Whether you’re passionate about protecting forests, championing human rights, or fighting climate change, organizing a school fundraiser is one of the best ways to make a real impact. Wondering where to start? Leor Newman from our fundraising team shares some of his top tips for students.
At the Rainforest Alliance, we believe that people and nature can thrive together in harmony. That’s why we work with millions of farmers and workers in the world’s most critically important tropical landscapes. By fundraising for the Rainforest Alliance, you’re helping safeguard precious tropical forests and uplift the rural communities who care for them.
Not sure where to start? Here are 10 fun and creative school fundraising ideas to make a real difference for social and environmental causes.
1. Get moving for the rainforest
Walk, run, or jog your way to a healthier planet! Invite friends and family to sponsor every mile you complete, then make it more fun by choosing a symbolic distance inspired by a rainforest or one of the incredible tropical landscapes where the Rainforest Alliance works.
2. Add a burst of tropical color to your run
Celebrate the vibrant colors of the rainforest with a colorful fun run inspired by lush forests, tropical flowers, and wildlife.
3. Read for the rainforest
Hold a read-a-thon for the planet! Collect pledges for every book or chapter you read, and build a reading list featuring stories about rainforests, wildlife, climate action, Indigenous communities, or environmental changemakers. For inspiration, check out this amazing list of our favorite books about nature!
4. Host a movie night for nature
Grab your popcorn and turn movie night into something meaningful and impactful. Screen a documentary about forests, sustainable agriculture, wildlife, or climate solutions, then keep the conversation going about different everyday actions we can take to help protect people and nature around the world. If you need a place to start, here are our recommendations for inspiring films about the environment.
5. Get down on the (forest) dance floor
Transform your gym into a tropical escape! Think colorful decorations, leafy backdrops, rainforest-inspired jams, and fun facts about the incredible ecosystems you’re helping protect. Charge admission or collect donations and get ready to dance the night away.
6. Bake for the biosphere
Cookies, brownies, cupcakes—whatever you make, give it a rainforest-friendly twist. Challenge students to create treats using Rainforest Alliance Certified ingredients—like cocoa, bananas, vanilla, coffee, or tea—and share how choosing products with our little green frog seal at the grocery store helps advance the rights and wellbeing of farming communities and restores ecological balance within and beyond farms.
7. Put on your game face: students versus teachers
It’s time to settle the score. Challenge teachers to a friendly basketball, soccer, volleyball, or dodgeball game, and see which team can raise the most donations before tip-off. Bragging rights are on the line.
8. Host jungle jeopardy
How well do you really know the rainforest? Put teams to the test with questions about weird wildlife, extraordinary ecosystems, biodiversity, sustainability, geography, and the communities helping protect forests around the world. A great starting place for fun facts would be our Environmental Curriculum for teachers and students! There, you can find everything from videos, quizzes, and worksheets to inspire young learners about nature. Be sure to take a peek at our species profile pages!
Check out our new Environmental Curriculum for schools
Calling all teachers and parents! Discover the Rainforest Alliance Environmental Curriculum for early learners to high schoolers (age 5-18). We have free, downloadable lesson plans—with videos, quizzes, worksheets, and math and art tie-ins—to inspire young students to understand and care for nature.
9. Take the stage
Think you’ve got some talent on your hands? Organize a talent show where students can perform music, dance, comedy, poetry, spoken word, or any other creative act—and invite students to use their moment in the spotlight celebrate nature, conservation, and creating a better future.
10. Go green day
Invite everyone to wear green—or even dress as their favorite rainforest animal—for a small donation and spend the day celebrating the beauty and importance of our planet’s forests.
We’re here to help you bring your ideas to life
We believe young people have the creativity, passion, and leadership to drive meaningful change—and we’re committed to supporting you every step of the way.
That’s why we created the Rainforest Alliance Next Generation Program.
The Next Generation Program is a community of students, educators, young professionals, and emerging leaders who are passionate about creating a more sustainable future. Members gain access to fundraising resources, leadership opportunities, educational content, and a growing network of young changemakers who are making a difference in their schools and communities.
Whether you’re fundraising on your own, with a classroom, a student club, a sports team, or your entire school, the Next Generation Program gives you the tools, inspiration, and support to make your fundraiser a success.
Every fundraiser makes a difference
No matter which route you choose, here’s one important thing to keep in mind: any amount can make a difference. Every fundraiser, every participant, and every donation helps support the Rainforest Alliance’s vital work. Start with a small goal, and you might be surprised to find how many more people you can rally to the cause.
Take the experience of 14-year-old Jordan Slettebak, who recently completed the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic to raise money for the Rainforest Alliance, riding an incredible 213 miles over two days alongside 6,400 other cyclists. He rode out with an aim to raise US$700, but ultimately pulled in more than US$2,000, bringing his friends, family, and community along in his effort to make a difference. Reflecting on his remarkable ride, he shared, “This fundraiser would not have been nearly as successful without the help of the wonderful people in the world who saw a way they could contribute to our fight to save our planet, and I thank them dearly.”
“This fundraiser would not have been nearly as successful without the help of the wonderful people in the world who saw a way they could contribute to our fight to save our planet, and I thank them dearly.”
Jordan Slettebak, Rainforest Alliance Next Generation fundraiser
So, gather your classmates, rally your community, and turn your passion into action. Follow us on Instagram, start your fundraiser, or join the Rainforest Alliance Next Generation Program today—and become part of a global community of young changemakers helping build a healthier planet for generations to come.
