Fundraising
- Healthy Fundraising = Healthy Profits!
(Fact sheet: PDF 861KB, 3 pages) - Physical Activity Ideas
- Delicious Food Ideas
- More Great Idea (Non-Food Items)
Here are some ways to help put the “FUN” back in fundraising! These creative ideas may also align with the School Food and Beverage Policy.
Fundraisers that use healthy food options and physical activities to raise money help demonstrate a school's commitment to promoting healthy behaviours. Events that involve the community - such as car washes - may also strengthen bonds and relationships within the school community.
Physical Activity Ideas*
- Amazing Race
- Basketball competition
- Bike-a-thon
- Fun run
- Hula-hoop competition
- Skip-a-thon (individuals/teams)
- Treasure hunt/scavenger hunt
- Walk-a-thon
- Aerobics marathon (recruit parents, students, teams, etc.)
- Bowling night/skating night
- Dances
- Fun Fair/BBQ
- Garage sale (rent tables to families)
- Golf tournament
- Movie night
- Sports game (students vs. teachers, parents, Police or Fire department)
- Quiz night/game night
- Car wash (pre-sell tickets as gifts)
- Holiday gift wrapping (by students)
- Jump rope/sports game for charity
- Rent-a-helper (rake leaves, water gardens, mow lawns, etc.)
- Charity run/walk
*Adapted from: Healthy Fundraising: Promoting a Healthy School Environment. Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Health and Nutrition Services and Child/Family/School Partnerships. Accessed online: November 25, 2005
Wharf Higgins, Joan & Lauzon, Lara. Finding the funds in fun runs: Exploring physical activity events as fundraising tools in the nonprofit sector. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing. Volume 8, Number 4. Accessed online: November 25, 2005.
Delicious Food Ideas
- Family spaghetti or BBQ dinner hosted by school or council
- Multi-cultural Festival with sample booths
- Various food and beverage sales - see below:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Peel Public Health does not endorse these products and companies in any way. None of these products have been tested or checked by Peel Public Health to see if they are compliant with the School Food and Beverage Policy. They are offered as potential alternatives to chocolate and dessert-style fundraisers only. Anyone considering use of these products and/or companies should directly ask the companies for confirmation of compliance with the policy before proceeding. Information is current as of September 2011 and is subject to change.
| Product | Organization | Contact Information |
| Baked Goods | In-Dey-Go Fundraising Inc. | www.indeygo.com Toll-Free Tel: 1.877.463.3946 Email: Info@indeygo.com |
| Cheese | Top Fundraisers | www.topfundraisers.ca Toll-free Tel.: 1-800-563-7127 |
| Chicken | Elmira Poultry |
www.elmirapoultry.com Toll-free Tel.: 1-800-663-5694 |
| Citrus Fruit | Sunsweet Fundraising | www.sunsweetfundraising.com Toll-free Tel.: 1-800-268-1250 |
| Fruit – Frozen purée (use for preparing juices, smoothies, or ice cream) |
Agrimport | http://natufrozen.com/ |
| Fruit Smoothies | www.fundtastic.ca |
|
| Dried Fruit | www.fundtastic.ca |
|
| Popcorn | Fundtastic Fundraising Kernels |
www.fundtastic.ca Toll-free Tel.: 1-888-627-7386 www.kernelspopcorn.com |
| Miscellaneous Items | Direct Fundraising |
www.directfundraising.ca/ontario Toll-free Tel.: 1-800-263-8946 |
Adapted from: Healthy Fundraising: Promoting a Healthy School Environment. Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Health and Nutrition Services and Child/Family/School Partnerships. Accessed online: February 2005 (Revised November 2011). Accessed on-line: November 2011.
More Great Ideas (Non-Food items)
- Books, magazines, calendars, mailing/personal labels
- Coin drives
- Cell phone and printer cartridge recycling
- Dress code “vacation” from school uniforms
- Gift cards or Rewards cards
- Movie during lunch period
- Portrait Nights
- Read-a-thon
- More ideas and suppliers listed below:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Peel Public Health does not endorse these products and companies in any way. None of these products have been tested or checked by Peel Public Health to see if they are compliant with the School Food and Beverage Policy. They are offered as potential alternatives to chocolate and dessert-style fundraisers only. Anyone considering use of these products and/or companies should directly ask the companies for confirmation of compliance with the policy before proceeding. Information is current as of September 2011 and is subject to change.
Product |
Organization |
Contact Information |
Description |
| Books | Chapters/Indigo | Contact manager at local store Click on 'Store Locator', top right side of page at www.chapters.indigo.ca |
School organizes fundraisers at the store; parents register to attend; school receives 10% of registered sales in cash or 15% in gift cards to purchase books for school library. |
| Canadian Tire Money | Canadian Tire | School-based initiative | Students bring in Canadian Tire money from home. Collected money can be used to purchase goods and equipment at Canadian Tire Stores. |
| Cards/ Catalogue Sales/ Gifts | Acorn Custom Cards | www.acorncustomcards.com Toll-free Tel.: 1-866-511-4053 E-mail:info@acorncustomcards.com |
A unique set or note cards with your own child’s artwork. Acorn takes student artwork and transforms it into a personalized set of greeting cards. |
| Dieleman Fundraising Sales | www.dfscanada.com Toll-free Tel.: 1-800-667-1272 E-mail: info@dfscanada.com |
Offers a variety of catalogues and products including food, candles, household and kitchen items, gifts, calendars, cards and more. | |
| Lamontagne Chocolate Inc. | www.lamontagne.ca Toll-free Tel.: 1-800-567-3435 E-mail: info@lamontagne.ca |
Offers a variety of catalogues and products including food, calendars, cards, seasonal items and more. | |
| Norcard | www.norcard.ca Toll-free Tel.: 1-800-294-2792 Email: inquiries@norcard.ca |
Offers a variety of catalogues and products including food, candles, jewellery, gifts, calendars, cards and more. | |
| Third Wave Fundraising | www.thirdwavefundraising.com Toll-free Tel.: 1-888-894-1130 Email: rick@thirdwavefundraising.com |
Offers a variety of catalogues and products including food, plant bulbs, candles, ornaments and more. | |
| QSP (subsidiary of Time Inc.) | www.qsp.ca Toll-free Tel.: 1-800-667-2536 Email: customerservice@qsp.ca |
Offer unique, quality merchandise from jewellery to gift wrap and more. | |
| Cloth Gift Bags and Canvas Totes | Love A Tree Cotton Gift Bags |
www.love-a-tree.com Toll-free Tel.: 1-800-480-6706 Email: lat@love-a-tree.com |
Fabric gift bags, canvas totes, beach bags, promotional bags, birthday loot bags and mini totes. |
| Co-operative Games | Family Pastimes |
www.familypastimes.com Tel.: 613-267-4819 Email: info@familypastimes.com |
Co-operative board games, books and puzzles to promote sharing and caring behaviour - for family and schools. |
| Custom Bears/ Mascots | CanaBears Custom Plush Mascots | www.canabears.ca Toll-free Tel.: 1-866-950-2262 Email: info@canadbears.ca |
Plush bears or custom mascots with school or team logo and custom tag with personalized message. Mascots are also available wearing shirts. |
| Education | Futura Rewards | www.futurarewards.ca Toll-free Tel.: 1-866-728-3454 or 416-408-2156 (in the Toronto area) E-mail: Template form on website |
Rewards program to help Canadians save for their children's education. Receive points on everyday purchases and direct them into an education savings plan. |
| Entertainment/ Coupon Book | Entertainment | www.entertainment.com E-mail: Template form on website |
Provides an annually updated coupon offering discounts on dining, shopping, movie tickets, groceries, services, travel, attractions, car care and home furnishings. |
| Funclips Corporation | Funclips Coupons www.funclips.ca Toll-free Tel.: 1-877-FUNCLIP (386-2547) Email: info@funclips.ca |
Thousands of dollars in "2-for-1" and "free" discount offers. Wide range of restaurants, entertainment, sports, recreation and retail-service businesses. | |
| Rev Publishing Inc. | www.revpublishing.com Tel.: 905.356.7283 Email: info@revpublishing.com |
Customize a Save-A-Buck coupon for your community that features your group’s logo or picture along with discounts from local businesses and restaurants. | |
| Gift Cards | FundScrip | www.fundscrip.com/ Toll-free Tel.: 1-866-997-2747 Email: info@fundscrip.com |
Supporters of your group pay for their everyday purchases (i.e., groceries, gas, gifts and household items) with gift cards bought through the FundScrip program. A percentage of the gift cards purchased by your supporters is donated to your group. |
| Labels | Mabel's Labels | www.mabel.ca Toll-free Tel.: 1-866-306-2235 Email: info@mabel.ca |
Personalized labels for belongings to help prevent loss of clothing, school supplies, bags and more. |
| Magazines | QSP (subsidiary of Time Inc.) | www.qsp.ca Toll-free Tel.: 1-800-667-2536 Email: : customerservice@qsp.ca |
Magazine subscription fundraising catalogue as well as online magazine programs. |
| Canadian Community Reading Plan Inc. | www.ccrp.ca Toll-free Tel.: 1-800-665-5133 E-mail: service@ccrp.ca |
Magazine subscription fundraising program with over 500 magazines available. | |
| Movies | ACF (Audio Ciné Films Inc. |
www.acf-film.com Toll-free Tel : 1-800-289-8887 Email: info@acf-film.com |
Access to 1000’s of popular feature films including the largest selection of animated and family films available in Canada. Offers numerous types of licensing agreements suited to all public performance needs. |
| Household Paper/ Cleaning Products | Froggy Fundraising Inc. | www.froggyfundraising.com Toll-free Tel.: 1-866-961-7957 Email: inquiries@froggyfundraising.com |
Sells “earth-friendly” paper and cleaning products such as facial tissues, paper towels, toilet paper, laundry soap, lens cleaning wipes and hand sanitizing wipes. |
| Family Fundraising Portrait Nights | Photoworks | http://www.photosthatwork.com/ Tel: 778-882-4164 Cell: 416-890-7899 | You determine the value of the portrait session, "session" tickets are sold and can cost as little as $5 dollars or as much as $100 per family YOU DECIDE! Parents purchase a ticket for a Portrait session. Your organization gets 100% of the money raised form the ticket sales as well as 15% of all proceeds from photo sales. |
| Poinsettias, Flower bulbs | Local Nurseries | Can be used for fundraising at Christmas and Mother's Day | Check local nurseries for pricing. |
| Recycling Cell Phones/ Printer Cartridges | Funding Factory | www.fundingfactory.com Toll-free Tel.: 1-888-883-8237 Email: info@fundingfactory.com |
Offers free technology, sports and recreation equipment, playground systems and even cash in exchange for empty inkjet and laser printer cartridges and used cell phones. |
| Charitable Recycling (cell phones only) | www.charitablerecycling.ca Tel.: 905-830-9607 Email: Template form on website |
Receive funds for every phone collected - free shipping, posters, starter kit, tips, tools and more. | |
| Re-usable Window Decals | Stik-ees | www.stik-ees.com Toll-free Tel.: 1-888-784-5337 Email: info@stik-ees.com |
Re-useable sets of static cling stickers to put on glass or mirrors. Offer seasonal and holiday themes, homework organizer, family monthly activity tracker, chore chart, etc. |
Visit these websites for more fundraising ideas:
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Revised: Thursday November 22 2012
