to come and attend the show and be a part of the noble cause.

14. Set up a lemonade stand

Set up a lemonade stand as a fundraising idea for kids
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This is one of the easiest ways for children to raise funds. Help your children and their friends in setting up a lemonade stand on the lawn and ask them to sell lemonade to the passersby in your neighborhood.

15. Lend a helping hand

Lend a helping hand fundraising idea for kids
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Let your children lend a helping hand to the elderly neighbors who need help raking leaves or shoveling the driveway. Make flyers and mention the charges.

16. Sell old books

Sell old books as a fundraising idea for kids
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There could be several books on your bookshelves that you have already read. Use the old books for a good cause. Let your children conduct an old book sale in your locality. Your child could also rope in their friends and ask them to donate books for sale. Thus, by selling the old books, they can raise money for a charity.

17. Sleep for fun

Sleep for fun fundraising idea for kids
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Here’s an amazing fundraising idea that requires no effort. Children are required to watch movies, hang out with friends, and sleep over while at school. The school sleepover activity allows children to bring their pillows and sleeping bags to spend the night there. Each student needs to pay some fee for participating in this sleeping activity, and the collected money can be used for charity.

18. Organize a clean-up event

Organize a clean-up event as a fundraising idea for kids
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Organizing a cleaning event in your community will be a great opportunity for children to learn to keep the environment clean. Ask the neighbors to support the clean-up event, and donate some amount for the children’s noble cause.

19. Organize a balloon raffle

Organize a balloon raffle as a fundraising idea for kids
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Let your child organize a balloon raffle for their friends. All they need to arrange are balloons, raffle tickets, and prizes. Put the raffle tickets inside the balloons and make each person purchase them by paying a certain amount. At the end of the event, your child could draw the winning ticket number and give the winner a prize.

20. Organize a multicultural fair

Organize a multicultural fair as a fundraising idea for kids
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Selling cultural products at an event is a great fundraising idea. This can be done at school or local community center where children of different cultural backgrounds can bring a dish or item and sell them to raise funds. They can also perform traditional dances and wear clothing to celebrate their cultural diversity.

21. Hold your peace

Here, the participants have to sit silently for a long time and get sponsored by people who fail to complete the task. This competition can be extremely challenging for the chatterboxes.

22. Offer gift-wrapping services

Offer gift-wrapping services as a fundraising idea for kids
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Another easy way for children to raise money is by offering gift-wrapping services to people in the neighborhood. To get more funds, set up a stall in the community with a flyer mentioning the cause of the service. People will come willing to support and donate to your child’s noble cause.

23. Sell flowers

Sell flowers as a fundraising idea for kids
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During the warmer months, children can choose this idea as everyone would like to brighten their rooms with flowers. Selling flowers in the community is a quick way to raise money. You can talk to a florist about your child’s noble cause, and they’d be happy to give your child a discount.

24. Carve pumpkins

Carve pumpkins as a fundraising idea for kids
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Let your child host a pumpkin carving party in your community and keep an admission fee for the participants. Also, they can sell the carved Halloween pumpkins to get more funds. Be sure to have food and refreshments on sale. This party will not only let children and families enjoy but also bring them closer.

25. Organize Olympic games

Let your child organize a sports competition to raise money for a noble cause. They can plan several outdoor games for children of all ages. To invite more participants, promote the event on social media. Let them charge an admission fee for the participants and get medals and prizes for the winners.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What do kids learn from fundraising?

Participating in fundraising activities can teach the child communication skills, the importance of setting goals and working towards achieving them, practicing calculation and mathematical skills, learning teamwork, etc.

2. What are the cons of fundraising?

Fundraising may require many volunteers and a lot of selling, the highest donations may go to unique stories, and fundraisers may sometimes lead to unnecessary purchases. Children may not have a card swiping machine, and collecting the targeted amount of money is difficult.

Fundraising for a good cause can help children learn the value of money and how to use it carefully from an early age. They also learn to work in a team and plan various ways to support projects financially. In addition, raising money for a good cause, such as for children who cannot afford to go to school, could encourage your child to empathize with fellow beings. Participating in fundraising activities could also empower children and improve their confidence, morality, and leadership qualities.

Key Pointers

  • Asking for donations instead of gifts, donating or selling toys, hosting craft sales, or hosting a dog wash are some of the easy fundraising ideas for children.
  • They can also raise funds by hosting a pizza party, collecting spare changes, and hosting paid games like guessing jelly beans.
  • Talent shows, cupcake decorations, walkathons, selling old books, and rendering help can also help them earn some money.

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