School
Fundraisers
Ideas to get your school
community involved
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You can work wonders!
www.sharelife.org
04/03/11 4:51 PM
ShareLife Read-A-Thon
Description:
In a Read-A-Thon event, JK-G6 students engage in reading
together, individually, with partners, in small groups, reading
to teachers and listening to stories. It’s a great opportunity for
classes with Reading Buddies to get together at this time too!
How to:
This entire event takes place (in each classroom) on a date
and time agreed upon among teachers, for one hour or more
(depending on Grade level). The students are sent home with a
sponsor sheet and they are encouraged to ask family and friends
(NOT door to door) to support them in this worthy event. Most
of the students receive flat-rate pledges per sponsor and all
money is collected and returned by a due date.
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Resources:
✓ Kindergarten and primary grades can read books from their
classroom library and reading program as well as Big Books,
DVDs and cassettes with books.
✓ Junior grades can use reading resources from their classrooms
and are welcome to bring in reading materials from home such
as sports magazines, comic books, novels etc.
✓ To add some fun to the event, students are invited to bring in
their teddy bears and wear their pajamas and slippers too!
Fundraising idea courtesy of Mary Gouglas from St. Francis Xavier School
York Catholic District School Board
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ShareLife Homeroom Challenge
Description and method: On Ash Wednesday, each homeroom class receives a jar for
ShareLife donations. Students and staff are encouraged to bring
in loose change for the duration of the Lenten Season. Daily
incentive announcements are read each morning. The three
homerooms that collect the most money per student win a pizza
party. Because this is presented as a homeroom challenge,
homeroom teachers initiate incentives.
Some examples of these are listed below:
a. Due dates for assignments are extended for $0.50
b. Movie Friday for $1.00
c. Teacher agrees to doing or wearing something silly for the
day for a cost.
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After Easter Sunday, the leadership class collects and counts the
money from each homeroom and pays for a pizza party for the
winning homerooms. The cost of the pizza comes from student
council funds … not the collected money for ShareLife.
Resources/materials needed: ✓ Jars for each homeroom
✓ Labels for the jars,
✓ Information and facts about ShareLife
Fundraising idea courtesy of David Dubowits, Chaplain
Msgr. John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School
Durham Catholic District School Board
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White Elephant Table/Raffle table
Description/how to: Every staff member is asked to donate or re-gift an item that
may be of interest to students. Some of the gift ideas can
include movie passes, autographed memorabilia (like an
Oshawa Generals hockey stick!), soap baskets, picture frames,
chocolate bunny, etc. Approximately 40 to 50 various gift items
can be placed on tables in a suitable location. Each gift item is
identified by a number on a master sheet containing all of the
gift items. (The tables are put away each day and set up fresh the
following day.)
This is then set up for the 2 weeks before Good Friday, all draws
take place on Holy Thursday. Students in the morning can
purchase tickets for 25 cents each or 5 for one dollar, and then
place the ticket in the paper bag with the same number as the
gift item he/she would like to win. These paper bags are taped
on the table end in front of the gift item. Sometimes Grade 7
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or 8 students can help with the ticket writing and a parent
volunteer can monitor the event from 9 to 10:30 each morning.
At the end of the 2 weeks, one person will pick out a name from
the paper bag and that person will win that gift item.
Resources/materials needed: ✓
✓
✓
✓
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Gift items
Tables
Paper bags, sign pen, scotch tape
Cash box
Paper
Fundraising idea courtesy of Mary VanBerkum, St. Teresa Catholic School
Durham Catholic District School Board
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ShareLife Bingo Day
Description:
✓ Purchase a block of newsprint Bingo cards and a deck of Bingo
Calling Cards.
✓ Sell the cards to students 2 weeks prior to the event at
$2.00/card (cards to be distributed on day of event). Daily
announcements featured excerpts from the ShareLife morning
announcement CD and inspiring stories about how ShareLife
helps our community. These encourage the children to support
our cause while playing a fun game and possibly winning some
great prizes.
At a previously agreed upon time and day, all classes prepare
for the game — students will be given their card(s) by the
classroom teacher and are instructed to have a pencil handy to
mark off numbers. Numbers are called out over the PA system
and the whole school will play at the same time. Prizes could be
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gift cards purchased with school money or donated items from
teachers or parents. Winners could get their prizes from the
ShareLife school rep. Counting of funds can be done with the
assistance of students or volunteers.
Resources/materials needed:
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Bingo cards and prizes
Pencils
ShareLife Morning Announcement CD
PA System
Prizes
Fundraising idea courtesy of Tina D’Arpino, Fr. John Kelly Catholic School
York Catholic District School Board
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ShareLife Spirit Week
Description:
Pick one week in which students will participate in different
themed activities
How to:
About one or two weeks in advance, ask students to contribute
$1.00 to ShareLife in order to participate in Spirit Week
Resources/materials needed:
The student council should design ideas for spirit week such
as: Wacky Hair Day, PJ Day, Snuggle Up and Read Day (older
students to read to younger students) etc.
Fundraising idea courtesy of Pina Manfredi, St. Patrick Catholic School
Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board
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Eco-Friendly Rummage Sale
Description:
The school will host an eco-friendly rummage sale during
spring and allow students and families to make use of items
regularly thrown away during spring cleaning. Students will be
encouraged to bring in at least 3 to 5 items.
How to:
1) Book gym or suitable space to host rummage sale.
2) Organize a team of volunteers/student leaders to organize and
promote event (approximately a month ahead of schedule).
3) Students will be responsible for promoting event through
posters and announcements (at least a week before event).
4) Staff leader of event will prepare a letter for parents to be
distributed to students at least two weeks ahead of schedule.
5) Classroom teachers will place donated goods in boxes.
6) Approximately two days prior to event, student leaders and
volunteers can collect boxes from classrooms and sort, label and
price items according to categories (example: entertainment,
games, books, household items, toys and miscellaneous).
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7) On the day prior to event, place tables in gym and spread out
merchandise. Also, distribute a schedule for class visits to the sale.
8) On the day of the event, designate a student leader to
manage each table. Also, designate a student runner to assist
with calling classes down to the gym.
9) Prior to wrapping up event, make one final pitch to sell
merchandise. Slash prices so that items will be cleared. If
items are still left unsold then donate them to local charity.
Resources/materials:
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Donated merchandise for sale
Large paper and markers for posters
Written Announcements
Letters to go home for parents
Tables for sale
Stickers for prices
Cash box
Fundraising idea courtesy of Carlo Grande, St. Rose of Lima Catholic School
Toronto Catholic District School Board
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Greeting/Christmas/Birthday Cards
Description:
In an art class, invite your students to create greeting, Christmas
and birthday cards. Allow each student to make 10 cards. Box them
in groups of 10 and make them available for parents to purchase.
How to:
Bring samples of birthday, Christmas and or greeting cards. In the
first lesson, invite your students to create contents for the cards,
e.g. outside card: Just a note to say… inside card: Thank You!
You may also want to indicate where the proceeds of the card
sales are going. For example: Thank you for supporting ShareLife
or The proceeds of all card sales will benefit the marginalized in
our community through ShareLife funded agencies.
In your second lesson, invite students to design and create
pictures for the content they created during the first lesson. In
lesson three, make homemade envelopes.
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Resources:
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Paper
Creativity
Crayons, coloured pens or pencils, watercolour sets
Sample cards
Glue (for making envelopes)
Fundraiser idea courtesy of St. Joseph School in Aurora
York Catholic District School Board
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Staff Dress Down Days
Description:
Designate four days per month to allow the staff at your school to
dress down, in exchange for a minimum donation of your choice.
How to:
Select four days per month to allow your staff to dress casually
for work, and request for a minimum donation of all participating
staff. Spice it up by encouraging staff to wear certain colours and
types of clothing, allowing for some fun and creative ideas. Staff
dress down days can also be extended to secondary students
who are required to wear uniforms. Elementary students can be
invited to participate with crazy hair/hat/pajama days.
Resources:
✓ Volunteers to track and collect funds raised by participants
✓ Morning announcement reminders
✓ Posters
Fundraiser idea courtesy of St. Nicolas of Bari School
Toronto Catholic District School Board
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ShareLife
1155 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario M4T 1W2
416-934-3411 or 1-800-263-2595
www.sharelife.org
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