Fall fundraising ideas
The fall season is the perfect time to introduce spooky themes and cozy, seasonal delights into your fundraising strategy. Try autumn fundraising ideas like pie-eating contests and haunted houses, or bring together several activities into a big fall festival to rally community members and raise more than ever.
%201.png)
Cookie-decorating extravaganza
Volunteers bake batches of cookies to contribute to a decorating contest! Participants pay a small fee to enter and use frosting and other edible flare you provide to compete for the best cookie design.
To make your fundraising event even sweeter, bring in a cookie-decorating expert to show off some sweet tips and tricks.
Raise some dough with cookie dough
Buy wholesale cookie dough for volunteers to sell during peak cookie-baking season. To gamify your efforts, use peer-to-peer fundraising so participants can compete to see who sold the most!
Family photo day
Gift wrapping
Chili cook-off
Invite participants to prepare their best chili for attendees—and offer prizes for the winner! Create team fundraising pages for each chili recipe/culinary team. There, supporters can cast their vote with a donation and watch the live leaderboard to see which chef is in the lead!
Maze for a cause
Charge an entrance fee to walk the maze and make transactions simple with scan-to-donate and Tap to Pay options.
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.
Festive volunteers
Set up a donation form and use custom labels to create fun options, like a $50 donation = putting up your roof lights.
Pie baking contest and potluck
Invite bakers to submit their best pies for consideration as the dessert offering at your next potluck dinner.
Community members can make small donations as their “votes” for their favorite pies, and you can display the leaderboard to keep the competitive spirit up and momentum moving toward your fundraising goal throughout the event.
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.
Golf tournament
Golf tournaments are an incredible way to build relationships and raise funds for your cause. Charge teams an entry fee, secure sponsorships, and enjoy a day on the green with your community.
Check out our guide to discover how to make your next golf tournament even more profitable.
Holiday card campaign
Send a festive holiday card—by mail or email—to share season’s greetings, thank your supporters, and invite them to contribute toward your year-end fundraising goals.
Use Givebutter’s built-in Canva integration to add extra cheer to your letters or emails in just a few clicks.
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.
Bonfire BBQ
With user-friendly fundraising event features, you can sell tickets in advance and accept donations in person, too.
Holiday wreath sale
Partner with a local nursery to sell holiday wreaths made of fresh greenery. Create a fundraising page where supporters can purchase them with ease.
Neighborhood tailgate party
Swap the stadium for your local streets and host a neighborhood tailgate party. Clear a block or two and set up food stalls, carnival games, and plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy.
You can make the event free and charge for activities or create a ticketed event—whichever you choose, our fundraising event features can help.
Hot chocolate stall
Set up a cozy drink stand to warm up your community! Offer coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and an array of syrups and toppings for an added fee. Don’t forget the marshmallows!
Make it easy for supporters to pay as they order with scan-to-donate, Venmo, and other seamless options.
Pumpkin patch
Make transactions quick and easy with Tap to Pay and a scan-to-donate QR code to let donors choose their payment method—PayPal, Google Pay, Venmo, and more.
Photography walk
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.
Pie-eating contest
Use a range of fundraising event features, such as online registration, on-the-spot payments, and seamless check-ins.
DIY gingerbread house kits
Make holiday magic easy for families by preparing gingerbread house kits they can buy for a small cost that supports your cause. Offer kits with larger houses or extra decorations for added fun and funds, which you can highlight in your custom your donation forms.
Harvest dinner party
Back-to-school sale
Get everyone set up for the new school year with a back-to-school sale. Sell items like stationery, backpacks, water bottles, and other accessories for kids of all ages.
Customize online tickets with the name and image of each product, so your supporters can easily choose between the items on sale.
Oktoberfest
Take inspiration from the popular German event and host your own Oktoberfest with carnival games, a haunted house, and plenty of beer and non-alcoholic drinks.
This fall festival idea is a great way to raise funds for your cause and give your supporters an exciting day out.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular autumn festival games?
Carnival games and family-friendly activities like face painting and pumpkin decorating will draw in the crowds and raise awareness (and funds) for your good cause. A chili cook-off or other food-based competitions are always a big draw, too!
What are the most profitable fall fundraising ideas?
If you’re raising money to hit a lofty fundraising goal, sell tickets to an exclusive, high-priced event like a gala or harvest dinner party with a silent auction. Or, charge an entry fee for a kids vs. grownups football game. Partnering with local businesses is always a great way to offset costs.
You can also start a fun social media challenge and peer-to-peer fundraising campaign to encourage friends and family to join in on the action.
How do I plan and promote my fall fundraiser?
Planning your next fall fundraiser just got easier, thanks to our handy event planning checklist. Follow our guide for step-by-step help, from idea brainstorming and event promotion all the way through to hosting your event debrief.
Which are the easiest fall fundraisers to host?
Fall-themed fundraising ideas like a haunted house or Oktoberfest are tons of fun, but they also take a lot of planning. If you’re looking for easy fall fundraising ideas, our favorite picks include hosting a pumpkin carving contest, a Halloween costumed bake sale, or a nature photography walk.
%201.png)
Subscribe to
The Butter Brief
Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox

Givebutter helps you turn ideas into impact
.webp)
Subscribe to
The Butter Brief
Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox

The most-loved fundraising platform
.png)
%201.png)


.jpg)
%201.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
%20(1).png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
%20(2).png)
%20(1).png)


.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)

.png)

%20(1).png)
.png)
%20(1).png)
%20(1).png)
.png)
.png)
.png)

.png)
.png)
.png)
%20(3).png)
.png)
.png)
%20(1).png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)