How to Run a P&C Fundraiser: A Guide for Australian Schools

If you've just joined your school's P&C committee and someone has handed you "fundraising coordinator" as a title, you're probably wondering where to start. Or maybe you've been doing this for years and you're looking for ways to make it less painful.

Either way, this guide is for you. It covers how to plan a year of fundraising, what actually works, what to watch out for legally, and how to get more than the same five parents involved.

First, a quick note on names

In NSW, Queensland, WA, and the ACT, the parent body at a public school is called a P&C (Parents & Citizens association). In Victoria, you'll have a School Council and possibly a Parents' Club. South Australia and Tasmania use different terms again. Independent and Catholic schools typically have a P&F (Parents & Friends).

The fundraising principles are the same regardless of what your group is called. We'll use "P&C" throughout, but everything here applies to your equivalent body.

How much are schools actually raising?

Australian public schools collectively raise around $380 million a year through fundraising. That works out to roughly $57,000 per school. Some raise much more, some much less. It depends on the community, the number of families, and how organised the fundraising effort is.

The reality is that 75 to 90 percent of the work behind these numbers is done by mothers. And the single biggest complaint from P&C committees everywhere is the "same five parents" problem. Volunteer participation has dropped more than 10 percent over the last decade. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone.

Plan your year, not your next event

The most common mistake P&C committees make is planning one fundraiser at a time. You end up scrambling, running too many events close together, or accidentally clashing with school photos, swimming carnivals, or report writing weeks.

Instead, sit down at the start of the year (or even in Term 4 of the previous year) and map out a rough calendar. A good mix for most schools looks something like this:

• One major event (like a school fete or trivia night)
• One product fundraiser (cookie dough, chocolates, or similar)
• One kid-focused activity (like a colour run or disco)
• One community event (like a family movie night or sausage sizzle)
• Passive fundraisers running in the background (like an online store or entertainment book)

Spread these across all four terms. Check the school calendar before you lock anything in. Talk to the front office. Nothing kills momentum like scheduling your big event the same week as parent-teacher interviews.

Tell families what the money is for

This is one of the simplest things you can do, and it makes a real difference. Families participate more when they know exactly where the money is going.

"We're fundraising" is vague. "We're raising $8,000 for new shade sails over the junior playground" is specific. People can picture it. They can point to it when it gets built. Their kids play under it every day.

Every fundraiser you run should have a clear, stated purpose. Put it on the flyer, the order form, the social media post, and the newsletter blurb.

Ideas that actually work

Product fundraisers

Product fundraisers are reliable earners because families get something in return for their money. Cookie dough is one of the most popular options. A typical tub sells for $15 to $18, and the school makes $3.50 to $4.00 profit per tub. Multiply that across a few hundred families and it adds up fast.

The key is choosing products people genuinely want to buy. Cookie dough, chocolates, and frozen food work well because they're consumable. Tea towels with kids' drawings are a classic for a reason too.

School fetes

A well-run school fete can bring in around $18,000 in profit. That's significant. But fetes are labour-intensive. They need months of planning, dozens of volunteers, stall coordination, permits, and a backup plan for rain.

If your committee has the people and energy, a fete is worth it. If you're already stretched thin, don't feel pressured into running one. A product fundraiser with zero setup can raise solid money with a fraction of the effort.

Sausage sizzles and food stalls

These are a staple for good reason. They're simple, people love them, and kids get excited about buying a sausage at lunchtime. Just be aware of food safety requirements. Your state or territory will have specific rules around food handling, and your school may need you to follow certain procedures. Check with your principal and your local council.

Community and family events

Trivia nights, movie nights, and discos bring families together and raise money at the same time. They don't always raise as much as a product fundraiser, but they build the sense of community that keeps people engaged for the next one.

Compliance matters

P&Cs are incorporated associations. That means you have legal obligations around financial reporting, record keeping, and how you handle money. Many P&Cs are also registered charities with the ACNC, which adds another layer of reporting requirements.

This isn't something to be nervous about, but it is something to take seriously. Make sure your treasurer is keeping proper records. Know your state's rules for incorporated associations. If you're unsure, your state's P&C federation usually has resources and templates to help.

Get more families involved

The "same five parents" problem won't fix itself. Here are some things that actually help.

Lower the barrier. Not everyone can volunteer at a stall or spend a Saturday setting up a fete. But most families can share a link, place an online order, or forward something to a grandparent. Make participation easy enough that it doesn't require showing up anywhere.

Use the channels families already check. Class WhatsApp groups are where the action is. A message there gets seen immediately. The school newsletter is fine for announcements, but WhatsApp and Facebook are where things actually get shared. Post the fundraiser link there and let it spread.

Open it up beyond the school gate. When fundraising is paper-based, you're limited to what gets handed out in school bags. When it's online, grandparents, aunties, uncles, and parents' workmates can all participate. That's a much bigger pool of supporters.

Don't overdo it. Running a fundraiser every few weeks leads to fatigue. Families tune out. Stick to your plan, space things out, and make each one count.

Ditch the paper forms

If your P&C is still sending home paper order forms, you're leaving money on the table. Paper forms get lost in school bags. They require families to have cash. They need someone to collect, count, and reconcile all of it manually.

Online ordering fixes all of that. A parent gets a link, opens it on their phone, places an order, and pays right there. No chasing up crumpled forms. No envelope full of coins. No spreadsheet reconciliation at 10pm.

It also means the fundraiser can reach beyond the school. A grandparent in another city can order cookie dough and have it delivered. A parent can share the link at their workplace over lunch.

Run your next fundraiser with Raised

Raised is built for exactly this. You set up your fundraiser, share a link, and families can order and pay online. The 5% platform fee is paid by the donor at checkout, so your P&C keeps 100% of the funds raised. No hidden costs, no money skimmed off the top.

If you're ready to make your next P&C fundraiser easier to run and easier for families to support, give Raised a try.