The Best School Fundraisers, Ranked by What You Actually Keep
Not all fundraisers are equal. The best school fundraisers raise the most with the least work — here they are, ranked by profit, effort, and fun.
The best school fundraisers are no-product, event-based Athons — Walk-a-Thons, Fun Runs, and Jog-a-Thons — because schools keep 95–97% of funds versus roughly 40–50% on product sales. Read-a-Thons and online auctions round out the top tier.
What makes a fundraiser "the best"?
"Best" isn't about which fundraiser grosses the most — it's about what your school keeps after costs, and how much work it takes to get there. A $20,000 catalog sale that nets $9,000 loses to a $20,000 Athon that nets $19,000.
The three criteria that matter: profit kept, volunteer effort, and student participation. Score every option on those and the same handful rises to the top every time.
The best school fundraisers, ranked
Scored on profit, effort, and fun.
| Rank | Fundraiser | Profit kept | Effort | Fun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walk-a-Thon | 95–97% | Low | High Best overall |
| 2 | Fun Run | 95–97% | Low | Very high |
| 3 | Jog-a-Thon | 95–97% | Low | High |
| 4 | Read-a-Thon | High | Low | High (reading) |
| 5 | Online auction | High | Medium | High (parents) |
| 6 | Direct donation drive | ~95% | Very low | Medium |
| 7 | Product / catalog sale | 40–50% | High | Low |
Why no-product events top every list
You keep almost everything
No product cost means 95–97% of every dollar stays with your school.
Everyone participates
No selling required — every student can be a top fundraiser through their page.
Kids actually love it
An event is a celebration, not a chore, so participation (and dollars) climb.
What makes Get Movin' the best partner
FundHub Platform
Online donations, live meters, every payment type, and fast ACH payout after your event.
Personal Event Coach
A former PTO/PTA volunteer who has run hundreds of events guides every decision — free.
100+ Resource Toolbox
Flyers, donation templates, kickoff scripts, and promo docs ready to print or email.
Superb Support
Help for your committee, parents, and donors before, during, and after event day.
The platform behind the best fundraisers
FundHub powers personal student pages, live meters, every payment type, and fast ACH payout — the infrastructure that lets Athons keep 95–97% and raise an average of $23,765 online.
Ready to run the best fundraiser of the year?
Book your event and your free coach will help you pick and plan the best fit for your school.
Book the Best Fundraiser Talk to an ExpertFrequently asked questions
What is the best school fundraiser?
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What is the best fundraiser that isn't Athon based?
Key takeaways
- The best school fundraisers are judged on profit kept, effort, and participation — not gross dollars.
- No-product Athons win: 95–97% kept and 2–3× more than product sales.
- They scale to any school size thanks to peer-to-peer student pages averaging ~$140.
- For specialty campaigns, use Read-a-Thon.com and 32auctions.com.