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Healthy Fundraisers

Fundraising Resources

The Center for Science in The Public Interest has a one page Fundraising Options Available to Schools  a two page School Fundraisers Can Be Healthy and Profitable  and a more detailed 70 page report document entitled SWEET DEALS: School Fundraising Can Be Healthy and Profitable .

Green and Garden Related Fundraising Ideas

Back to the Roots
Mushroom Growing Kits let you grow up to one and a half pounds of tasty pearl oyster mushrooms right out of the little brown box. 40% ROI.

Koru Fundraising
Koru offers the best green fundraising programs. 40 to 50% profit. Quality, practical products. No Minimums. No Risks. The way fundraising is meant to be!

Botanical Interests Fundraising
Sell seeds to raise funds for your school. Over 500 varieties are available to sell with no order forms, no catalogues, never handle the product and receive 40% of the selling price.

Renee's Garden Fundraising Program
Sign up for Renee's School and Nonprofit Program and 25% of every order will be donated to your program.

Flower Power Fundraising with Flower Bulbs Sell bulbs and keep 50% of sales.

Farm Raisers
Farm-raisers are an alternative fundraising method that brings healthy, farm-fresh foods to schools, raises funds for school programs, and supports local family farms. Farm-raisers raise school funds through the sale of fresh, local and healthy foods.

Fundraising Ideas

Strategies 

You may find it helpful to create an event calendar to plan your events. With the garden as a focal point, consider planning your events around the seasons. Set up an event planning committee and meet frequently to fill in event ideas and update the calendar.


Here are a few ideas for seasonal healthy fundraising events. Depending on where you live, you may need to adjust this to fit your seasons. Be sure to review the Parent Newsletter Inserts. They are full of great ideas!

Spring

  • Start of Spring Party

  • Seed/Seedling Swapping Party

  • Gardening Classes on planting and bed preparation

Summer

  • Garden Tours

  • Cookouts and Picnics

  • Gardening classes on garden projects and building garden structures

Fall

  • Harvest Party

  • Garden Concert

  • Halloween events like a haunted garden walk, face painting, carving or painting pumpkins

  • Preserving foods

  • Garden Classes on winterizing techniques


Winter

  • Dream Garden Party where everyone brings seed catalogs and plans a dream garden

  • Root Roast where everyone brings a root-based dish

  • Garden Classes on garden design, plant selection, crop rotation, and companion planting

Healthy Fundraising Alternatives 

Items to sell

  • Student-made or garden/fruit/vegetable-related books and calendars

  • Pumpkins

  • Seed packets with seeds grown and saved by students

  • Bumper stickers or decals

  • Student-raised seedlings 

  • Coffee cups, mugs

  • Cookbooks, especially class cookbooks

  • Coupon books for student help (washing cars, gardening, etc.)

  • Flowers and bulbs

  • Gift baskets that include produce from the school garden

  • Gift certificates for flowers or produce from the school garden

  • Greeting cards made with dried flowers grown in the school garden

  • Holiday wreaths

  • Lunch box auctions 

  • Student art/drawings of the garden

  • T-shirts or sweatshirts with the your school’s logo

Things You Can Do

  • Garage sale or White Elephant Sale

  • School or class auction

  • Bike-a-thon

  • Car wash

  • Dances

  • Garden-related Festival

  • Runs

  • Recycling

  • Talent show