The Top 10 Band Fundraiser Ideas for 2024
Whatever you’d like to raise money for – a rock band, orchestra, or choir – fundraising is a great way to support your group’s activities.
With the right approach, you can gain support from local businesses, community members, and anyone with a passion for music.
This article explores the top 10 band fundraiser ideas to help you raise funds while winning over people’s hearts.
Table of Contents
- What Are Band Fundraisers?
- The 10 Best Band Fundraising Ideas
- 1. Sell Custom Band Merchandise
- 2. Play a Fundraising Concert
- 3. Host Community Fundraising Events
- 4. Organize a Local Music Festival
- 5. Provide Music Lessons
- 6. Run a Practice-A-Thon
- 7. Organize a Music-Themed Movie Night
- 8. Host a Battle of the Bands
- 9. Set Up an Online Fundraiser
- 10. Sell Old Band Uniforms
- 3 Vital Tips for Band Fundraising Campaigns
- How to Start a Custom-Merch Fundraising Campaign
- FAQ: Band Fundraiser Ideas
- Closing Thoughts
What Are Band Fundraisers?
Band fundraisers are activities, events, or campaigns where musicians raise money to fund their need for new instruments, equipment, uniforms, education, or travel expenses.
In addition to contributing to the band’s musical growth, they’re great for fostering community engagement while strengthening the bond between the band and its supporters.
This article will help you find the best fundraising idea for your band.
Quick tip
Band fundraisers' success lies in the event type and how well musicians know their supporters.
Who Can Organize a Band Fundraiser?
Anyone can start a band fundraiser, but they’re typically arranged by the people or organizations involved, including:
- Band members. For example, the leader, manager, or any enthusiastic band member.
- High-school students. Those involved in musical groups, like a marching band, orchestra, or choir.
- Parents and guardians. As official band boosters, they often organize fundraisers with other committees to keep the band program running.
- Schools. A high-school band director or a music teacher in cooperation with the institution’s administration. They provide facilities, know-how, and resources.
- Community members. People with a passion for music who want to support the local band program. They can play a significant role as volunteers, too.
- Local businesses. While they aren’t always initiators, businesses can provide resources or a venue for an event.
Make It Happen Today!
The 10 Best Band Fundraising Ideas
When searching for fundraising ideas, the options are endless. No matter your band’s genre or what you’re raising money for, these ideas can help start a profitable, exciting, and successful fundraiser today.
1. Sell Custom Band Merchandise
In addition to raising funds, original merchandise increases fan engagement, loyalty, and spreads the word about your band.
If you want to raise money quickly and easily, consider Print on Demand. It’s a convenient order fulfillment method anyone can use.
Upload a design or create your own from scratch with our beginner-friendly Mockup Generator. Then, we’ll handle the rest – printing, packaging, and shipping directly to your supporters’ doorsteps.
We have no minimum order quantity, so you don’t have to worry about unsold stock or losing money.
With Printify, you can sell custom band merch tailored to the needs of your target audience.
Quick tips
- Order in bulk for in-venue selling and save up to 30% on shipping.
- Discover the top 10 things to sell for fundraising in 2024.
- Explore the best t-shirt fundraising ideas for inspiration.
2. Play a Fundraising Concert
This classic band fundraising idea strengthens community spirit and provides a platform for a band to showcase their talents. They’re great for rock, high school, and marching bands.
Try these theme ideas for a fundraising concert:
- 70’s disco. Groovy outfits, nostalgia, funky beats.
- Ageless rock. Timeless anthems, leather jackets, guitar solos.
- Classical music. Symphony orchestra, refined melodies, a touch of sophistication.
Tailor the show to your audience to ensure maximum entertainment.
Quick tip
While bands can collect good money by selling concert tickets, they can raise additional donations by allowing attendees to choose and dedicate a song to someone.
3. Host Community Fundraising Events
Not every band fundraiser needs to be a concert. There are plenty of quicker ways band members can raise money.
For example, explore these options:
- Benefit picnic. A fun way for people to relax, enjoy a meal, and support their local band. Hold the picnic on school grounds or at a community park. Charge a small entry fee as a donation.
- Car wash. Set up a car wash station in a high-traffic area, offering to wash people’s cars in exchange for donations.
- Bake sale. Ask your band members, their families and friends to bake and sell home-made goods. Set up a booth in a shopping mall or near a popular store, but be sure to get permission from the premises first.
- Yard sale. Invite students, parents, neighbors, and your local supporters. Ask them to donate items they don’t need – sell them, with all proceeds going towards your band.
Invite band members to play music at these events – your guests will love it.
Quick tip
Fundraising is also great for team-building, providing valuable cooperation lessons for everyone involved.
4. Organize a Local Music Festival
A festival with great music, colorful outfits, and various food vendors is a fantastic way to attract a wide audience.
When we think of a music festival, usually a big event comes to mind, but organizing a small one can be just as impactful and profitable. Sell tickets to this event, but charge only a few dollars as an entry fee to gather a large crowd.
Incorporate activities like face painting, carnival games, arcade tents, and interactive workshops to create a lively atmosphere that appeals to guests of all ages.
Quick tip
Sell festival food, like fries, cotton candy, or hotdogs, to make a little extra money.
5. Provide Music Lessons
A simple yet effective way for bands to make money. After all, parents will happily invest in their children’s hobbies, development, and education.
Music lessons provide a valuable service to the community and allow band members to inspire younger musicians to pursue their interests.
A few ideas and practical tips:
- Advertise classes in elementary or middle-school band programs for younger students.
- Organize a day-long workshop with the help of the student body and invite the high-school band lead to help with teaching. This will provide a great opportunity for younger musicians to learn and play alongside more experienced peers.
- Arrange small tutoring groups led by the most skillful to guide those needing additional help.
For students who want to join a high-school band, it’s a great opportunity that their parents will gladly support.
Quick tip
High-school band members can use this experience on their resume, so it’s a fundraising idea with multiple benefits.
6. Run a Practice-A-Thon
An a-thon fundraiser is an event where people engage in an activity and collect donations based on their participation time or other factors.
School band students can ask family, friends, and other band boosters to pledge a donation for every unit of practice.
For example, a pledge for:
- 15 minutes of rehearsal.
- Ten pages of sheet music practiced.
- Playing five musical pieces.
While the donations may not be as high as other band fundraiser ideas, practice-a-thons are still a good way to raise money – with the added benefit of improving your band’s skill level.
7. Organize a Music-Themed Movie Night
Show movies, biopics, or documentaries related to your genre. Create a cozy atmosphere with fairy lights, posters of iconic musicians, and a variety of refreshments.
Make the movie night more enjoyable by incorporating fun activities, like a trivia challenge or a costume contest. Award the winners with music-related goodies, like fan merch.
In addition, schedule short performances between movie breaks to uplift the mood even more.
8. Host a Battle of the Bands
Incorporate a vibe of friendly competition into your fundraiser with a battle of the bands. It’s an event that attracts a diverse range of musicians and creates a lively atmosphere.
Set rules, pick a genre, fix a date, arrange a venue, and sell tickets in advance. Most importantly, promote the event early through social media, posters, and flyers to build up the hype and give people time to assemble their bands.
Invite as many rock, punk, indie, or high-school bands as you can – even from nearby neighborhoods to make the event even more competitive, exciting, and fun.
Quick tip
If you’re fundraising for a high-school band, invite those from other schools to create a competitive school-spirit atmosphere.
9. Set Up an Online Fundraiser
Virtual events are convenient for fans worldwide. Set up a virtual live performance, where your band streams music on StageIt or Twitch while interacting with the audience and responding to song requests.
Or, organize online events, like a lip-sync contest, a talent show, an auction, or a raffle to engage supporters and encourage donations.
10. Sell Old Band Uniforms
When it comes to marching band fundraising ideas, this is a top choice. Marching bands typically have old uniforms from previous band programs, which they can sell to raise funds.
Select a date, advertise, and set up a booth at the school or sell them online.
If the uniforms aren’t fit for sale, marching band members can repurpose them into valuable memorabilia – like framed patches or original home decor.
Make It Happen Today!
3 Vital Tips for Band Fundraising Campaigns
Whichever band fundraiser ideas you choose, use these tips to drive success.
1. Pick the Right Fundraising Platform
Fundraising platforms streamline the donation process, helping bands to collect donations, engage with supporters, and manage campaigns.
Consider these popular platforms:
- GoFundMe is one of the largest online fundraising platforms with a quick donation page setup, social sharing, and live chat features.
- Fundly helps customize your fundraiser page, allows you to reach a wide audience, and easily accepts donations.
Choose a platform based on fees, reputation, customization options, supporter accessibility, and features.
2. Be Transparent About Earnings
Trust is everything, especially when fundraising. Transparency is not just a buzzword – it’s essential for increasing confidence in your fundraising event.
When supporters understand how you’ll use their hard-earned money, they’ll be more willing to donate.
Explain in detail how you’ll use the funds, thank them for their donations, and keep supporters updated on the progress.
3. Market Your Fundraiser
Don’t forget to spread awareness and engage with your audience.
- Social media. Post on your school’s and your own social media.
- Bulletin boards. A simple way to spread the word about your high-school band fundraising event. Advertise in schools, local businesses, and community centers.
- Emails. Issue newsletters to parents, teachers, and band booster clubs, informing them about the fundraiser.
- Flyers. Hand them out around your school, shopping malls, and community centers.
Additionally, try contacting local radio stations and newspapers to see if they can promote your fundraiser.
How to Start a Custom-Merch Fundraising Campaign
High-quality merchandise can have a big impact on any band fundraising event. With Printify, you can take your fundraising to new heights.
Sign Up for Printify
Sign up for a Printify account – it’s 100% free and accessible to everyone, everywhere. We have over 900 high-quality products for you and your band members to customize however you like.
Design Your Band Merch
Design products with our beginner-friendly Merch Maker. Upload a design or create your own with our AI Image Generator, Text Editor, or Pattern Tool for creating all-over-print artwork.
Create or Connect Your Store
Start fundraising quickly by creating a Printify Pop-Up Store. We fulfill each order on demand, so there are no upfront costs to get started. We also provide seamless integrations with all the major eCommerce platforms and marketplaces so you can connect a store easily.
Start Selling
Publish products to your online store. After a supporter buys an item, our thoroughly-vetted Print Partners will print, package, and ship directly to their doorstep.
FAQ: Band Fundraiser Ideas
How do you raise money for a band?
You can quickly raise money for a band with Printify’s print-on-demand service. Sign up for a free account, design products with our beginner-friendly Mockup Generator, create a pop-up store, and start raising funds.
What can you sell at a marching band fundraiser?
Sell anything from stylish t-shirts and hoodies to useful accessories. Our Catalog has more than 900 high-quality products you can customize to your heart’s content and sell at a marching band fundraiser.
What is a band booster?
A band booster is any parent or guardian of a band student. They may also refer to clubs that help high-school students organize and sell tickets, and inform the local community of band fundraisers.
Closing Thoughts
With a little preparation, anyone can turn their fundraising event idea into reality. As you can see, there are plenty of options.
Whichever of these band fundraiser ideas you choose, reach your financial goals faster by selling your band’s merchandise with Printify.
Amplify Your Fundraising Efforts With Printify!
Written by
Leon Walker
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