Short answer: Private and faith-based schools raise the most from a strong annual fund that asks every family, grandparent and alumnus to give at any level, one signature event such as a gala or walk-a-thon, and a tuition assistance fund. Catholic and other parish schools add parish and congregation support, and Christian schools can ask the churches their families attend to include the school in their missions budgets. Most private schools are small, so reach beyond current families, keep asks few, and keep tuition aid in a pooled fund, because a gift earmarked for a specific child isn't a deductible donation.
Private schools are smaller and more often religious than most people assume. In 2023–24, NCES counted 30,553 private K–12 schools serving about 5.1 million students. The average private school enrolled 167 students, and about two in three had fewer than 150. Two thirds have a religious orientation: Catholic schools are 20% of private schools and enroll a third of private school students, other religious schools are 46%, and a third are nonsectarian. The National Catholic Educational Association counts 5,829 Catholic schools with about 1.67 million students in 2025–26. The general school fundraising ideas comparison assumes a public school with a PTA; this page covers what changes when families pay tuition and a church is part of the picture.
Those numbers shape fundraising. Families already pay tuition, so the ask must feel different from tuition. Communities are small, so the same families hear every request. And for faith-based schools, the parish or congregation, its members and its calendar are part of the fundraising picture.
How private school fundraising is different
| Typical public school | Typical private or parish school | |
|---|---|---|
| Who raises money | A PTA or PTO, separate from the school | Usually the school itself, through an advancement or development office, often with a parent association for events |
| Main vehicle | Two or three fundraisers a year | An annual fund, plus one signature event and tuition assistance |
| Who gives | Current families and their relatives | Current families, grandparents, alumni, parishioners and local businesses |
| What it pays for | Extras: trips, technology, playgrounds | Often programs and costs tuition doesn't cover, plus tuition assistance |
| Recognition | Class totals, thank-you posts | Donor lists, giving societies, named funds (always with permission) |
In our 2026 review of 117 school fundraisers, private schools' pledge events had a median of about $179 per enrolled student, far above public schools. Higher capacity is part of it; so are smaller schools with close-knit families and well-organized advancement offices.
Ideas that fit private and faith-based schools
1. An annual fund with a participation goal
The annual fund is the backbone. Ask every family to give at a level meaningful to them, publish the participation rate rather than individual amounts, and run a short, focused campaign with a clear purpose: tuition assistance, teacher salaries, a program families value. Ask grandparents, alumni and past parents separately with their own letter. Participation matters to foundations and other donors, who often ask what share of families give.
At a tuition-charging school, explain plainly why you ask on top of tuition. A one-line statement such as "tuition covers about [share] of what it costs to educate each student; the annual fund closes the gap" answers the question most families are too polite to ask. Use your business office's real figure, and avoid asking for the annual fund in the same month tuition contracts go out.
2. One signature event
Choose one event that defines the school's year. A gala or auction suits schools with a strong parent network and donated items. A walk-a-thon or fun run suits schools that want every child involved and relatives everywhere to give; it needs less up-front money and fewer volunteers than a gala (see the private school walk-a-thon guide). A family dinner, a spring concert or a fall festival on the church grounds works for schools that want an evening the whole congregation can attend. Whatever you choose, run the same event each year so families plan for it.
3. A tuition assistance fund
Many families give generously to help other families afford the school. Keep it a pooled fund that the school awards under its own criteria. The IRS treats a payment earmarked for the direct benefit of a particular child as not a deductible contribution (Revenue Ruling 83-104), so for gifts to stay deductible the school, not the donor, decides who receives aid. The same ruling counts admissions-linked or heavy-pressure appeals to parents as signs that a "gift" is really tuition.
4. Parish and congregation partnerships
For parish and congregational schools, the church community is a source of donors, volunteers and space. A second collection, a parish festival booth, a ministry fair table or a bulletin announcement for a specific school project reaches members whose children have grown up. Coordinate with the pastor or church leadership on timing so school and church appeals don't compete.
5. Catholic Schools Week and open houses
Catholic Schools Week, held each year in late January and early February, brings parishioners, alumni and prospective families into the building for Masses, open classrooms and student performances. Treat it as a thank-you week first: show what last year's gifts paid for, then leave a card or a link for anyone who wants to give. The same approach works for a spring open house at any private school.
6. Church partners and mission giving (Christian schools)
Many nondenominational and evangelical Christian schools draw families from a dozen churches rather than one parish. Ask each church your families attend whether it will list the school in its missions or benevolence budget, host a school Sunday with a student choir, or announce a single project in its bulletin. Keep chapel offerings and mission-week collections separate from school fundraising: students give those to an outside cause, and mixing the two confuses donors and your bookkeeping.
7. Alumni and past parents
Older private schools often have generations of alumni. A once-a-year letter tied to a specific project or an anniversary, and reunions held at the school, keep them connected. Past parents are often some of the most loyal donors.
8. Employer matching and business partners
Many employer matching programs include K–12 schools, but eligibility rules vary, so ask families to check their employer's rules and mention matching in every letter. Local businesses owned by alumni or parish members often sponsor events; see school sponsorships.
Lutheran and other congregational schools
If your Lutheran school is a ministry of one congregation, or of an association of several, it fundraises much like a Catholic parish school: the congregation's council or voters' assembly may need to approve campaigns, the school's appeal has to fit around the congregation's own stewardship drive, and members without children in the school are a natural audience for a tuition assistance appeal. Schools run by an association should agree with each member congregation on when the school may announce appeals, so no church hears from the school more than the others. The same applies to schools attached to Reformed, Baptist, Adventist or other congregations.
Choosing events that fit your faith community
Some faith communities are comfortable with raffles, bingo and casino nights, and some avoid games of chance entirely and prefer a walk, a service day, a family dinner or a concert. Decide as a school what fits your values before planning, and remember that any game of chance follows state law, which often requires a license and limits prizes; your state's charitable gaming regulator or attorney general's office can tell you what applies. If bingo is on the table, the bingo night rules explain when it counts as regulated gaming. Pair fundraising with service where you can, such as a walk that also collects food for a pantry, so the event reflects what the school teaches. How Jewish day schools approach games of chance, along with Shabbat and kashrut, is covered in Jewish day school fundraising ideas.
Coordinate the calendar with church leadership too. Ask whether seasons such as Lent and Advent, or the congregation's own stewardship drive, are times to avoid a festive fundraiser or a second appeal.
Tax status and receipts
Churches that meet the federal requirements are automatically considered tax-exempt and don't have to apply to the IRS, though many do (IRS). A school run by a parish may operate under the church's status, and a separately incorporated school usually needs its own. Ask your business office which applies before telling donors their gifts are deductible. The usual acknowledgment rules still apply, including a written disclosure when a donor pays more than $75 partly as a gift and partly for something in return, such as a gala dinner; the donor acknowledgment section covers the wording.
A sample year's goal
Example A parish school of 220 students has 180 families and wants $110,000 beyond tuition. The annual fund aims for 80% participation, 144 families, at an average gift of $400: $57,600. The spring gala nets $35,000 after costs. A separate tuition assistance appeal to parishioners and alumni raises $18,000. Together that is $110,600. If participation stalls at 60%, 108 families at the same average give $43,200, and the total drops to $96,200, $13,800 short; plan a second, smaller appeal before you need it. Publishing the participation goal, not the dollar target, is what moves the families who haven't given yet. The fundraiser finder with "Higher" capacity selected compares event formats for a school your size, and the small schools guide shows why outside supporters matter most when, as at two in three private schools, fewer than 150 students are enrolled.
Sources
- Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results From the 2023–24 Private School Universe Survey, National Center for Education Statistics (accessed 2026-10-30)
- National Data Highlights Strong Demand and Growing Diversity and Inclusion in Catholic Schools, National Catholic Educational Association (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Churches, Integrated Auxiliaries and Conventions or Associations of Churches, Internal Revenue Service (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Revenue Ruling 83-104: Payments to private schools by parents, Internal Revenue Service (accessed 2026-10-30)
Frequently asked questions
How do Catholic schools raise money?
Most Catholic schools combine an annual fund, one signature event such as a gala, auction or walk-a-thon, a tuition assistance fund, and support from the parish. Catholic Schools Week, open houses and alumni reunions are natural moments to ask.
What are good fundraisers for a Christian school?
An annual fund with a participation goal, one event every family attends, such as a family dinner, concert or walk, and partnerships with the churches your families attend, including a place in their missions budget. Keep chapel and mission-week offerings separate from school fundraising. Many Christian schools avoid games of chance, so choose events that fit your community's values.
Can donations pay for a specific student's tuition?
Not as a tax-deductible gift. Under IRS rulings, a payment earmarked for a particular student isn't a charitable contribution, and a parent's payment for their own child is tuition. Donors who want their gift to count should give to a pooled tuition assistance fund that the school awards under its own criteria.
Why do private schools fundraise if families pay tuition?
Tuition often doesn't cover the full cost of educating a student, and many schools keep tuition below cost and offer assistance so more families can attend. Fundraising fills that gap and pays for programs, facilities and tuition aid.