Fundraise Humanely

TeachKind encourages educators to organize school fundraisers because they are a great way to empower students, teach them the value of volunteering, and help them make a positive difference for schools and communities. However, we urge schools to carefully consider how they are raising funds and to avoid sponsoring any events that harm animals.

Donkey Basketball

During cruel donkey basketball "games," donkeys are ridden by participants who have no experience handling animals. The noise and chaos of the games—which some schools use as fundraisers—are extremely stressful for the donkeys, who often endure the additional trauma of being shoved, screamed at, or whipped when their riders find them to be "uncooperative." In order to prevent "accidents" on the court, donkeys are often deprived of food and water for hours before games.

Kiss-a-Pig

Contrary to popular belief, pigs are highly intelligent and sensitive animals who perform better on intelligence tests than 3-year-old children do. In "kiss-a-pig" events, pigs are thrust into an unnatural and chaotic atmosphere and are subjected to screaming crowds and rough handling by frantic participants. These animals can get so scared that they often start to shake uncontrollably, urinate out of fear, and make futile attempts to escape.

Animal Giveaways

PETA regularly receives complaints about the abuse of animals—goldfish in particular—who are given away as prizes at school fairs and carnivals. When confined to small enclosures without proper filtration, fish are often poisoned by their own waste. All too often, fish and other animals who are given away as prizes are considered nothing more than expendable commodities, and deaths caused by inappropriate handling and inadequate care are simply considered normal. People who acquire animals as prizes receive little or no instruction about how to care for them, and many animals die within days of being taken to a new home.

Organizations and schools all over the country are rejecting these cruel and outdated events and are instituting policies against the use of live animals at all school events. Check out our list of fun and cruelty-free fundraising activities, and feel free to contact us for more ideas and for help in organizing animal-free fundraising events.