PTO Fundraising Ideas

Parent Teacher Organizations, or PTO’s, are independent groups, usually organized for the benefit of one particular school and often hold fundraising events to help make improvements to school facilities or equipment. They also May have a fundraiser for field trips, special events or to help out a student in need or other local charity.

One of the biggest decisions is often deciding what type of fundraiser to do. In Wakefield, MA, two parents lent their talents as stand-up comedians to the “Laugh at Ourselves” fundraiser for the Greenwood PTO. And in Melrose, MA, The Roosevelt Elementary School PTO hosted an all-levels dynamic strength and conditioning exercise class fundraiser to support the modernization of the school’s playground. Fundraisers by other PTOs include kiss the cow, teacher torture, dinners, raffles, concerts, restaurant nights, yard sales, product sales, talent shows, game nights, bake sales, and thons.

Check out our complete list of fundraising products and do-it-yourself fundraising ideas for your next PTO fundraiser.

You can also choose from a wide variety of PTO DIY fundraising ideas to supplement your program. How about 50/50 Raffle, Cookie Sale, Restaurant Take Over, Grocery Bagger, or thons of every type? Perhaps one of these successful and creative ideas can be adapted for your PTO fundraiser.

Rock-a-Thon – Our youth group did a Rock A Thon fundraiser. Each student asked for pledges from friends, family and neighbors to see how long they could rock in a rocking chair & playing video games. The kids had to bring their own rocking chairs or gaming chairs that rocked. They also were allowed to bring their own non-violent video games and systems to play. The school supplied the TV’s and electoral cords. Read more…

Super Bowl Sub Sale – The Greenfield, Ohio, Mothers’ Club, each year sponsors a Super Bowl Sub Sale fundraising event. On Super Bowl Sunday, submarine sandwiches (3 kinds of sliced meat, 3 kinds of cheese, shredded lettuce, peppers, onions, and dressing on a hoagie bun) are mass-produced in an assembly line fashion. Read more…

Good Grades – For our group, we do a fundraiser based on each child’s report card. Band members get pledges for A’s & B’s they receive with the proceeds going to our school band. This is an incentive for the kids to make the best possible grades, and at the same time they are earning money for the group. Read more…