The Christmas fundraisers that work best for schools, PTAs, churches and clubs are the ones people already want to do in December: a Christmas fair, a grotto, a raffle, a quiz night, a Christmas jumper day and a children's gift shop. Pick one big event and two or three small ones, and give each a clear date, a poster and a job list.
In This Guide
Big Christmas events
A Christmas fair
The Christmas fair is the event most school communities look forward to. Stalls, games, a tombola, a raffle, food and a visit from Father Christmas under one roof, usually on a Friday after school or a Saturday morning. Our Christmas fair ideas guide covers the whole day, and our guide to Christmas fair games has games that keep the hall busy.
A Santa's grotto
A grotto can run inside the fair or as its own event. Children visit in booked slots, meet Father Christmas and leave with a small present. Booked slots keep the queue short and let you know in advance how many presents to wrap.
A Christmas raffle
A raffle with donated prizes sells well in the run-up to Christmas, because hampers, bottles and vouchers make good presents. Show the prizes off on a Christmas raffle poster and sell tickets at the school gate, at events and to family members. Printed Christmas raffle tickets give the raffle a proper, festive feel.
A Christmas quiz night
A quiz night suits parents, staff and friends of the school, and needs little more than a hall, a quizmaster and a few rounds with a festive theme. Teams book tables, and a raffle during the interval adds to the night. Start with a quiz night poster that says the team size and how to book.
Smaller ideas that fit around them
- Christmas jumper day. Children and staff wear a festive jumper in return for a small donation. It needs almost no organising and works well in the last week of term.
- A children's Christmas shop. Pupils buy small, wrapped presents for their family from a shop stocked with donated or bought-in gifts, with volunteers on hand to help. Children love choosing, and parents love the surprise.
- Christmas cards from children's artwork. Each child draws a design, and families order cards printed with their child's picture. The cards are sent to relatives, so the artwork travels further than the fridge door.
- Carol singing. A choir outside a local supermarket or at the station, with the store's permission, raises money and gets the school seen by the wider community.
- A Christmas film afternoon. A festive film in the school hall after lessons, with snacks on sale, gives parents a little extra time for Christmas shopping.
- A wreath-making or decoration workshop. A ticketed evening for adults, with materials supplied and mince pies on the side.
- A Christmas tombola. A table of donated prizes with winning tickets hidden among the rest. Our guide to Christmas tombola and prize ideas covers what to stock and how to collect it.
Ideas for churches, clubs and charities
Most of the ideas above work outside schools too. A church can pair a Christmas fair with a carol service; a football club can run a festive quiz night in the clubhouse; a charity can hold a Christmas raffle among its supporters, with prizes donated by local businesses. The guide to sourcing raffle prizes and sponsorship has ideas for asking local businesses for help.
Planning a Christmas fundraiser
- Fix the dates early. December fills up quickly with nativity plays, carol services and parties, so agree your dates with the school or venue before the autumn term gets busy.
- Give every helper a job. A list of jobs with a name against each one is easier to fill than a general call for volunteers.
- Tell people about it. A poster at the school gate and the same design shared in class groups and on social media reach most families. The Stubbs design studio has Christmas fair poster templates you can make and download free.
- Think about payment on the day. Many fairs sell token cards at the door, so stalls take tokens instead of cash and nobody needs a float at every table.
- Thank people afterwards. A short note to families and donors saying what was raised, and what it will pay for, makes next year's asks easier.