Short answer: Yes, you need permission. District policies commonly require the principal's written approval before a fundraiser is scheduled or advertised, and some add district sign-offs for online giving, vendors, building use or events that involve several schools. Find your district's fundraising policy and its administrative rule, which holds the form. Then submit a one-page request well ahead: Los Angeles Unified asks for three weeks, or five for a carnival.
This guide is part of how to plan a school fundraiser, and it covers the first gate in that plan: the yes from your school and district. Here the focus is the district: who signs, what its policy usually says and how to write a request that gets approved the first time.
Who approves a fundraiser
The principal is the gate in almost every policy. Behind the principal, a few other offices may need to sign, depending on what the fundraiser involves. The more a fundraiser touches money, outside companies, the building after hours or other schools, the more signatures it collects.
Real policies show the range. Los Angeles Unified has its Student Body Finance office review parent group requests, adds student government leaders for cooperative activities at secondary schools, and has its environmental health and safety office review carnival, fair and food vendor requests. Cobb County, Georgia, needs a second form and financial services approval for online fundraisers. In Maryland, Montgomery County sends fundraisers run by several schools to an associate superintendent, and Howard County sends system-wide ones to the superintendent.
Who is allowed to run a school fundraiser
Districts sort fundraisers by who holds the money, and the rules follow from that. The three places school money can sit explains the accounts in more detail.
| Who | How it usually works | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| The school or a student club | Money goes into school-held activity funds under district accounting rules | A staff sponsor, district forms and the principal's signature. Montgomery County requires a staff sponsor for every school-sponsored fundraiser. |
| A PTA, PTO or booster club | A separate nonprofit with its own bank account that gives money or purchases to the school | Still needs the principal's approval to use the building, students' time or the school's name. Some policies cover these groups fully (Cobb's principal approves fundraisers by parent groups, boosters and foundations); others leave them out (Howard County's policy says PTAs and boosters are outside it). |
| An individual parent or teacher | No account of their own for school money | Usually can't run a fundraiser in the school's name. Bring the idea to the parent group or the principal so it runs through an account that can be audited. |
| An outside charity or business | Asks the school to promote its drive | Treated as a community drive or an advertisement, with its own rules. Ask the office. |
Parent groups can also be asked to prove they are set up properly. Los Angeles Unified asks PTAs, PTOs and boosters for nonprofit status, a tax identification number, insurance that meets the district's requirements and a current registration with the California Attorney General's charity registry, and it won't approve an activity without that registration. A new group should sort these out first; the first fundraiser guide for a new PTO lists the setup steps.
Four district policies compared
These four policies are written differently but ask for the same core things. Use them to know what to look for in yours, not as rules for your school.
| District | Approval and timing | Students | Money and other limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Unified (CA) Bulletin BUL-1633.3 | Online request at least 3 weeks before; 5 weeks for a carnival or fair. Principal and Student Body Finance approve. | Participation "entirely voluntary." No fundraising during instructional time, and none tied to grades or credit. | One fundraiser can run no longer than 3 weeks. Financial statement due within 30 days of the event. |
| Cobb County (GA) Rule JHA-R | Proposal form JHA-1 to the principal before the fundraiser. Online fundraisers also need form JHA-3 and financial services approval. | No door-to-door selling in school-sponsored fundraisers. Students handle money only under direct adult supervision. | Only the principal signs fundraising contracts. Parent groups keep their own profits and pay their own costs. |
| Montgomery County (MD) Regulation CND-RA | Approval "before being scheduled, advertised, or conducted." Principal for school events; associate superintendent for multi-school ones. | No student can be required to take part or contribute. No residential door-to-door or street median sales by students. | Schools can't run gaming that needs a license; parent groups must hold and display any license state law requires. |
| Howard County (MD) Policy 4020 | Approval before being scheduled, advertised or conducted. School administrator with the local committee's advice; superintendent for system-wide. | No door-to-door solicitation by students. Elementary and middle school incentives of nominal value, $20 retail or less. | Principal is fiduciary for school funds. Fundraising financial information goes to the board each year. PTAs and boosters are outside the policy. |
Policies as published by each district in October 2026: the Los Angeles Unified bulletin is dated August 2021, Cobb's rule was last revised in July 2022, Montgomery County's regulation in December 2013 and Howard County's policy took effect in July 2020. Districts revise these documents, so check the current version of yours.
Two ideas recur: approval comes before anything is advertised, and taking part is voluntary (Los Angeles Unified and Montgomery County say so outright). If your plan respects both, most of the rest is paperwork.
Finding your district's policy
- Search the board policy manual
Most districts publish board policies online. Search for "fundraising," "fund-raising," "student activity funds" and "solicitation." Policy numbers vary: Cobb files its rule under JHA, Montgomery County under CND and Howard County under 4020.
- Get the administrative rule, not just the policy
The board policy states principles. The administrative rule, regulation or bulletin that goes with it usually has the forms, lead times and step-by-step procedure.
- Look for the related policies
Food sales sit in the wellness policy, after-hours events in the facilities-use policy, online campaigns sometimes in a crowdfunding or gifts policy, and flyers in a distribution-of-materials policy.
- Ask the person who processes the forms
The school bookkeeper or office manager knows which forms are current and how long approvals really take. Ask at the start of the year, before you set dates.
What district policies usually require
Read your policy with this list beside you. Each line is a common requirement, with an example of how one of the four districts above handles it.
- Written approval before advertising. Montgomery County's regulation requires approval "before being scheduled, advertised, or conducted," and Howard County's policy uses nearly the same words. Don't announce a date until you have it in writing.
- A lead time. Los Angeles Unified: three weeks, five for a carnival or fair.
- A length limit. Los Angeles Unified caps a single fundraiser at three weeks.
- Protected instructional time. Los Angeles Unified bars fundraising during instructional time, even when the activity claims an instructional component or pledges are collected outside class time. Cobb allows approved curriculum-related activities and privileges such as a hat day, but not collecting money during instruction. A fundraiser kickoff assembly needs the principal's approval for its time slot too.
- Voluntary participation. No grade, credit or requirement tied to giving. Progress displays need the same care; see class thermometers that don't single anyone out.
- No door-to-door selling by students. Cobb, Montgomery and Howard counties all bar it.
- Games of chance. State law sets the rules; some districts keep the school itself out.
- Food sales. Usually a reference to the district wellness policy and your state's limits; see the food sales section of the fundraising calendar.
- Incentive limits. Howard County caps elementary and middle school incentives at $20 retail value and bars ones that take students off school property.
- Money handling and reporting. Cobb: only district employees account for school-sponsored funds. Los Angeles Unified: a financial statement within 30 days.
- Use of the school's name. Los Angeles Unified requires parent groups to use their own letterhead, address and website, not the school's.
- Proceeds used as stated. Montgomery County requires net proceeds to go to the purpose the money was raised for.
Writing the approval request
Principals approve requests that answer their questions before they ask them. Their questions are about students' time, safety, money and the school's reputation, so put those first. Fill in your details below and the request updates; then copy it into an email or the district's form.
Loading the request builder. If it doesn't appear, copy the request below and fill in the brackets.
Attach whatever the district asks parent groups to show, such as proof of insurance or nonprofit status, and the budget. The fundraiser budget worksheet produces a one-page budget and the profit calculator shows what the school keeps after costs.
Printable approval request form
If your school has no form of its own, the principal can use this one for every group, which keeps requests consistent. If the district has a form, use the district's.
School fundraiser approval request
Submit before any date is announced. Keep the signed copy with the fundraiser's records.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Organizing group and contact | |
| Fundraiser name and type | |
| Dates, times and location | |
| Purpose and goal | |
| What students do during the school day | |
| Food sold or served (and when) | |
| Games of chance and any license | |
| Vendor or contract (attach) | |
| How money is collected, counted and deposited | |
| Insurance or nonprofit documents attached | |
| Promotion planned | |
| Principal: approved / approved with changes / not approved | |
| Other sign-offs needed (finance, facilities, district) | |
| Signatures and date |
Working back from the lead time
Treat the district's lead time as the latest possible submission date, not the target. Questions, a missing document or a second office can each add a week.
Example A parent group plans a carnival for April 25 in a district that asks for five weeks' notice. Five weeks (35 days) before April 25 is March 21. Allowing two more weeks for questions, the group submits by March 7 and holds every announcement until the approval arrives.
Start earlier when other offices or licenses are involved: book facilities at the same time as the fundraiser request, send any vendor contract with it, and begin a raffle with the state license, which can take longer than the district. Fundraisers that involve several schools go to district leadership, so allow extra time and ask the district office how much.
Put approved dates straight onto the school calendar so no other group takes the week. The lead times by fundraiser table shows planning time for each format.
Vendors and contracts
A volunteer signing a vendor agreement can bind the parent group, or appear to bind the school, to terms no one reviewed. Cobb County's rule shows how tight districts can be when the school is a party: only the principal may sign, the contract can't run past the principal's employment, can't include indemnification or hold-harmless clauses and can't require advance payment, and proceeds must be paid out within two months after the fundraiser ends. For product sales, Cobb asks schools to seek a return of 40% or more and not to accept less than 25%. Even where your district says nothing, read the cancellation, minimum-order and unsold-stock terms before anyone signs. The product sale margins guide explains what those terms cost.
This page summarizes example policies as the districts published them in October 2026; it isn't legal advice, and your district's rules may be stricter, looser or newer. Confirm with your principal or district office before setting dates. State law on raffles, food sales and charity registration is a separate layer: ask your state attorney general's office or the agency that licenses charitable gaming.
If the answer is no or "not yet"
Most refusals come from a fixable problem. Ask what would make the plan approvable, then change that piece.
| Common reason | What usually fixes it |
|---|---|
| The date clashes with testing or another group's fundraiser | Offer two alternative weeks from the school calendar |
| Too much instructional time | Move the activity to PE, recess or after school, or shorten it |
| Food during the school day | Sell after school, or switch to items that meet nutrition standards |
| Students selling | Switch to a donation drive or a pledge event where families ask relatives |
| Missing documents | Insurance certificate, nonprofit letter or charity registration |
| Too many fundraisers already | Combine with an existing one, or plan for next year's calendar |
Formats with no selling and no food tend to clear approval fastest; see fundraisers without selling for options. Once you have the yes, plan the announcement with the school fundraiser promotion guide and the parent letter templates.
Sources
- Policies Governing School Fund-Raising Activities of PTAs, PTOs, and Booster Clubs (BUL-1633.3), Los Angeles Unified School District (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Administrative Rule JHA-R: Student Activities Fundraising, Cobb County School District (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Regulation CND-RA: School-Related Fund-Raising, Montgomery County Public Schools (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Policy 4020: Fundraising by Schools and School-Sponsored Organizations, Howard County Public School System (accessed 2026-10-30)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission from the principal to hold a fundraiser?
Yes. District policies usually require the principal's approval before a fundraiser is scheduled or advertised, including fundraisers run by a PTA or PTO when they use the building, students' time or the school's name. Some districts add sign-offs from the finance office, facilities or a district administrator. Ask for approval in writing and keep a copy.
Who is allowed to start a school fundraiser?
Usually the school itself, a student club with a staff sponsor, or a recognized parent group such as a PTA, PTO or booster club. An individual parent or teacher generally can't raise money in the school's name on their own; bring the idea to the parent group or the principal so the money goes into an account with officers, records and review.
Where do I find my school district's fundraising approval form?
Search the district's board policy site for "fundraising," then open the administrative rule or regulation that goes with the policy, which is where forms usually live. The school bookkeeper or office manager will know which version is current. If the district has no form, a one-page written request to the principal covering students, food, money, vendors and dates does the same job.
How far in advance should we ask for approval?
Check your district's lead time and submit at least a week or two before it. Los Angeles Unified, for example, asks for three weeks before a fundraiser and five before a carnival or fair. Raffles, after-hours building use and outside vendors usually take longer because other offices or state licenses are involved.
Does the district fundraising policy apply to our PTA?
It depends on the district. Some policies cover parent groups directly; Cobb County's principal approves fundraisers by PTAs, boosters and foundations. Others leave them out; Howard County's policy says PTAs and boosters aren't under it. Even where a policy doesn't apply, the principal still controls the building, the calendar and students' time, so approval is still needed.
What should a fundraiser request to the principal include?
The purpose and goal, dates and location, what students will do during the school day, any food or games of chance, who collects and counts the money, any vendor contract, the volunteers in charge and how you plan to promote it. Say that participation is voluntary and every student is included. Attach a budget and any documents the district asks parent groups to provide.