October is an opportune time for a pumpkin sale or for selling apple cider. The holiday season brings many opportunities for selling items like gift-wrap and candles from businesses that provide items to schools specifically for fundraisers. If you would rather not go this route, parents and children can participate in an ornament sale, with families donating homemade ornaments. These ornaments can range from simple items made by the students to ornate decorations made by parents and grandparents. Sell them during school hours with classes taking turns coming down to buy them for gifts for family and friends. This is a 100 percent profit fundraiser because the items were donations. Springtime is the time for bulb and flower sales. Local nurseries are often willing to partner with a school for the advertisement and will offer good discounts.
There are a variety of foods that can be purchased from chain restaurants for resale at a modest profit, including submarine sandwiches, pizzas and doughnuts to name just a few. Many fundraising companies will provide catalogs for you to sell their snack products by order, items like cookies, nuts, cookie dough and popcorn. On a smaller scale, children and parents can sell items in the school lobby after classes, like popcorn in bags, candy and baked goods.
Arranging different types of school parties for weekend evenings is another way to make money. School carnivals, costume parties and family fun nights with games and prizes for everyone can bring in a significant amount of money while providing quality family time. Showing family movies in the auditorium can also bring in extra money, though it is illegal to charge an admission fee for the movie without receiving permission from the copyright owner, who usually charges a substantial fee. You can show the movie free and charge for the snacks.
Coupon and entertainment books can be purchased from a variety of venues for resale and provide the buyers with a way to recoup their money. If you have a parent that is a photographer and is willing to donate their time, you can take photos of families or pets for a fraction of the price of going to a professional studio. Rummage sales are another 100 percent profit fundraisers. If the school will let you use the auditorium, you can rent booths to local artisans to have a craft fair.