Faith and Fundraising: 10+ Catholic School Fundraising Ideas

In Catholic schools, education extends beyond academics. These schools foster faith and connection while preparing students for a life of service. To thrive, your school must engage the wider community in fundraising rather than continually relying on the same group of families. With the right strategies, fundraising can embody Catholic values like stewardship and shared responsibility, too.

But successful fundraising means thinking beyond fundraising letters and exploring new, innovative approaches. By diversifying efforts and embracing creative Catholic school fundraising ideas, your school can ease the financial strain on families while ensuring every student has access to an education rooted in faith, service, and excellence.

This article covers several fundraising ideas and advice to guide your efforts, broken down into these sections:

• Our Favorite Catholic School Fundraising Idea: Read-A-Thons
• Faith-Focused Catholic School Fundraising Ideas
• Community Event Fundraisers For Catholic Schools
• Tips for Raising More With Your Catholic School Fundraisers

Tuition may fund the classroom, but fundraising sustains the soul of your school. From maintaining chapels to supporting campus ministry programs, these Catholic school fundraisers will support the essential elements of a faith-based education.

Our Favorite Catholic School Fundraising Idea: Read-A-Thons

A Read-A-Thon is a creative and educational fundraising activity that promotes literacy among students while teaching them the fundamentals of responsibility and commitment. During the fundraiser, students read as much as possible and log their time. Meanwhile, their friends and family members donate to support their efforts.

Our platform provides everything you need, including real-time reports, payment processing, and a custom success toolkit. Here’s how simple fundraising is with Read-A-Thon:

1. Set a goal. Determine reading goals for students, such as the number of minutes they should aim to read over a set period. Generally, Read-A-Thons perform best with a two-week time frame to maintain momentum.
2. Collect donations. Students receive an individual donation page to share and gather one-time donations from family, friends, and parishioners.
3. Track progress. Students will read at home and log their time using the Read-A-Thon platform. The platform supports students at every grade level by focusing on minutes read, not pages.
4. Celebrate and reward. Reward students' efforts with prizes or a special event. Schools managing their own rewards keep 80% of donations and get 100+ prize coupon templates printed and shipped by Read-A-Thon. Alternatively, use our prize store, featuring 200+ items like toys, games, and books, and retain 75% of donations while readers redeem points for rewards. Plus, opt into the Disney Trip giveaway, where students who send 10+ texts are entered to win!

You can keep reading focused on Catholic values by incorporating religious texts, Bible stories, or books about Catholic history. However you go about it, your Read-A-Thon will allow students of all ages to develop a love of learning while working together to raise funds for your school.

For a closer look at Read-A-Thon, check out this quick video overview:

Best of all, your school can launch a no-cost fundraiser with zero contracts or minimums. Join the 5,000+ organizations using our platform by signing up for a free Read-A-Thon account or scheduling a call to learn more today.

Faith-Focused Catholic School Fundraising Ideas

By integrating faith into your fundraising ideas, you can foster deeper connections and inspire meaningful participation from families, students, and parish members. These Catholic school fundraisers either center around key holidays or encourage students to embody and share their faith.

Donation eCards

Fundraising eCards are modern fundraisers that allow your community to donate in exchange for a fun digital greeting card. Your school can create custom eCards featuring religious themes, such as Bible verses or seasonal blessings. For instance, you might create Christmas donation eCards with a nativity scene, poinsettias, or a glowing candle to symbolize the light of Christ. You may even feature students’ artwork to boost family engagement.

To power this Catholic school fundraiser, find a digital greeting card platform. Choose one with a user-friendly interface that offers free templates and graphics. Make sure you can upload your own graphics, so you can add your school’s logo or feature students’ artwork to make this online fundraiser resonate with your community.

Faith-Themed Calendars

Combine practicality with inspiration by selling faith-themed calendars. Design a calendar filled with:

• Bible verses
• Photos of the school’s chapel or the parish church, showcasing its beautiful architecture, altar, and stained glass windows
• Artwork or images of patron saints
• Seasonal religious artwork, such as Advent wreaths and the Nativity scene
• Photos of school or parish events like Christmas pageants, Stations of the Cross, or First Communion ceremonies

This fundraiser works particularly well during the holiday season, offering a product that families and parishioners will use all year. Plus, 17-20% of all annual giving occurs in December, when generosity is at its highest.

Chapel or Ministry Sponsorship Campaign

Invite donors to support specific aspects of the school’s spiritual life, such as maintaining the chapel, funding campus ministry programs, or providing religious education materials. Donors can sponsor a pew, stained glass window, or specific ministry in honor of a loved one or as an act of stewardship.

This type of fundraiser emphasizes the Catholic value of supporting the faith community and connects donors directly to the spiritual impact of their contributions. Your school can recognize sponsors with plaques, acknowledgments during Mass, or personal thank-you notes.

Christmas Tree Sales

Selling Christmas trees brings the community into fundraising while celebrating the holidays. Your school can partner with nearby suppliers to sell fresh trees to families and parishioners. Communicate that a portion of the proceeds will benefit the school.

Encourage students to volunteer to help during sales days. To make your sale more memorable, set up hot cocoa stands and sell handmade ornaments.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Teach students the importance of working together toward a common goal via peer-to-peer fundraising. For this Catholic school fundraiser, students will step up and fundraise on your school’s behalf. In turn, they’ll embody Catholic social teachings of solidarity, stewardship, and service as they collaborate to use their talents and time to benefit the entire school community.

Using your chosen peer-to-peer fundraising software, students will create their individual fundraising pages. They should be able to personalize theirs by updating the description, images, or other elements. Then, participants share their pages with family, friends, and colleagues via social media, email, and text.

Since 75% of peer-to-peer donations come from first-time donors, this fundraiser substantially expands your school’s support network. Two main factors drive this: the convenience of online giving and the personal connection that motivates people to support their loved ones.

Community Event Fundraisers For Catholic Schools

Community event fundraisers bring families, students, and parish members together throughout the year. From back-to-school celebrations to holiday markets and spring dances, these events foster connections while financially supporting your Catholic school.

Bake Sale

A bake sale is a tried-and-true fundraiser where families contribute homemade or store-bought baked goods to sell at an event or during school hours. Items like cookies, cupcakes, and brownies are affordable for buyers and easy to make in bulk. Adding a creative twist, such as themed treats or packaging, can attract more customers. This simple and flexible idea works well alongside other events or as a standalone effort.

Pancake Breakfast

A pancake breakfast is a classic, family-friendly fundraiser that brings the community together over a meal. Families, teachers, and volunteers prepare and serve pancakes, often paired with coffee, juice, and other breakfast staples. 

Sell tickets in advance or at the door, and raise additional funds through raffles, auctions, or sponsorships. This event fosters fellowship while providing a fun, low-cost way to support your school.

School Dance

Organizing a school dance provides students with a fun social event while raising funds for the school—and families will likely be eager to pay for an affordable ticket in exchange for a well-deserved night off!

Themes such as “80s Night,” “Winter Wonderland,” or “Spring Fling Soirée” can create a night students won’t forget. Sell admission tickets, and earn additional revenue from:

• Concessions including themed treats and refreshing drinks
• Photo booths with themed props
• Merchandise like t-shirts or tote bags with the dance theme and date
• Themed accessories like glow-in-the-dark items for a glow party, decorative masks for a masquerade ball, or leis for a luau

Enlist students’ family members and teachers to help plan, decorate, and supervise, making it a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

Craft Fair

Invite students, their families, and local artisans to sell handmade goods while supporting your school. You can raise funds through booth rental fees or a percentage of sales made at the fair. This makes a great fundraising idea for Catholic schools because it showcases students’ talents while fostering community. Liven the atmosphere with music and food vendors to make it even more memorable. 

A craft fair works well in late fall and early December when people are searching for unique holiday gifts. If you’re hosting a fair around this time, add a Christmas theme with seasonal music and holiday decorations to boost its appeal.

Tips For Raising More With Your Catholic School Fundraisers

Make the most of these popular Catholic school fundraising ideas by incorporating a few best practices into your planning. In doing so, you can ensure that your fundraiser focuses on high-impact activities, maximizes results, and positively represents your school.

Follow these best practices to make each fundraiser one for the books:

• Get the timing right. Schedule your fundraiser to align with key times of the year, such as the back-to-school or holiday seasons when generosity peaks. National Catholic Schools Week, which usually occurs in late January, is another opportune time since it focuses on the value Catholic education provides. If you’re hosting a literacy event like a Read-A-Thon, you might choose Read Across America in early March.
• Center your campaign around your mission. Highlight how the funds will benefit your school and its community. Will it fund classroom renovations, new textbooks, or scholarships for students excelling in academics or arts? In your outreach, tell students’ stories to connect with donors and emphasize Catholic values like service and education.
• Show gratitude. Send thank-you notes or emails to everyone who contributed to your fundraiser. Encourage students to write these letters. Provide a template that shares how much you raised and how you’ll put donors’ funds to good use, so they’ll stay motivated to support your school in the future.

With a thoughtful approach, your Catholic school fundraisers can achieve both financial success and deeper community connections. Effective planning and execution not only maximize results but also keep your school’s mission and values at the forefront of your fundraising. With each fundraiser, you’ll strengthen your school’s foundation and inspire lasting support.

Wrapping Up: Start Planning Your Next Fundraiser

More than ever, schools need innovative approaches to provide vital resources for scholarships, campus ministries, and maintaining sacred spaces. By embracing fresh ideas and engaging the broader community, your Catholic school can nurture its vision and inspire students to live out their faith through meaningful service.

As you consider your next campaign, study up on other fundraising ideas and best practices with these educational guides:

• 10+ PTA Fundraising Ideas Your School Community Will Love. Find other creative ideas for fundraising in this guide written for parent-teacher associations and organizations.
• School Fundraiser Prizes: 18+ Ideas to Inspire Students. If you’re hosting a Read-A-Thon or similar fundraiser, motivate your students to excel with these fun prizes!
• Private and Independent School Fundraising 101: Crash Course. Fundraising helps provide a top-notch education for students. Learn about essential components of a development program and the challenges private schools currently face.