Project Ideas
Here are just a few of the many creative fund-raising ideas for your projects.
Have a “Teacher Baby Picture” Contest: Teachers each bring in one of their baby pictures. Pictures are displayed and students try to
guess Who’s Who. The student naming the most teachers wins a prize.
Coordinate a Softball, Volleyball, Soccer, Basketball or Flag Football Tournament: Post flyers announcing the tournament. Ask a local
restaurant to donate refreshments or prizes for the winning team. Charge an admission fee for each team. You can also sell official
tournament T-shirts.
Organize a 5K/Walk: Charge a $5 entrance fee or have students collect pledges to participate. Put flyers up in local businesses inviting the
community to participate. Get refreshments donated from local restaurants. If you ask participants to collect pledges to participate, give
the top fundraiser a prize.
Plan a Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Mardis Gras or St. Patrick’s Day Party for Make-A-Wish: Ask each student to make a $3 or $5
donation at the door.
Have a Rock-a-thon: Get a rocking chair and have members of your organization take turns for a twenty-four hour period rocking in the
gym. Charge participants $5 to rock for 5 minutes or have participants collect pledges for their hour of rocking.
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Sell Make-A-Wish Star Cutouts: You can make your own Make-A-Wish cutouts or call the Make-A-Wish office at (800) 252-9474 to order
them through the Foundation. Cutouts can be sold to students for $1.00 or more each. Students write their names on them and then the
cutouts should be displayed on a wall in your school to show your support of Make-A-Wish. You can also give cutouts to local businesses
and restaurants to sell to their customers!
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Have a Make-A-Wish Money Week: On Monday, students donate their pennies; on Tuesday they donate nickels; on Wednesday they
donate dimes; on Thursday they donate quarters; and on Friday, they donate one-dollar bills. You may want to locate a bank that is
willing to count your change.
Have a Dance Marathon: You will need to reserve your school’s gymnasium and ask a local DJ to donate his or her services. Have
students obtain pledges from relatives and friends and ask local businesses to make cash donations or donate food or gifts to use as door
prizes for dancers. Think of fun activities to keep dancers busy, i.e. the hokey pokey, the limbo, etc.
Have a Teacher Dress Down Day: Get permission from your principal and put flyers in the teachers’ mailboxes to let them know that a
certain day will be an official teacher dress down day. For $1 or more, teachers can dress down to support Make-A-Wish.
Have a Make-A-Wish Fun Run: Students from all schools in your school district can participate in this event! All joggers and walkers are
asked to make a small donation to participate. One school district asked for $3 from elementary students, $4 from middle school
students and $5 from their high school students.
Have a Paper Chain Link Contest: Paper links are sold to students for 50 cents, and each grade makes a different color chain. They
compete to see who can make the longest paper chain for Make-A-Wish.
Have a Hat Day: Students give a $1.00 donation to wear a hat all day at school. You may even want to give a prize to the student wearing
the funniest hat.
Sell Candy-Grams: For 50 cents or one dollar, kids write messages to friends and teachers, which are delivered during the day. Each
message has a piece of candy attached. Candy-grams work especially well around holidays. Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween,
Mardi Gras, Easter, Christmas.
Have a Pie-in-the-Face Contest: You can sell $1.00 raffle tickets for a chance to throw a whip cream pie at the face of your favorite
teacher at your next assembly. Be sure to have the teacher wear a large, plastic garbage bag over his or her clothes!
Have a Half-Court Shooting Contest: Sell chances to students and parents during the basketball season to shoot a half-court shot for a big
prize such as $500.
Have an A-a-thon: Students collect pledges from friends and relatives based on the number of “A” grades they think they’ll receive on
their next report card. For instance, your mom might pledge $1 for every “A” you receive on your next report card. If you get four “A’s”,
you collect $4 for Make-A-Wish! This is a great project for National Honor Societies.
Fill the Boot: One local school recently borrowed some firemen’s boots from their local fire department and raised $2,200 by having a
competition among grade levels to fill the boots with change. The winning grade received a pizza party courtesy of their PTA.
Have a Read-a-thon: Send a letter home with students asking friends and relatives for pledges based on the number of books their child
will read in one month. At the end of the month, students collect the pledges and turn in their donation in to their teachers.
Have a Prom Fashion Show: Two local high schools recently held prom fashion shows for Make-A-Wish. They each borrowed dresses and
tuxedos from local retailers for the big event, sold advertisements for their program booklets, and solicited local businesses for prizes to
be raffled off at a Chinese auction during the event. They also charged a $5 admission fee to the event.
Play “Pig Out for Pennies”: Contest between homerooms to bring in the most pounds in pennies. Get your PTA to sponsor a “Pig Out”
Party for the winning class. A Pig Out party consists of foods that start with the letter “p” foods like pizza, popcorn, pretzels, potato chips,
Pepsi, etc. You may want to find a bank that is willing to count the pennies.
Have a Band or Choral Concert: Collect donations at your next holiday or spring concert. This is great for high school and middle school
band and choral groups. You can charge a small admission fee or pass around a can to collect donations.
Have a Homeroom Carnival: Each homeroom team devises a game of skill or an activity--Pin the Tail on the Donkey, hit a golf ball into a
cup, face painting, bake sale, etc. Students donate 25-50 cents to participate in each event.
Host a Spaghetti Dinner or a Pancake Breakfast: You can work with a local restaurant or ask a group of parents to help with the cooking.
Invite students and residents in the community. Charge an admission fee.
Have a Pajama Party: Have a school dance where everyone has to wear his or her pajamas. Charge an admission fee for Make-A-Wish.
Have a Bowl-a-thon: Ask your local bowling alley to donate a few lanes for the event. Collect sponsorships such as 5 cents per pin or a
$5.00 flat donation from friends and family. The class that raises the most could receive a pizza party.
Coordinate a Scavenger Hunt: A committee works to come up with clues. Students are charged a small fee to participate. The first team
to solve the final clue wins a prize.
Compete in a Penny War: Each grade level competes against each other to collect the most pennies. Students are encouraged to put
nickels, dimes and quarters in another grades container to get the corresponding amount of pennies subtracted from their total count!
Have a Bake Sale: Students bring in a baked good from home. The bake sale can be held in the school cafeteria or at a local shopping
center, but be sure to ask permission first.
Organize a Student/Teacher Basketball or Volleyball Game: Students and teachers compete against each other in basketball, volleyball or
any other sporting event you devise. Funds are raised through an admission fee and sale of refreshments.
Hold a Dress Down Day: Students with a dress code in their school can contribute a small fee to wear casual clothes to school for the day.
Teachers can participate in Dress Down Days too!
Create an Art Gallery: Students draw or paint artwork. Parents are welcome to purchase the artwork during an Open House or at an
Evening of Art event.
Host a Holiday Party: Students love to have parties. You can plan a Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day or St. Patrick’s Day party to
benefit Make-A-Wish! Ask students if they would like to bring in donations to help kids who are not as fortunate as they are.
Have a Hot Dog-Eating Contest: Charge participants a $10 entry fee or ask them to collect a minimum in pledges to participate. Set a time
limit for the contest and ask local restaurants or grocery stores to donate the hot dogs and buns. One local organization called their event
"Dogapolooza."
Spirit Week: Host a Spirit Week and include events such as school color day, favorite sports team day, hat day, crazy hair day, etc. Charge
$1 for students to enter to win a prize for the most school spirited.
Hold a Raffle: Seek out local restaurants, movie theatres, stores, and other places students like to hang out. Ask if they would be
interested in donating gift cards or items and then raffle them off to students. Price raffle tickets at $3 or more each. Ask your school if
they would like to donate items such as a yearbook, or tickets to the prom and/or an upcoming dance. Other ideas to raffle: concert
tickets, gift baskets, etc.
Hold an Auction for Teachers: Seek out local restaurants and businesses and ask if they would be interested in donating gift cards or
items and then hold a silent auction after school one day where teachers can name their price. The highest bidder wins!
Have an Awards Competition/Ceremony for Teachers: Charge students $1 to watch the ceremony and teachers $5 to enter the
competition. Poll students to find out which teacher is the funniest, craziest, loudest, silliest, most animated, goofiest, best teacher of the
year, etc. Make the ceremony entertaining by having each teacher make an acceptance speech!
Have a “Battle of the Classes”: Hold a week-long battle between classes. Include something for everyone; sporting events, drawing
competitions, talent shows, etc. In addition to the silly events all week long, have each class challenge themselves to see who can raise
the most money. Include a prize for the winning class such as an ice cream social, pizza party, or dance.
Decorate-A-Cupcake/Cookie Table: Set up a table in the cafeteria with un-frosted cookies and cupcakes, and as many different types of
icing/ toppings as you want. For a minimum donation of $1, students can decorate their own cookie or a cupcake.
Have a “Battle of the Homerooms”: Have each homeroom pledge a goal for how much money they think they can raise, and offer a prize
such as a pizza party for the homeroom who raises the most money. Allow homerooms to get creative in their ideas as to how they can
raise the most money.
Dress Down Day: For a donation, employees and/or students can come in casual for the day!
Car Wash: Charge a flat rate for a car wash and wear your walk t-shirts while you wash!
Restaurant Night: Get your local restaurant involved and ask them to donate a portion of the day’s sales to your cause. Educate servers
about the Walk for Wishes and have them wear a “Ask me about the Walk for Wishes” sticker in the months before the event.
Bake Sale: Ask everyone at work or school to bring in a baked good, sell during lunch or after hours.
No Bake Sale: In lieu of baked goods, ask supporters to make a donation to not have to bake something! It’s calorie free!
Coin Drive: Place containers in each department or classroom. Ask everyone to contribute spare change for a week or month period of
time. Give the winner a prize such as a pizza party or ice cream social.
Roll your Change: Have spare change lying around the house or on the bottom of your purse? Roll it up, bring it to the bank and cash it in.
Every little bit helps!
Block Party: Have a neighborhood block party, have everyone make a dish, provide music and charge admission.
Book Sale: Dust off your old books and have a book sale.
Movie Night: Host a movie night at your local hall or park. Charge admission to drop off your kids for a night of movies, pizza and games.
Create a Cookbook: Get your friends/family to submit their favorite recipe and put together a cookbook! Everyone needs new recipes and
why not cook for a good cause?!
Yard/Garage Sale: Gather up all unused items and invite some neighbors and friends over to raise money. Make sure to let your
customers know that their money will be donated.
Karaoke Night: Who cares if you can’t carry a tune! Spend a Friday night at a Karaoke Bar and sing your guts out! Have the announcer tell
the crowd you are singing for donations.
Benefit Concert: If you know a band or in one, ask them if they will be willing to play for donations. When people come in to see them
either charge admission or ask for a donation.
Sports Clinic: Good at a sport of some sort? Host a clinic (soccer, basketball, softball, football, etc.) and charge a registration fee.
Sports Tournament: Host a tournament, any game of your choice and charge a fee per person or team.
Babysit/Pet Sit: Offer your services to watch over your neighbor or family friend’s children or pets while they are away and your pay is
their donation.
Barbecue Contest: Host a BBQ cook off with friends and neighbors. Charge an entrance fee to the cooks and a smaller fee to the
participants eating. This is fun for everyone, especially those who love to eat!!
Bargain Basement Evening Gowns: Have those old bridesmaid dresses and prom dresses that sit in the closet and take up the most room?
Host a sale or eBay them, people are always looking for those antique dresses.
Mow-a-Lawn: This one is great for the teenagers! Check with neighbors and friends and see if you can mow their lawn for a donation.
Neighborhood Chores: Like to do handy work around the yard or house? Place signs around your neighborhood advertising your services
(painting, watering gardens, sweeping, raking leaves, etc)
eBay: This is similar to the garage/yard sale, but the items from you and your friends can be auctioned off online through our website on
Mission Fish.
Game Night: Get out those board games and start playing! Break into teams and let all of the fun begin!
Beautiful Baby Contest: Everyone loves a beautiful baby. Have friends, teachers and neighbors sign their baby up for the contest for a fee.
Field Day: Remember those days of running outside and play games? Who says you can’t do that now and raise money at the same time!
For an event like this you can charge a flat fee to participate or you can charge per event, like 3 legged race, water balloon toss, tug of
war, etc.
Grab Bag: Put together a collection of items (anything you want) in bags and make sure no one can see what is inside. Charge a flat fee
per item that they grab out of the bag. The surprise is they never know what they will get!
Pancake Breakfast: This is easy and inexpensive. See if a hall or a school cafeteria will allow you to use their facility. Charge a flat entrance
fee.
Fashion Show: Get your friends together and head to the closet! Pick out outfits to show off, or if you know someone that can sow,
maybe make some new outfits and show them off at a fashion show.
Have a Recycled Can Collection: Hold a recycled can collection and donate the proceeds to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Coordinate a Softball, Volleyball, Soccer, Basketball or Flag Football Tournament: Post flyers announcing the tournament. Ask a local
restaurant to donate refreshments or prizes for the winning team. Charge an admission fee for each team. You can also sell official
tournament T-shirts.
Host a Signature Chef Event: Solicit chefs to donate their time and cook for a party. Another idea is to have a chef’s tasting event. Charge
admission or pay for cooking lessons.
Host a Dinner with Notable People: Solicit various notables (coaches, professors, local celebrities, disc jockeys, etc.) to have dinner at
people’s homes in exchange for a contribution to the Foundation.
Plan a Cook-Off: Structured like a chili cook-off, voting is done by collecting money in a jar and donating the funds to the Make-A-Wish
Foundation of New Jersey.
Utilize the Online World!
Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn make it easier than ever to reach out to your network of friends, family and
business associates! Let everyone know about your fundraiser by posting information on your social network pages. Post as a status
update or on your friends’ walls. This is a great and easy tool to increase participation and fundraising!
Friends and Family Page
We also offer a website called a Friends and Family Page, which is created specifically for you! With this website, you’re able to
email friends and family outside of the state to help you fundraise!
Who else can I ask to contribute to my fundraising efforts?
Friend
Doctor
Lawyer
Personal Trainer
Neighbor
Teammate
Accountant
Family
Dentist
Dry Cleaner
Gardener
Classmate
Church Group
Manicurist
Co-Worker
Hair Stylist
Parents’ Co-workers
Client
Boss
Babysitter
Coach
You can try one of these project ideas or devise a
“Kids for Wish Kids” project of your own!
For more information or to start a fundraiser of your own please contact:
Kristina Maglietta, Director of External Events
Make-A-Wish Foundation® of New Jersey
1347 Perrineville Road
Monroe Township, NJ 08831
(609) 371-9474, (800) 252-9474
(609) 371-8919 fax