What is the Most Profitable School Fundraiser?

Every coach, band director, and booster club president has asked the same question at some point: what fundraiser is actually going to make us real money?

You’ve probably tried a few. Maybe candy bars. Maybe a car wash. Maybe wrapping paper that nobody wanted to sell and half the school forgot to turn in. Sound familiar?

There’s a reason thousands of schools and teams across the country keep coming back to the same answer year after year — and it’s not what most people expect when they first hear it.

It’s the fundraising discount card. And it’s not even close.

Why Most School Fundraisers Fall Short

Before we talk about what works, let’s talk about what doesn’t — and why. Most traditional fundraisers share the same frustrating problems:

  • Low profit margins. Candy and cookie dough fundraisers often return only 30–40% profit after the company takes its cut.
  • Hard to sell. Nobody needs a $20 candle or a tub of popcorn. You’re asking people to buy out of obligation, not desire.

  • Logistical headaches. Collecting orders, storing products, sorting deliveries – it eats up time coaches and directors just don’t have.

  • No lasting value for the buyer. Once someone eats that candy bar, it’s gone. There’s nothing left for the supporter.

What Makes Discount Card Fundraisers Different

A fundraising discount card flips the whole model. Instead of asking people to buy something they don’t need, you’re offering them something genuinely valuable — real savings at local restaurants and businesses they already visit.

People Actually Want to Buy Them

When someone pays $10-$20 for a discount card and uses it just a handful of times, they’ve already saved more than they spent. That’s an easy yes – and easy sells mean more cards moved, faster.

Profit Margins Are Dramatically Higher

With EMI’s fundraising discount cards, groups keep up to $20 profit per card sold. Sell 500 cards and that’s $10,000 in profit for your program. Try doing that with a bake sale.

No Money Required Upfront

EMI handles everything – designing the card, securing local deals, printing, and shipping – with zero upfront cost to your group. You pay nothing until you’ve already sold the cards.

Sell Online Too

Every group gets a free online sales portal, so grandparents in another state can support the team just as easily as next-door neighbors. More reach = more sales.

Real Numbers: What Can You Actually Make?

Let’s look at a real-world scenario.

A high school football team with 60 players asks each player to sell just 15 cards at $20 each. That’s 900 cards total. At a profit of roughly $15 per card, that’s $13,500 raised — before the season even starts.

Compare that to a typical candy fundraiser where the same effort might net $3,000–$4,000 at best.

The difference isn’t just the product. It’s the entire model.

Average Profit Per Card

$15

Team of 60 × 15 Cards

$13,500

Typical Candy Fundraiser

$3,500

Who Is This Right For?

Discount card fundraisers work especially well for groups with an active local community to sell to. The bigger your group, the bigger your potential — but even smaller organizations see strong results because the cards are genuinely easy to sell.

  • High school football, basketball, and soccer teams
  • School bands and music programs
  • Booster clubs and athletic associations
  • Little league and youth sports leagues
  • Any group with 20+ members and a local community behind them

The Bottom Line

If your goal is to raise the most money with the least hassle, without asking your community to buy something they don’t need, fundraising discount cards are the answer.

At EMI Fundraising, we’ve been helping schools, teams, and booster clubs run profitable discount card fundraisers since 1995. We handle all the heavy lifting so you can focus on your program.