Guide for teachers and PTA groups
Coloring book fundraiser: turn student art into funds
The fundraiser where the product makes itself. Your students draw, their drawings become a real printed coloring book, local sponsors cover every cost, and your school keeps the proceeds.
What is a coloring book fundraiser?
A coloring book fundraiser turns children's artwork into a product families actually want. Instead of selling candy or wrapping paper, each student contributes a drawing. Those drawings are traced into clean coloring-book pages, printed as a book starring the class's own art, and sold to raise money for the school.
With Susie Q's Books, the model goes one step further: local business sponsors fund the entire print run in exchange for their logo on the book's sponsor page. The school pays nothing, and nearly every dollar raised stays with the school.
How it works, step by step
- Draw. Students sketch on regular paper with markers or crayons during class or art time. No special supplies, no artistic bar to clear.
- Upload. Photograph each drawing and upload it here — about two minutes per drawing, first name only.
- We build the book. Every drawing is traced into a bold black-outline coloring page, just like a store-bought coloring book, but starring your students.
- Sponsors fund it. Local businesses sponsor the book for $10 a spot; their logo is printed in every copy.
- Your school fundraises. Sell the books at events, from the office, or as take-home sales. Copies also go into comfort bags for children in crisis.
Why it beats traditional school fundraisers
- Zero cost to families. Nobody is pressured to buy overpriced cookie dough.
- Every child participates. No selling quotas and no wrong way to draw — including kids who can't sell.
- It's a keepsake, not clutter. Grandparents buy three copies. Families keep them for years.
- Built-in community goodwill. Local sponsors get their logo in front of every family, and the school gets a free fundraiser.
Tips for a great classroom book
- Go bold. Thick markers trace into cleaner coloring pages than faint pencil.
- One drawing per page. Give each artist their moment — kids flip straight to their own page first.
- Photograph flat in daylight. Two minutes of care per photo makes a visibly better book.
- Let kids sign with first names. Seeing their name in a real book is the moment they remember.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a coloring book fundraiser cost the school?
Nothing. Local business sponsors fund each book in exchange for their name and logo on the sponsor page. The school's only investment is classroom drawing time.
How long does it take to make the book?
Most classrooms finish drawing and uploading within one to two weeks. We trace every drawing into a clean coloring-book page and assemble the book, then sponsors fund the print run.
What ages can participate?
The project is designed for 8th grade and younger. Any drawing works — there is no wrong way to draw, and every student's art is included.
How do schools sell the finished coloring books?
Schools typically sell copies at events, through the front office, or as take-home fundraisers. Because sponsors covered printing, nearly every dollar raised stays with the school.
Is student information kept private?
Yes. Drawings are uploaded with a first name only (and even that is optional). There are no student accounts and no contact information is collected from children.
Compare with other ideas
Weighing options for your next fundraiser? See how the coloring book stacks up in our roundup of no-cost school fundraiser ideas.
Bring it to your school — free
The project costs your school nothing. Local sponsors cover every book, and your students' art does the rest.