Fundraising is a must! 

In years past, field trips were almost a given. But with every district in the nation tightening their budgetary belt, it has become the job of each individual school or coordinator to find ways to raise funds for their out-of-the-classroom experiences. Here are some ways to get your whole community involved and collect some much-needed money for your next field trip adventure.

1. Schedule a School-Wide Garage Sale

Sell your stuff! Encourage your fellow teachers, students and their parents to go through their closets and gather up all the stuff that no longer are used. Then schedule a huge school-wide garage sale. Make sure to have your students help you make signs that tell buyers that the money raised is going toward educational experiences.

2. Find Web-Based Fundraising Resources 

Sometimes it’s best to leave fundraising up to the professionals. Sites like Kickstarter and Crowdfunder can help you create an online account that gives community members a hassle-free place to donate funds toward your field trip. Include videos or text about how the eld trip would positively impact your students.

3. Make it a Class Project

Find ways to get your kids in on the fundraising. Not only will it get them thinking and problem solving, but it will also give them ownership in the trip.The more involved they feel, the more excited they will be about where they’re going. Try creating a prompt that asks the students to create a product to sell or a service they can perform (like babysitting or raking leaves) to help raise money. 

4. Host a Special Team Building Event

Get kids motivated and have them come up with an amazing event that everyone looks forward to, such as a carnival or a team building festival. You might be surprised with what they come up with. The more involved everyone is, the more successful the fundraiser is.  Be sure to have a dollar amount goal. 

5. Use Apps and Social Media

Many school systems use apps like Remind or private Facebook pages to get in touch with parents to relay important information.These same avenues could be used to ask parents to give a small donation to the field trip fund or to share the class’ need with friends and neighbors. It wouldn’t cost the school any extra money to execute and parents would already be familiar with the technology.

6. Find a Corporate Sponsor

While it might be a long-shot for some districts, it might be worth it to investigate corporate sponsorship. Many big-name retailers have programs that will donate some or all the funds needed to take your students on a one-of-a-kind field trip. Do some digging. The worst they can say is, no.

7. Sell Candy 

Everyone loves candy. Have kids go door to door, or better yet, they can run a candy stand at school. Go to to and out how. This is just one idea, but there are loads of other great fundraising products to sell that are easy to incorporate into your campaign.