Preschool and Kindergarten Fundraiser Ideas

Early childhood programs raise money for the same reasons elementary schools do, playground equipment, books, field trips, teacher supplies and scholarships, but they work with very different people. The children are three to six. Most parents are new to the school and often to school fundraising, many are paying tuition or fees already, and families turn over quickly because children move up every year or two. A fundraiser from the general list of school fundraising ideas that works for a K–5 school of 500 can flop in a preschool of 60.

This guide covers private preschools, cooperative (co-op) preschools, church-based programs, public pre-K classrooms and kindergarten classes inside elementary schools. Montessori early childhood classrooms, with their long work periods and mixed ages, are covered in Montessori school fundraising ideas.

What's different with young children

Ideas that work with 3- to 6-year-olds

1. A mini walk, trike-a-thon or fun run

Children ride tricycles or walk laps around the playground while families cheer, and parents share one message with grandparents asking for a flat donation. It is the closest thing to a pledge event that works at this age. The preschool walk-a-thon guide covers how to run one.

2. A class art auction

Each class makes one group piece: a painted quilt square set, handprint canvas, illustrated cookbook or tile mosaic. Families bid in a short live or silent auction at a family evening. The guide to planning a school auction or gala compares live, silent and online formats and how to set opening bids. Pieces made by a whole class are often bid up by several families at once, and the cost is only art supplies. Set a modest opening bid and a time limit.

3. Family portrait or picture day

A local photographer offers short sessions at the school on a weekend and gives the program a share of each sitting fee or a flat donation. Parents get something they wanted anyway. Agree on the split and on who handles bookings and payment before you announce it.

4. A family breakfast, dance or movie evening

A pancake breakfast, a pajama dance party or a picnic builds community among new families and raises a modest amount through tickets and a bake table. Keep the cost per family low so everyone can come, and end by the children's bedtime. If you add a movie, remember that showing a film to an audience outside the classroom generally needs a public performance license, even when admission is free. Ask the film's licensing distributor before you advertise it.

5. A direct donation ask with a visible goal

One letter early in the year, with a specific purpose ("new shade sail over the sandbox, $4,200"), a suggested amount and a deadline, often raises more than several small sales. Post a goal thermometer at pickup, where every parent passes twice a day. You can make a printable goal thermometer with milestones for each step of the project. The no-selling guide has a letter to adapt.

6. A songs-and-snack morning for grandparents

Three- and four-year-olds perform two or three songs they already know, then show visitors their classroom. Keep the program to 30 minutes, because that is about as long as the performers will last. Put a one-page note on each chair that names the year's project and how to give, and say nothing more about money from the front. For many preschools this is the only time out-of-town relatives see the school, and it often brings the year's largest single gifts.

7. Restaurant or spirit nights

A restaurant donates a share of one evening's sales from families who mention the school. Little work for parents who are already short on time, and a good way for new families to meet at a table rather than at pickup. The money is modest, so schedule one in the first month as a community builder rather than a moneymaker. Before booking, check which orders count and who receives the check, as covered in how restaurant spirit nights work.

8. A wish list and in-kind drive

Post a list of specific items, such as books, paint, dress-up clothes and outdoor toys, with prices. Many families who won't give cash will buy one item. Local businesses often donate in kind too; the donation request letters make that ask easy.

What to avoid

• Anything that asks children to sell. Young children can't sell, and they shouldn't be put in front of strangers. National PTA says adults should raise PTA funds and strongly encourages PTAs to avoid activities that require children to sell to strangers.
• Prize catalogs aimed at children. Prize tiers motivate older children. At three or four, they mostly create pressure on parents and disappointment for the child.
• Long events during program hours. Short and joyful beats long and ambitious.
• Several asks in the first months. New families form their view of the school early. One clear, well-explained ask is better than four small ones.
• Food sales during the school day at public pre-K. Pre-K classrooms in a public school that runs the federal school lunch program generally fall under the same Smart Snacks rules as the rest of the school, which cover food sold to students from midnight until 30 minutes after the school day ends. The food fundraiser section of the calendar guide explains the state-set exemptions.

Co-op preschools

In a cooperative preschool, parents help run the classroom and often the school's finances, so the fundraising committee is the board. Co-ops usually have two advantages: every family already has a job, and families expect to contribute time. Use that. Build fundraising hours into each family's commitment, ask each family to take one defined fundraising job, and pick one larger event a year rather than many small ones. Keep money controls tight even in a small, friendly group: two people count all cash and both sign the count sheet, as described in the cash handling guide.

Kindergarten classes inside an elementary school

Kindergarten families usually take part in the whole school's fundraisers rather than running their own. For the rest of the K–5 years, our elementary school fundraising guide matches fundraisers to what they pay for. If a kindergarten team wants a class project, such as a classroom library or a reading corner, the simplest route is a wish list or a short class-level ask approved by the principal. If the school runs a walk-a-thon, fun run or read-a-thon, give kindergartners a shorter time block and a participation goal rather than a dollar goal. Their families are new to the school; a good first experience makes them reliable volunteers for the next six years.

Setting a realistic goal

Example A preschool with 48 families wants $6,000 for a playground upgrade. If 75% of families take part, that is 36 families, and each would need to bring in about $167. A spring trike-a-thon where each participating family gathers about $100 from grandparents and godparents brings in $3,600. Add a $1,200 class art auction and three local sponsors at $400, and the goal is met without asking any family for more than it can easily give. Put your own numbers into the goal calculator, or let the fundraiser finder compare formats for a school your size.

Church-based and co-op programs

Preschools run by a church or private school usually fundraise alongside it, and the annual fund and parish advice in private, Catholic and Christian school fundraising applies. Co-op preschools share a lot with homeschool co-ops, including the bank account and EIN steps for a small parent-run group.

Sources

1. Mission-Driven Fundraising, National PTA (accessed 2026-10-30)
2. 7 CFR 210.11: Competitive food service and standards, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (accessed 2026-10-30)