10 Fun Halloween Fundraisers for Schools, Teams, and Clubs

Autumn is here, bringing with it pumpkins, costumes, and spooky fun. Fall also ushers in one of the most festive seasons your school, team, or club can tap into: Halloween. With the community already in the spirit of celebrating, a Halloween fundraiser is a great way to bring people together and boost support. 

The good news is, you don’t need a massive budget or months of preparation. With a little creativity and smart planning, you can host a successful Halloween themed fundraiser that’s both fun and profitable.

Why Halloween is an ideal time to fundraise

Halloween is already a built-in community event. Families are out at carnivals, parties, and trick-or-treating events, which makes it easy to plug in a fundraiser without asking people to add “one more thing” to their calendars. 

It’s also a time when people expect to spend. This year, the National Retail Federation predicts 73% of Americans will celebrate Halloween, spending a record $13.1 billion on items like treats, costumes, and decor. Tapping into that seasonal excitement gives your fundraiser instant appeal. 

10 Halloween themed fundraiser ideas

Ready to start planning a creative, manageable Halloween-themed fundraiser for your school, team, or club? Here are some ideas that’ll be memorable and help your organization bring in more funds.

1. Haunted house

Transform a gym, classroom, or community center into a spooky walkthrough experience. Charge admission and offer a specified “not-so-scary” time slot for younger kids (and the faint of heart).

Borrow decorations or stock up at a dollar store to keep costs low. For extra fun (at no extra cost), recruit students or community volunteers to serve as spooky characters in the house.

2. Pumpkin patch sale

Partner with a local farm or vendor to bring pumpkins to your school or sports field. Around 154 million people plan to carve pumpkins for Halloween anyway, so families will appreciate the convenience. Consider adding a carving or decorating contest to add another element of fun.

Keep costs down by negotiating a portion of the sales or ask the farm if they’re willing to donate some of the pumpkins. Volunteers can also set up a photo booth or a fall refreshment stand to generate extra revenue. 

3. Costume contest

Over half of Americans plan to dress up for Halloween. A costume contest gives them a fun opportunity to get more mileage from that costume while also raising money for your school, team, or club.

Charge a small entry fee to participate, and give away small prizes for categories like funniest, scariest, and most creative costumes. Ask local businesses to donate prizes in exchange for recognition. 

4. Pet costume parade

Humans aren’t the only ones dressing up as witches, princesses, and super heroes. Americans plan to spend nearly $1B this year on costumes for their furry friends. 

Invite community members to show off their pets in costumes. Charge a small fee and award prizes in categories like funniest, cutest, and most creative. Local pet stores may be willing to donate treats, toys, or gift cards in exchange for the publicity.

5. Scary movie night

Show a family-friendly Halloween movie in the gym or outdoors. Charge admission for each attendee and sell fall-themed concessions like apple cider, kettle corn, or baked goods. 

Save money by borrowing a projector and sound equipment. You can also ask for donations of food and drinks to help maximize profit.

6. Halloween carnival

Host a carnival with Halloween-themed games, food, and activities. Some ideas include pumpkin bowling, a cake walk, and a hay maze. Charge admission or sell activity tickets. 

Keep costs low by borrowing game supplies and recruiting volunteers to manage booths. Ask local businesses to donate snacks or prizes in exchange for recognition.

7. Trunk-or-treat fundraiser

Invite families to decorate their car trunks and pass out candy in the school parking lot. Charge a small fee for car registration or sell tickets for attendees. Consider adding a “best trunk” award and ask local shops to donate prizes. 

8. Spooky fun run (or walk)

Host a 5K or a themed walk where participants dress up in costumes. Charge an entry fee and award prizes for the fastest runners, best costumes, or most spirited teams.

Consider partnering with gyms or other local businesses. If they cover costs like water or snacks, your profits increase.

9. Candygrams

Sell small candy bags with Halloween cards that students can send to one another. Open it up to parents, too. 

Buy candy in bulk (or ask for donations) and ask volunteers to assemble the grams. Keep the packaging simple to save money while staying festive.

10. Holiday bake sale

Throw a bake sale to give people an opportunity to satisfy their sweet tooth while supporting your school, team, or club. Include Halloween themed treats like pumpkin cookies or ghost brownies. Purchase the items in bulk from a grocery store or bakery or ask for volunteers to donate baked goods. You can even add a competitive element where you award prizes for the best tasting or most creative baked treats. 

Promoting your Halloween fundraiser

Your Halloween fundraiser won’t bring in any money if no one knows about it. The good news is, you don’t need a huge marketing budget to spread the word. 

Tap into school and team channels

Leverage existing communication channels, including school newsletters, bulletin boards, and morning announcements. A quick blurb about the date, time, and “why it’s fun” can go a long way.

Go social

Create an event page on Facebook and share posts on Instagram. Use photos from previous events to capture attention. Encourage families and community members to share your posts on their own pages and groups. 

Print and post 

Hang signs in high-traffic spots like libraries, coffee shops, and community centers. Ask teachers or coaches to distribute flyers for kids to bring home to their parents.

Spread the word directly 

Encourage students, athletes, and families to invite friends directly. A personal invitation tends to carry more weight than a generic post. 

Promote during existing events

If your school or team has a game, practice, or meeting coming up, make a quick announcement about your upcoming fundraiser. Capturing attention in person is often the most effective. 

Closing thoughts: Avoid a fundraising fright

With the right idea and some thoughtful promotion, your school, team, or club can host a Halloween themed event that’s both fun and profitable. 

But don’t make the scary mistake of skipping the basics. Preparing a simple budget of expected expenses and income is key to keeping your event on track. 

And remember – collecting payments isn’t the same thing as managing your finances. Payment tools can accept money at your Halloween fundraiser, but only a true financial management tool like MoneyMinder provides the tracking, reporting, and accountability your group needs. 

Ready to make managing your group’s money a whole lot less spooky? Check out our post on Payment Tools vs. Financial Management Tools.