BE THE REASON BULLYING STOPS AT YOUR SCHOOL
Start a Fundraiser Anyone Can Join
It's fun, it's easier than you think, and every dollar you raise helps a Minnesota kid learn how to stand up to bullying — and how to be a good friend.
What Your Fundraiser Pays For
PeaceMaker Minnesota works with Minnesota schools and after-care programs to stop bullying before it starts. We teach kids what empathy looks like in practice, how to speak up when something’s wrong, and how to work out a conflict without anyone getting hurt.
There’s room for you in this. When you turn in what you raised, you choose where it goes — a program you want to back, a school you care about, or the school that needs it most right now.
Ambassadors for Respect places a team of individuals with developmental disabilities in a classroom ready to share their message of kindness and inclusion.
Books for Peacemakers puts peacemaking skills in students’ hands.
Peace Guide Services gives students a trained adult to turn to when conflict flares.
Safe School Initiatives provides grants to schools to teach social-emotional skills.
A permanent fund for a community you care about keeps the work going year after year.
How to Start a Fundraiser for Safer Schools
Four steps. You can start collecting money this week.
Tell us you're in. Email development@peacemakermn.org or call 651-631-1604 to tell us what you’re raising money for — a school, a community, a school in need.
Pick your fundraiser. Use an idea below or invent your own. Check with your principal, youth director, or troop leader first.
Set up a page, or don't. We can set you up with a GiveMN page so friends and family can give online — or you can simply collect cash and checks and turn them in.
Turn in what you raised.
Easy Fundraising Ideas That Actually Work
Start with one, or do one per year, and work your way through every option!
Papa John's Nifty Fifty 🍕
Sell $15 discount cards good for 50% off a regular-priced online order — your group keeps $10 of every card. Sell 500 and you've raised $5,000. No money up front, and the Twin Cities is one of only five markets it runs in. Plan about five weeks start to finish. Sign up →
Anti-Bullying Social Campaign
Share why kindness matters to you and ask your circle to chip in through your own GiveMN page. GiveMN is Minnesota's own giving platform, so every dollar stays close to home. Set one up →
Penny War 🏆
Each grade gets a jar. Pennies count as points for your class; silver coins and bills subtract from a rival's. Classrooms get competitive fast and the money adds up. Ask us for the rules sheet and tally chart.
Bake Sale
A classic because it works. Before or after school, at conferences, or at a game.
Coin Drive
A jar in every classroom, or one big jug by the office. Announce the running total daily.
Collection at a Meeting
Pass the hat at a club, team practice, church youth group, or troop meeting.
Garage Sale
Clean out closets across a few families and donate the whole take.
Non-Uniform or Hat Day
Students pay a dollar or two to skip the dress code for a day. Almost no setup.
Pancake Breakfast
Great for youth groups and scout troops — families show up and give generously.
Who Can Fundraise: Anyone 21 or older. You can raise money through your school, class, sports team, faith youth group, scout troop, or entirely on your own.
You don't need a big group. One person can make a difference. It can be you!
The Minnesota Twins Want to Meet You
The Twins recognize the top ten schools, youth organizations, and individual students who raise money for PeaceMaker Minnesota each year.
Honorees are recognized on the field before a game, and schools receive free tickets so classmates can attend — about 40 tickets per school.
Deadline: April 15, 2027.
Fundraising Questions
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For student-run fundraisers, penny wars almost always come out on top — they cost nothing to run, and the classroom rivalry keeps people giving all week. Pancake breakfasts and garage sales raise more per event but take more planning.
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You don't have to sell anything. Most of the ideas on this page rely on donations rather than selling a product, so there's nothing to buy up front and every dollar goes straight to the cause.
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A non-uniform or hat day. One announcement, one bucket at the door, done in a single morning.
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Fundraising at your own school or inside your own group generally doesn't require one. Some cities do have rules for youth groups soliciting in public — Minneapolis, for example, asks youth groups raising money for a team or club to register with the City. If you're planning to collect donations in a public place, check with your city clerk first, and ask us if you're unsure.
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Email us at development@peacemakermn.org or call 651-631-1604, and we'll walk you through it — it takes about ten minutes to get set up.
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Absolutely — this page is for the youth recognition program, but everyone is welcome to give or host an event. See how to give →
GET INVOLVED
Ready to start your fundraiser?
Whether you’re a student, a team, a club, or a whole classroom, tell us what you have in mind, and we’ll help you get started. Your donations support bullying prevention and conflict resolution education across Minnesota.
Prefer to talk? 651.631.1604
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