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All fundraising ideas
Food fundraising ideas
In fundraising, as in life, one thing is certain: food is the way to the heart. If you’re looking to raise money for your school, nonprofit, sports team, or another worthy cause, we’ve got some of the best food fundraiser ideas that are sure to delight your donors.
From food truck festivals and chili-cookoffs to potluck dinners and bake sales that are perfect for school fundraisers, check out these easy food fundraising ideas to inspire every inner chef.
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Board game night
Host a pay-to-play fundraising event where participants can compete against their friends in games like UNO or Sorry. Sell goodies for competitors to snack on to make this event extra sweet.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Inspiration
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All
Events
LGBTQ+ trivia night
Charge a registration fee for a fun night of testing your LGBTQ+ knowledge. To raise additional funds at this fundraising event, sell pride-themed merch, drinks, and snacks, too!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Pumpkin carving contest
See who can carve or decorate the best pumpkin while raising funds for your community group or cause. Award prizes in different categories for kids, families, and talented adults.
Make it easy as pumpkin pie for participants to vote for the winners with a small donation using text-to-donate.
Make it easy as pumpkin pie for participants to vote for the winners with a small donation using text-to-donate.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Scavenger hunt
Set up a themed scavenger hunt in your venue, neighborhood, or across the entire town. Charge participants a small entrance fee and offer fun, donated prizes for the winners.
Streamline the process of selling tickets and create a hub for your hunt with a fundraising event page. Any energy saved can be spent on making your event even more exciting!
Streamline the process of selling tickets and create a hub for your hunt with a fundraising event page. Any energy saved can be spent on making your event even more exciting!
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Cupcake wars
Have kids prepare their favorite cupcake recipe to sell at a cupcake-only bake sale. To add some friendly competition in the mix, invite supporters to vote on their favorite treats by making a donation to the tastiest cupcake’s team fundraising page. Watch the results roll in on the live leaderboard and offer prizes for the winners!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Fundraising page
Donation forms
Summer day out
Raise funds and give your supporters a memorable experience at the same time with an excursion to an exciting attraction, museum, or other destination.
Use a fundraising event page to make registration and payment easy, and add custom fields to capture important information from each participant, such as t-shirt size or dietary restrictions.
Use a fundraising event page to make registration and payment easy, and add custom fields to capture important information from each participant, such as t-shirt size or dietary restrictions.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Obstacle course
Challenge supporters to complete a course of obstacles like walls, mud pits, and rope climbs. To amplify your impact, and spark some friendly competition, encourage team fundraising: all supporters can join an existing team or create their own to compete!
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Office mini-golf tournament
Transform your office space into a mini-golf course for a day! Employees create teams and pay a small fee to participate—or, to raise even more money, encourage coworkers to set up their own fundraising pages and accept donations from friends and family.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Peer-to-peer
Events
Superhero training camp
Sell tickets to a “training” camp where participants undergo exercises to become superheroes (think obstacle courses and agility tests).
After your event, use email marketing software to share your gratitude with participants and volunteers along with pictures you captured of the day!
After your event, use email marketing software to share your gratitude with participants and volunteers along with pictures you captured of the day!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Trivia night
At this crowd-favorite activity, you can come up with fun questions, charge entry fees for teams, and raise extra money by providing sweet and salty snacks.
Make the evening go even smoother with seamless attendee check-ins and easy payment options like Tap to pay, Venmo donations, and scan-to-donate.
Make the evening go even smoother with seamless attendee check-ins and easy payment options like Tap to pay, Venmo donations, and scan-to-donate.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Adopt-a-mile fundraiser
Raise funds for a mission trip by asking congregation members to “adopt a mile.” This is a fun way to tie your fundraising activity into the experience and drive donations closer to your goal.
Highlight how close you are to reaching your target by displaying a live goal bar on your fundraising page, where the fundraising goal total equals the number of miles.
Highlight how close you are to reaching your target by displaying a live goal bar on your fundraising page, where the fundraising goal total equals the number of miles.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Fundraising page
Donation forms
Beach Games
Plan an exciting beach competition including an Olympics-style championship for events like volleyball, surfing, and sandcastle making.
Ask participants to pay a small fee to register and raise even more funds by selling cold drinks and ice cream.
Ask participants to pay a small fee to register and raise even more funds by selling cold drinks and ice cream.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
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:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Spring cleaning
Rally volunteers together for a spring cleaning of your community space or a street in your neighborhood. Reach out to local businesses to sponsor the event and offer supplies. Then, invite donations from your local community with scan-to-donate signage as you work!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms
Fundraising page
5k walk/run
Map out your fundraising run route and have supporters donate to participate. Then, use peer-to-peer fundraising tools that allow supporters to make their own donation pages, set their own goals, and ask friends and family to contribute!
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Year-end fundraiser
Celebrate the end of the year with a big annual fundraiser. Host an event and attract donations and support with a silent auction, peer-to-peer campaign, and more.
Use the year-end giving checklist to make sure you’ve covered every angle!
Use the year-end giving checklist to make sure you’ve covered every angle!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Inspiration
All
Donation forms
Events
Fundraising page
Auctions
Discount Cards
Create and sell discount card coupon books full of deals to local restaurants and businesses. Sell the coupon books on a custom donation form and share it far and wide!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Donation forms
Fundraising page
Rah-rah raffle
Raffle or auction off donated spirit-related items or experiences like a spot at a cheer clinic and private cheer lessons.
To attract the right audience, host a silent auction at your next spirited event with these experiences included!
To attract the right audience, host a silent auction at your next spirited event with these experiences included!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Auctions
Jeans day / Out of uniform day
Sell passes for a day out of uniform or a day in jeans. Allow parents to pre-pay ahead or donate on the day-of the event. For easy payments, use scan-to-donate or accept Venmo and other convenient options.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Donation forms
Night at the museum
Secure a sponsorship from a local museum and invite families and community members to pay a donation to enjoy a crowd-free evening of fun.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Weeknight meal cooking class
Reach out to local chefs to volunteer to host a class or series for cooking easy weeknight dinners. To make this event virtual, livestream the class(es) so that donors can watch and cook along from home!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Crafts night
Charge an entrance fee and check-in attendees as they arrive for an evening of creativity and fun. Ask volunteers to bring various supplies, or ask for donations from local art stores.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Inspiration
All
Events
Community cookbook
Create and sell a custom cookbook featuring favorite recipes from your community members and families. To drum up excitement and spread the word, share sneak peek photos on your custom fundraising page.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Fundraising page
Fall carnival
Host your very own fall-themed festival with live music, food and drink, local vendors, and carnival games.
Ask local businesses for supplies and prize donations and raise funds through refreshments, games, and stallholder fees.
Ask local businesses for supplies and prize donations and raise funds through refreshments, games, and stallholder fees.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Inspiration
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Events
Donation forms
Fundraising page
Trike-a-thon
Create a race course and encourage family and friends to sponsor your little big-wheel racers by making a donation on their behalf on your fundraising page.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Fundraising page
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best food to sell for fundraising?
The best culinary delights to include when hosting a food fundraiser will depend your target audience, location, and season. You can really never go wrong with crowd-pleasers like pizza, hot dogs, tacos, and baked goods, but the best food ideas for fundraising will ultimately depend on the taste buds of your community. Be sure to also consider cost, preparation time, and potential profit margins as you make your decision!
How do food fundraisers work?
Food fundraisers involve selling delicious treats or hosting culinary events to raise funds for a cause. Usually, organizations promote the event through channels like email and social media and charge an admission fee to attend.
Another option is to team up with local restaurants and chefs. Often called a “restaurant takeover,” organizations invite community members to dine for a cause, and a percentage of the profits from the night go directly to your mission!
How do I set up a food fundraiser?
Setting up a food fundraiser consists of a few key steps. First, decide on the type of food you want to sell or the food-related event you wish to host. Next, plan the details, such as the menu, venue, pricing, and target fundraising goal. Then, promote the fundraiser food idea through various channels to attract attendees or customers. Finally, handle sales, collect funds, and thank your hungry supporters!
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