Happy New Year to all our fundraisers! A new year means another year of school fundraising and are you ever in the right place to get inspired!

January fundraisers can be tough: the holidays just poured through and people may be reluctant to dish out a few bucks (even if it's for a great cause) and your super-tempting, insanely-yummy fundraising products may be shot down because your supporters are still holding onto that New Year resolution to eat healthy. Well lucky for them, we have many reasons why they can't whip out that excuse.

Let's be real: many of the products used to fundraise aren't as healthy as they should be. We cannot ignore the high rates of obesity in children and their poor diet: this is why many school fundraisers are now trying to avoid the unhealthy products, even if they come at lower costs or seem like the easy route to take.

According to the latest statistics, many school fundraisers are selling unhealthy foods, like candies, chocolate, and high-fat baked goods.

Fundraisers that are not considered a 'Healthy Choice':
- Pizza, candies, cookies, doughnuts
- All the pre-cooked microwavable foods
- Poor nutritional quality products, such as instant noodles


Suitable fundraisers when you are looking for a 'Healthy Choice':
- Bottles of water, especially during summer
- Fresh fruit or veggie juices
- Fruits and veggies: you can sell the fruits fresh or organize a cooking session using the foods - Plants, flowers and spices
- Greeting cards, holiday ornaments and decorations
- Personal care products, first-aid kits and clothing
- Magazines
- Scratchcards
- Candles

The Ultimate Healthy Fundraiser
Instead of buying sweets, chips and chocolates, a school could fundraise with fruits and vegetables - and yes, we're totally serious. Sure, in the beginning the students may not be too thrilled, but a fruit and veggie fundraiser comes with a lesson. Not only are fruits and vegetables an easy sell (everyone buys them and they're good for you - who can turn that down?) but this fundraiser could also help the kids develop healthy eating habits. Why not dedicate a month to clean eating? The school can hold a few workshops during lunch hours when the students can taste new and healthy recipes using the fruits and veggies they're going to be selling. The kids will learn to cook up these yummy dishes, and can mention them - with enthusiasm - once they're selling them. The best salesperson is a passionate one, and nothing says passion like a growing kid in love with their food! Make sure you get in touch with local grocery stores and farmers because they sometimes have special fundraising programs that can supply you with produce at low costs.

Other fundraising ideas for a school include organizing cool and fun events like car washes, sporting matches and tournaments, fun runs, raffles and themed parties. If you manage to make people get active, you're doing great regardless of how much profit is earned.

Looking for more healthy fundraiser ideas? Head on over to