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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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Pride flag decoration party
Charge attendees a small fee to attend this crafty gathering and then sell or auction off your creations at an upcoming event.
Make the silent auction process as smooth as possible with mobile bidding tools that enable supporters to participate right from their phones.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pride-flag-decoration-party
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Events
Auctions
Pages & forms
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:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/jersey-auction
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Auctions
Bingo night
Sell bingo cards and offer exciting prizes to keep everyone engaged all night long—either virtually or in person!
In the lead-up to your fundraising event, entice attendees with campaign updates featuring teasers of some of the prizes at stake to build anticipation.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/bingo-night
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Events
Grown-up bake sale
Sell donated or homemade gourmet goodies like croissants and macarons for the ultimate grownups-with-a-sweet-tooth fundraiser.
Collect in-person payments with scan-to-donate, which gives donors a wide range of payment options.
Collect in-person payments with scan-to-donate, which gives donors a wide range of payment options.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/grown-up-bake-sale
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All
Pages & forms
Events
Toy drive
Set up a toy drive so your community members can donate toys or cash to support families over the holiday season. Distribute toys to those most in need and use extra funds to buy additional gifts.
Let everyone know when, where, and what to donate with the help of email marketing software.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/toy-drive
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Pages & forms
Home decor workshop
Charge a registration fee and provide materials for attendees to create their own home decor. Selecting seasonal DIY projects—such as holiday wreaths or pumpkin painting—is a great way to draw a larger crowd. Take this event to the next level by turning it into a competition! Once all projects are completed, attendees can donate to vote for who should be crowned winner.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/home-decor-workshop
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Events
Date auction
Brave individuals offer themselves up for your auction to go on a date with the highest bidders. This idea is a little bit dated, but with the right planning, you can have a lot of fun with it.
Ask sponsoring restaurants to donate gift certificates to bring in more bids for these “items” and make for an easy, in-public location for each date.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/date-auction
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Auctions
Events
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
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:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/donation-drive
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All
Pages & forms
Coding bootcamp
Partner with coding organizations and offer students discounted class fees and programs. Be sure to include some appealing benefits for participating companies in your corporate sponsorship proposal, like free marketing and publicity.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/coding-bootcamp
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Events
Yard raking
Set up a yard raking service in exchange for donations toward your good cause.
Follow best practices for volunteer recruitment to build a loyal community of supporters ready to pitch in for yardwork and more.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/yard-raking
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All
Pages & forms
Auctions
Pumpkin Games
Perfect for the Halloween season, challenge participants to a pay-to-play series of games like pumpkin races and decorating contests. Sell tickets in advance or on the day of using scan-to-donate or Venmo.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pumpkin-games
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All
Events
Peer-to-peer
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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/text-to-donate
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All
Pages & forms
Fall festival
Host your own fall-themed festival with carnival games, food and drink, local vendors, and live music.
Ask local businesses to donate supplies or prizes, and raise funds through refreshments, games, and stallholder fees.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/fall-festival
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All
Events
Pages & forms
Ugly sweater run
Get festive by encouraging supporters to wear their ugliest holiday sweater for a fun run! Use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage participants to set a donation goal and spread the word—along with photos of them in their ugly regalia. Offer a special award for the “best” dressed.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/ugly-sweater-run
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All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Raffle
Ask your sponsors and community members to donate items or experiences, then raffle them off! The sky’s the limit when it comes to raffle ticket prizes: gift baskets, movie tickets, artwork—anything your community members will love.
Just be sure to check your state laws regarding raffles before you start planning!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/raffle
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Events
Pages & forms
Color run
Spray participants with brightly colored powder along the course of your charity fun run. By the end, runners will be rainbow-ed! Set up a photo booth at the finish line for selfies, and encourage donations on social media via a scan-to-donate code.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/color-run
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All
Events
Peer-to-peer
5k walk/run
Map out your fundraising run route and have supporters donate to participate. Then, use peer-to-peer and team fundraising tools that let supporters create their own donation pages, set goals, and ask friends and family to contribute!
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/5k-walk-run
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Events
Peer-to-peer
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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pet-yoga
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Events
24-hour relay race
Create the ultimate relay race to raise funds for your cause. Participants create individual or team fundraising pages where friends and family can show their support with donations and progress toward their goal in real time.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/24-hour-relay-race
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All
Events
Peer-to-peer
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:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/silent-auction
Please enter a valid email address.
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Auctions
Community resource fair
Reserve a large space like a parking lot or school gym and sell booths to local vendors. Invite the community and charge a small entrance fee with easy mobile giving tools like Tap to Pay or scan-to-donate.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/community-resource-fair
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Events
Pages & forms
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.
A free event ticketing platform can help you organize and manage your evening and check people in from your mobile device without any stress.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/all-you-can-eat-buffet
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Events
Photo contest
Run a short photo contest for an inexpensive, all-ages fundraiser. Choose a theme, charge a small fee to enter, and invite community members to submit their photos alongside their donations in your supporter feed.
Raise even more by turning the top photos into a deck of cards or a calendar.
Raise even more by turning the top photos into a deck of cards or a calendar.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/photo-contest
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Pages & forms
Holiday performance
Put on a special holiday performance for your dance group’s friends and family members. Encourage everyone to make a donation to your chosen cause, or raise money by selling refreshments and dance-themed holiday decorations.
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/holiday-performance
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Events
Teen film festival
Invite teens to showcase their own short films and charge admission to audience members. In order to cast a vote for their favorite films, supporters must give a donation to the film’s/filmmaker’s team fundraising page. Watch the results roll in on the live leaderboard and offer awards for the best film winners in various categories.
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/teen-film-festival
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Events
Peer-to-peer
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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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