Fundraising ideas
We’ve got the best fundraising ideas for good causes of all shapes and sizes! Check out our curated lists or browse all fundraising ideas below by cost, effort, and impact.
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By organization
Additional lists
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All fundraising ideas
Pie baking contest and potluck
Invite bakers to submit their best pies for consideration as the dessert offering at your next potluck dinner.
Community members can make small donations as their “votes” for their favorite pies, and you can display the leaderboard to keep the competitive spirit up and momentum moving toward your fundraising goal throughout the event.









Grow-your-own garden kit
Ask local nurseries to donate herbs, seeds, and soil you can use to assemble gardening kits. Bring volunteers together to assemble everything and sell them on a custom fundraising page or donation form.









Fur a good paws
Host the ulti-mutt fundraiser your animal charity or veterinary nonprofit with this pun-tastic theme. Rally your community in support of their four-legged friends for a day of celebration and giving.









Community cookbook
Create and sell a custom cookbook featuring favorite recipes from your community members and families. To drum up excitement and spread the word, share sneak peek photos on your custom fundraising page.









Office Games









Scratch card fundraiser
Buy a batch of scratch cards from a wholesaler. Each circle hides a dollar amount, typically ranging from 50 cents to several dollars. Participants scratch off as many spots as they’d like—the total amount revealed is how much they’ll donate!
Collect cash or accept virtual payments on the spot with Tap-to-Pay, Venmo, and other convenient options.









Birthday fundraiser
Instead of birthday gifts, ask friends and family to make a donation to your nonprofit cause!
Givebutter’s fundraising pages make it easy to share your story, upload photos and videos, and let supporters leave comments as they give.









Share “tails” of impact
Bring your supporters together for an event to showcase the stories of animals you’ve helped—or tell your “tails” of impact directly on your fundraising page. Share stories that tug at your donors’ heartstrings and show the impact of their generosity.









Cheer off
Invite dance, cheer, or pom squads to pay a small entry fee and battle it out for top spots like “Most Spirited” and “Best Routine.” Take this event to the next level by asking attendees to consider adding a donation to their ticket purchase, offering concessions, or evenlivestreamingthe event.









Thanksgiving dinner
Host a big Thanksgiving meal to bring your entire community together. Sell tickets on a sliding scale so everyone can join in the fun.









Ale tasting
For a fun twist on the usual wine tasting, sell tickets online and in person to an ale-tasting event instead. Host an evening of learning about brewing, tasting different beers, and raising money for a good cause.









Rent your space
Spread the word that your space is available for rent with your email marketing software. Don’t forget to include photos of the space to encourage interest!









Tie-dye fundraiser
Invite students to bring t-shirts, tote bags, socks, and other light-colored items of clothing for a tie-dye party. Charge a small fee for entry and supplies, and have some extra clothing items on hand to sell, too.
If you produce a large volume lot of tie-dyed items, create a donation form or buy-now auction to sell them to your community!









Pros vs. Joes









Pool or beach volleyball tournament









Fitness challenge
Participants commit to completing a certain number of workouts and collect pledges for each milestone achieved using personal peer-to-peer fundraising pages.
Watch as donations come in and friends and family share words of encouragement on the supporter feed.









Carnival night
Host a magical fundraising event with traditional carnival games, rides, and booths. Charge an all-inclusive admission or use QR codes for each activity to create a smoother pay-as-you-go experience.









Silent auction
Swap your traditional auction for a silent one, where supporters or live audience members can bid any time before the auction ends. With a silent auction, your supporters are able to bid on items online or with their phones via QR code, making it easy and accessible for all.









Superhero run
Charge an entry fee to participate in a costumed fundraising run. Encourage runners to raise even more for your cause through their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages, and award prizes for race winners, best super hero costumes, and most donations raised!









Donation drive
Set up a donation drive to collect valuable in-kind donations or financial gifts for your cause. This can be done by setting up a drop-off zone in person or collecting donations online through a fundraising page. No matter the format—make sure to share your fundraising goal far and wide to keep the momentum going!









Pet expo
Partner with local vendors to bring your animal-loving community together for an exciting day out. Pets and their people can visit various tents, participate in activities, and learn about your organization’s impact. Sell tickets for general admission, and for a larger donation, offer VIP tent access with catered treats for both humans and furry friends.









Hole sponsorship









Wine pull
Collect donated bottles of wine, disguise the labels, and invite attendees to buy them blindly to discover what they’ve won. For some extra fundraising, host a livestream wine-tasting class afterward for everyone to learn more about their picks.









Shoe-decorating
To create a seamless event experience, set up custom ticket types, like an upsell ticket that provides a pair of shoes. Make sure to add a custom question to get the right shoe size!









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