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Cancer fundraising ideas

Raising awareness for cancer—and supporting those whose lives are impacted by the disease—is a meaningful way to bring your local community together.

Whether you’re fundraising in memory of a loved one or raising much-needed funds for ongoing research, these fundraising ideas for cancer can help you rally support and inspire donations.

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Uncork it for cancer


Plan a wine-themed lunch or dinner event featuring delicious food and drink, live music, and great conversation—all while raising money for cancer care and research. Include an auction to attract even more donations.
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Tell cancer to take a hike


Grab your walking shoes and show cancer who’s boss with a charity walk or hike. Charge a small entry fee and encourage teams to raise additional funds through peer-to-peer fundraising.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Carve for cancer


Grab your snowboards and support a good cause with this fun winter fundraising idea. Combine slope-side competitions with live music, refreshments, and vendors.
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Strike out cancer


Rally supporters for your cause with a “strike out” event. Choose baseball, softball, or bowling, then add a fundraising page, sell tickets, and include a themed auction to boost donations.
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Puck cancer


Host a hockey-themed fundraiser in support of cancer research or a cancer care facility. Rally your community of hockey fans to raise much-needed funds through ticket sales, themed merch, and peer-to-peer fundraising.
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Playing for good


Turn a standard golf tournament into something meaningful by spotlighting your cancer charity. Invite teams to sign up, host a raffle or auction, and encourage guests to give generously throughout the day.

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Swing to bust cancer


Raise awareness and funds for cancer research or care with a golf or tennis-themed fundraiser. Sell tickets to watch or participate, and boost donations with merch, refreshments, and auction items.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Dance challenge

Find a viral social media dance challenge and invite your supporters to have a go. Ask them to include a message to donate towards your good cause, or use peer-to-peer fundraising to help them raise money from their friends and family members.
Cost:
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Movement challenge


Go solo or form a team to complete a chosen movement challenge in support of your cause. Great for health-related organizations or any group that wants to raise funds through physical activity.
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Impact:
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Chords for Cancer gala


Invite your community to an evening of music, dance, and entertainment in support of cancer research. Host one large gala event or a series of smaller shows throughout the year.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Kick out cancer


Rally soccer fans to raise money for cancer research and care. Charge a small team registration fee, then spark friendly competition by encouraging peer-to-peer or team fundraising.
Cost:
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F*ck cancer


Channel your negative feelings about cancer into positive impact with a major fundraiser for your nonprofit. Whether you host a live event or launch a year-long campaign, this bold approach is a powerful way to rally support for your cause.
Cost:
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Impact:
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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.
Cost:
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Social media challenge


Choose a theme and hashtag, then encourage supporters to post a video or photo, tag others to join in, and donate!

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

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Walkathon

Ask supporters to lace up their shoes and gather pledges or donations for every mile they walk. Sell official charity gear, encourage participants to share updates on their own personal donation pages, and award top fundraisers with exciting prizes.
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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T-shirt design contest

Encourage supporters to submit their best t-shirt designs to enter a competition. Set up team fundraising pages for each design and have supporters donate to vote for their favorite. Each donation will appear on a leaderboard so everyone can watch the votes (and donations!) come in.
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Impact:
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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!

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Concert for a cause


Work with popular local musicians and performers to host a benefit concert with a percentage of the proceeds going towards your cause.

Want to make sure everyone can listen in and donate, no matter where they are? Livestream your concert to the masses and enable people to contribute to your campaign without leaving the stream.
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Crowdfunding campaign


Collect online donations from friends, family, and community members by creating a fundraising page that lays out your needs and the impact that you will make with the money you raise. Use photos and videos to make your story more engaging, and use a goal bar to showcase your progress.

Be sure to follow crowdfunding best practices in order to make your campaign an even bigger success!
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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.
Cost:
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10,000 steps challenge


Encourage members to set up a fundraising page and accept pledges based on how long they’ll commit to their 10k-steps-a-day habit.

Invite participants to set up a peer-to-peer fundraising page where they can share their personal stories and interact with supporters.
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Peer-to-peer fundraising


Multiply your reach with a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign in which individuals reach out to their own networks of family, friends, and coworkers to solicit donations for your cause.

Create teams to add some fun competition into the mix—and bring in more donations!
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Donation matching


Build relationships with local businesses and major donors that can offer matching donations to feature during your next campaign.

Matching gifts create an enormous incentive for supporters who understand that they can automatically double (or even triple or quadruple!) their impact for your cause.



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Text-to-donate


With text-to-donate, raising funds is as easy as sending a text. Display your shortcode at fundraising events, share it on social media, or add it to signs so your supporters give using their mobile devices right on the spot—no matter where they are.

See for yourself how easy it is! Text “DEMO” to 53-555.
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Virtual gala


Showcase live or pre-recorded presentations and guest speakers, host an auction, and solicit donations—all livestreamed from your event registration page.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Frequently asked questions

A cancer fundraiser is a campaign or event designed to raise money for a cancer charity, nonprofit, or individuals impacted by the disease. These fundraising efforts may support ongoing research, cancer awareness, or provide care for those undergoing cancer treatment. Many breast cancer fundraisers are held in memory of a loved one or to help cover a friend or family member’s medical expenses.

The best cancer fundraising ideas align with your cause and inspire your community members to get involved. Top fundraisers for cancer patients include a fun run, trivia or karaoke night, bike ride, gala, bake sale, or picnic in the park. A t-shirt design contest is another popular fundraising idea for breast cancer.

The cost of a fundraiser for cancer depends on the event type and whether you have sponsors. Some fundraisers—like a community picnic or online fundraiser—are more affordable to host than others, like a gala or auction.

To successfully fundraise for cancer research or care, start by choosing a fundraising activity that fits your audience and goals. Will you charge an entry fee for a large event or raise funds with a car wash? Once you’ve decided, organize your fundraiser, set up a donation page, and promote it through social media, word of mouth, and partnerships with local businesses.

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