Fundraisers for Schools That Work: 4 Strategies Behind a $6,000 Middle School Fundraiser

At Washington Park Middle School in Chicago, the biggest problem wasn’t fundraising, it was attendance. Students were showing up late, or not at all. Staff turnover had created gaps in leadership and there was little consistency from day to day.

When Joe Henigan stepped into the role as Dean, he made it his mission to rebuild the environment and make school a place students actually looked forward to attending.  

Henigan worked with the principal to turn the school around with incentives and mentorships. He wanted to create more joy, and an important part of that effort was launching a school fundraiser. It was about more than raising money though; it was a way to build engagement, get students excited to participate in something and to create friendly, fun competition.

Fundraiser snapshot

• $6,000+ raised

• 50% student participation

• Increased student attendance 

• School-wide competition that drove positive cultural change

These results reflect a few traits that consistently show up in high-performing fundraisers for schools: low barriers to participation, visible progress, and incentives that keep students engaged. Read on to learn how this approach worked, and how to make your own school fundraiser a success.

1. Use incentives that motivate daily action

Dean Henigan had already seen that incentives worked to motivate students before the fundraiser started. Students could earn “Dean Bucks” throughout the day and spend them right away at the Dean Depot, a school store stocked with snacks, supplies, and things they actually wanted.

To engage students in the middle school’s fundraiser, Henigan added another layer of incentives. Top sellers were awarded dress-down days that allowed them to skip school uniforms, along with crowns to wear. A portion of the funds raised also went to schoolwide rewards like field days and game trucks.

Rather than relying on one big reward, Dean Henigan’s strategy focused on frequent, visible incentives related to daily actions. Middle school students respond and are more likely to stay engaged when rewards feel immediate and achievable: what they can earn today, rather than far-off results.