What’s the secret to a school fundraiser that keeps students engaged and excited, from kickoff all the way to the finish line?
A clear, measurable challenge to beat.
For lots of schools using FundHub, that challenge is the 50 State Challenge.
In this blog, we’re explaining exactly how your PTO/A board can use this idea to inject enthusiasm (and a little friendly competition!) into your next school fundraiser, while simultaneously keeping students involved at every step.
What Is the 50 State Challenge?
The 50 State Challenge is exactly what it sounds like: students collect at least one donation from every U.S. state before your school fundraiser wraps up!
The challenge transforms school fundraising into a shared adventure that reaches grandparents in Florida, cousins in Oregon, and family friends scattered across the country.
You might be wondering, “How could my school keep track of so many nationwide donations?!” Great news! When your school hosts your fundraiser on FundHub, tracking progress is just a click away. The online donation platform features a real-time donation map that lights up each time a new state sends a donation, so students can watch their school’s success spread across the country in real time.
Why It Works: Fundraising with a Shared Mission
The 50 State Challenge works because it gives students, staff, and family members a fun way to measure fundraising success in something other than dollars. Instead of focusing only on the amount donated, schools create a visual story of progress that everyone can understand and participate in!
Riverview Elementary proved how powerful visual reminders can be when they raised $23,995 using the 50 State Challenge, and kept an incredible 96% profit! How did they promote this challenge? With a DIY hallway map that allowed all students to keep track of which states contributed, and which ones were still up for grabs.
The best part? You don’t need to create your donation map from scratch. With FundHub’s predesigned templates and real-time tools, it’s easier than ever to track progress and provide donation updates, moment by moment.
The 50 State Challenge is also a great motivator for student families. Parents love sharing the challenge with relatives across the country, which helps spread awareness and support way beyond the school’s local community. Students get to track the states they’ve helped unlock, teachers cheer them on, and the whole school gets to celebrate when a new ‘state’ donates!
50 State Challenge Success Stories: Real Schools, Real Results
Schools of all sizes have used the 50 State Challenge to reach record-breaking fundraising totals.
Alta Vista Elementary set a goal of $50,000 and ended up raising $56,795, keeping 100% of in-school donations and 95% of online donations through FundHub. Their PTA credited the challenge for helping them raise $20,000 more than the previous year!
Rosemeade Elementary opted for a Cash Drive-style fundraiser, which worked wonderfully with the 50 State challenge layout. Excited students rallied together to strategically pull in donations from all 50 states, blowing past their fundraising goal of $18,000 and raising $19,545!
Find more examples below, including strategies for promoting the challenge that you can bring to your next fundraiser!
Make It Manageable: Breaking the Map into Regions
If 50 states feels like a big number, take a note from Holy Redeemer School. They divided the U.S. map into regions (West, Midwest, South, and East) and had a mini celebration each time the school ‘filled in’ a region.
By helping students focus on a smaller area of the map first, it made the challenge feel achievable while still keeping everyone motivated to complete the whole 50 state map.
It’s a simple but smart way to make the challenge more digestible for students while aiming for the full 50-state finish line!
50 State Challenge Fundraising Incentives That Keep Students Engaged
The best part of the 50 State Challenge is how easy it is to build creative, school-wide incentives around it. Schools that complete the challenge have found some unforgettable ways to celebrate.
At Homestead Elementary, the principal became a human sundae once the final state came in–and even followed up by shaving his head!
Gulf Breeze Elementary took a slightly different route and had their principal kiss a pig, which quickly became an unforgettable story among students and staff.
And at Chandler Oaks Elementary, students earned the right to turn their principal into a human taco when the 50 States map was complete. Their celebration video even became one of the year’s most-viewed social posts!
Each school’s version of an incentive looked a little different, but they all shared the same energy and excitement. When every new state lights up, the anticipation builds…but you don’t have to wait for the final donation to roll out rewards (literally)! At Scarbourough Academy, students were surprised with a rolling cart of delicious snacks and treats every time a student successfully captured a donation from a new state. This sweet idea kept classrooms energized and eager to pull in more funds for weeks on end.
How to Set Up Your 50 State Challenge on FundHub
Setting up your challenge on FundHub takes just a few steps:
- Launch your fundraiser. Once your fundraiser is live, FundHub automatically tracks which states your donations are coming from.
- Announce the challenge. Use FundHub’s predesigned flyers, posters, and social media graphics to share your goal. Every design can be customized with your school name and event details.
- Keep your map visible. The real-time donation map updates instantly, showing which states have joined and which are still waiting. You can also print a large version for your hallway so students can color in each state as it’s unlocked!
- Celebrate progress. Each time a new state receives a donation, make a school announcement or post an update online. Recognition keeps the excitement going and motivates families to continue sharing.
The $1,000 Grant Opportunity
In case you needed one more reason to join the challenge: for every ten schools that complete the 50 State Challenge on FundHub each year, one is randomly selected to win a $1,000 grant. It’s a fun way to reward schools that go the distance. The pride of completing the challenge is already huge, but the chance to earn an extra $1,000 makes it even more rewarding. Marshall Elementary, Tonawanda Elementary, John Wetten, and Julington Creek have all earned recognition as 50 State Challenge Winners in recent years. Could your school be next?!
Ready to Raise Donations from All 50 States??
The 50 State Challenge turns a typical fundraiser into a nationwide adventure by connecting your school community, giving families a clear goal, and making every new donation feel like part of something bigger.
If your PTO/A group is ready to take your next fundraiser to the next level, FundHub is the simplest way to get started. The built-in map, predesigned templates, and real-time tracking tools make it easy to organize and fun to follow.
Your school could be next on the map…so get started, get sharing, and get ready to celebrate when all 50 states are filled in!