10 Holiday Fundraising Ideas for Schools

10 Holiday Fundraising Ideas for Schools

Holiday fundraising ideas for schools are seasonal campaigns and events timed to the November through January holiday period that raise money for PTAs, school programs, and student activities. The holiday season is the highest-giving time of year, with families already in a generous mindset and school calendars creating natural gathering moments. According to CharityAuctions.com, holiday school fundraisers that add a mobile silent auction raise an average of 38% more total event revenue than those running only a raffle or bake sale. This guide covers 10 proven holiday fundraising formats plus 6 bonus ideas for PTAs and school committees.

For more school fundraising ideas, see school fundraising ideas.

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1. Sell holiday wreaths

Don't wait for the holidays to start. Enlist volunteers (grandparents are a great asset) to make wreaths for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and even Thanksgiving. Having a variety of holidays can increase your return.

Ask students for craft donations like ribbons and trinkets. Request old, unwanted, or dilapidated wreaths. Volunteers can give them new life. You might also find online suppliers who will drop-ship wreaths directly to customers and give you a small commission.

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2. Sell Christmas trees

Partner with a local tree-grower and borrow a section of a parking lot from a neighborhood business to set up your Christmas tree lot. Publicize the school you support and offer free hot cocoa or hot apple cider to set your lot apart from others in town.

Advertise that all profits go to the school for specific items you need.

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3. Hold a holiday concert

Who doesn't love an evening of happy music? Find a wide variety of performers willing to volunteer: a local jazz band, a well-known singer, your city's symphony orchestra, and a mix of student performances will draw a larger crowd.

Pre-sell discounted tickets and have full-price tickets at the door. Let newspapers and radio stations know for free publicity. Schools are made up of people with varying religious beliefs, so focus on secular songs or include music from each December holiday. The more people you include, the better your rewards. Consider adding a paddle raise or fund-a-need appeal after the final performance while audience energy is highest.

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4. Host a holiday charity dinner

Turkey, ham, and all the trimmings. Ask a local grocer or restaurant to donate items. Many chain stores donate items once a month. Alternatively, host a holiday potluck where everyone brings a dish and pays a small donation to attend. You'll get diverse flavors and avoid turkey fatigue.

Add holiday-themed raffle tickets to liven up the event. Request free passes for holiday events at museums, symphonies, or movie theaters and hand them out as prizes. CharityAuctions.com is silent auction software that lets you run a mobile silent auction or raffle at your holiday dinner at no upfront cost. Use mobile bidding for charity auctions so guests can bid from their phones between courses. Consider sharing leftovers with a local homeless organization.

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5. Plan a jingle bell run/walk

Take your typical charity run or walk and add jingle bells for everyone. Depending on the date, hand out jingle bells, turkey hats, elf ears, Kwanzaa hats, or Hanukkah shirts. Your jingle bell event is sure to spread joy to the community.

Have entrants collect donations and award prizes for those with the highest amounts. When they register, let them know everyone gets a free hat or shirt. Ask them to specify which item so you have plenty on hand. See t-shirt fundraising ideas for how to create event shirts that double as a fundraising revenue stream.

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6. Offer holiday carol grams

Let community members send holiday musical spirit to family and friends while supporting a good cause. You don't have to be a professionally-trained vocalist. If you dress festively and have fun, the recipient is sure to enjoy it.

Offer a short list of songs. They don't have to be traditional. Offer to serenade someone for a birthday, sing an uplifting pop song, or a fun camp song.

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7. Sell holiday ornaments

Twig trees are popular for Easter, Halloween, and Valentine's Day. You can make them with a branch, terra cotta pot, and insulation spray foam. Get grandparents involved to help make trees or create seasonal ornaments.

Several online companies will customize Christmas ornaments for your organization. These limited-edition ornaments raise funds and spirits. Put the year in your design so supporters will want to buy future years' ornaments. You can also sell these in an online auction.

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8. Plan a holiday fun day

Offer a holiday fun childcare day to locals for a small fee. Put together holiday-themed activities and craft stations for kids. Children have holiday fun while parents get child-free holiday shopping time.

Let parents sign up for 2 to 3 hour blocks. Register the IDs of the pickup person. Kids will want to come, and you'll make side cash to help with other events.

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9. Hold a holiday bake sale

Everyone enjoys bake sale goodies. The holidays are no exception. Festively decorated sugar cookies, gingerbread men, spritz cookies, and more fill tummies and hearts with holiday goodness.

Buy or bake. Many schools don't allow homemade food. Buy in bulk and separate into decorated goodie bags. Ask big box stores to donate cookies, cupcakes, muffins, or brownies. If making your own, consider a contest to see who sells the most (prize: bottle of wine or gift card to a local shop).

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10. Holiday window painting

Local businesses love to have their store windows decorated for the holidays. From holiday sayings to full winter scenes, business owners can support your charity and make their stores more festive at the same time.

Find window painting supplies and festive stickers online. Offer several options and enlist creative students to help.

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6 bonus holiday school fundraising ideas

• Sell greeting cards the kids design themselves
• Gift-wrapping station: Ask the perfectionists in the PTA to run it
• Ugly sweater contest: In person or virtually (pro tip: allow people to pay for more votes)
• Wreath and Christmas tree pickup: Offer pickup after the holidays (can pair with your tree sale)
• Holiday lights or decor tour: Map of local houses with magnificent outdoor displays, plus a playlist and a bit about each house/family
• Holiday-themed scavenger hunt

Planning to run an auction alongside your holiday event? See how CharityAuctions compares to other platforms schools commonly use: CharityAuctions vs ClickBid, CharityAuctions vs Bonterra, and CharityAuctions vs BiddingForGood. Or contact our support team to get help setting up your holiday school auction.

According to CharityAuctions.com platform data:

• Holiday school fundraisers that add a mobile silent auction raise an average of 38% more total event revenue than those running only a raffle or bake sale
• Schools that run a holiday online auction alongside their year-end giving campaign raise an average of 28% more than those running a donation appeal alone
• Holiday event shirts and ornaments offered as donor recognition gifts at the $50 or more giving level see an average of 32% higher donor retention at subsequent events
• CharityAuctions.com has helped 50,000+ schools and nonprofits run holiday fundraising events since 2007

See charity auction ROI benchmarks for full data on what school holiday fundraising events raise.

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Holiday fundraiser planning timeline

See how to plan your charity auction for a full planning checklist you can adapt for school holiday events.

Need help setting up your holiday school auction or raffle? Contact our support team for a free consultation on platform setup and event strategy.

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More resources

• Seasonal fundraising ideas: Holiday donation drives, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Giving Tuesday
• School fundraising ideas: Comprehensive guide: bake sales, read-a-thons, auctions, and more
• Fall festival ideas for schools: Pumpkin patch, carnival games, harvest raffle
• End-of-year giving guide: Year-end campaign tips and templates
• How to run a raffle fundraiser: Formats and legal requirements
• Create your auction: No credit card required

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This guide is maintained by CharityAuctions. For auction item ideas, see silent auction item ideas list. Questions? Talk to our team.