Cheer fundraising ideas

Connected to the right people? Procure and auction off autographed jerseys (or other memorabilia) to your supporters. You’d be surprised how willing athletes are to offer their signature for a good cause! Take advantage of intuitive auction software for simple and easy bidding, custom item descriptions, and more—no matter if your auction is in-person or completely virtual.

Research grants that you can apply for to fund your nonprofit organization or project. Be sure to create a stand-out grant proposal in order to impress grantmakers!

Throw a themed costume party to match the season or holiday and award prizes for the best costumes! Sell tickets to your fundraising event online and work with local sponsors to offset costs and spread the word.

Sell wholesale candy bars and sweet treats to your supporters, bring them to events, or have them out anywhere people might need a snack! Use peer-to-peer fundraising to foster a bit of friendly competition and easily keep track of supporters who have sold the most.

Bring fans onto the field for some football fun! Teams register and pay to play and fans buy tickets to cheer them on.

Sell tickets to an all-inclusive alumni dinner before a big game or event. During half-time or intermission, bring out the alumni for special recognition. Alternatively, you can livestream a special alumni message during a virtual event.

Encourage families to run, walk, or jog for a cause by featuring kid-friendly activities, prizes, and course options.

Use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage participants to set a donation goal and spread the word about the cause.

Ask participants to don their favorite PJs while tackling a walk, jog, roll, or run for the cause. Encourage everyone to set a donation goal and spread the word about the fundraiser with peer-to-peer fundraising. Don’t forget to award prizes to the coziest runners!

Invite a local restaurant to contribute or have volunteers create a menu for a tailgate. Sell entry tickets and offer some fun merch or special treats at an additional price to bring in extra dollars.

Invite minor or major league players or other celebrity guests to your fundraising event to make a general appearance, offer a meet-and-greet session for VIPs, or participate in the event themselves! You can sell tickets and offer food and drink at an additional cost to make this fundraising event a big win for your cause.

Gather volunteers, soap, and plenty of rags to wash cars in exchange for donations. Collect onsite donations easily by displaying a simple scan-to-donate QR code, which allows donors to select from a variety of payment methods. You can even offer different package options for those who are willing to donate more for a deeper clean.

Find out who can (safely) lift the most weight curling, deadlifting, or squatting. Charge entry fees for participants, sell tickets, and offer food and drink at an additional cost.

Ask community members to purge their wardrobes and donate sell-worthy items to your cause. Host a pop-up clothing shop at a local venue and sell tickets for entry!

Choose a theme and a hashtag, encourage supporters to post their video or picture, and then tag others to challenge them to do the same—and donate!

Learn more social media fundraising tips to take your efforts to the next level.

Host a sports clinic or skills camp for participants to learn from top coaches, pro players, or other notable experts. Depending on the scale of your clinic, you can sell several tickets to the public or offer just a few spots as a big-ticket silent auction item at a fundraising event.

Challenge supporters to complete a course of obstacles like walls, mud pits, and rope climbs. To amplify your impact, and spark some friendly competition, encourage team fundraising: all supporters can join an existing team or create their own to compete!

Ask supporters to lace up their shoes and gather pledges or donations for every mile they walk.

Sell official charity gear, encourage supporters to share updates on their own personal donation pages, and award top fundraisers with exciting prizes.

Map out your fundraising run route and have supporters donate to participate. Then, use peer-to-peer fundraising tools that allow supporters to make their own donation pages, set their own goals, and ask friends and family to contribute!

Get festive by encouraging supporters to wear their ugliest sweater for a fun run (and award the best dressed)! Use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage participants to set a donation goal and spread the word about the cause, along with photos of them in their ugly regalia.