Every P&C committee knows the challenge: the school needs new equipment, playground improvements, or something the budget cannot stretch to, and the committee is left working out how to raise the money without exhausting parents or burning out volunteers.
The good news is that school fundraising has come a long way from chocolate drives and lamington stands. Here is a practical guide to running a successful school fundraiser in Australia.
Choose a fundraiser your community will actually support
The most common reason school fundraisers fall short is not poor promotion. It is choosing the wrong format. Some fundraisers demand too much from parents (buying products they do not need). Others require too much from volunteers (staffing a stall all day at a fete).
The formats that consistently work well for Australian schools:
Online grid raffles (Lucky Squares): Parents and family members buy a numbered square online. A draw is held when the grid fills. Simple, self-managed, and no product delivery required.
School fetes: High effort but strong community-building. Best as an annual event, not a routine fundraiser.
Dress-up days with a gold coin donation: Low effort, high participation, but a limited revenue ceiling.
Trivia nights: Work well for secondary schools with an engaged parent community.
For P&C committees that want something that raises meaningful money without a heavy committee workload, grid raffles are the clear winner.
Set a specific target and make it visible
Parents give more when they know what they are giving towards. "We are raising $1,500 for new library books" outperforms "help us with school costs" every single time.
Ready to fundraise for your school?
Set up your grid in under five minutes, share the link with parents and your P&C, and run a live draw at assembly or a school event. No spreadsheets, no stress.
Be specific about what you are trying to raise, what the money will be used for, and how close you are to the target. An online grid fundraiser makes this automatic: every time someone buys a square, the grid fills a little more. The visual progress is motivating in a way that a thermometer graphic on a notice board never quite manages.
Get parents involved early
The best school fundraisers involve parents as participants, not just targets. Share the campaign link in:
School newsletter and the school app (Compass, Seesaw, or similar)
Class parent group chats
The school's social media pages
Directly at the school gate
Encourage teachers to share the campaign with their class parents. A personal message from the class teacher drives far more participation than a generic newsletter item.
Keep the ask simple
The beauty of a Lucky Squares campaign is how simple the ask is. It is one sentence: "We are running a Lucky Squares grid to raise money for [specific goal]. Each square is $5. Here is the link."
That is it. No products, no catalogues, no order forms. Parents open the link, choose their square, pay with a card, and they are done in two minutes. You can set up a campaign and have it live before school pickup.
Follow up and close the loop
When the draw is complete, close the loop with your school community. Share the winner's name (with their permission), thank everyone who participated, and let parents know exactly how the funds will be spent.
This kind of follow-through builds trust and sets up your next fundraiser for an even better result. Communities that know their money was used well give again.
Ready to try it?
Lucky Squares Australia is designed for exactly this kind of community fundraising. You can set up a school campaign in a few minutes, share the link with your parent community, and track every square sale in real time.
🤝 Know an organisation that should hear about this?
Not everyone wants to run a fundraiser themselves, but you might know the right person to ask: a P&C member, club treasurer, or someone leading fundraising for a school, club or charity. Refer them and you will go in the draw to win $100 in our monthly referral prize draw.
