Top 6 Profitable PTO Fundraising Ideas for Busy Parents

Fundraising is a critical component of parent-teacher organization (PTO) operations, but many PTOs struggle to engage their communities and secure the funding they need. Every year, PTOs host events to raise money for their school and students. But fundraising requires participation, and some schools struggle to engage busy parents in traditional fundraising ideas. 

We're here to help you modernize your PTO's fundraising events and give you the secrets to maximize the number of donations you can collect for your school. To get started, we’ll explore the top fundraising tools to consider before launching your campaign.

Effective Tools for PTO Fundraising

Exciting fundraising ideas will do a lot to engage your supporters and motivate them to attend your events or donate to a campaign. However, using the right technology is equally important.

Effective fundraising tools make campaigns run more smoothly, offer great giving experiences, and reduce strain on your team of parent and teacher volunteers by automating repetitive tasks. Some tools to consider include:

• Auction software: Auctions involve many moving parts, and you’ll need specialized auction software to manage all of them. Choose a platform that offers mobile bidding, ticketing, event check-in, and reporting tools. You’ll be able to offer seamless, interactive experiences to bidders, gather in-depth analytics, and facilitate events in any format (i.e., virtual, in-person, and hybrid).
• Peer-to-peer platforms: During a peer-to-peer fundraiser, your supporters will fundraise on behalf of your PTO. Add structure to these campaigns by choosing fundraising software that allows participants to create individual donation pages they can customize with details about why they are raising money for your organization. Then, their friends and family can donate to the individual’s page, and the funds will be routed to your PTO when the campaign ends.
• Online stores: Many PTOs sell branded school spirit merchandise to raise money, but using outdated paper forms to manage these campaigns can lead to mistakes and hours spent poring over order forms. Instead, choose a free, customizable online store. Add your PTO’s name, logo, a description of your mission, and why you’re raising money. Then, create listings for each product, complete with a price, photo, and product description.
• Marketing tools: Your fundraiser’s success is driven by supporter participation. Amplify your campaign and reach more potential donors with email and SMS marketing platforms. Look for solutions that allow you to set up automated flows (e.g., thank-you and donation receipt emails that trigger after a supporter donates) and target tailored messages to specific audience segments.

Using fundraising tools will also help you track data, which you can then use to optimize your resources and strategies for future campaigns. For example, track which items from your online store are bestsellers and be sure to stock them again. Or, measure bidder participation in your auction and develop ways to drive more engagement at the next event.

6 Exciting PTO Fundraising Ideas

1. School Auctions

A school auction can be a lot of fun, and it’s one of the most successful ways to raise money for your PTO. However, obtaining auction items can be a cost-prohibitive blocker that keeps PTOs from holding these events. Work around this limitation by offering great auctionable items or experiences that cost your school absolutely nothing, such as:

• Teacher-led experiences: Offer exclusive, teacher-led experiences that parents can bid on on behalf of their students (e.g., Bowling with Mr. Smith or Gardening with Mrs. Brown). Aim for a healthy mix of “fun” and “educational” with these experiences.  
• School experiences: Develop and auction off desirable experiences for students and parents. Some ideas include being principal for a day, delivering the morning announcements, pulling the fire alarm for the next fire drill, reserving a parking spot for a week, having a front-of-the-line carpool spot for an entire school year, etc.
• Class baskets: Have each student bring in donations of $10 to $20. For a class of 20 students, that adds up to $200 to $400. The teacher can then choose a theme and create a basket of items using the funds. For instance, they might create a “Mom’s At-Home Spa Day” basket complete with slippers, a robe, aromatherapy bath bombs, lotion, face masks, and a box of premium chocolates.

Additionally, you can extend your auction to more supporters by using a mobile bidding platform. These platforms let donors participate in fundraisers from anywhere as long as they have a mobile device and an internet connection. They also give your guests more time to bid by opening your auction early, and can boost engagement by turning bidding into a game. For example, lower bidding increments and send bidders real-time push notifications alerting them when they are outbid.

Mobile bidding is also incredibly cost-efficient—set-up costs tend to run only about 7 to 10%. Handbid offers a chart-topping mobile bidding platform that allows you to prepare, manage, and analyze your charity auction with ease—learn more about this feature!

2. Branded Merchandise Sale

Another profitable idea for PTOs is selling custom merchandise featuring your school’s branding. Donors will get excited about having a tangible item they can wear to show their support for your school, whether at a sporting event or while running their regular errands.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how these fundraisers work:

1. Choose a fundraising partner. Work with a service to print the custom designs on the merchandise. For busy PTO members, consider a provider that will handle everything from printing to customer service to shipping orders.
2. Design the merchandise. Create a custom design using your school’s brand colors, logos, and mascot. Consult with school leadership to ensure you’re following usage guidelines for the logo (e.g., some schools don’t allow any changes to the official logo).
3. Launch your campaign. Next, you’ll need to develop a way to organize and sell your merchandise. While you can use traditional methods like sending paper order forms home with students, it’s better to take a modern approach. Set up an online store for your school that lists all the items you have to offer, allowing supporters to buy the products at any time.
4. Promote the fundraiser. Share links to your online store or campaign landing page via social media, text, or email. Additionally, you could hang promo posters around the school or have the principal highlight the campaign during daily announcements.
5. Track sales and receive funding. Remember to track sales along the way and make any necessary adjustments to reach your goal. Once your campaign ends, you’ll receive the profits from your fundraising partner.

While t-shirt fundraisers are very common, don’t feel limited to selling just t-shirts. Branch out to other types of apparel like long-sleeved shirts or sweatshirts, and consider accessories like tote bags or water bottles that supporters can use every day.

3. Parents' Party

You already know that busy parents need a night off. There are a couple of ways you can create an event where parents can simply relax with other adults, but we recommend asking a local restaurant or venue to partner with your PTO for a night. By booking out the restaurant or venue, you are guaranteeing business for the restaurant. In turn, your PTO will receive a percentage of the night's earnings.
This idea can give you a chance to get to know parents in a different light. You can add some excitement to the night by having well-known school administrators give speeches or asking teachers to speak about the school and the importance of the PTO. Not only will this event inspire your guests to donate, but you may be able to motivate a few of them to join your PTO!

4. Father-Daughter Dance

Encourage dads to engage with your PTO by hosting a Father-Daughter Dance. 

Your dance doesn't have to be fancy. Host it at the school, pick a theme, and invite the Dads and Daughters. You have several revenue opportunities beyond ticket sales, including a silent auction and raffles. If you create enough great items or baskets that the girls will fall in love with, dads will be motivated to bid on them (and support your organization, of course!).

5. Mother-Son Kickball Tournament

If you have a Father-Daughter Dance, why not do the opposite for the moms and sons?  Rev up the boys' competitive juices and create a fundraiser and bonding experience for moms and their sons. 

A kickball tournament should cost very little. Get the dads or volunteers to umpire, set up tournament brackets by grade or age group, and let the contest get underway. Prepare a trophy or some kind of award for the winner of each class in your competition. They'll need something tangible to accompany their bragging rights!

6. Carnival

At first glance, a carnival seems like a lot of time, effort, and expense. But it can be quite simple if you nail down a game plan early on. Plus, who doesn't love a carnival?

To pull off a fun, revenue-generating carnival, your PTO will need to meet and discuss the theme, safety planning, food, and staff allocation. Once you and your team have a theme locked, create small committees to handle the rest. 

Put these committees in charge of safety (insurance, security, etc.), recruiting volunteers (e.g., handling ticketing, running carnival games, DJing, clean-up, food vendors, etc.), and booking the entertainment. If you can, seek out volunteer entertainers from your PTO, school, or community. For instance, your school’s art teacher could paint faces, and your gym coach could manage athletic carnival games.

With these fundraising platforms and exciting ideas, your PTO can launch successful fundraising campaigns that your community wants to participate in. As you plan your campaign, remember to consider student and parent preferences, choosing ideas they’re excited about. Additionally, look for ways to motivate sustained support, whether that’s spreading awareness of your school or PTO with branded merchandise or inspiring more parents to join your organization.

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