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Healthy School Fundraising
Choose activities to raise money that are unrelated to food, or that offer healthier food and beverage options.
These activities can be just as profitable and popular as traditional chocolate sales while offering a healthy option. The Ministry of Education, School Food and Beverage Policy (P/PM 150) supports positive, healthy messages taught in the classroom by promoting healthy food choices and non-food items for school fundraising ideas even if they occur off school property.
Fundraising Tips and Ideas
- Promote quality products (e.g. local produce that is in season)
- Offer competitive prices
- Offer product samples to view and if possible, taste
- Keep your community motivated and involved in your fundraising; advertise in the school newsletter, newspaper and community centre, and on outside school signs
- Mix it up. Select from a range of different activities throughout the year (e.g. family oriented, physically active ideas or helping others in the community) instead of relying solely on food sales
Fundraising Ideas Beyond Food
- Collect donated items for a garage sale or hold a penny sale
- Hold a silent auction featuring the products and talents of local businesses (e.g. round of golf, haircut, gift baskets, manicure, etc.)
- Produce and sell an annual school calendar • Sell raffle tickets for a donated prize (e.g. local grocery store, garden nursery, sports equipment, etc.)
- Charge a small admission fee for a school dance, sports event, etc.
- Ask students to collect pledges for a reada-thon, jump-a-thon, walk-a-thon, etc.
- Hold theme days where students pay to either dress up in their pajamas, etc., or have a crazy hair day
- Hold a raffle for gift baskets with different themes
- Gift cards
- School spirit days
- Evening events (e.g. family movie, trivia, bingo nights)
- Rummage sales (e.g. used books, equipment, clothing)
- Active ideas (e.g. treasure/scavenger hunt, Amazing Race, basketball competition)
- Rent-a-helper (e.g. rake leaves, paint fence, gift-wrapping)
Food Related Fundraising Examples
| Product | Contact |
|---|---|
| Beans / Hearty Bean Soup Mixes | The Bean Ladies Tel: 905-457-2326 • E-mail: [email protected] |
| Cheese | Millbank Cheese 72 Church Street Millbank, ON, N0K 1L0 Tel: 519.595.8787 • E-mail: [email protected] Jensen’s Cheese, Simcoe Springbank Cheese Company |
| Chicken/ Poultry | Elmira Poultry 605 Kumpf Drive, Waterloo, ON, N2V 1K8 Tel: 1.800.663.5694 • E-mail: [email protected] Maple Lodge Farms |
| Cookies | Otis Spunkmeyer Tel: 1-888-275-6847 * offers some cookies which are compliant with PPM No. 150 |
| Fruit & Vegetables- Fresh Ontario produce | Fresh from the Farm Tel:1-877-510-510-2 E-mail: [email protected] A healthy fundraiser for schools where students sell fresh Ontario-grown fruit and vegetables. |
| Gift Baskets, Fruit, Preserves, Honey, Maple Syrup |
Bayfield Berry Farm 77697 Orchard Line, Bayfield, ON N0M 1G0 Tel: 519.482.1666 • E-mail: [email protected] Mc Cully’s Hill Farm |
| Pasta & Sauces | Tasty Tidbits Tel: 1-204-227-4226 • Email: [email protected] Pasta, sauces and other products |
| Popcorn | Kernels Popcorn Tel. 1-888-267-6262 Ext. 226 E-mail: [email protected] From Farm to Table Canada |
| Preserves, Dressings, Seasonings |
Hawberry Farms Direct Fundraising Toll free Tel: 1.800.263.8946 Tel: 1-866-427-5426 E-mail: [email protected] *Choose lower sodium varieties of seasonings Seasonings, chutneys, oils, jams and sauces. Tasty Tidbits |
Non-Food Related Fundraising Examples
| Product | Contact |
|---|---|
| Books, Magazines | QSP Reader Digest Tel: 1-800-667-2536 Scholastic Bookfair |
| Candles/home décor | Dieleman Fundraising Sales Tel: 1-800-667-1272 Offers a variety of candles and diffusers. All made with pure fragrance. Candles are made in North America, are solvent free and can be recycled. |
| Entertainment Coupon Book |
Entertainment Book www.entertainment.com Provides an annually updated coupon offering with different regional editions featuring local partners. |
| Flower Bulbs | Veseys Bulbs: Fundraising Program Tel. 1.800.363.7333 • E-mail: [email protected] |
| Fresh Flowers (Poinsettias, Valentine Day, Mother’s Day) |
Local Nurseries Can be used for fundraising at various times through the year. Check local nurseries for pricing and availability.
|
| Recycling Electronics | Greentec Inc Canada Tel: 1-888-265-2895 • E-mail: [email protected] |
Please note: The above chart are examples of fundraising ideas, and this list is not exhaustive. Find local success by approaching
businesses in your area for other interesting options!