Halloween fundraising ideas for schools provide a powerful way to raise money for essential projects while engaging your entire community. Halloween naturally draws people together, creating an atmosphere where participation feels easy and fun. This makes it an ideal time to channel that energy into school fundraisers.
Whether the goal is raising funds for new equipment, supporting different types of programs, or contributing, Halloween-themed events bring together students, parents, and local businesses in a way that feels both festive and purposeful. By leveraging this seasonal enthusiasm, your school can create events that entertain and deliver real and tangible results.
This guide will explore 12 effective and easy-to-implement Halloween fundraising ideas. From interactive events like trunk-or-treats to community-driven activities like haunted houses, each idea is designed to maximize engagement and fundraising potential. Step by step, you’ll learn how to organize these events to bring real value to your school and strengthen its connection with the community.
Top 12 Easy-to-Implement Halloween Fundraising Ideas
These Halloween fundraising ideas for schools will help you increase community engagement and raise significant funds quickly. Each idea includes details on organizing the event, why it’s effective, and specific examples to illustrate how it can be implemented successfully.
Each idea can be scaled based on the size of your school and the available resources, and they’re designed to be fun, engaging, and easy to organize. Here is a list of Halloween fundraiser ideas for schools at a glance:
- Costume Contest
- Trunk-or-Treat
- Pumpkin Carving Contest
- Ghost Tours
- Haunted Golf Course
- Undead Dog Walk
- Costume Swap
- Creepy Cupcake Contest
- Haunted House
- Murder Mystery Dinner
- Costume Dance-A-Thon
- Halloween Movie Marathon
Costume Contest
A Halloween costume contest allows students, parents, and even teachers to showcase their creativity by dressing up in unique costumes. The contest can be held during a school assembly, lunch break, or as part of a larger Halloween event.
Why costume contests can be an easy Halloween fundraiser idea for schools?
Costume contests are easy to organize and naturally draw excitement, as students love the opportunity to show off their costumes. By adding small entry fees and encouraging voting through donations, you can raise funds while ensuring the event is engaging for everyone.
How to Organize It:
- Choose Categories: Create categories to make the event inclusive and exciting, such as “Scariest Costume,” “Funniest Costume,” “Best Group Costume,” and “Most Creative.”
- Set an Entry Fee: Charge $3 to $5 per participant to enter the contest. Make it affordable but significant enough to contribute to the fundraiser.
- Voting Mechanism: Allow audience members—parents, students, and teachers—to vote for their favorite costumes by donating $1 per vote. This simple mechanism increases participation while raising extra funds.
- Prizes: Offer simple prizes like gift cards, Halloween-themed gift bags, or school rewards (extra recess time, homework passes, etc.) to the winners. These prizes should be low-cost but meaningful to the students.
Host the contest at a school-wide assembly. Charge $5 per student to enter and let attendees pay $1 per vote to determine the winners. Create categories such as “Most Original” or “Funniest Costume.” For prizes, offer gift cards from local businesses or school-related perks such as extra recess time or a “no homework” pass.
Trunk-or-Treat
In a trunk-or-treat event, families park their cars in a designated area, like a school parking lot, and decorate their trunks with Halloween-themed designs. Children then go from car to car, collecting candy in a controlled and safe environment.
Why is Trunk-or-Treat an Exciting Halloween Idea?
Trunk-or-treat events are trendy because they offer a safe, fun alternative to traditional trick-or-treating.
The event can engage students, parents, local businesses, and the broader community. It’s also easy to organize, and participants enjoy the creative aspect of decorating their trunks.
How to Organize It:
- Entry Fee: Charge $10 per car for families to participate by decorating their trunks. Encourage parents, teachers, and local businesses to sponsor trunks.
- Sponsorships: Invite local businesses to sponsor the event by decorating a car trunk with their branding and donating candy or coupons.
- Prizes: Offer prizes for categories like “Best Decorated Trunk,” “Most Creative,” or “Spookiest Trunk,” with prizes donated by local businesses.
- Add-ons: During the event, sell snacks, hot drinks, or Halloween-themed treats. To enhance the experience, you could also add a costume contest or spooky games.
Charge $10 per family to participate, and invite local businesses to sponsor trunks by donating candy or small gifts. Businesses could decorate their trunks to showcase their brand while supporting the school. Offer prizes for the best-decorated trunk, with categories like “Most Creative” or “Scariest Trunk.” Add a concession stand selling caramel apples, popcorn, and warm drinks like cider to boost fundraising.
Pumpkin Carving Contest
A pumpkin carving contest involves participants carving pumpkins on-site or bringing in pre-carved pumpkins for judging. You can create categories such as “Most Creative Pumpkin” or “Scariest Pumpkin.” This event is interactive, allowing students and parents to get creative together.
Why is a Pumpkin Carving Contest the Best Choice for School Fundraising?
Pumpkin carving is a traditional Halloween activity, and hosting a contest adds an element of fun and competition. It’s an excellent way for families to bond while raising money for the school. Additionally, it’s relatively inexpensive to organize and can attract a wide range of participants.
How to Organize It:
- Entry Fee: Charge $5 per pumpkin for families or students to participate.
- Supplies: Provide essential carving tools and stencils. Consider offering upgraded kits with more advanced tools for an additional fee.
- Categories: Create multiple categories for the competition, such as “Spookiest Pumpkin,” “Best Carved,” “Most Creative,” and “Best Family Entry.”
- Refreshments: To generate additional revenue during the event, sell refreshments like hot chocolate, apple cider, and Halloween-themed snacks.
- Judging: Have a panel of judges made up of teachers or PTA members, and offer fun prizes to the winners.
Charge families $5 per pumpkin to enter the contest. Provide basic carving kits but sell premium carving kits with stencils for an extra $10. Create categories like “Spookiest Pumpkin” and “Most Creative Design.” Set up a concession stand selling hot chocolate, candy, and Halloween-themed snacks like pumpkin-shaped cookies to increase profits.
Ghost Tours
A ghost tour takes participants through spooky locations around the school or local haunted spots in the community. These tours can be educational and entertaining, highlighting eerie stories or legends from the area.
Why are Ghost Tours the Best Fundraising Idea for Schools During Halloween?
Ghost tours are engaging, spooky, and fun for kids and adults. They work well as fundraisers because people enjoy the combination of storytelling, history, and the thrill of a ghostly encounter.
Schools can capitalize on local legends or create their haunted history for the event.
How to Organize It:
- Venue: If possible, use the school’s campus or partner with local historical sites to host the tour.
- Tickets: Charge $5 to $10 for a guided tour. You could also offer a “VIP ghost hunter” experience with special perks like flashlights, maps of hidden haunted spots, and access to exclusive areas.
- Theming: Create a route with stops at “haunted” locations where volunteers dressed as ghosts or ghouls can surprise participants. Turn classrooms or hallways into spooky spots if you’re using the school.
- Virtual Option: For families unable to attend in person, consider offering a virtual version of the tour with online video storytelling or a live stream of the event.
- Refreshments: After the tour, sell themed snacks like ghost-shaped cookies or hot drinks.
Charge $5 for a basic tour and $10 for a “VIP ghost hunter” experience with a flashlight and access to special haunted locations. Use different rooms in the school to create spooky scenarios, such as a haunted history classroom or a creepy science lab. To increase revenue, offer a concession stand with Halloween-themed snacks and warm drinks after the tour.
Haunted Golf Course
A haunted mini-golf course is a fun, family-friendly way to blend sport with the spooky spirit of Halloween. Schools can transform their gyms, fields, or parking lots into mini-golf courses with Halloween decorations and obstacles.
Why Choose a Haunted Golf Course for School Fundraising?
Combining Halloween and mini-golf is a unique and fun experience that appeals to families. It’s interactive, engages different age groups, and can be a great way to generate additional funds through entry fees, concessions, and sponsorships.
How to Organize It:
- Venue: Use the school gym or an outdoor space like a field or parking lot. Create different Halloween-themed mini-golf holes, such as “Graveyard Greens” or “Witch’s Cauldron.”
- Entry Fee: Charge $7 to $10 per person or $20 per family.
- Sponsorship: Encourage local businesses to sponsor a mini-golf hole in exchange for advertising.
- Prizes: Offer prizes for best scores or “spookiest hole,” with prizes donated by local businesses.
- Snacks: Sell Halloween-themed refreshments like candy, popcorn, or spooky beverages to boost fundraising.
Set up a mini-golf course in the gym, each hole themed around Halloween. Charge $7 per person and encourage local businesses to sponsor a hole, which they can decorate with their branding. Offer small prizes like Halloween-themed treats for top scorers, and sell spooky snacks like candy corn or witch’s brew (hot cocoa with a spooky twist).
Undead Dog Walk
An undead dog walk is a Halloween-themed pet parade where participants dress their dogs in costumes and walk them through a designated route. It’s a lighthearted and fun event that involves pet owners, kids, and families.
Why Can the Undead Dog Walk Boost School Fundraising During Halloween?
People love involving their pets in Halloween festivities, and this event draws animal lovers from the community.
It’s a great way to increase participation, especially if you involve local shelters or animal-related businesses. You can combine it with other activities, such as a pet costume contest.
How to Organize It:
- Entry Fee: Charge pet owners a small fee (e.g., $10) to enter their dogs in the walk.
- Sponsorships: Contact local pet stores to sponsor the event or donate prizes.
- Costume Contest: Hold a pet costume contest at the end of the walk and charge participants $5 per dog to enter. Categories can include “Spookiest Costume,” “Funniest Costume,” and “Best Pet/Owner Costume Combo.”
- Refreshments and Merchandise: Sell Halloween-themed dog treats or pet costumes at the event for additional revenue.
Charge $10 per dog for entry and offer small prizes for the best costumes, such as gift cards from local pet stores. Sell Halloween-themed pet accessories and offer fun categories for the contest, like “Best Pet/Owner Costume Duo” and “Scariest Pup.” Work with local shelters to display adoptable pets during the event, adding a charitable component.
Costume Swap
A costume swap allows families to donate gently used costumes and trade them for new-to-them outfits. It’s a sustainable, community-driven event that provides a low-cost way for families to refresh their Halloween wardrobes.
Why Does Choosing a Costume Swap Event Help Schools with Fundraising?
Costume swaps encourage sustainability and reduce waste by giving old costumes new life. The event is easy to organize and attracts many families, as costumes can often be expensive. This provides a cost-effective alternative.
How to Organize It:
- Collect Costumes: Organize a costume drive a few weeks before the event and ask families to donate gently used costumes.
- Entry Fee: Charge $5 per family to participate in the swap. If families don’t have costumes to trade, they can still participate by purchasing costumes for a small fee.
- Leftover Costumes: Any leftover costumes can be sold online or at a follow-up event to generate additional revenue.
- Refreshments: Set up a small snack booth selling drinks and Halloween-themed treats during the swap.
Collect donated costumes a week in advance and charge $5 for families to swap their old costumes for new ones. For families without costumes to donate, offer the option to purchase gently used costumes for $10 each. Sell refreshments like Halloween cookies and hot apple cider to raise additional funds.
Creepy Cupcake Contest
A creepy cupcake contest invites bakers to create spooky and creative cupcake designs, which are then judged for prizes. Participants pay to enter the competition, and attendees can purchase cupcakes or vote for their favorites.
Why Can a Creepy Cupcake Contest Be a Good Halloween Fundraising Idea for Schools?
Baking contests are fun, interactive, and delicious! They attract both participants and attendees who want to taste the entries. The event can easily be combined with other Halloween fundraisers or sold as a standalone activity.
How to Organize It:
- Entry Fee: Charge $10 for bakers to enter the contest.
- Voting: Charge attendees $1 per vote to taste and judge the cupcakes. Create categories like “Creepiest Design” and “Best Tasting.”
- Cupcake Sales: Sell any remaining cupcakes for $2 each after the contest.
- Prizes: Offer small, fun prizes for the winners, like a Halloween-themed baking kit or gift card.
Charge bakers $10 to enter, and allow attendees to vote for their favorite cupcakes by donating $1 per vote. After the contest, sell leftover cupcakes for $2 each. Create categories like “Best Flavor” and “Most Creative Design” and offer low-cost prizes such as gift cards or baking supplies.
Haunted House
A haunted house transforms part of the school into a spooky adventure filled with actors, props, and creative scenes designed to scare or entertain visitors.
This classic Halloween event attracts students, families, and local community members.
Why does It work?
Haunted houses are a Halloween staple, and they work especially well for schools because they can be easily themed, managed by volunteers, and scaled according to available resources. The excitement and thrill factor draw large crowds, making it a reliable fundraiser.
How to Organize It:
- Venue: Use spaces like the school gym, hallways, or classrooms to create spooky zones.
- Volunteers: Recruit students and parents to help decorate, sell tickets, and act as spooky characters.
- Tickets: Charge $5 to $7 for entry. Sell tickets in advance to guarantee attendance and offer higher-priced VIP tickets for skip-the-line access or exclusive scenes.
- Add-ons: Sell snacks, drinks, or Halloween merchandise to increase revenue.
- Themes: Create zones with varying scare levels to cater to different age groups. You could have more fun with silly decorations for younger children, while older children can enjoy scarier scenes.
Transform the school gym into a haunted house with different spooky zones, such as a “Haunted Graveyard” or a “Zombie Lab.” Charge $5 for regular entry and $10 for VIP passes that allow visitors to skip the line. Sell refreshments like popcorn and warm cider and offer Halloween-themed merchandise to boost profits.
Murder Mystery Dinner
A murder mystery dinner is an immersive theater experience where guests participate in solving a fictional crime while enjoying a meal. Participants are assigned roles, given clues, and work together to figure out “whodunit.”
Why Does It Work?
Murder mystery dinners are highly engaging and interactive, perfect for adult or older student audiences. The immersive nature of the event creates a memorable experience, and attendees are often willing to pay more for a dinner theater experience.
How to Organize It:
- Theme: Choose a spooky or Halloween-related theme for the mystery.
- Tickets: Charge $20 to $50 per ticket, depending on the complexity of the event and the cost of providing food.
- Sponsorships: Partner with local restaurants or catering companies to sponsor the meal at a discounted rate.
- VIP Options: Offer higher-priced tickets with additional clues or exclusive character roles.
- Add-ons: Sell extra clues to participants or offer drinks and desserts to boost revenue.
Host a murder mystery dinner with a Halloween theme, such as “Murder at the Monster’s Ball.” Charge $30 per person for the dinner and theater experience, and offer a $50 VIP package with additional clues and a special dessert. Partner with a local restaurant to cater the event or request meal donations to minimize costs.
Costume Dance-A-Thon
A costume dance-a-thon is a Halloween-themed dance marathon in which students dress up in costumes and collect pledges for every hour they dance.
The event typically lasts several hours, and participants compete to see who can dance the longest.
Why Does It Work?
Dance-a-thons are energetic and engaging, providing a fun way for students to stay active while raising money. By encouraging participants to gather pledges from family and friends, schools can multiply the fundraising potential of this event.
How to Organize It:
- Entry Fee: Charge $5 for entry.
- Pledges: Have participants gather pledges based on how long they dance (e.g., $1 per hour).
- Prizes: Offer prizes for the last person dancing, the best costume, or the most pledges collected.
- Refreshments: Sell snacks and drinks to keep dancers energized and increase revenue.
Charge students $5 to enter, and have them collect pledges from family and friends for each hour they dance. Offer prizes for the last student standing, the best costume, and the student who raises the most funds. Sell Halloween-themed refreshments like cupcakes, cookies, and drinks to energize participants and raise more money.
Halloween Movie Marathon
A Halloween movie marathon is an event where classic or family-friendly Halloween movies are shown back-to-back. Attendees purchase tickets to watch the films and enjoy a festive, spooky entertainment night.
Why Does a Halloween Movie Marathon Work?
Movie marathons are easy to organize and have broad appeal. They provide a relaxed, family-friendly environment where attendees can enjoy classic Halloween movies, making it an excellent fundraising choice. Selling snacks and drinks during the event can further boost revenue.
How to Organize It:
- Venue: Set up the movie marathon in the school gym or auditorium.
- Tickets: Charge $5 per person for entry. Consider offering family tickets for a discounted rate.
- Movies: Choose a mix of Halloween classics suitable for all ages. You could start with family-friendly movies and progress to spookier films as the night goes on.
- Snacks: Sell popcorn, candy, and drinks during the event to increase profits.
- Add-ons: Offer blankets or pillows for rent to make the viewing experience more comfortable.
Show a mix of family-friendly Halloween movies like “Hocus Pocus” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” and charge $5 per person for entry. Sell Halloween-themed snacks like popcorn, candy, and drinks to raise extra funds. Offer small prizes for guessing how long the marathon will last, or let attendees vote on the next movie in the lineup by donating $1 per vote.
The Best Halloween Fundraiser Tool for Schools
When organizing school fundraisers or events, schools often face several challenges that can overwhelm the process. Inefficient registration systems, cumbersome payment methods, and participant miscommunication can frustrate organizers and attendees.
Common Challenges in Event Management:
- Complicated Registration: Manual processes can lead to errors and slow down participation.
- Payment Confusion: Handling payments through multiple channels creates complications.
- Communication Issues: Keeping everyone informed about event details can take time and effort, especially when relying on flyers or word of mouth.
How Jumbula Can Help:
Jumbula offers a comprehensive solution to these challenges, making it easier for schools to manage events effectively.
- User-Friendly Registration: Jumbula simplifies registration, allowing participants to sign up effortlessly online. This helps ensure that all entries are accurate and organized from the start.
- Streamlined Payment Processing: The platform provides a secure payment system, letting schools manage fees in one place. This reduces confusion and allows for quick transactions.
- Practical Communication Tools: Jumbula keeps everyone informed through automated notifications and updates. This feature ensures that participants have the latest event information, reducing the chances of missed messages.
By addressing these common pain points, Jumbula enhances the efficiency of your events and the overall experience for everyone involved.
If you’re ready to simplify your school events and make fundraising more effective, consider trying Jumbula. Sign up for a free trial to see how it can transform your approach to event management.
Closing Thoughts on Halloween Fundraising Ideas for Schools
In conclusion, Halloween presents an exceptional opportunity for schools to engage their communities and raise significant funds. By implementing creative events that resonate with students, parents, and local businesses, schools can create memorable experiences that benefit everyone involved.
While numerous ideas exist, focusing on costume contests, trunk-or-treats, pumpkin carving contests, and haunted houses can provide substantial financial support for essential school projects. These initiatives provide fun and excitement and foster a sense of community spirit and collaboration.
Consider using an online registration and payment system to streamline the planning and execution of these fundraisers. Tools such as Jumbula can simplify registration, manage payments, and improve communication, making your fundraising efforts more effective.
By choosing the best online registration and management system, the same as Jumbula, you can enhance your event and program management experience and maximize the impact of your fundraising initiatives. Start your Jumbula free trial today and see how it can transform your approach to school events and programs.
