Art prints on T-shirts, plates, tiles or postcards are good school fundraisers. Schools can sell the finished products at school fairs or through local shops. Children of all ages love to see their work on a T-shirt or card and enthusiastically participate in these projects. Schools could run a design competition incorporating the school logo, or the neighborhood name if they want to sell the items to all the community. Ask local suppliers to sponsor the production and publicize their support in the local papers and through the school newsletter.
Art by older students and adults can form the basis of an exciting art auction. It is not always necessary to only select the best artists in the class because friends and family may happily bid for a student’s work. If any parents are amateur or professional artists, ask them to support the event by donating work as well. Hold the event in the evening and charge a small entry fee to cover costs. If possible, ask a local radio or television personality to be the auctioneer. Invite the local paper to cover the evening, and if you have space to invite people other than parents and students, ask the paper to publicize the event in advance.
Portraits and caricatures sell well, and art students in many countries supplement their incomes by sketching people on the street. The same thing can work at school or church fairs, or can be part of a longer running fundraising campaign. If you want a fast-working artist for a fair, ask at your local art school if there is a student able to do the job in return for publicity or a small fee. Alternatively, invite an artist to paint or draw individual or family portraits that take longer to complete, and donate a percentage of the funds.
Two novel ideas are painting a wall and decorating a van. Schools and community organizations select a blank wall and sell off bits of it to students (and parents) to paint in any way they choose. Divide the wall into tile-sized sections to maximize use of the space and create an artistic effect. Some guidance from an art teacher or professional mural painter might be necessary to ensure a pleasing end product. Alternatively, persuade the owner of a white van to have it decorated with washable paint and charge participants for the opportunity to paint it. This activity is suitable for organizations with smaller numbers of members.