- This fundraiser doesn't cost anyone anything, and it teaches kids the importance of recycling. Gather old bottles, cans and other recyclables. Kids can often find them in piles of litter near playgrounds, but make sure that they are only looking in sanitary areas. If you make this into a schoolwide or multi-family fundraiser, you can award the class or family who collects the most recyclables. Periodically during the fundraiser, take the collected recyclables to your local recycling center for compensation. Even if each recyclable is only worth pennies, you'll see them add up.
- People seem to be willing to do anything to see kids read. Take advantage of this fact by throwing a read-a-thon. Ask family, friends and neighbors to sponsor kids, offering to pay a certain amount of money for each book they read (or for a certain number of pages). Make a set time for the read-a-thon--between a week and three weeks--so that patrons won't be taken by surprise too much by the amount that they eventually pay.
- Have kids sign up to perform in two rounds of an American Idol type of show. Choose several of the most talented performers from the first show to be in the second show, and make the second show open to the public. Advertise to the community, charge admission fees, and donate the admission fees to your cause.
