The student body is inspirational and influential to shaping young minds. Pupils as young as 11 years old have this rare opportunity to make a difference, whether it’s in their school or their local community.

Before student council projects become a reality, most of them need fundraising. So if you are cooking up something for your school or local area but need financial resources, then fret no more.

Beyond bake sales, we’ve lined up equally useful student council ideas for fundraising. It won’t be long until you finally put those student council projects in motion.

1. Fun tournaments

We’re all naturally competitive, particularly the younger ones. So why not organize a fun tournament and charge a friendly entrance fee? For example, teachers and students can play against each other or teachers can even play against other teachers from different schools? It can also be as simple as a friendly match of arm wrestling. You can ask your fellow students to pay a small fee for registration.

2. Gym movie night

Whether your school has a large auditorium or gym, you can utilize that space to organize a film night. You can even try setting it up in your school’s football field to exude the outdoors cinema everybody can enjoy. You can charge for admission to collect funds for your student council projects. You can even throw in free popcorn while you’re at it.

3. Quiz night

Nothing spells fun and engaging more than a quiz night. There are so many ways you can go about this, including thinking of a theme for the evening or even getting a friend to volunteer as a quiz master. You can sell tickets for admission. Plus if you are going to do it in a restaurant or commercial establishment, perhaps you can also ask for a percentage of the sales for your fundraising.

4. Popcorn machine

Everybody loves popcorn any time of the day. Why not rent a popcorn machine (or borrow from someone you know) and set it up somewhere in the campus. From here, you can have your fellow students and teachers pay for the popcorn and proceeds will go to your student council projects. Not only will you generate funds. Everybody in school gets a special treat as well!

5. Tailgate party

Nothing brings people together than football. Before the game, we all enjoy tailgate parties to warm us up. Get a piece of the action by organizing your own outside the football field. Sell drinks and foods to spectators. Put up signs to describe your cause, so your area looks more inviting. You’d be surprised how many are more than willing to help you out.

6. Change jars

One of the simplest yet most effective student council ideas for fundraising is putting up change jars. Whether it’s in classrooms or the cafeteria, place these jars as visibly as possible. Trust us. By the end of the day, you would have made a lot to support your cause. Just be sure to design the jar a bit, so it looks more appealing and eye-catching.