Why students love parking spot fundraisers

High school comes with plenty of exciting milestones for students, from their first day to their first school dance. One of the most beloved milestones of high school is the freedom that comes from learning to drive. As soon as students are able to drive themselves to school, they gain more independence and responsibility. But they also gain an additional struggle — the fight to find a good school parking spot every morning.

Parking spot fundraisers celebrate students’ newfound independence and and give them the opportunity to solve this problem. They’ll also love coordinating with friends to reserve spaces next to each other and, if you offer it, the chance to showcase their personality by painting their reserved parking spot.

How parking spot fundraisers work

Ready to start a reserved parking spot fundraiser at your own high school? Follow these easy steps:

1. Decide how many parking spaces you’re willing to let students reserve. Assign each spot a number.
2. Set prices. You can either make every spot cost the same, or you can charge higher prices for spots closer to your school’s entrances.
3. Make a plan for how you’ll decide which student gets what parking spot. Will it be first come first serve? Will you let students request 5 different options? Should it be a random drawing?
4. Announce the fundraiser. Let students know the rules and timeline for the fundraiser in advance. You can host in for one day at the end or beginning of the school year, or you can let students request spots for a week. 
5. Distribute reservations! After your deadline for requests has passed and you’ve collected the donations, let students know who gets to reserve which parking spot for the duration of the school year.

Then, restart the process for the next school year! A major benefit of this fundraiser is that it’s timeless. You’ll always have a different group of students in need of parking spaces every year. Feel free to change up your strategy based on what works best for your school, but keep it going to get as many students involved as possible.

Ways to get creative with your parking spot fundraiser

This fundraiser offers plenty of flexibility based on your school’s needs and your students’ preferences. Here are some options for more creativity: 

• Let seniors paint their reserved parking spaces. Host a painting event on a Saturday over the summer or at the beginning of the school year, provide paint supplies, and let your students take it away. They’ll love this opportunity to creatively show their personalities and make a mark on their final year in school. When done right, you can make this event a beloved tradition for years to come.
• Add a contest element. If you let students paint their parking spots, why not make it a contest? Let the art teachers be judges, and give out small prizes for the top three designs. 
• Use social media. Whether or not you allow students to paint their reserved parking spots, this fundraiser will be more effective with social media marketing. Post information and updates about the campaign on your school’s Instagram, Twitter, and even TikTok.