Why raise money for your school online?
Busy parents and volunteers are weary of selling products (we all know the drill: wrapping paper, frozen pizzas, and magazines).
School fundraisers held online can be an easy —think less stress! — way for parents to support fundraising campaigns at your school and, sometimes, can replace or complement what you typically do offline.
Online options also provide a way for those that don’t live nearby to support your education foundation’s cause, event, or school.
🏆 Success story: This college raised $187K via one campaign with 4aGoodCause.
Online fundraising opportunities for school foundations
Online fundraising is here to stay. (And it can be easier than ever with the right fundraising tools.)
And, if your district or particular school already has strict guidelines on which types of fundraisers are allowed (i.e. a ban on online fundraisers by teachers) then as the school’s foundation, part of your goal will be around raising funds to better the experience, environment, and education of students.
And by setting up your own in-house opportunities, it not only lessens the overall cost and fees, but it also provides you with the opportunity to truly customize your school’s online fundraiser.
Here are five online school fundraising ideas to get you started:
- Annual fund campaign
- Monthly giving campaign
- Events and sponsorships
- Capital campaigns
- Peer-to-peer fundraising
Let’s take a closer look at how each of these fundraising strategies can work for your education foundation and how to implement them effectively.
🤯 Did you know? You can get consistent donations without the hassle. We help you build a loyal base of recurring donors who are passionate about your cause. Learn more about 4aGoodCause.
1. Annual fund campaign
Ensuring that there is always a “donate” button on your educational foundation’s or school’s website for everyday donations is an easy way to continually promote your foundation’s ongoing annual fund.
Encourage annual support from community members, parents, grandparents, and alumni through the use of an online landing page.
Highlight the impact each donation has on your school; educate everyone about the annual fund during key events such as school kick-off day, new student/returning student orientations and in monthly school emails.
2. Monthly giving campaign
Want to boost your education foundation’s fundraising by developing recurring revenue you can count on?
A monthly giving program can do just that—and it pairs beautifully with any online or in-person fundraiser, from raffles and fun runs to bake sales, school dances, or trivia nights.
Think about creating an exclusive club for your donors that give monthly.
If you support a high school, parents and high school students are already engaged in your school community year-round. If your educational foundation supports college scholarships in your community, reach out to past recipients over time to see if they’d consider donating monthly.
Maybe monthly giver “bonuses” include a customized parking spot in the school’s lot to highlight a new donor each month.
And if you’re running a supportive foundation for a public school district, imagine how donations would add up if your families gave monthly starting in kindergarten all the way through 12th grade.
Here’s why a monthly giving program works:
- The average monthly donor gives significantly more over time. On 4aGoodCause, that’s $63 per month—nearly $756 per year.
- The lifetime value of a typical recurring donor is over $7,600.
- Monthly donors have retention rates up to 90%, helping you build lasting relationships and predictable revenue.
If your school doesn’t have a monthly giving option yet, it’s a simple, complementary addition to your fundraising strategy, . Use your school’s website, post-event emails, and online donation form to encourage donors to give monthly.
Whether they’re participating in a read-a-thon, field day, or picking up t-shirts from a concession stand, invite them to stay involved long-term with a recurring gift.
💡Bonus tip: Automate your donation acknowledgments with real impact stories.
For example:
Because of your monthly support, we’ve funded 10 new scholarships this semester. Sustaining donors like you are now fully supporting three students with full-ride opportunities.
By turning small donations into sustainable income, your foundation will spend less time chasing one-time gifts and more time planning fun community events that make great fundraisers—like cook-offs or pajama days.
Unique education foundation fundraising ideas
Running a nonprofit educational foundation for a scholarship fund, your school district, or a university opens up lots of opportunities for creative and successful fundraising strategies.
And you can tie each of these unique events back to a recurring monthly giving program; that way, you’re doubling your fundraising efforts and making the most of any fundraising event investment you make.
Here are some unique ideas to consider:
1. Virtual “scholars’ auction”
How it works:
Host an online auction featuring experiences connected to education like lunch with a favorite teacher or principal, a “teacher for a day” role for a student, a behind-the-scenes tour of a research lab, or a classroom visit from a local professional.
Why it works:
Adds a personal, interactive dimension that families and community members value. It’s flexible for all grade levels—kindergartners might auction off class art projects, while high schoolers and college students could offer tutoring or campus tours.
How it can contribute to monthly giving:
Use the auction as a kickoff event to introduce the idea of supporting the academic community through recurring gifts. Offer exclusive access to future experiences or “members-only” scholar events for those who sign up for monthly giving. Include a “Monthly Giving Spotlight” tier that allows participants to unlock a new experience each quarter.
2. Alumni storytelling night
How it works:
Invite alumni, former students, or even current families to share memorable school stories—either virtually or in person. For younger schools, consider a family storytelling night featuring parent and teacher reflections.
Why it works:
Encourages emotional connection, nostalgia, and community pride. This works as well in elementary schools as it does at the university level.
How it can contribute to monthly giving:
Emotionally compelling stories are powerful tools for long-term commitment. After the event, encourage attendees to “keep the stories alive” by becoming monthly donors. Share follow-up content (videos, testimonials, behind-the-scenes stories) exclusively with recurring donors to reinforce their connection.
3. Sponsorship of student projects or research
How it works:
Invite donors to support specific student projects or class activities—anything from a 2nd-grade science fair to a senior capstone project. Donors can receive updates, photos, or personal thank-you notes from the students or classes they sponsor.
Why it works:
This gives donors a direct, tangible way to contribute to the academic success of students while also fostering innovation and academic exploration.
How it can contribute to monthly giving:
Create a structured monthly giving tier where donors sponsor a student’s journey over time. Monthly updates (e.g., emails, video diaries) from the classroom can keep donors invested emotionally and intellectually, increasing the likelihood of sustained support. Offer monthly giving options for partial sponsorships.
4. Donor “thank you” wall or digital tribute
How it works:
Build a physical or digital “Thank You” wall recognizing donors, with different sections for classrooms, school clubs, or grade levels. Display it at the school, district office, or on your foundation’s website.This could be in a prominent place on campus or on the foundation’s website.
Why it works:
It creates a sense of pride for donors, who may appreciate the public recognition of their contributions, while providing visible proof of their support.
How it can contribute to monthly giving:
Feature a special section of the wall for monthly donors—perhaps a “Sustaining Scholars Circle” or similar tier. Update it quarterly and recognize longtime recurring donors with increased prominence. Public acknowledgment can encourage one-time donors to switch to monthly for ongoing visibility.
5. Art exhibition fundraiser
How it works:
Host an art exhibition featuring student artwork, faculty pieces, or alumni work, and sell the pieces or take donations during the event.
Why it works:
It’s a celebration of student creativity that families and communities love. For K–12 schools, it can include music, poetry, crafts, and more. For colleges, add alumni and faculty submissions.
How it can contribute to monthly giving:
Offer limited-edition prints or digital access to showcased art as thank-you gifts for new monthly donors. You could also provide early or exclusive access to future exhibitions as a benefit. Incorporate a recurring gift option during ticket checkout or when donating at the event.
6. University-themed escape room or challenge
How it works:
Create an escape room, scavenger hunt, or challenge based on fun school facts, teacher trivia, or student achievements. Include clues from different classrooms or grade levels. Universities could set up a university-themed escape room or scavenger hunt event, either on or off-campus. The challenges can be related to the history of the school, fun facts about faculty, or notable alumni.
This is a great opportunity to reach out to local businesses to contribute to the hunt.
Why it works:
Fun for all ages—from elementary students to alumni—and a great way to bring families and the community together. Charge an entry fee or offer team sponsorships. You can charge participants an entry fee and also sell merchandise or snacks during the event.
How it can contribute to monthly giving:
Gamify monthly giving—each month could unlock a new riddle, puzzle, or challenge sent to monthly donors. Use it to create an exclusive “Insiders’ Challenge Club” where only recurring donors get access to special content or rewards. Integrate donation incentives with clues or solutions.
7. Social media challenges with matching donations
How it works:
Create a viral social media challenge; for example, sharing a favorite teacher memory, posting throwback school photos, or completing a classroom trivia quiz. Pair it with a matching donation pledge from a sponsor.
For example: To motivate shares and contributions, a local business pledges $5,000 in donations if the social media challenge can get a certain amount of participation before the end date.
Why it works:
It’s shareable, fun, and inclusive—students, parents, teachers, and alumni can all participate.
How it can contribute to monthly giving:
After the challenge ends, invite participants to turn their one-time action into lasting impact by becoming a monthly donor. Use social media to highlight monthly donor milestones (e.g., “We’ve reached 100 monthly givers!”). Offer matching gifts for the first 3 months of a new monthly gift to boost conversions.
Turn event attendees into sustaining donors
This is where your post-event communications come into play.
After a successful school fundraising event—like a silent auction, cook-off, or dance-a-thon—use your email list to reach out. Remind families and community members that their support doesn’t have to stop at the admission fee.
In post-event emails, reinforce messages like:
- A small donation each month makes a lasting impact
- Monthly donors help fund key school needs like school supplies, enrichment programs, or student scholarships
- They can contribute easily online through your school’s website or fundraising platform
- Their gift supports a stronger, more connected school community
Here’s a great example of what that messaging could look like in an automated acknowledgment email:
Subject: Thank you! Your support makes a difference 💛
Header: You just did something amazing.
Body:
Hi [Donor First Name],
Thank you for your generous gift to [educational foundation name or school name]! Your support helps us fund the programs and resources that keep our community strong—like [insert example: new library books, student scholarships, or art supplies].
Want to make an even bigger impact?
By joining our monthly giving program, you can help ensure students thrive all year long.
- Just a small monthly gift adds up to real change
- You’ll help fund important needs like [insert example]
- Giving monthly is easy and automatic
👉 [Become a monthly donor] (Insert CTA button or link to monthly giving page)
Thank you again for supporting [name of organization]. Together, we’re building something great.
With gratitude,
[Your Name]
[Your Title / Organization Name]
[Contact Info]
By replacing repetitive tasks with automated outreach, you’ll see your donor lifetime value and average gift size grow—without adding more work for your team.
Launch a monthly giving program with 4aGoodCause
With 4aGoodCause, your school gains access to an easy-to-use fundraising platform that supports recurring giving, campaign planning, donor engagement, and reporting—all in one place.
You can launch a monthly giving program in just a few minutes:
- Set up a custom giving page
- Promote it at your next event
- Watch one-time supporters become loyal, long-term donors
Whether you’re collecting donations during a school dance, selling concession stand snacks at a board games night, or hosting a spelling bee, adding a recurring gift ask can turn a fun activity into an effective fundraising tool.
Ready to get started?
Schedule a demo today and explore our Monthly Giving Toolkit, automated acknowledgments, and built-in analytics.
With 4aGoodCause, your fundraising goals are within reach—and your team can focus more on empowering educators and students, not digging through spreadsheets.
Let 4aGoodCause power your recurring revenue stream so you can spend more time building relationships, planning great fundraisers, and strengthening your school community.
Fundraising opportunities for school foundations: Common questions
Q: What are the most effective fundraising strategies for educational foundations in 2025?
A: The top strategies include monthly giving programs, peer-to-peer fundraising, online events with sponsorships, capital campaigns for big projects, and always-on annual fund pages. These build steady, long-term support while reaching more people online.
Q: How can educational foundations engage the community in fundraising efforts?
A: Make giving easy and inclusive—use online tools, promote through school channels, involve students and families, and show impact. Recognize donors publicly and keep them connected with updates and thank-yous.
Q: How do we keep donors engaged after they give online?
A: Set up automated thank-you emails and monthly impact updates. Share stories, photos, and milestones that show how their gift is making a difference. You can also feature monthly donors on your website or in a school newsletter.
Q: How do we handle donor fatigue or burnout in our school community?
A: Focus on monthly giving, which creates reliable revenue without frequent appeals. Also rotate your fundraising themes and formats (art shows, challenges, student-led campaigns) to keep things fresh and engaging. Learn how to reduce fundraising burnout with monthly giving.
