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All fundraising ideas
College fundraising ideas
Whether you're raising money for your study abroad trip or on behalf of a local nonprofit, college fundraising requires strategy. To stand out in a crowd of other activities, you’ll need fresh campaigns and events that are fun and easy to get involved in.
These university fundraising ideas will help you tap into the generosity of your fellow students, faculty, alumni, and the broader campus community.
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Featured campaign
Women's Club Basketball at NC State
3rd Annual Play4Kay Basketball Tournament & Competition
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Battle of the food trucks
Host a showdown between some of your favorite food trucks. Ask each truck to donate a percentage of sales towards your good cause, and award a fun prize to the truck that makes the most sales that day.
Partnering with food trucks is a great way to reach your fundraising target. Discover how to secure corporate sponsorships.
Partnering with food trucks is a great way to reach your fundraising target. Discover how to secure corporate sponsorships.
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Jersey auction
Auction off game-worn jerseys from your team or donated professional jerseys either online or in person. Take advantage of free silent auction software for simple and easy bidding, custom item descriptions, and more.
Cost:
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Auctions
T-shirt design contest
Encourage supporters to submit their best t-shirt designs to enter them into a competition. Set up team fundraising pages for each design and have supporters donate in order to cast their vote for for their favorite design. Each donation will appear on a leaderboard so everyone can watch the votes (and donations!) come in.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Fundraising page
Peer-to-peer
Office Games
Organize a series of lighthearted office games like chair races or paper airplane contests. Charge a small fee (donation) for participation and award prizes to winners. Offer scan to-donate to make the process smooth and simple.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Donation forms
Peer-to-peer
Tool drive
Rather than requesting a financial gift, ask supporters to donate new or gently used tools and construction equipment for your programs and services. Or, sell them in an annual community tool sale. Don’t forget to send friendly reminders and guidelines on what kinds of tools can be donated using free email marketing software!
Cost:
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Impact:
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Donation forms
Workshop or masterclass
Put your community’s talents to good use. Host an expert workshop or masterclass series and raise funds through ticket sales.
You don’t need to limit your audience to only the people you can fit in the room. Consider livestreaming your event to make it more accessible and raise even more dollars.
You don’t need to limit your audience to only the people you can fit in the room. Consider livestreaming your event to make it more accessible and raise even more dollars.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Auctions
Bring your pet to work day
Employees make a donation and bring their furry friends to work with them for the day. Organize pet-themed activities and competitions to raise additional funds. To get remote employees involved, livestream some of the activities and invite coworkers to tune in!
Cost:
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Impact:
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Restaurant takeover
Find a local restaurant that will host your fundraising event and donate at least 10-20% of the profits from the evening to your campaign. To really sweeten the sponsorship, offer lots of benefits for participating restaurants like free marketing and publicity.
Cost:
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Impact:
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TikTok dance-off
Challenge participants to create a dance and post their video to social media. Each person must tag someone and donate once they’ve completed the challenge.
For easy and simple sharing, create a custom donation form that’s optimized for mobile!
For easy and simple sharing, create a custom donation form that’s optimized for mobile!
Cost:
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Carnival night
Host a magical fundraising event with traditional carnival games, rides, and booths. Charge an all-inclusive fee or make each activity pay-as-you-go using QR codes for a smoother donation experience.
Cost:
3
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3
Impact:
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Sand ‘n’ sip
For a summer twist on a paint 'n' sip, invite donors to join you for a day of fun on the beach alongside a wine-tasting experience. To reach your goal, sell tickets for your fundraising event online and strike up a sponsorship deal with a local wine company.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Field goal derby
Invite fans to donate to see how many field goals they can make in a minute (make a smaller goalpost for kids, too!). Have each participant create a personal peer-to-peer fundraising page and reach out to friends and family for for their support!
Cost:
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Peer-to-peer
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!
Cost:
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Donation forms
Horseback riding
Charge a fee for donated guided trail rides or lessons with trained instructors. To give participants access to more activities, offer custom ticket types for this memorable fundraising event.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Grill-off
At your next BBQ, invite hobby chefs to compete in a grill-off, where they’ll be judged by a panel of experts—your supporters!
Set up team fundraising pages where everyone can make a donation to vote for their favorite chef. They can also see a live leaderboard and watch the votes land in real time!
Set up team fundraising pages where everyone can make a donation to vote for their favorite chef. They can also see a live leaderboard and watch the votes land in real time!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
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Inspiration
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Peer-to-peer
Student battle of the bands
Invite student-run bands to rock out for a prize! Charge entry fees and offer rad, donated prizes for the winners. Have each band create a team fundraising page, and encourage attendees to cast their votes for their favorites bands with a donation!
Cost:
2
Effort:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Peer-to-peer
Virtual bake sale
Sell homemade or donated treats through a donation form or event page and organize volunteers to make deliveries after purchase! For some additional funds, allow recipients to make a donation alongside their purchase.
Cost:
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Donation forms
Fundraising page
Auctions
More money, no problems
Instead of hosting an event, ask your supporters to donate a specific amount for the entire year. Create a fundraising page with photos, videos, and a compelling story in order to encourage gifts. Be sure to customize your donation amounts and add descriptions that are specific to your needs and impact.
Cost:
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Fundraising page
Donation forms
Staff vs. students
Organize an afternoon of relay races, obstacle courses, and brain teasers at your school and challenge teachers to partake. Be sure to create a fun and engaging event page where attendees can easily purchase tickets!
Cost:
2
Effort:
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Impact:
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Desk plant sale
Hold a desk plant sale featuring potted plants that employees can purchase to decorate their workspace while supporting the cause. Accept Venmo donations and other seamless payment methods for quick and easy transactions.
Cost:
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Donation forms
Beach day
Arrange a day of sand and sun for your team members, volunteers, and the wider community with beach games, a picnic, and lots of family fun.
Set an affordable ticket price or ask for donations to cover the cost of the event and raise funds—whichever you choose, our fundraising event tools can help!
Set an affordable ticket price or ask for donations to cover the cost of the event and raise funds—whichever you choose, our fundraising event tools can help!
Cost:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Pajama day
For a small donation, students can come to school in their pajamas and enjoy a cozy day. Accept donations in advance or on the day of via multiple payment methods like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Venmo!
Cost:
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Student art auction
Auction off students' art projects online, in-person, or both! Add photos and descriptions for each masterpiece using easy auction software.
Cost:
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Fundraising page
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.
Make this fundraising event even better by asking a local yoga studio to be a sponsor.
Cost:
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Fantasy football draft festival
Turn a fantasy football draft into an exciting fundraising event! Sell tickets and offer tailgate games, food, and entertainment.
Cost:
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Events
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We're always cooking up new ideas, so check back soon for fresh picks!
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Frequently asked questions
How do college clubs and groups make money?
College clubs and groups use various strategies to raise money and collect donations in support of their activities. Common fundraising ideas for college organizations include running bake sales or car washes, selling tickets to events, getting sponsorships from local businesses, and receiving grants.
What are the most popular college fundraising ideas?
The most popular fundraising ideas for college students engage fellow students and the local community while providing value or entertainment. Favorite options include charging an entry fee to themed parties or events like a battle of the bands, organizing social media challenges, selling raffle tickets, or teaming up with local restaurants to add some flavor to your fundraising efforts.
What are the most profitable college fundraisers?
The impact of college fundraisers can vary depending on factors such as the size of the audience, the level of engagement, and the expenses involved. Some of the most profitable fundraisers for college clubs and groups include hosting large-scale events such as concerts, festivals, charity galas, gaming tournaments, and auctions, and leveraging online platforms for crowdfunding campaigns.
Strategic partnerships with businesses or alumni networks can also help maximize fundraising potential, too!
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