Best fundraising ideas

Classic, large-scale events like gala nights, silent auctions, and sponsored runs or walks are often the most profitable fundraisers. These events bring together corporate sponsors, generous benefactors, and many individual donors for a day or night of supporting a worthy cause. 

Other profitable ideas include crowdfunding and peer-to-peer fundraising, which expands your audience to your supporters’ networks to spread the word and raise funds.

The most popular fundraising events typically have a high turnout because they are family-friendly and feature people's favorite activities. Some popular ideas to raise awareness and donations include movie nights, fun runs, bake sales, bingo nights, golf tournaments, and fashion shows.

If your goal is to raise money fast, look for easy fundraising ideas—like a car wash, photo contest, or karaoke night—and host several different events. Another great way to raise money fast is with large and small donations to an online fundraising campaign. Our guide on how to raise $1K in 30 days will walk you through the process from start to finish.

With so many good ideas for fundraisers in the world, what makes for the best? The very best ideas for fundraising are as follows: 1. Simple to plan, 2. Easy to manage, and 3. Bring plenty of attention (and donations) to your good cause. For the ideas on this page, we’ve focused on highly effective fundraisers that don’t require a big budget or complicated coordination.

To find the right fundraiser, start with data from past fundraising efforts if you have it. Identify which of your previous fundraising activities generated the most interest and money, then plan similar events in the future.

Use your target audience’s interests as a clue, too. If your group is animal-focused, good fundraiser ideas include a pet photo contest or a dog walking day in the local park. You could also ask your supporters and local community directly—have them vote on a few ideas and host whichever event is the most popular.