The 24+ Best DECA Fundraising Ideas for 2024

Are you looking for the Best DECA Fundraising Ideas for 2024? If so, DoJiggy’s got you covered!

The mission of DECA is to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. When fundraising for school initiatives like DECA, innovation and community engagement are key. Numerous creative avenues exist to raise funds and foster a sense of community and school spirit. Plus, they can be great fun!

DoJiggy has compiled the Best DECA Fundraising Ideas for 2024, offering a unique blend of entertainment, participation, and potential for significant financial support. From virtual events to sports tournaments and fitness challenges, these ideas aim to cater to diverse interests and talents within the school community, ensuring inclusivity and broad appeal.

School Walkathons and Fun Runs

To start off the Best DECA Fundraising Ideas this year, organizing a school fun run or walkathon is a fantastic way to engage students, teachers, and the community in a healthy activity while raising funds. Participants can gather pledges for each lap completed or for participating in the event, making it a fun and active way to support DECA initiatives.

Color Run Fundraisers

Color run fundraisers add a vibrant twist to traditional running events, where participants are doused in colorful powder at various points throughout the race. This fun and Instagram-worthy event encourages community participation and is a great way to raise funds through entry fees and sponsorships.

Find out how to organize a memorable color run.

Service Projects

Service projects combine volunteering with fundraising, allowing students to give back to their community while supporting their school. Whether cleaning up a local park, helping at a food bank, or providing services for the elderly, participants can raise funds through sponsorships for their service hours via personal fundraising pages.

Polar Plunges

Polar plunges challenge participants to brave icy waters, usually during the colder months, to raise funds. Supporters pledge money for participants who take the plunge, making this a thrilling and unique way to engage the community and raise funds.

Farm-to-Table Dinners

Want one of the Best DECA Fundraising Ideas that’s sure to be a hit with foodies? Try a farm-to-table dinner. A farm-to-table dinner event showcases local agriculture by serving meals prepared with locally sourced ingredients. This supports local farmers and creates a unique fundraising event that can attract community members willing to pay for a high-quality dining experience.

Dancing with the Stars Event

A Dancing with the Stars-themed event features students, teachers, and sometimes local celebrities paired with professional or amateur dancers to compete in a dance competition. Ticket sales, voting, and sponsorships can all contribute to fundraising efforts.

Student Cooked Gala or Dinner

A student-cooked gala is an event where culinary arts students prepare a gourmet meal for guests. This not only showcases students’ skills but also serves as an elegant fundraising event. Ticket sales for the dinner contribute to the DECA chapter’s fundraising goals.

Sales Contests

Sales contests motivate students to sell products or services, such as magazines, chocolates, or discount cards, with prizes for the top sellers. This classic approach to fundraising encourages competition and can significantly boost participation and funds raised.

Find the best products for your next sales fundraiser.

Golf Tournaments

Hosting a golf tournament can attract participants from within and outside the school community. Entry fees, sponsorships, and concessions can all add to the fundraising total, making it a popular choice for schools with access to a local golf course.

Dress Down Days

One of the Best DECA Fundraising Ideas for schools with dress codes is dress-down days. Dress-down days allow students to wear casual clothes to school in exchange for a donation. This simple yet effective fundraising idea is easy to implement and popular among students eager for a break from the usual dress code.

Fundraising Raffles

Fundraising raffles are a time-tested way to raise funds. Items or services are donated by local businesses or school communities. This method engages participants in a game of chance, offering exciting prizes while generating significant funds through raffle ticket donations.

Car Washes

The best DECA fundraising ideas involve learning life skills and benefiting the local community, which is why car washes are such a great idea. Car washes are a staple of community fundraising, appealing to a wide audience. Organizing a car wash requires minimal setup and resources, making it an accessible option for groups of all sizes to raise money.

School Dances

School dances provide a fun way for students to socialize while raising funds. Ticket sales, concessions, and photo booths can increase revenue, making it a memorable event that boosts school spirit. Add a theme like 70’s disco or 80’s big hair night to get students excited.

Breakfast Pizza Sales

Selling breakfast pizzas is a unique twist on traditional food fundraisers. This idea can be particularly effective when offered on a Friday morning before school, attracting students and staff looking for a convenient and tasty breakfast option.

VIP Parking Spot Auctions

Auctioning premium or VIP parking spots at school offers a convenient perk for parents, students, and staff, turning an everyday necessity into a lucrative fundraising opportunity. This idea can be especially popular in high schools with limited parking availability.

Community Yard Sales

Organizing a community yard sale can turn unused items into cash for your chapter. Host the sale at the school and ask for donations of goods from students, staff, and the community. A large sale inventory, along with concession sales, can attract a wide audience.

Teacher Dunk Tank

A teacher dunk tank event is a fun and interactive way to raise funds, allowing students to dunk their favorite teachers for a fee. This activity fosters community spirit and is always a hit among students. A dunk tank can be combined with other events, such as a yard sale, pep rally, or school carnival.

School Carnivals

This lucrative DECA fundraising idea works well for large chapters with dedicated members.

School carnivals with games, food, and attractions offer a day of fun for the whole family. Ticket sales for attractions, games, and food contribute to the fundraising efforts, making it a community-wide event.

Learn to plan a school carnival fundraiser.

Bottle and Can Drives

Bottle and can drives promote recycling while raising funds. Collecting recyclables from the community and redeeming them for cash is an eco-friendly way to support DECA projects and initiatives.

Create a Unique Peer-to-peer Event

Peer-to-peer fundraising events, such as read-a-thons or dance-a-thons, leverage the networks of participants to raise money. Customizing the event to fit your school’s unique spirit and goals can maximize engagement and funds raised.

Virtual Fundraising Events

Host online events like webinars, virtual contests, or live-streamed performances, allowing community members to participate from anywhere. Virtual events can include registration fees for gated livestreaming, donations, and online auctions to generate funds.

Gaming Tournaments

Organize a gaming tournament for popular video games, attracting students and gamers for a registration fee. Additional fundraising can come from live-streaming the event, sponsorships, and selling merchandise.

Talent Showcases

Host a talent show where students and teachers can display their talents, with entry fees for participants and ticket sales for the audience. This can be expanded with online voting, where votes are cast through donations.

Educational Workshops

Offer workshops or classes on various topics led by skilled teachers, parents, or community members. Participants pay a fee to learn something new, such as cooking, photography, or coding, with all proceeds supporting DECA initiatives.

Conclusions on DECA Fundraisers

As you can see, there are plenty of DECA fundraising ideas to choose from. Whether through our virtual platform, community service projects, or dunking your school’s beloved staff members into a tank of water, these strategies offer fresh avenues for DECA programs to achieve their goals.

Now that you know the Best DECA fundraising ideas for 2024, it’s time to get to work. Click on the link below to start using DoJiggy for your next DECA fundraiser!