How to run a circus fundraiser for schools and PTAs

What is a circus fundraiser?

A circus fundraiser is a ticketed event where a professional circus company brings a full show to your school or local venue. This typically includes a big top tent, seating, performers, and a structured performance schedule.

Your PTA or school raises money through ticket sales, refreshments, raffles, and optional extras. Some providers offer revenue-share models, while others charge a fixed fee or minimum guarantee.

Why circus fundraisers work well for PTAs

• Feels like a real event rather than a typical fundraiser
• Attracts a wider audience beyond your immediate school community
• Easier ticket pricing because it’s a clear experience
• Creates strong local buzz when promoted well

For many PTAs, the key advantage is that it doesn’t feel like fundraising. Families are often more willing to pay for a shared experience than make a direct donation.

What you need to run a circus fundraiser

While circus providers handle much of the setup, your PTA still plays a crucial role in making the event successful.

• Suitable space, usually a school field or large outdoor area
• Basic planning and risk assessment especially for safety, access, and working with external providers
• Volunteers for promotion, ticket sales, and event support
• Strong promotion is the biggest driver of success
• Basic logistics including access, parking, toilets, and power if required

In practice, the biggest challenge is not the circus itself, but making sure enough people know about it. PTAs that start promotion early and use multiple channels tend to see much stronger ticket sales.

How much could a circus fundraiser raise?

Income varies depending on attendance, ticket pricing, and your agreement with the provider.

Typical income streams include:

• Ticket sales (main source of income)
• Refreshments and snacks
• Raffles or tombolas
• Optional extras such as programmes or merchandise

Well-promoted circus fundraisers can generate strong returns. However, they also carry more financial risk than smaller PTA events, so it’s important to understand the terms before committing.

How much planning is involved?

A circus fundraiser requires forward planning and is not suitable as a last-minute event.

• Booking a provider and securing dates
• Promoting the event and selling tickets
• Coordinating with your school or venue

Most PTAs will need several months to plan effectively, making this a better fit for groups with a decent volunteer team and time to prepare.

Smaller PTAs can reduce risk and workload by partnering with another school or local group.

• Share volunteers and responsibilities
• Increase audience size
• Spread financial risk

This works best when schools are nearby and income-sharing arrangements are agreed in advance.

Costs, payment and financial risk

Circus fundraising events are structured differently from smaller school fundraisers, so it’s important to understand the financial model.

• Fixed fee where you pay in advance but keep all revenue from ticket sales and refreshments
• Minimum guarantee where you keep income above a given level
• Revenue share where ticket income is split with the provider

This usually involves some level of upfront commitment or financial risk, particularly if ticket sales are lower than expected.

Before booking, check:

• Break-even ticket sales
• Deposit terms and refund policies
• What happens if tickets don’t sell
• Who manages ticketing and payments

One thing to watch is how realistic ticket sales expectations are. It’s worth being cautious and planning based on a conservative estimate rather than assuming a full sell-out.

What happens if the weather is poor?

Circus fundraisers are usually outdoor events, so weather is an important consideration.

While the big top protects the performance itself, poor weather can still affect attendance, access, and additional fundraising activities.

• Check if events proceed in heavy rain
• Understand rescheduling policies
• Plan simple contingencies (e.g. covered queues)

Is a circus fundraiser right for your PTA?

Good fit if:

• You want a high-impact fundraising event
• You have time to plan ahead
• You have enough volunteers to support promotion, preparation and on the day

Less suitable if:

• You need a quick or low-effort fundraiser
• You have a very small volunteer team
• You don’t have access to suitable outdoor space

If a circus fundraiser isn't the right event, why not try our fundraising ideas generator for more options.

Tips for a successful circus fundraiser

• Start promotion early
• Use school communication channels
• Promote beyond your school community
• Add extra fundraising activities
• Keep pricing simple and family-friendly

Set up your circus fundraiser with Fundraisy

Once you’ve decided to run a circus fundraiser, the next challenge is organising everything clearly, from ticket income and donations to sharing your event with parents and the wider community.

Fundraisy gives your PTA a simple fundraising hub. For your events you can benefit from:

• One link to share everywhere in emails, WhatsApp groups, newsletters and social media
• A QR code for posters and flyers so people can access your page instantly
• Online payments so no cash handling, no chasing, no admin afterwards
• Clear fundraising goals so supporters know exactly what they’re contributing to

It’s designed for volunteer-led groups who want to raise more without making things more complicated.