17 School Fundraisers That No One Misses
These school fundraisers promised fun and funds, but they mostly delivered stress, confusion, and leftover wrapping paper.
- Daisy Montero
- 4 min read
School fundraisers were a rite of passage for many, but not necessarily a fun one. Between the awkward door-to-door pitches and the low-budget reward incentives, most of us remember these events more for the chaos than the cash raised. If you ever sold chocolate bars you did not even like, this one will hit home.
1. The Infamous Chocolate Bar Hustle
Nizzan Cohen on Wikimedia Commons
Those overpriced candy bars were hard to resist, mostly because you ended up eating half the box yourself. Selling them was awkward, especially when your neighbors started pretending not to be home.
2. Wrapping Paper Catalogs Nobody Asked For
Åsta on Wikimedia Commons
The designs were generic, and the prices were sky-high, but somehow, we were expected to pitch them like luxury goods. Most of it ended up in a closet, untouched until the next holiday season.
3. Jog-A-Thons That Felt Like Forced Marathons
U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Roland Franklin on Wikimedia Commons
You got a sticker and a cup of orange slices, but only after running endless laps around the blacktop. The real workout was trying to collect pledges from every adult you knew.
4. The Sad Little School Yard Sale
Nam Phong Bùi on Pexels
Everyone brought junk from their garage, and somehow left with even more. If you ever bought a broken VCR or a mystery board game, you were not alone.
5. Pizza Nights That Burned the Roof of Your Mouth
Kindel Media on Pexels
A slice of pizza and a plastic cup of root beer were the big prizes for dragging your family to the cafeteria at 6 p.m. The crust was always slightly cardboard.
6. Prize Tables Full of Dollar Store Trinkets
Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels
Sell 20 items, and get a mini squirt gun. Sell 50, and maybe get a slap bracelet. Either way, the prize table looked like a chaotic dollar bin.
7. Lollipops No One Actually Liked
Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels
These lollipops came in strange flavors like “cotton candy banana” and “mystery meatball” (or so it seemed). You bought one to be polite, then instantly regretted it.
8. Craft Fairs That Were Mostly Glue and Glitter
cottonbro studio on Pexels
Half the tables sold macaroni art and hand-painted rocks. Parents smiled politely while quietly wondering how to dispose of it without guilt.
9. Haunted Hallway Fundraisers That Were Just Dark Classrooms
Brett Sayles on Pexels
Someone hung a rubber bat from the ceiling and called it spooky. You screamed more from tripping over desks than from actual scares.
10. Stuffed Animal Raffles That Were Rigged
Vidal Balielo Jr. on Pexels
That giant stuffed bear always “randomly” went to the PTA president’s kid. You left with a paper ticket and mild resentment.
11. Book Fairs Where Nothing Was Under $10
umar Altaf on Pexels
You walked in dreaming of Goosebumps, and walked out with a bookmark and a pencil. Even your parents questioned the economics.
12. Locker Decorating Contests That Got Weird
Anna Shvets on Pexels
It started cute, then someone added disco lights and dry ice. Suddenly, your tissue-paper streamer setup looked like a joke.
13. Talent Shows That Went Off the Rails
cottonbro studio on Pexels
There was always one kid doing karate and another singing off-key Disney hits. You clapped through every minute like a champ.
14. Science Fair “Donations” That Were Really Entry Fees
Vladimir Srajber on Pexels
They called it voluntary, but without paying, your volcano ended up on the reject table. Winning was great if your mom did the project.
15. 50/50 Raffles That No One Understood
cottonbro studio on Pexels
You gave $5, got a number, and waited. By the time they drew the winner, half the gym had left — and someone’s uncle was $42 richer.
16. Bake Sales Where Parents Did All the Work
Valeria Boltneva on Pexels
You got credit for bringing cookies, even though they were store-bought. Meanwhile, someone’s mom showed up with a triple-layer masterpiece.
17. Car Washes That Barely Washed Cars
Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels
Kids splashed water and missed entire sections of the car. Your parents paid out of pity and rewashed it at home.