Fundraising

Looking for resources on fundraising? WorldStrides is committed to giving every student the opportunity to experience the life-changing things that happen on our programs every day.

Day Fundraisers

1-Day Fundraisers

These easy fundraisers can generate funds in a day or less. Many of them can be implemented with little planning

  • Organize a community yard sale in the school parking lot and rent spaces to families and vendors. Sell concessions to boost profits.
  • Host a bakeoff bake sale. Charge participants a small fee to enter the contest, give the winners a small prize, then sell the baked goods.
  • Hold a board game tournament and charge a small entry fee.
  • Sell carnations or candy grams on or near Valentine’s Day (can be customized for many holidays).
  • Clean up around your community and have friends and family pledge for each bag you fill with trash.
  • Ask parents who are instructors of enrichment classes (like art, cooking, yoga, or dance) to volunteer to teach a class and charge participants a small donation to attend.
  • Sponsor a pancake breakfast at a local restaurant that is normally open only for lunch or dinner (like Applebee’s) and charge for tickets.
  • Offer a drop-in babysitting night at school. Students (under adult supervision) can entertain the children for a few hours while their parents grab dinner or run errands.
  • Work as cashiers or servers at a local restaurant in exchange for some of the night’s proceeds.
  • Wrap gifts during the holiday season at a local retail store and collect tips.
  • Bag groceries at a local supermarket and collect tips.
  • Manage the coat checks for formal events at area hotels and collect tips.
  • Clean up your local sports stadium following a game in exchange for a donation towards your trip.
  • Work the concession stand at school or local athletic events and collect tips and/or a portion of the proceeds.
  • Hold a car wash. Many groups report raising thousands of dollars in a single weekend with this proven fundraiser.

Ongoing Fundraisers

Hold these small fundraisers periodically throughout the school year; small donations add up.

  • Sell candy or homemade baked goods during lunch breaks or after school.
  • Hold a 50-50 raffle; your group splits raffle proceeds equally with the raffle winner.
  • Write letters to local businesses requesting donations.
  • Ask local businesses to invite customers to round up their bill to the nearest dollar, with the difference going to your group.
  • Sponsor a competitive coin drive at school. Every penny adds points to the jar and silver coins subtract points. Even teams ending up with negative points are sure to have collected a lot of cash!
Social Media Cards
Special Events
Direct Sales
Scholarships and Grants

Download Our Guide

Want info on these great ideas, and more? Get information on operating costs, planning time, materials needed, and great tips in our downloadable fundraising guide. It’s 15 pages of time-tested ideas directly from Program Leaders and WorldStrides team members.

Download your guide now!

Get The Word Out

Want info on these great ideas, and more? Get information on operating costs, planning time, materials needed, and great tips in our downloadable fundraising guide. There’s tons of time-tested ideas directly from Program Leaders and WorldStrides team members.

Download the Publicity Tool Kit.