Fundraising Ideas 

Congratulations! You’re on your way to World Finals, and now you’ve got another creative problem-solving opportunity – raising funds to make the trip. There are many ways that a team can raise funds for World Finals.

It is stronglhy recommended to get the team members themselves involved, it is an opportunity to make them appreciate the value of money and having a goal. Many teams commit to continue fundraising in the summer to reimburse the parents.

As a reminder, team shirts or similar items bearing OM marks cannot be sold as fundraisers. That is part of your agreement with CCI in the program guide.

Here are some ideas that have worked for other teams, but make sure you have cleared these ideas with your school administration:

  • Sponsor a “Hat Day.” For $1-$2, students will be allowed to wear a hat all day at school.

  • Sell bottled water or juice after school for students staying for an activity.

  • Present your team’s solution at a civic club or church and ask for donations.

  • Sponsor a spaghetti supper (have students throughout the school bring in ingredients), and for entertainment have the team perform its long-term solution.

  • Organize a car wash by team parents. Advertise properly that donations will help your team go to World Finals, suggested donation being $10 or $20.

  • Several restaurants support fundraising and will give you a part of the proceeds if you host a special event at their venue.

  • Put a teacher in “jail.” Recruit several teachers who would be willing to be put in jail for a day (choose the most popular teachers). For a fee let the students vote on which teacher they would most like to put in jail. The teacher chosen will be placed in a cell (creatively made by the Odyssey of the Mind team) for the day and the students will be allowed to tease the teacher. With the cooperation of the principal, a substitute will cover that teacher’s classes.

  • For a fee team members can paint faces at the school’s field day.

  • Have a “Not Me” day. Have an ugly shirt, hat or sweater to put on someone. If you get it, you must wear it until you put a dollar (or more) into a jar and give it to someone else. Your team can creatively “up the ante” by thinking of a more unique, and less pleasant item as long as it is approved by your school.

  • Have a talent show. Open the auditions to anyone in the school, making sure the students show a talent and/or ability. This would involve one day for auditions, one day for a rehearsal and one day to present the show. Students will pay $1-$2 to get out of class to come to the show.

  • Sponsor a school dance and/or school fashion show and sell concessions.

  • Make up commercials and perform them on the morning school announcements to promote the idea that on an upcoming Friday, anyone who brings $1-$2 can have the Odyssey team take their spelling test for them and get the grade that the team member makes. Your team can also raise money in your neighborhood:

  • Get the word out in the community. Start a Go Fund Me or similar account. The more publicity you can get – newspaper, TV, radio, etc., the more people will support the team. Then if you have a fundraiser, such as a barbecue at a local Fire Station, people will be more likely to support it.

  • Write letters to local businesses asking for support. Use information about how Odyssey of the Mind fits into the corporate workplace to help businesses understand how they can benefit from sponsorship. If a team member or relative of a team member knows someone in the business, have that person sign the letter or write a personal letter to accompany the form letter.

  • Get permission and sell cookies and soft drinks at a popular store on a Saturday.

  • Do you have more ideas that have worked for you? We will be happy to share them.