High School Fundraising Ideas NZ

High school students can plan and run their own fundraisers, so the best ideas put teenagers in charge. Here are the fundraisers that work for secondary schools, plus tips to get your students behind them.

Fundraising is different at high school than it is at primary or preschool. Teenagers can run their own events, handle money and sell to their own networks, so the fundraiser works best when the students lead it rather than the parents. It teaches real skills like planning, budgeting and teamwork.

When students own the goal, the school community gets behind it. Tie the money to something they care about, like the ball, a trip or a sports team, and you will see far more effort go into it.

High school fundraising ideas

Market day or student-run stalls

Give each class or group a stall and let them plan what to sell, from food to games to handmade goods. Students set the prices, run the till and keep the profit for their goal.

Browse school fundraising ideas

A school event: quiz night or gala

A quiz night is easy for students to host and pulls in a crowd from the wider school community. A school gala works on a bigger scale with stalls, food and entertainment.

Plan a quiz night See school gala ideas

Product sales: chocolate or pies

Chocolate and pie drives are simple for students to sell to family, workmates and neighbours over a couple of weeks. Low effort to set up and easy to run across a whole year group.

See chocolate fundraisers

A sponsored fun run

Students collect sponsors and get active on the day. It suits a large group and ties in well with PE or sports teams looking to raise money.

Run a sponsored fun run

Online crowdfunding for a ball, trip or team

Set up an online page and share it so students can raise money for the ball, a trip or a sports team. People can chip in from anywhere and pay online.

Read the online fundraising guide

Tips for high school fundraising

Let students lead. Teenagers can plan and run a fundraiser themselves, and it teaches real skills when they own it.
Tie it to something they want. Fundraising works best when the money goes towards the ball, a trip or a team the students care about.
Use online payment. Card and online payments make it easier for people to give and cut down on cash to count and bank.

Crowdfunding the ball or a trip

If students are raising money for the ball, a trip or a sports team, an online page keeps it simple. Everyone can share the link and give by card, and there is no cash to count. Raised is a New Zealand platform built for this kind of student fundraising.

See how Raised works

High school fundraising: common questions

What are the best high school fundraising ideas?

A student-run market day, a quiz night, a chocolate or pie drive, a sponsored fun run and online crowdfunding all work well for high schools. The best pick depends on your group size and what the students want to raise money for.

What are good market day ideas for high school?

Give each class or group a stall and let them choose what to sell: food and drinks, games, second-hand goods, baking or handmade items. Students set prices, run the stall and keep the profit for their goal.

What are some quick fundraisers for students?

A chocolate or pie drive, a mufti day, a bake sale or a quiz night can all be organised in a week or two. Online crowdfunding is also quick to set up and easy to share for a ball, trip or team.

More fundraising ideas for your school

Browse the full range of ideas for NZ schools, or see the options that earn the most for the least effort.

All school fundraising ideas High-profit fundraisers

Last updated: July 2026