20 Christmas Fundraising Ideas for Schools

The holiday season presents a wonderful opportunity for schools to engage their students, parents, and communities in festive fundraising activities. Whether you're looking to raise funds for a specific project or support a charitable cause, these 20 fun Christmas fundraising ideas will add cheer and excitement to your school while spreading holiday joy.

1. Santa's Workshop: Set up a holiday-themed craft fair where students can create and sell handmade ornaments, cards, and gifts.

2. Winter Carnival: Organize a winter carnival with game booths, a hot cocoa station, and festive activities like snowman building contests.

3. Christmas Cookie Exchange: Encourage families to bake and donate batches of their favorite Christmas cookies for sale. Create beautifully packaged cookie assortments for purchase.

4. Ugly Sweater Day: Hold an ugly sweater day where students and teachers wear their most outrageously festive sweaters. Participants can make a small donation to join in the fun.

5. Holiday Movie Night: Host a movie night featuring classic Christmas films. Sell tickets and provide popcorn and refreshments for a cozy evening.

6. Candy Cane Grams: Offer candy cane grams, allowing students to purchase and send personalized messages with attached candy canes to their friends and teachers.

7. Letters to Santa: Set up a booth where children can write letters to Santa. Charge a fee to post the letter to the North Pole, and help Santa respond to each letter.

8. Holiday Concert: Organize a festive concert or talent show featuring students' musical performances and holiday-themed acts. Sell tickets to raise funds.

9. Gift Wrapping Service: Offer a gift wrapping service where parents can have their presents wrapped for a donation. Set up a beautifully decorated wrapping station.

10. Winter Sports Tournament: Organize a holiday-themed sports tournament like a basketball or soccer challenge, complete with teams, jerseys, and concessions for spectators.

11. Christmas Tree Sale: Partner with a local tree farm to sell fresh Christmas trees and wreaths. Ensure a portion of the proceeds goes towards your school's fundraising goal.

12. Elf for a Day: Allow students to bid on the chance to be an honorary elf for a day, assisting teachers or staff with special tasks or activities.

13. Snowball Toss: Create a snowball toss game using soft snowball toys. Participants can pay to play and aim for targets to win prizes.

14. Gingerbread House Competition: Host a gingerbread house decorating contest for students, families, or local businesses. Charge an entry fee and invite the community to vote for their favorites.

15. Reindeer Run: Organize a holiday-themed fun run or walkathon. Participants can collect pledges based on distance covered or make a donation to participate.

16. Christmas Carol Sing-Off: Hold a Christmas carol singing competition among different grade levels or classrooms. Audience members can vote by making a small donation to their favorite performance.

17. Holiday Auction: Collect donations of unique holiday-themed items or experiences and host a silent or live auction event. Encourage bidding to raise funds for your school.

18. Virtual Santa Visits: Arrange virtual visits with Santa for students and their families. Offer time slots for personal chats and photos with Santa for a donation.

19. Sock Drive: Collaborate with Sockable Fundraising to launch a sock drive with festive Christmas-themed socks. Sell the socks to raise funds for your school.

20. Wreath Making: Hold a wreath making class, where students pay a fee to attend and make their own special wreath.

What's your favourite idea?