Finding school fundraising in Miami that students genuinely enjoy and administrators can manage without complicated logistics isn’t always easy. But sometimes a surprisingly simple idea can make a meaningful difference. In 2025, around 80 schools across Miami-Dade raised more than $230,000 through Total Snacks’ Dippin’ Dots fundraising program—turning one of America’s most recognizable frozen treats into an ongoing source of funds for their school communities. And the concept is refreshingly straightforward.
Total Snacks provides participating schools with a branded Dippin’ Dots freezer at no upfront cost. The school chooses when to hold its sales, promotes them to students and families, and uses the proceeds to support its fundraising goals.
No complicated event to organize. No large upfront equipment investment. Just a fundraising program that can become part of the school’s regular calendar.
Why School Fundraising in Miami Needs a Different Approach
Fundraising plays an important role in school communities. From extracurricular programs and student activities to special events, clubs and other initiatives, additional funds can help schools provide experiences that might otherwise be difficult to finance.
The challenge is finding fundraising ideas that people actually want to participate in.
Traditional campaigns often rely on families selling products outside school, collecting orders or organizing one-off events. Those approaches can certainly work, but they can also require considerable coordination from administrators, teachers, parent groups and volunteers.
The Total Snacks Dippin’ Dots program takes a different approach: bring the fundraiser directly to the students.
Students get a treat they already know and love. Schools create an additional fundraising opportunity. And because sales can be scheduled regularly, the program doesn’t have to end after a single fundraiser.
How the Dippin’ Dots School Fundraising Program Works
Getting started is designed to be simple.
1. We provide the Dippin’ Dots freezer
Participating schools receive a branded Dippin’ Dots freezer at no upfront cost.
The compact freezer measures approximately 29 inches long, 20 inches deep and 33 inches high, making it practical for many school environments.
It can hold up to six flavors, giving schools the flexibility to create a selection their students will be excited to see.
Total Snacks’ current Freezer Placement Program is specifically designed to help partners sell Dippin’ Dots while requiring relatively little floor space. The program is also listed as school-system approved and suitable for fundraising.
2. Choose the flavors students will love
Part of the fun is deciding what goes inside.
Schools can select from popular Dippin’ Dots flavors such as:
- Banana Split
- Cherry ’N Blue Razz ICEE
- Chocolate
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Cookie Monster
- Cookies ’N Cream
- Cotton Candy
- Dr Pepper
- Rainbow Ice
The variety also gives schools an opportunity to rotate flavors and keep regular sales interesting throughout the school year.
3. Plan your Dippin’ Dots fundraising days
This is where having a committed school sponsor or program coordinator makes a difference.
That person can organize sale dates, promote upcoming Dippin’ Dots days and help make the program a recognizable part of school life.
A school might choose to sell every other Friday, during selected lunch periods, after school, at sporting events or around other high-traffic occasions.
Consistency is important. Rather than treating fundraising as something that happens once or twice a year, schools can build recurring sales into their calendar.
Imagine students knowing:
“Friday is Dippin’ Dots Day.”
That anticipation can help transform a simple fundraiser into a school tradition.
4. Start selling without an upfront freezer investment
One of the biggest advantages for schools is the structure of the program.
The Dippin’ Dots freezer is provided at no upfront cost, so schools don’t need to purchase specialized equipment before getting started.
Schools can also pay Total Snacks for their product order up to two weeks after receiving it, allowing them to use proceeds from their sales rather than having to fund the inventory entirely in advance.
Prepacked Dippin’ Dots are supplied in cases of 24. Based on the current program structure provided to participating schools, each case costs $63.60, or $2.65 per unit.
With a suggested selling price of approximately $5–$6 per unit, schools have room to generate meaningful proceeds from each sale.
The initial order consists of 12 cases, while subsequent orders have a six-case minimum.
More Than $230,000 Raised by Miami-Dade Schools in 2025
Numbers tell the story better than promises.
In 2025 alone, approximately 80 Miami-Dade schools participating in the program collectively raised more than $230,000.
That represents thousands of individual purchases adding up to something much bigger.
And that’s precisely what makes recurring fundraising interesting.
A single Dippin’ Dots purchase may seem small. But when students, parents, faculty and school communities participate throughout the year, those individual purchases can create a substantial additional source of funding.
For Total Snacks, that figure represents something else, too: a growing partnership with South Florida’s schools.
We’re not simply interested in delivering a freezer and a product. Our goal is to help schools establish a program they can manage successfully and continue using throughout the year.
More Than Fundraising: Supporting Our Miami-Dade School Community
Our relationship with local schools goes beyond providing a fundraising program.
In 2026, Dippin’ Dots was recognized by the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Division of Student and Family Support Programs with a Donors & Sponsors Certificate of Appreciation, acknowledging our support and contributions to its Title I Parent Program and CIS/CLS Recognition Ceremony.
For our team, the recognition represents something we value deeply: being an active partner in the communities we serve.
Eleazar López Contreras and Mabe León Ponte, representing our local Dippin’ Dots operation, have worked closely with schools and community partners to help create opportunities that support students, families and school programs throughout Miami-Dade.
As our school partnerships continue to grow, our goal remains simple: make fundraising easier for schools while building relationships that last beyond a single sale.
What Does a School Need to Get Started?
Not much—and that’s intentional.
The most important requirement is a sponsor within the school who can take ownership of the program.
That could be an administrator, teacher, PTA/PTSA representative, athletics representative or another authorized member of the school community.
The sponsor helps:
- Coordinate the program
- Schedule sales
- Promote upcoming Dippin’ Dots days
- Manage inventory and reorders
- Build consistency around the fundraiser
Schools will also need to complete the Total Snacks welcome documentation and provide the applicable resale tax certificate or tax-exempt documentation.
From there, our team can help get the program underway.
Why Recurring School Fundraising Can Make a Bigger Difference
One of the most valuable aspects of this model is that fundraising doesn’t have to revolve around a single big event.
Small, recurring fundraising opportunities can become part of the rhythm of school life.
A Dippin’ Dots sale every couple of weeks, for example, gives students something to look forward to while allowing the school to work toward its fundraising goals incrementally.
There’s also an important difference between asking a family to make a donation and offering them something they genuinely want to buy.
With this program, students receive a recognizable treat and the school benefits from the sale.
That’s a simple exchange—and in dozens of Miami-Dade schools, it has proven to be an effective one.
Looking for School Fundraising in Florida?
While Total Snacks is proudly based in South Florida, we’re always interested in building new relationships with schools and organizations looking for creative fundraising opportunities.
If you’re a school director, principal, administrator, PTA/PTSA leader, athletic director or educator exploring school fundraising in Miami or Florida, we’d love to introduce you to the Dippin’ Dots Freezer Placement Program.
Your school could be the next one to turn Dippin’ Dots Day into something students look forward to—and a fundraising program your organization can rely on.
Ready to learn more?
Explore the Total Snacks Partnership & Freezer Placement Program
Or contact the Total Snacks team to discuss bringing Dippin’ Dots to your school.
One freezer. Plenty of smiles. A whole lot of fundraising potential!