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All fundraising ideas
Creative fundraising ideas
While bake sales and car washes are tried-and-true strategies for raising funds, it’s smart to mix things up and keep your supporters on their toes with innovative fundraising ideas.
To get inspired, check out these unique fundraiser ideas that put a fresh spin on traditional events, whether by flipping them entirely on their head or introducing bold new themes.
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24-hour marathon
Host a 24-hour livestream fundraiser for a high-energy day of fun and fundraising.
Great livestream activity ideas include a poetry slam, gaming tournament, or virtual concert.
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/24-hour-marathon
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Mini-golf tournament
Assemble teams, charge entry fees, and cheer everyone on as they compete for the best score. Encourage participants to make personal team fundraising pages and ask friends and family to support them and the cause.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/mini-golf-tournament
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Shoe-decorating
Source an array of paints and art supplies and invite community members to make a donation and bring a pair of sneakers to paint together for your good cause.
To create a seamless event experience, set up custom ticket types, like an upsell ticket that provides a pair of shoes. Make sure to add a custom question to get the right shoe size!
To create a seamless event experience, set up custom ticket types, like an upsell ticket that provides a pair of shoes. Make sure to add a custom question to get the right shoe size!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/shoe-decorating
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Events
Auctions
Speakeasy night
Sell tickets to a prohibition-era-themed night that features poker, themed cocktails, live music, and more. Sell tickets to this fundraising event ahead of time, and accept donations from latecomers on the spot, too.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/speakeasy-night
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Face painting
Set up a booth where passersby can get their face painted by volunteers from your group in exchange for a small donation.
Make it easy for people to give with scan-to-donate. All they need to do is scan the QR code and they’ll land on your donation page in seconds.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/face-painting
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Trike-a-thon
Set up a mini racecourse and encourage family and friends to sponsor your little big-wheel racers by making a donation on their behalf through your fundraising page. Don’t forget to award prizes!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/trike-a-thon
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Events
Pages & forms
Pumpkin carving contest
See who can carve or decorate the best pumpkin while raising funds for your group or cause. Award prizes in different categories like kids, families, and most talented adults.
Make it easy as pumpkin pie to vote for the winners with a small donation using text-to-donate.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pumpkin-carving-contest
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Events
Peer-to-peer
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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/social-media-challenge
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Pages & forms
Pajama run
Ask participants to don their favorite PJs while tackling a walk, jog, roll, or run for the cause. Encourage everyone to set a donation goal and spread the word about the fundraiser through peer-to-peer fundraising. Don’t forget to award prizes to the coziest runners!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pajama-run
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Murder mystery night
Arrange a classic "whodunnit" event in which your guests roleplay to find out who the criminal within the group is.
Use easy event ticketing features to register guests online and check them in quickly with your mobile app to get the festivities started sooner!
Use easy event ticketing features to register guests online and check them in quickly with your mobile app to get the festivities started sooner!
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/murder-mystery-night
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Events
Carnival night
Host a magical fundraising event with traditional carnival games, rides, and booths. Charge an all-inclusive admission or use QR codes for each activity to create a smoother pay-as-you-go experience.
Cost:
3
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/carnival-night
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Events
Cupcake wars
Have kids prepare their favorite cupcake recipe to sell at a cupcake-only bake sale. To add some friendly competition, invite attendees to vote on their favorite by making a donation to the tastiest cupcake’s team fundraising page. Use a leaderboard to show real-time votes and award prizes for the winning bakers!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/cupcake-wars
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
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.
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.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/flower-bouquets
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Pages & forms
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
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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Events
Peer-to-peer
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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Events
Peer-to-peer
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
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Events
Pages & forms
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
Please enter a valid email address.
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Earth Day
Reserve an indoor or outdoor space and invite your community to come arrange flower bouquets and pot their own plants to celebrate Earth Day (April 22).
Charge an entrance fee and make your fundraising event move smoothly with mobile app check-in and easy scan-to-donate payment options.
Charge an entrance fee and make your fundraising event move smoothly with mobile app check-in and easy scan-to-donate payment options.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/earth-day
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Events
Pages & forms
Photography walk
Invite a photographer to host a tour around the local area, taking in the sights of the season. Sell tickets in advance and use an easy mobile app to check in guests and take any last-minute payments on the day of.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/photography-walk
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Pages & forms
Events
Nostalgia night party
Pick an era (like the ‘90s), set the scene, charge an entrance fee, and sell themed merch, food, and drinks. To encourage even more donations during the festivities, display mobile giving options and your goal bar using live display.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/nostalgia-night-party
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Events
Talent show
Host a talent show and invite supporters to take to the stage and show off their skills. Sell tickets, drinks, and snacks to raise funds for your cause.
Make the experience even more interactive with text-to-donate. Let audience members vote from their seats and help you raise money in real time.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/talent-show
Please enter a valid email address.
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Events
Dance-a-thon
Using individual peer-to-peer fundraising pages connected to your main event page, participants gather donations and pledges based on how long they aim to dance—without taking a break!
Supporters can donate, leave encouraging messages for the dancers, and purchase tickets to join in the fun—all in one place.
Supporters can donate, leave encouraging messages for the dancers, and purchase tickets to join in the fun—all in one place.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/dance-a-thon
Please enter a valid email address.
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Literary pub crawl
Each stop on this bar-hopping adventure features readings or performances inspired by famous works of literature related to a given theme—poems, books, plays, you name it!
To take this fundraising event further, arrange to have each watering hole feature a special cocktail or brew (with some non-alcoholic beverages in the mix!) to match your theme.
To take this fundraising event further, arrange to have each watering hole feature a special cocktail or brew (with some non-alcoholic beverages in the mix!) to match your theme.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/literary-pub-crawl
Please enter a valid email address.
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Events
Coach or teacher dare
Challenge a coach or teacher to do something wild (like shaving their head!) if your team reaches its fundraising goal. Build anticipation by letting supporters track your progress in real time with a fundraising page that features a live goal bar.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/coach-or-teacher-dare
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Pages & forms
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Frequently asked questions
How can I be creative in fundraising?
Creativity in fundraising means thinking outside the box and finding unique ways to entice donors. Try hosting themed events, leveraging social media challenges, or tapping into the specific interests of your local community. When you put a creative twist on a classic, easy fundraising idea, your supporters will love it—and you’ll be one step closer to your fundraising goal.
Why are unusual fundraising ideas important?
Alternative fundraising ideas keep donors engaged and excited. They generate buzz around your cause with existing supporters—and can help you bring in new ones, especially through peer-to-peer fundraising. The right theme can make all the difference when it comes to selling tickets, attracting sponsors, or driving donations.
How do I get supporters excited about a different fundraising idea?
If your audience is used to the same predictable ways of raising money, new, creative ideas for fundraising might be an adjustment. Partner with local businesses to help spread the word and offer fun prizes for the winners. That support builds excitement and can boost your fundraising efforts significantly.
Why try a creative fundraising idea instead of a traditional one?
An out-of-the-box fundraising idea can motivate donors in ways a traditional one can’t. Whether you host a cat-themed soirée for your animal charity or an ugly sweater contest in collaboration with local businesses, a creative fundraising idea will get people talking—and donating.
How do I choose the right creative fundraising idea for my group?
When choosing a fundraising idea, consider your mission, resources, and what motivates your supporters. A family event at a local park where you charge an entry fee works great for a community group. For a church group, try a faith-themed trivia night with baked goods for sale. A creatively themed silent auction is always a hit—people love the chance to win without the pressure of traditional paddle-raising.
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