Proven Fundraising Ideas

• Sell wristbands with the “H2O for Life” logo. (We offer them in our Store.)
• Sell a holiday craft item made by students. (This activity raised more than $1,200 for one school.)
• Hold raffles for donated prizes from local sports teams, restaurants, and other businesses.
• Host a Hat Day: Students can pay $1.00 to wear a hat showing their support during the school day. (One 900-student school sold 780 Hat Day tickets—86 percent student participation!)
• Design and sell postcards or note cards with pictures from the partner school’s country.
• Sell H2O logo t-shirts.
• Organize a “Walk for Water”
• Give student presentations to the school board, Rotary International Clubs, and other civic groups.
• For 100 great fundraising ideas, check out this list from PlayPumps International.

Remember to keep activities that involve sales or donations affordable for students, families, and businesses in your community. One example of an affordable activity is a “Spare Change Drive.” Have students set up a table in the cafeteria over the course of three days. Students ask for a donation of a single nickel on Monday, a dime on Tuesday, and a quarter on Wednesday. The donor’s name is entered into a raffle for a prize. This event alone raised more than $1,600 at Highview Middle School in Minnesota.

During the year, inform all students at your school about fundraising progress and involve them in classroom activities designed around water issues and the project.

We recommend that you contact Great American Fundraising for more information on raising needed funds for H2O for Life.

For great fundraising ideas and other resources: Plunge into H2O Water Curriculum