Fundraising for Virtual and Online Schools

Virtual schools are no longer rare. NCES counted 562,659 students enrolled in public virtual schools in 2022–23. It defines a virtual school as one where students and teachers are "separated by time and/or location" and interact through internet-connected computers or other devices. Counting private school students and homeschoolers in virtual programs too, NCES estimated that 2.5% of K–12 students were in full-time virtual education that year. Most of the familiar school fundraising ideas assume a building; this page sorts out which ones survive without one.

Those schools need money for the same things other schools do: field trips, graduation, clubs, family events, technology for students who need it and, at private online schools, tuition assistance. But every habit of campus fundraising, from flyers in backpacks to the bake sale table at pickup, is missing. This guide shows what replaces them.

Public virtual school or private online school?

Start by knowing which kind of school you are, because it decides who raises money, who can give and which rules apply.

A public virtual charter is still a charter school, so the split between the school's fund and the parent group described in the charter school guide applies. Write down which entity runs which fundraiser before the first appeal goes out.

What changes without a campus

• No natural crowd. There is no pickup line or school hallway. Every ask has to reach families through email, the school's learning platform or the mail, and families get a lot of school messages already.
• Families haven't met. Parents may never have spoken to each other. Community comes before fundraising: the first event of the year should be a chance to meet, not a sale.
• Distance and shipping. Anything physical, from spirit wear to prizes, has to be mailed. Shipping can eat a large share of a small sale's profit, so price it in or skip physical goods.
• Time zones and schedules. Statewide schools can span two time zones, and private online schools many more. Families also keep very different hours. Record live events and keep online campaigns open long enough for everyone.
• The in-person days matter more. Testing days, field trips, graduation and prom may be the only times families gather, and they are often what parents most want to fund.

Ideas that work at a distance

1. A virtual a-thon

Students read, walk, run or log steps wherever they live over one or two weeks, and relatives anywhere pledge or give a flat donation. It is the closest thing to a campus pledge event, and it reaches grandparents in other states as easily as neighbors. Pick the activity that fits your students; the virtual read-a-thon and virtual walk-a-thon guides cover tracking and proof of participation. Share progress at the start of live classes so it feels like a school event.

2. Regional meetups with a walk

Group families by drive time and give each region a host family and a date: a park walk, a museum day or a service project. Ask families to bring relatives and turn the walk into a small pledge event. Public parks may need a permit for organized groups, so the host should call the city or county parks office. Before a parent hosts anything in the school's or parent group's name, ask whether the group's insurance covers it, and make the responsible adult clear on the invitation: each child stays with their own parent or guardian, and the host is not supervising other people's children. The day builds the community that every later appeal depends on.

3. A short online giving campaign

A two-week campaign with one goal ("$8,000 so every senior can attend graduation"), a progress bar and a few short updates often outperforms a year of small asks. Time it around something families care about, such as the first day of school or the end-of-year gathering. Structure, timing and messages are covered in online giving campaigns for schools.

4. An online auction of experiences

Experiences travel better than objects: a session with a favorite teacher, a family pass to a museum in each region, a gift certificate from a business owned by a school family. Ask donors for items that can be delivered by email or picked up locally, and say who pays shipping for anything else. Item gathering and pricing are covered in school auctions and galas.

5. A recorded talent show or art show

Students submit short videos or photos of their work, the school streams or posts the show, and viewers give a donation. Get permission before posting any student's name, image or work. On music: the federal copyright exemption in 17 U.S.C. 110(4), for non-commercial performances where performers aren't paid and any admission proceeds go to educational or charitable purposes, covers only performances "otherwise than in a transmission to the public," so streaming or posting a student's performance of someone else's song is a separate licensing question. Original pieces, public-domain music and visual art avoid it; for anything else, ask the school's administration before the show goes online.

6. Spirit wear, ordered once

Families at virtual schools often want something that says they belong. Run a single preorder window with shipping built into the price, or deliver at a regional meetup. Don't hold inventory. Example A shirt sold for $20 that costs $15 leaves a $5 margin. If the group pays $6 to mail it, each shirt loses $1; charge $26 shipped, or hand shirts out at the spring meetup, and the $5 margin survives. Margins and ordering are in the spirit wear guide.

7. Sponsors and employer matching

A statewide school can approach businesses anywhere in the state, which is a wider sponsor pool than any campus school has. Offer recognition where your families actually look: the online show, the newsletter and the graduation program (the sponsorship letter templates cover the ask). Families also work for employers everywhere, so put a matching-gift reminder in every appeal.

Which state's rules apply

A school's fundraising mainly follows the law of the state where the school, or the parent group, is organized and operates, plus any district policy or charter agreement. Three points matter more for virtual schools than for others:

1. Online raffles

   A raffle run entirely online is where virtual schools are most likely to break the law without knowing it. California's Attorney General says "operating or conducting a raffle via the Internet is also prohibited," though the organization may advertise its raffle online, and other states restrict online ticket sales too. Ask your state attorney general's office or gaming regulator before selling a single ticket.

2. District or charter approval

   Public virtual schools are public schools, so district or charter fundraising policy applies even though there is no building. Ask the school's administration what needs approval, especially for anything that uses the school's name or its learning platform. How district approval usually works is covered in district rules and approval.

3. Donors in other states

   Private online schools that ask donors in many states may need to check charitable solicitation registration beyond their home state, and sales of merchandise shipped across state lines can raise sales tax questions. Ask your state attorney general's charity office and an accountant before a national campaign.

Student privacy online

Everything a virtual school does for fundraising happens online, so student information travels further. Post first names only, or no names, unless families agree; get permission before using photos or videos; and never publish a child's location, schedule or contact details on a giving page. The student privacy guide for read-a-thons explains what to check with the school before posting anything about students, and the same steps apply to any online fundraiser.

Setting the goal

Example A statewide virtual school's parent group of 600 families wants $12,000 for graduation and spring regional field trips. If 30% of families take part in a spring virtual a-thon, that is 180 families. At $45 per participating family from relatives and friends, it raises $8,100. An online auction of 30 donated experiences averaging $80 adds $2,400, and three statewide sponsors at $500 add $1,500. Total: $8,100 + $2,400 + $1,500 = $12,000. Participation is hard to predict at a virtual school, so run the goal calculator at two or three participation rates before you announce a number.

Sources

1. Digest of Education Statistics, Table 216.20: Enrollment of public elementary and secondary schools, by school level, type, and charter, magnet, and virtual status, National Center for Education Statistics (accessed 2026-10-30)
2. Higher percentage of K–12 students are receiving academic instruction at home, Institute of Education Sciences (NCES) (accessed 2026-10-30)
3. Nonprofit Raffles, California Attorney General (accessed 2026-10-30)
4. 17 U.S. Code § 110: Limitations on exclusive rights: Exemption of certain performances and displays, U.S. Code, via Legal Information Institute (accessed 2026-10-30)