All fundraising ideas

Fundraising ideas for animal shelters

With millions of animals entering shelters each year, the financial need to aid these furry friends is substantial—not to mention the costs required to pay the humans who care for them.

Whether you’re raising funds for your own shelter or are an animal lover seeking to contribute to the cause, look no further. These animal shelter fundraising ideas will help you meet your goals and create adoption opportunities.

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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.

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Virtual scavenger hunt

For this totally remote fundraising event, charge a registration fee and ask participants to use their computer or mobile device to complete various challenges. Share instructions and updates and announce winners from a livestream hosted right on your event page. 
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Kids’ art calendar

Turn finger paintings and drawings into custom calendars. Or, create custom pieces like photo books, mugs, or T-shirts to sell. Sell the merch using a fun and eye-catching fundraising page
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Auctions

Summer project sale

Host a yard sale themed around helping people finish those summer projects they've been meaning to tackle. Have stalls that cater to a range of DIY projects with materials like paint, furniture, craft supplies, scrapbooking materials, and more. 

Use email marketing software to spread the word about the upcoming sale and share a printable map, so attendees know what kinds of booths will be there.
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Holiday card campaign

Craft a festive holiday card to mail directly or send digitally to your supporters. Extend season’s greetings, express gratitude for their support, and invite them to contribute toward your year-end fundraising goals

Use Givebutter’s built-in Canva integration to add a little extra cheer to your letters or emails in just a few clicks.
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Themed auction

Partner with local businesses to source items for a themed auction with a variety of attractive packages, exciting products, and alluring getaways. 

Asking for items to sell at your auction can feel daunting at first, so use this silent auction donation request guide to help you build relationships and attract amazing donations. 
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Auctions

Pet-friendly bake sale

Choose a location in a high-pet-traffic area, request treat donations from pet supply stores, and get to selling! Offer multiple methods for payment including scan-to-donate and Venmo.
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Holiday cookie sale

Whip up some sweet treats to sell at your next fundraising event, group gathering, or around town. Consider setting up a station for supporters to decorate their own cookies or create kits for families to bring home in exchange for a donation. 

Streamline the buying process with scan-to-donate—which guest can use to make their payment instantly right from their phones!
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Adopt-a-mile fundraiser

Raise funds for a mission trip by asking congregation members to “adopt a mile.” This is a fun way to tie your fundraising activity into the experience and drive donations closer to your goal.

Highlight how close you are to reaching your target by displaying a live goal bar on your fundraising page, where the fundraising goal total equals the number of miles.
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Build-a-thon

Invite supporters to have a tangible impact on their communities by raising funds and committing to volunteer their time to help build homes for those in need. 

Participants create personal peer-to-peer fundraising pages where they can share their commitment to this cause with their friends and family, encouraging them to donate and support the initiative.
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Peer-to-peer

Flag football tournament

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

Charge an entrance fee for a special family breakfast with a beloved children’s character like Elmo! Check-in attendees and accept in-person donations with Tap to Pay as guests arrive, ask volunteers to whip up scrambled eggs and pancakes, and arrange a corner of the room for family photos and selfies. 
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Kids vs. grownups field day

Organize an afternoon of hilarious games and exciting dual-team events, such as tug-of-war, that are sure to get the competitive spirit going. 

Charge entrance fees for this fundraising event, offer for-sale hydration and snacks, and don’t forget prizes for the winners! 
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Pie-eating contest

Ask local bakeries and volunteers to contribute pies, then host a pie-eating contest with a ticket price for entry. Sell refreshments (including slices of pie!) to raise extra funds.

Use a range of fundraising event features, such as online registration, on-the-spot payments, and seamless check-ins.
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Events

Virtual telethon

Plan exciting entertainment, such as talent showcases and cooking lessons that you can share with your audience entirely online.

Plan a day or evening program, then livestream it to your community right from your event page, so members can make a donation without clicking away from the show.
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Parents’ night out

This fundraising event can be a fun gathering for parents, or you can make it an opportunity for grownups to drop off their kids for a few hours in exchange for a donation to your cause! Charge an hourly rate or a flat “entrance fee” and give caregivers some priceless peace and quiet. 
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March Madness

Raise money while cheering on your favorite NCAA players with a bracket competition culminating in a ticketed March Madness watch party. 

To take this fundraising idea online, take advantage of livestreaming tools, too! 
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Flower bouquets

Partner with a local florist to set up a stall where volunteers make, wrap, and sell flower bouquets for Mother's Day, Easter, or any other spring celebration.

Create a fundraising page with custom donation amounts featuring a photo of each kind of bouquet and the number available so donors can reserve bouquets online or purchase in person.
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Shave for the cause

Create a peer to peer fundraising campaign and invite participants to create their own pages and compete to raise the most funds. Watch the leaderboard for live updates on who’s in the lead. The person with the highest amount raised or the most individual donations will shave their head—or nominate someone else to shave their own! 
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Pet costume contest

Invite owners to enter their pets in costume categories such as "cutest" or "most creative." Charge an entry fee and ask attendees to vote on their stylish furry favorite by donating to the pet’s individual fundraising page
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All you can eat buffet

Host an all-you-can-eat buffet or potluck dinner, and charge a small fee to enjoy a meal together with your community.

A free event ticketing platform can help you organize and manage your evening and check people in from your mobile device without any stress. 
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Ski-a-thon

Swap a traditional walk-a-thon for a wintry ski-a-thon. Invite supporters to raise funds from friends and family members leading up to the big day through peer-to-peer fundraising, and watch your leaderboard update in real time to reflect who’s raised the most! 
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Peer-to-peer

Beach Games

Plan an exciting beach competition including an Olympics-style championship for events like volleyball, surfing, and sandcastle making. 

Ask participants to pay a small fee to register and raise even more funds by selling cold drinks and ice cream.
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Pet yoga

Ask a local yoga teacher to lead a class with adoptable animals or invite participants bring their pets along for some zen! 

Make this fundraising event even better by asking a local yoga studio to be a sponsor.
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Gift wrapping

Source donated paper, set up a gift wrapping station in a popular location, and charge for holiday gift-wrapping! Use scan-to-donate or Venmo to accept payments on the spot.
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Events
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Frequently asked questions

Animal shelters raise money through donations, adoption fees, grants, and corporate sponsorships, as well as animal-themed fundraising ideas like pet-friendly bake sales and auctions. Many animal fundraiser ideas also utilize social media to reach a wider audience and solicit more donations.

Some of the best animal rescue fundraiser ideas involve both pet owners and their furry friends. Pet photo shoots, spa days, or competitive dog walks are all pet fundraising ideas that people love. Each supports the fundraising efforts of animal welfare organizations while also sparking joy. Other great animal-related fundraising ideas include selling products like pet calendars and treats.

One of the most popular fundraising ideas for animal rescue organizations is a pet walk. It’s a great way to get your whole community involved in fundraising for animals while enjoying the company of their own pet at the same time.

To organize a walk, start by selecting a date, location, and route. Then, promote the event through social media, email newsletters, and flyers. Set registration fees and create fundraising pages for participants to collect donations. On the day of the walk, offer food, merchandise, and even additional activities to create more fundraising opportunities. Finally, thank participants and donors for their support and share the success of the event through social media and other channels.

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