GETTING STARTED

2. Car Wash: Organize a car wash day in the school parking lot or another safe location. Advertise the event through flyers, social media, and word of mouth. Charge a reasonable fee for washing each car.

3. Movie Night: Host a movie night at your school or a local community center. Choose a popular film, and charge admission for entry. You can also sell popcorn, snacks, and drinks to raise additional funds.

4. Talent Show: Organize a talent show that showcases the skills and talents of students in your school. Charge an entry fee for performers and ticket fees for the audience.

5. Yard Sale: Ask club members and their families to donate gently used items they no longer need. Organize a yard sale at the school or another suitable location and sell the items at reasonable prices.

6. Sports Tournament: Arrange a sports tournament like basketball, soccer, or volleyball. Encourage participants to form teams and pay an entry fee. You can also sell concessions during the event.

7. Auction Fundraiser: Collect donated items, services, or experiences from local businesses or individuals. Host an auction event with an entertaining auctioneer to sell the items to the highest bidders.

8. Fundraising Dinner: Organize a themed dinner event with tickets sold in advance. Offer entertainment, raffles, and games during the dinner to keep attendees engaged and entertained.

9. 50/50 Raffle: Sell raffle tickets to students, teachers, and parents for a 50/50 raffle. Half of the proceeds go to the winner, and the other half to the club’s fundraising efforts.

10. Art Show: Showcase the artistic talents of students in your school by organizing an art show. Charge an entry fee for artists and admission for visitors.

11. Fundraising Concert: Host a live music or talent showcase featuring local bands, singers, or performers. Charge an admission fee for entry.

12. Charity Walk/Run: Organize a charity walk or run event in your school or a local park. Encourage participants to seek sponsorships from friends and family for each kilometer or mile completed.

13. Discount Cards: Create discount cards in partnership with local businesses. Sell these cards to students and community members, offering exclusive discounts at various establishments.

14. Gift Wrapping Service: Set up a gift wrapping station during the holiday season. Offer to wrap gifts for a fee at local malls, stores, or community events.

15. Online Crowdfunding: Start an online crowdfunding campaign using platforms like GoFundMe or Kickstarter. Share the campaign link through social media and emails to reach a broader audience.

16. West Valley High School – Father Daughter Dance

Every year West Valley High School puts on a Father Daughter Dance. They have games, face painting, photo booths, laser tag, decorations, food, dancing, music, etc. By this point, it’s pretty much a ritual. Every little girl in the district knows about it; with many current DECA members at the school having gone when they were young too. To advertise the event, they send out flyers and posters to every elementary school in the district. People come on their own because the event is so well established. When the event was starting, West Valley High School used a variety of promotional methods, like social media, flyers, and in-person marketing to the local elementary schools. Today, they have a few hundred girls show up every year and make $8,000. Last year, they did “Journey Around the World” and this year was “Beauty and the Geek”. They start planning at the very beginning of the year with a committee of chapter members and leaders, making decorations like giant paper castles, thrones, etc. Every chapter member is required to make a decoration and work at the dance.

This is an example of why starting fundraisers now is so important. West Valley High School’s father Daughter Dance took some time to become the fundraiser it is today.

17. Hanford High School – Holiday Bazaar

The holiday bazaar at Hanford High School is a huge event that attracts a lot of people. Though it takes a LOT of planning and organizing, it is definitely worth the effort and generally there is a huge turn out.

The holiday bazaar works by working with a lot of local vendors and choosing a large venue, the goal is to set up something like a farmers market in your school or venue. Student leaders set up in the commons area creating tables or “booths” for each vendor. They make a path for walking that generally spans though a couple of hallways and to other parts of the school as well. Vendors are generally separated depending on the category of their goods. Holiday Bazaar vendors have a variety of products including, soap and candy, all the way to kittens and face paint.

To get these vendors, Hanford students reach out to vendors well ahead of time, sometimes visiting other holiday bazaars that are nearby. The Bazaar charges vendors for setting up a booth where they can sell as much as they want. The Bazaar generally lasts for a full day and sometimes two days if lots of vendors are very popular and many people come.

Many Schools have clubs that put together holiday bazaars – and you can be one of them! With proper marketing within your school’s local area and good recruitment of buyers, a Holiday Bazaar is a great way to raise money for your chapter and give everyone a good time!