What to sell, when to sell it and how much work it takes. The activities that work for schools, sports clubs and nonprofits, with the rules to know before you start.
A precise amount and a concrete project. "$4,800 for the bus to the class trip" rallies people more than "raising money for the club".
How many hands?
Count the reliable volunteers, not everyone who raised a hand. With three people, skip the 200-seat dinner.
Do you need money up front?
Hall, food, stock: if the bank account is empty, start with an activity that needs no money up front.
What else is going on?
Don't sell chocolate the same week as the school next door. A look at the school's or the town's calendar is enough.
The ideas
30 fundraising activities
Proven classics and ideas that are out of the ordinary. For each one: the effort asked of volunteers, the money to put up front and the best time of year.
30 activities shown
Nº 01
Product sale on order
Each family takes orders from people around them (chocolate, coffee, cheese, maple products) and the supplier delivers once the campaign closes. Nothing is bought ahead, so nothing is left unsold.
Participants get boxes and sell them door to door or at work. It brings money in fast, but you have to manage the stock, the cash and the boxes that come back.
Effort
Medium
Money up front
Low
Best time
February to April (Easter)
In a school, check your school board's nutrition policy first.
Schools · Sports clubs
Nº 03
Online donation campaign
A page that explains the project, a goal in dollars and a link to share. It needs the fewest volunteers, and every dollar given goes to the project.
Effort
Low
Money up front
None
Best time
All year, especially December
Only a charity registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (or another qualified donee) can issue official donation receipts for tax purposes.
Nonprofits and foundations · Schools · Sports clubs
With Coffrets Prestige, the donor buys an experience to give (spa, restaurant, getaway, thrills across Quebec) and gets it by email as soon as they pay. Nothing to order, store or deliver, so the campaign can stay open all year.
Effort
Low
Money up front
None
Best time
All year, especially before the holidays
Schools · Sports clubs · Youth groups · Nonprofits and foundations · School trips
Each player, student or volunteer has their own fundraising page and shares it with the people around them. A leaderboard keeps the momentum going until the end.
Effort
Medium
Money up front
None
Best time
Before a tournament, a trip or a challenge
Sports clubs · School trips · Nonprofits and foundations
You plant a flock of plastic flamingos on someone's lawn, and they pay to send it to someone else. The "who's next" game carries the activity around the whole neighbourhood.
Effort
Medium
Money up front
Low
Best time
May to October
Get the owner's or a relative's agreement before placing the flamingos, and leave a sign explaining the cause.
Schools · Parent councils · Sports clubs · School trips
Nº 17Original
Parents' night out
High school students look after younger children at the school on a Friday evening (pizza, movie, games) while parents go out. Parents pay for reliable childcare and the students fund their project.
Effort
Medium
Money up front
Low
Best time
February (Valentine's Day) and early December
Have responsible adults on site, a clear supervision ratio, and check the insurance coverage for the room.
Schools · Youth groups · School trips · Parent councils
Nº 18Original
Pyjama day by donation
Students come in pyjamas, an ugly holiday sweater or dressed as they like in exchange for a small voluntary contribution. No product to manage and everyone takes part on the same day.
Effort
Low
Money up front
None
Best time
December and end of term
A fundraiser in a school must be approved by the school's governing board (in Quebec, the conseil d'établissement).
Each family contributes two recipes and the school turns them into a book sold to parents and grandparents. It is something people keep, and the content costs nothing.
Young people pick up Christmas trees at the door in exchange for a donation and take them to the drop-off point. The service comes right when people do not know what to do with their tree.
Effort
Medium
Money up front
Low
Best time
First half of January
Check your municipality's collection schedule and where it accepts trees.
A team of young people clears driveways and sidewalks for seniors in the neighbourhood all winter, paid per client. The service meets a real need and lasts the whole season.
Effort
High
Money up front
Low
Best time
December to March
Supervise the young people, provide the equipment and check your organization's liability insurance.
Teams buy a table and compete on general knowledge questions hosted by a volunteer. Adults pay for an evening out with friends.
Effort
Medium
Money up front
Low
Best time
October to April
If you sell alcohol, you need a special event permit from your provincial liquor authority (in Quebec, a RACJ permis de réunion requested at least 15 days ahead).
Families bring used clothing, bedding and shoes to a trailer parked at the school, and a recycler pays an amount based on weight. People clear out their closets and nobody buys anything.
Schools · Parent councils · Sports clubs · Youth groups
Nº 27Original
Rubber duck race
People adopt numbered ducks that are released on a river, and the first ones across the line win prizes. The show by the water turns into a family event.
Effort
High
Money up front
Plan for it
Best time
June to September
Adopting a duck to win a prize is a raffle: you need a licence from your provincial gaming regulator (in Quebec, the RACJ) and the municipality's permission for the water.
Nonprofits and foundations · Sports clubs · Schools
Nº 28Original
Student-grown seedling sale
Students sow tomatoes, herbs and flowers in class in the spring, then sell the plants to families after school. It is educational and it sells itself in May.
Schools · Youth groups · School trips · Sports clubs
Nº 30Original
Family mini photo sessions
A photographer sets up in the gym for 15-minute sessions and gives the session fee to the organization. Families get their holiday photos and the group has nothing to sell.
Canadian businesses that sell their products through fundraising campaigns, with the share that goes to your group.
Supplier of the dayOctober 28, 2026
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30%average profit for your group on each sale, calculated on each product's selling price.
How it works
Products arrive in a single delivery at your group's drop-off point, and the group hands them out.
Minimum order of $250.00 for the group.
Families order and pay online, and the money raised is deposited in your organization's account.
The one your group can see through to the end. A donation campaign costs nothing and every dollar goes to the project, but it depends on your network. A product sale on order often brings in more because people get something in return. A dinner or a tournament can raise a lot, but it needs a committee and money up front.
Because people give more as the goal gets close. In a study of 13,500 lapsed donors, saying the project was 85% funded raised the giving rate from 0.5% to 1.17%. Saying 10% or 66% made no difference.
December. In the 2026 M+R Benchmarks study of 180 organizations, 37% of 2025 online revenue came in December, and 4% on December 31 alone. GivingTuesday falls on December 1, 2026.
Can a sports club issue tax receipts for donations?
No, unless it is a qualified donee recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency, such as a registered charity. A nonprofit cannot, and a local club is not eligible for registered Canadian amateur athletic association status, which is reserved for national associations.
Do you need a licence for a raffle or a 50/50 draw?
Yes. Raffles and 50/50 draws are licensed by each province, and you need the licence before you sell the first ticket. In Quebec, the licence comes from the RACJ, and the rules require net proceeds of at least 35%.
Do you need a permit to serve alcohol at a fundraising dinner?
Yes, from your provincial liquor authority. In Quebec, a RACJ event permit must be requested at least 15 days ahead; in October 2026 the permit to sell cost $61.50 a day, up to $307.50.
Can a school sell chocolate as a fundraiser?
It depends on the nutrition policy that applies. Each province and school board has its own. In Quebec, the 2007 framework policy names fundraising campaigns in its fourteenth component, and school service centres range from allowing exceptions to banning sweets at school.
Do thank-you calls make donors give again?
Not according to the largest study on the question. Among about 500,000 new donors, those who got a thank-you call gave again no more often than the others: about 28% in both groups. Telling donors what their gift paid for worked better.
How do you find volunteers?
Ask someone directly. Formal volunteering fell from 41% to 32% of Canadians between 2018 and 2023, and in 2013, 47% of volunteers started because someone asked them. Offer one-hour tasks: they are easier to say yes to.
Does a sports challenge raise more than a party?
Often, yes. In a US study, people offered an average of US$23.87 to support a 5-mile run, against US$13.88 for a picnic for the same cause. Effort makes people give, but the effect comes from small, mostly hypothetical samples.
Ready to start
Orders, payments and tracking, all in one place
Coolecto takes orders and payments online, tracks who sold what and deposits the money in your organization's account. No spreadsheets and no cash to count.
Supplier of the dayOctober 28, 2026
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