• Sell Candy Grams - For 50 cents or one dollar, kids write messages to friends and teachers that are delivered during the day. Each message has a piece of candy attached. Candy grams work especially well around a holiday.
  
  
• Jog Around your School - Develop a simple pledge sheet and ask students to get pledges from friends and relatives. Set a minimum dollar amount in pledges to participate-we suggest $10 or $15 per runner. Mark a one mile course for the run. The top two runners and the top fundraiser from each grade level win a trophy.
  
  
• Plan a Read-A-Thon - Kids can enjoy reading while helping another child. Develop simple pledge sheets and send a letter home with students asking friends and relatives for pledges based on the number of books their children will read in one month. At the end of the month, students collect the pledges and turn in their donation to teachers.
  
  
• Have a Dance or a Dance Marathon -You will need to reserve your school's gymnasium and ask a local DJ to donate his/her services. If you would like to try a dance marathon, have students obtain pledges from relatives and friends, ask local businesses to donate gifts to use as door prizes for dancers, and think of fun activities to keep dancers busy, i.e. the hokie pokey, the limbo, etc. Determine a time frame for the marathon; we suggest six hours.
  
  
• Plan a Walk-A-Thon - Students and parents can participate in this event! All walkers are to receive a pledge sheet to ask friends and relatives to sponsor their walk. Following the walk, students and parents collect the pledges and turn in donations to the school.
  
  
• Host a Movie Night - Your school can rent a current movie and invite students and their parents for a fun-filled night. Sell tickets and popcorn. Try to get a door prize donated from a local business and call a ticket number during intermission for a winner.
  
  
• Compete in a Paper Chain Contest - Each grade level competes to make the longest paper chain. Each grade makes a different color chain. Links are sold for 25 or 50 cents.
  
  
• Hold a Band or Choral Concert - You can plan a holiday or spring concert with your school's band and/or chorus. You can charge a small admission fee. This works well for middle and high schools.
  
  
• Develop your own Activities Carnival - Each homeroom devises a game of skill or an activity-Pin the Tail on the Donkey, hit a golf ball into a cup, face painting, etc... Students donate 25 or 50 cents per event to participate.
  
  
• Host a Spaghetti Dinner or a Pancake Breakfast - You can work with a local restaurant or ask a group of parents to help with the cooking. Invite students and residents in the community. Charge a small admission fee.
  
  
• Coordinate a Scavenger Hunt - A committee works to come up with clues. Students are charged a small fee to participate. The first team to solve the final clue wins a prize.
  
  
• Compete in a Penny Collection Contest - Each grade level competes against each other to collect the most pennies. Students are encouraged to put nickels, dimes and quarters in another grade's container to get the corresponding amount of pennies subtracted from their total count!
  
  
• Have a Bake Sale - Students bring in a baked good from home. The bake sale can be held in the school cafeteria or at a local shopping center, but be sure to ask permission first.
  
  
• Organize a Student/Teacher Basketball Game - Students and teachers compete in a basketball game. Funds are raised through an admission fee and sale of refreshments. A 50/50 raffle could also be used during the game. Students and teachers could also compete in a volleyball, softball, or football game.
  
  
• Hold a Dress Down Day - Students with a dress code in their school can contribute a small fee to wear casual clothes to school for the day. Teachers can participate in Dress Down Days, too.
  
  
• Create an Art Gallery - Students draw or paint artwork. Parents are welcome to purchase the artwork during an Open House or at an Evening of Art event.
  
  
• Sell Pizzas, Hoagies, Donuts, Bagels or Fruit - Schools often work with local establishments which supply pizzas, hoagies, etc...to raise funds for a charity. The students take orders from friends and relatives, and collect the donations when delivering the products.
  
  
• Host a Holiday Party - You can plan a Halloween, Valentine's Day or St. Patrick's Day party to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation. Ask students if they would like to bring in donations to help kids who are not as fortunate as they are.
  
  
• Decorate a Tree - A school group can sell ornaments or ribbons to decorate a tree. You may want to ask local businesses to purchase ornaments, too.
  
  
• Plan a Talent Show - You can invite the community to a talent show at your school and charge an admission fee. Students perform the acts-singing, dancing, magic tricks, baton twirling, joke telling, etc.
  
  
• Give Holiday Donations - Instead of a gift exchange or instead of buying gifts for your teachers, suggest helping others by making donations to Make-A-Wish Foundation.
  
  
• Plan a Car Wash - A school group can work with a local gas station to plan a "Washes for Wishes" car wash. Spring is the best time of the year to have one.
  
  
• Host a Spelling Bee - Each student is asked to make a donation to participate. The best speller wins a small prize.
  
  
• Spirit Chain - Students create a paper chain in school colors with links sold for $1 each. Paper chain can be used to decorate hallways, library, or gymnasium.

You can try one of these or create a Kids for Wish Kids project of your own. Let us know your project idea, and we'll add it to the list.