Fundraising ideas for high schools
Senior students can run a lot themselves: ball committees, sports tours and cultural trips raise money with quiz nights, sizzles, car washes and sponsorship.
An optional trip genuinely outside the curriculum can carry a charge; the curriculum itself can’t. Check how your school treats the trip before you set a target.
Best return for your time
- Class 4 gaming trust grants (NZCT, Lion Foundation, Pub Charity, Aotearoa Gaming Trust, Four Winds and others)$526/hrtypically $5,000 per grantGrants from pokie-machine proceeds for equipment, uniforms, travel and running costs of community groups.A few evenings’ work, No permit, 1–2 people
- Mufti (non-uniform) day for a gold coin$167/hrtypically $500 per eventStudents swap uniform for their own clothes for a day and bring a gold coin, for a charity or a school cause.An afternoon’s work, No permit, 1–2 people
- Second-hand uniform and sports gear sale$167/hrtypically $500 per eventCollect outgrown uniforms, boots and kit and resell them to families at low prices.An afternoon’s work, No permit, 3–6 helpers
- School camp fund$167/hrtypically $5,000 per campaignClose the gap between what a curriculum camp costs and what families can give: a voluntary camp donation, targeted fundraisers, grants and a quiet hardship pool so no child misses out.Weeks of part-time work, No permit, 3–6 helpers
- Pie fundraiser$160/hrtypically $1,440 per campaignTake orders for frozen family or single pies from a bakery that delivers on one day.A few evenings’ work, No permit, 3–6 helpers
- School production or show: tickets, programme ads, interval food$133/hrtypically $4,000 per eventSell tickets to the school production or musical, with programme ads, interval food and drinks, and a raffle to lift the take.Weeks of part-time work, Raffle rules apply, 16–40 helpers
- Silent auction$125/hrtypically $5,000 per eventItems displayed with bid sheets or a phone app; guests write bids during an event and the highest bid at close wins.Weeks of part-time work, No permit, 3–6 helpers
- Raffle on the night (quiz night, gala, prizegiving)$100/hrtypically $700 per eventTickets sold through an event and drawn at the end, with the prizes on display.A few evenings’ work, Raffle rules apply, 3–6 helpers
Something different
Less common ideas that stand out because people haven’t seen them ten times already.
- Gala dinner or charity ball · typically $60,000 · big charities do it; small groups rarely try
- Restaurant fundraising dinner · typically $15,000 · a treat night that most groups haven't tried
- Comedy night · typically $4,000 · less common, so it gets attention
- Grocery grab / trolley dash raffle · typically $4,000 · a trolley dash prize feels fresh and exciting
- Wine, beer or whisky tasting evening · typically $3,000 · an adult night out that feels a bit special
- Sponsored tree-planting day · typically $2,000 · sponsoring trees is a newer, eye-catching idea
* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide