8 autumn fundraising ideas

Walk the plank

Get off to a flying, or rather, a sailing start by marking Talk like a Pirate Day on the 19th of September. It’s the perfect opportunity for a non-uniform Pirate Day, a sponsored walk the plank or a fancy dress disco – with a prize for the best ​‘talk like a pirate’ impression, of course! 

Give thanks for the harvest

Food, festivities and fun! Bring the community together in a celebration of all things agricultural with a harvest festival. Invite local businesses like farm shops, cheesemongers and butchers to share their freshest produce. If your school has a growing garden, it’s the perfect time to show the fruits (and vegetables) of your labours. And to give back to the local community, why not donate a share of your profits to a local food bank? 

Run a nature ramble

The air may be cooler and the greenery a little less vibrant, but autumn is still a beautiful season to get out and about into nature. Whether it’s organising a group hike to an area of natural beauty or setting a sponsored challenge for families to walk a certain distance (offering a prize for the one that achieves it first!), there are so many ways to incorporate nature into your fundraising events. 

Celebrate Black History Month

October is Black History Month, and there are many ways to celebrate the occasion. Food is such a crowd-pleaser, so why not host a feast of food from Africa, the Caribbean and beyond? If your students are learning about Black History Month, take the opportunity to showcase their knowledge and display student work around the school, or organise a school trip to a relevant museum exhibition. 

Get creative with apples

Apple Day falls on the 21st of October, and is a celebration of all things apples, orchards and ecology. With key goals of ​‘raising awareness in the provenance and traceability of food’, take Apple Day as a chance to have fun with cooking apples, apple bobbing and other games such as a cider tombola – adults only of course! – whilst also providing valuable lessons about the natural world around your school. 

Host a Halloween Spooktacular

Kids everywhere love the creativity that comes with dressing up, so bring the scares right to the school gate. Run a pumpkin trail across the local neighbourhood, or invite families to make scarecrows for their gardens, with a prize for the most creative one! A Halloween disco dance-off is also a great call. If you’d rather not associate your events with Halloween directly, consider theming around pumpkins, or – for older children – a spooky series like Stranger Things or Wednesday.

Light up for Diwali

Diwali, short for Deepawali, is one of the most popular celebrations in India. This festival, also known as The Festival of Lights, is the perfect opportunity to go all out in decorating the school, illuminating the playgrounds or hosting a lantern-lit picnic. Speaking of picnics, food is a major part of Diwali celebrations, the perfect time to replace your usual bake sale with Indian pastries, street foods and sweets. 

Hold a Hanukkah Fair

Celebrate the start of the Jewish festival of lights with candles and the sharing of traditional foods, such as latkes and sufganiyots (a type of jelly filled doughnut). Consider launching an ​‘eight Days of Giving’ campaign, sharing stories and what the PTA hopes to give back to the community, and hosting a celebration at the end of the eight days.