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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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Take a pie to the face
Set up a booth and invite people to pay to throw a pie at willing participants like teachers, bosses, or coaches—the more authority, the more satisfying!
With scan-to-donate, pie throwers use your QR code to land on your donation page instantly—no waiting around.
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Ice cream social
Create a vibrant, themed fundraising page, then send your supporters straight to it with scan-to-donate. From there they can pay for their ice-cream and unlock flavors!
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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!
Lemonade stand
Set up a classic lemonade stand—and maybe add some tasty treats—to raise funds for your cause. Make purchases seamless with scan-to-donate and mobile-friendly donation forms that accept Venmo and other popular payment methods.
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.
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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!
Virtual food/wine tasting
Partner with local eateries and provide tasting kits for participants to enjoy at home for a small fee. Then, host a livestream tasting experience.
BBQ cookout
Farmer’s market
Approach a local farmer’s market with a sponsorship proposal and see if they can host a special fundraising event for your cause or dedicate a certain percentage of their Saturday morning profits to your campaign. Be sure to outline all of the perks that vendors can expect from the collaboration, like free publicity.
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Battle of the food trucks
Partnering with food trucks is a great way to reach your fundraising target. Discover how to secure corporate sponsorships.
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.
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Mother’s Day brunch
Charge a small ticket fee for this fundraising event and offer a selection of refreshments, sandwiches, and sweet treats.
Pancake breakfast
There’s nothing like pancakes to bring a community together. Charge an entry fee for an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, or ask a local restaurant to sponsor the event to make it even sweeter.
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Donut fundraiser
Some bakeries like Krispy Kreme sell their doughnuts at a discounted price to individuals and groups raising money for a good cause.
Create a fundraising page or donation form to promote your efforts and make it easier to sell your sweet treats with multiple payment options wherever you are.
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Easter gift basket auction
Source delicious treats and seasonal goodies to create a selection of Easter gift baskets for aneggcellentsilent auction.
Combine classic Easter baskets (chocolate eggs, bunnies, etc.) with other awesomesilent auction basket ideasto offer biddable items for the whole family.
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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.
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Ale tasting
For a fun twist on the usual wine tasting, sell tickets online and in person to an ale-tasting event instead. Host an evening of learning about brewing, tasting different beers, and raising money for a good cause.
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Pet-friendly bake sale
Choose a location in a high-pet-traffic area, request treat donations from pet supply stores, and get to selling! Offer multiple payment methods, including scan-to-donate and Venmo.
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Pie-eating contest
Use a range of fundraising event features, such as online registration, on-the-spot payments, and seamless check-ins.
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Harvest dinner party
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Apple bobbing
Set up a stall where people can try apple bobbing in exchange for a small donation. This activity works especially well as part of a fall festival or Halloween event with a range of seasonal activities for families to enjoy.
Holiday cookie sale
Whip up some sweet treats to sell at your next fundraising event, group gathering, or around town. Consider setting up a station for supporters to decorate their own cookies or create kits for families to bring home in exchange for a donation.
Streamline the buying process with scan-to-donate—which guest can use to make their payment instantly right from their phones!
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Get top features for your food fundraiser
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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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