School Fundraisers: Recognizing World Humanitarian Day
Ideas for fun fundraisers to bring awareness to health and safety topics at school
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Every year on August 19th, World Humanitarian Day honors the people who dedicate their lives to supporting communities in need and raising awareness about global challenges. Schools are a perfect place to join in on this spirit of compassion and action. While this day shines a spotlight on humanitarian efforts, it’s important to remember that you can be dedicated to helping others and raising awareness every day of the year. By organizing creative fundraisers, students not only learn about important health and safety issues, but also build teamwork, valuable life skills, and empathy for those in vulnerable positions.
In this article, I’m sharing four unique fundraiser ideas in case you want variety and to go beyond the goals of some common fundraisers. While Krispy Kreme donut sales or the occasional pizza and freezie day are great and reliable options, they are not all that you’re limited to. From promoting health and safety to supporting environmental efforts, you can help bring a spark to your school fundraising efforts!
1. Dance-a-thons and Charity Walks/Runs
One of the best ways to combine fundraising with health education is through Dance-a-thons and Charity Walks/Runs. These events encourage students to get moving while also raising awareness about chronic illnesses and conditions such as cancer, lung diseases, or disabilities. They’re a great way to connect physical health with empathy for those who face daily health challenges—much like how Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope continues to inspire Canadians today.
Before I share a few tips for hosting these types of events, what exactly is a Dance-a-thon?
A dance-a-thon is a fundraiser, similar to a walk-a-thon, where participants collect pledges from sponsors. The key difference is that participants dance for a set period of time rather than walk/run a distance, to raise money for a cause or organization. Dance-a-thons are more flexible because they do not depend on weather or access to a path/track for running, as they can be hosted indoors in a room like a school gymnasium. They are also extremely customizable because music, styles, and decorations can be tailored to any age group!
Many organizations already host inspiring walking, running, and hiking fundraisers that schools can take inspiration from. A few notable examples are Relay for Life, Hike for Hospice, or [my favorite, Give a Breath 5k, Canada's premier fundraising event dedicated to supporting the lung cancer community. These efforts show how powerful these events can be in both raising funds and spreading awareness. Providing links to these examples on your school’s website or fundraising page, like I’ve done here, can help students and parents see the bigger impact that your efforts can have.
Tips for Hosting:
If you want to host a charity run/walk or a dance-a-thon yourself, here are a few tips to keep in mind when organizing:
Set a clear cause: Pick a theme (e.g., cancer awareness, respiratory health, or disability inclusion) and share why it matters. Short classroom presentations or posters around the school can help connect the activity to the cause.
Make it accessible: Since a huge focus of this type of fundraising is awareness and accessibility, it is important to consider everyone. Offer different participation levels—some students might walk instead of run, or join in short dance sessions rather than a marathon.
Encourage sponsorships: Students can collect pledges for every lap walked, song danced to, or hour participated. Both Dance-a-thons and walks/runs are peer-to-peer fundraising models that effectively raise money by relying on connections and bonds. These events bring people together for a common cause, fostering community spirit.
Celebrate awareness: Incorporate educational booths, guest speakers, or fact sheets during the event so participants learn about the condition while having fun. Be creative and find cost effective ways to decorate or get to know your peers and find music that brings people in.
2. Safety Pledge drive or Envelope Fundraiser
What is a Safety Pledge Drive?
A Safety Pledge Drive is a simple but powerful way for students and staff to commit to safer choices in their daily lives. Participants can make various pledges, from promising to wear a bike helmet, staying alert when crossing the street, or practicing internet safety. These pledges aren’t just for students, they can be shared among school staff or even the workforce, such as taking steps to reduce workplace accidents. Goals can be set to purchase and donate personal safety devices, or you can also approach it as a challenge and donate money when a pledge is broken, which acts as motivation to keep a promise for a safer environment.
What is an Envelope Fundraiser?
Traditionally, for an Envelope Fundraiser, a spread of 100 envelopes are numbered 1-100, and donors pick an envelope to contribute the amount written on it. To tie it into the theme of safety awareness, in addition to putting the money inside according to the number, each envelope can have a fun fact or safety tip inside for the person to reveal! The envelopes are extremely customizable; as long as they’re numbered and can hold the donation, be as creative as you’d like!
If you want to use a Safety Pledge or an Envelope Fundraiser, here are some tips!
Choose a focus. Be sure that it is one that matters to you or your environment. Decide on a specific area of safety such as road safety, online safety, or household safety, so all pledges or tips connect to the same theme and can make a difference in your school or workplace
Make it visible: For the Safety Pledge, participants sign their pledges and display them on a bulletin board or in classrooms to create a visible reminder of the school’s commitment to health and safety. The board containing the 100 numbered envelopes should still be legible after you’ve decorated.
Keep it organized: Both of these require a bit of decoration and preparation beforehand. Make all posters/displays before announcing. Label the envelopes with numbers clearly (1–50, 1–100, etc.) and prepare the safety tips inside before the fundraiser starts.
Encourage family involvement and collaborative efforts: Ask parents to sign pledges alongside their children, or take an envelope home to share a safety tip with the family. The larger numbers might need crowd funding to fulfill. Encourage friends to all pitch in to fill an envelope closer to the 100 end. You can even include rewards such as more stickers or more facts in the larger number envelopes.
3. Awareness events and Charity galas
Unlike fundraisers tied to a single activity, awareness events and charity galas are flexible gatherings that can shine a spotlight on almost any cause. For example, a school might host an event dedicated to mental health awareness, creating space to share resources, spark conversations, and reduce stigma, all while raising funds for related programs or charities. One activity you might include at your event is a photo booth with ribbon awareness frames or even related hashtags. You can also have displays or hands-on activities such as making fidgets out of affordable materials like paper, beads, or pipecleaners. These are only a few ideas; awareness events and charity galas give schools the freedom to design something that reflects their unique spirit. They not only raise funds but also create meaningful opportunities for students to engage with important topics, celebrate community, and practice leadership skills through event planning.
What is a Charity Gala?
Despite the name, a gala doesn’t have to be a fancy, black-tie event. It's simply a themed event that brings people together. At schools, this could look like a casual awareness night with student performances, art displays, and guest speakers, or a more formal dinner-style event hosted by the student council or leadership club. What matters most is the sense of community and shared purpose.
Ways to Raise Funds at These Events:
Entry by donation or small ticket fee to attend.
Booths or tables with activities, crafts, or games where participation is by donation.
Food and refreshments sold at the event, with proceeds supporting the cause.
Silent auctions or raffles using donated items from families or local businesses.
4. Garden produce sales
This final fundraiser has the most setup but most reward: garden produce sales offer long-term benefit! By creating a school garden, whether in an outdoor plot, raised beds, or even windowsill planters, students can grow whatever is affordable or seasonal, namely produce like vegetables such as tomatoes, beans, carrots, or leafy greens. Schools can also plant native wildflowers, which not only support pollinators, but can later be harvested for seed sales.
The goal is to create a sustainable school garden that not only raises funds, but also teaches students about environmental responsibility, healthy eating, and community involvement. While this type of fundraiser takes more effort than a Krispy Kreme or pizza sale, it’s reusable, eco-friendly, and provides ongoing learning opportunities. It’s an investment in the school’s health and a plan for the future.
The garden becomes more than just a fundraiser; it’s a hands-on learning space that teaches sustainability, environmental stewardship, and healthy living. Students gain pride in nurturing plants from seed to harvest, and the produce can then be sold at school events, farmers’ markets, or even to families within the community.
To start your own school garden, there are many schools from which you can take inspiration from. At Simon Fraser University, Embark, a student society focused on sustainability, maintains a garden right in the Student Union Building on the Burnaby Campus. They grow fresh produce and share it for free with students, helping address food insecurity while also creating a green space that benefits the environment. Schools can use this model for inspiration, demonstrating that gardens can be both community resources and tools for positive change.
Every school starts somewhere; just as trees must come from a small seed, even a few planters of herbs or leafy greens on a windowsill can launch the project before expanding to a full outdoor garden.
Fundraisers don’t have to be limited sales. Schools can raise money while also building community, promoting health, and spreading important knowledge. Each of these four options I've suggested go beyond short-term profit by weaving in the cause into the type of fundraiser. I encourage you to be creative and see how you can make a unique event that reflects what you’re passionate about!