40 Proven Ideas To Raise Money For A School Trip In 2024

Struggling To Fundraise For Your School Trip Or Adventure? Discover Proven Methods To Raise Money Easily.

May 11, 2024

When it comes to fundraising for student travel, there are so many options to explore, but the most effective plan is the one you can execute on. To reach your goals, pursue a route that compliments your abilities and the resources available to you, play to your strengths — and, most importantly, have fun! When your enthusiasm shines through, people will feel your passion and want to help you reach your goals.

Before we dive into our 40 proven ways to raise money for a school trip, get inspired by these fundraising success stories from our Group Leaders who help turn big dreams into reality.

France Duval

Magog, Quebec
France has been leading educational tours for years, having travelled abroad with over 1,000 students. To ensure the trips are accessible to everyone, she works with a local bakery in her community to raise funds. The students take orders for the bakery’s bread, cakes, pastries, doughnuts and coffee, and keep a percentage of the profits to put towards their trip.

The endeavour is truly a group effort because parents help find customers through their workplaces, and teachers sort the orders to make it easier for the parents to pick up. Now a long-established fundraiser, it’s become easier for the students to raise money because the logistics are already in place, and the community looks forward to placing their orders whenever the fundraisers launch. France sees it as a win-win-win: for the students, the bakery, and the community, who love both the products and helping students meet their goals.

To overcome financial obstacles, France advises that you set realistic expectations for what you can actually accomplish, then start small. “We say, ‘An elephant—you eat it one small bite at a time.’” She also recommends speaking to your EF Tour Consultant, who can help teachers, parents and students get on the right track.

When it comes to a running an effective fundraiser, France has this advice:
“You need to find the right thing that will bring money to the kids.” Before landing on the bakery idea, France had tried other fundraising attempts, like spaghetti dinners, but they didn’t perform as well as she’d hoped. Fortunately, finding a fundraiser that everyone could get on board with has be immensely successful, adding that, through their fundraising efforts, “Some kids, they pay for all their trips.”

Derba J.

Manitoba

The first time Debra went abroad was in the year 2000, with her daughter on a high school trip to Europe. She knew it was time because, “I thought, ‘Son of a gun, my daughter’s not going to get there before me!’” This kickstarted a passion for travel, so she started her travel club and has been leading tours ever since.

She and her team have tried many fundraising methods over the years, from delivering phone books (which didn’t work out) to her most successful ventures: selling Sobeys cards for the local IGA and doing meat orders. Meat? Yes, meat. Because of their small community, her travellers have a great base of eager customers who are more than willing to buy grocery gift cards and their bacon and burgers from young people who are raising money to travel. In fact, they can generate between $30,000–$40,000 worth of cards a month, making a 6% return on every card they sell.

Debra runs her trips so that every moment is an opportunity for learning:
“I say, ‘you’re not going to have this handed to you. You have to work for it.’” It teaches the students responsibility, holds them accountable, and, most importantly, gives them something to be proud of. “Everything, from fundraising right on through, is a learning experience for these kids. Sightseeing is just the icing on the cake.”

Proven Ideas to Raise Money for a School Trip in 2024