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All fundraising ideas
Cheap fundraising ideas
Making an impact doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. Changemakers looking to raise funds without burning a hole in their pockets can choose from hundreds of inexpensive fundraising ideas. This list of lower-cost and free fundraising ideas will help you reach your goal without breaking the bank.
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Storybook Character Dress-Up Day
Invite students to come to school dressed as their favorite storybook characters. Charge a small participation fee and organize storytimes throughout the day.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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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
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Read-a-thon
Students pledge to read a certain number of minutes each day and collect donations for each minute read or a flat rate. To gamify your efforts, use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage readers to compete to see who reads—and raises—the most.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Open mic night
Invite community members to perform music, poetry, or comedy for a good cause. Ask audience members to make a small donation and offer snacks to raise more funds using easy in-person mobile payments like Tap to Pay and scan-to-donate.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Virtual movie night
Use Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) to host a virtual family movie night fundraising event on the streaming service of your choice. Ask movie trivia questions throughout to make the evening more interactive!
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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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
Inspiration
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Pizza party
Each class or grade creates a team fundraising page for easy donations and campaign sharing. The team that raises the most or brings in the most donations is rewarded with a bottomless pizza day, either made by volunteers or donated from a local pizzeria.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Grab bags
Reach out to local businesses and ask them to donate a small number of products that you can bundle together and offer donors online.
To attract more partnerships from businesses, create a sponsorship proposal that emphasizes the benefits for them, like free publicity and marketing opportunities.
To attract more partnerships from businesses, create a sponsorship proposal that emphasizes the benefits for them, like free publicity and marketing opportunities.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Auctions
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
Inspiration
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Fundraising page
Donation forms
Pay you not to ask me again
Give your supporters a way to opt out of all your upcoming donation requests during a big fundraising effort. If they contribute via your donation form before a certain date, you’ll take them off your email and call list for the whole campaign! Then, you can easily segment your email list with your built-in CRM and marketing tools.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
Inspiration
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Food truck smorgasbord
Invite food trucks to a big game or event and ask them in return to donate a portion of all food sales to your team. To really sweeten the sponsorship opportunity, offer benefits for these small businesses, like free marketing and publicity.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
Inspiration
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Shave for the cause
Create a peer to peer fundraising campaign and invite participants to create their own pages and compete to raise the most funds. Watch the leaderboard for live updates on who’s in the lead. The person with the highest amount raised or the most individual donations will shave their head—or nominate someone else to shave their own!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Team sponsorship
Ask local businesses to sponsor your team in exchange for logo placement on jerseys, in programs, or on stadium banners. Be sure to follow sponsorship proposal best practices to make the most of this partnership!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Inspiration
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Donation forms
Fitness class
Ask local instructors to donate a virtual or in-person class for your cause. Sell tickets and bring in some extra funds on the day of by selling snacks and branded merch.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Family and friends game night
Sell custom event ticket types and group tickets that offer unlimited access to games. Or, charge a certain amount of tickets per game.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Puppy party
Team up with your local animal shelter to host an event to raise awareness and funds for both the shelter and your organization or campaign. Attendees get bonus puppy snuggles!
At the event, highlight the different mobile giving options your supporters can choose from with live display.
At the event, highlight the different mobile giving options your supporters can choose from with live display.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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High five booth
Brighten up someone’s day and raise money for a good cause. Set up a booth where passers-by or event attendees can make a donation of their choice and receive a high-five from you or your volunteers.
Make the donation process as quick and easy as the high-five itself—send people straight to your donation form with scan-to-donate.
Make the donation process as quick and easy as the high-five itself—send people straight to your donation form with scan-to-donate.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Inspiration
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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
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The guessing game
At your next event, fill a jar with candy and, for a small fee, invite people to guess how many pieces are in the jar. The closest guess wins all the candy!
Use scan-to-donate to send guessers directly to your donation page for easy on-the-spot giving. Print the QR code onto a poster, or display it on a tablet or screen on your stand.
Use scan-to-donate to send guessers directly to your donation page for easy on-the-spot giving. Print the QR code onto a poster, or display it on a tablet or screen on your stand.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Inspiration
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Donate or dare
Pledge to do something wild, exciting, or newsworthy if your fundraising campaign hits or exceeds its target.
Share regular campaign updates and add a goal bar to your fundraising page to keep the momentum going and encourage more donations.
Share regular campaign updates and add a goal bar to your fundraising page to keep the momentum going and encourage more donations.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Fundraising page
Peer-to-peer
Recycling drive
Ask supporters to collect recyclable materials like cans, bottles, or even old tech, then use a service that helps you turn these items into cash.
Recycling drives work as great long-term fundraising activities. Keep your supporters engaged and remind them where and when they can drop off materials with your email marketing software.
Recycling drives work as great long-term fundraising activities. Keep your supporters engaged and remind them where and when they can drop off materials with your email marketing software.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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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
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Crowdfunding campaign
Collect online donations from friends, family, and community members by creating a fundraising page that lays out your needs and the impact that you will make with the money you raise. Use photos and videos to make your story more engaging, and use a goal bar to showcase your progress.
Be sure to follow crowdfunding best practices in order to make your campaign an even bigger success!
Be sure to follow crowdfunding best practices in order to make your campaign an even bigger success!
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
Inspiration
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Fundraising page
High heels walk
Instead of a 5k, organize a high heels walk down a “runway” of your choice. Challenge supporters to see who can raise the most funds leading up to the event through peer-to-peer fundraising—and who can rock the best look. Encourage your supporters to personalize their pages to attract more donations!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Frequently asked questions
What is the most affordable fundraising idea?
The most affordable, low-cost fundraising ideas typically utilize existing resources and free tools. Many nonprofits launch online fundraising campaigns with free fundraising software or organize events with low overhead, such as car washes, bake sales, or virtual talent shows in which participants donate their time and artistry for the cause.
Is there a free fundraising platform?
Yes! Givebutter is an all-in-one fundraising platform that is completely free to use. Unlike other fundraising websites, Givebutter pricing doesn’t include hefty subscriptions or hidden fees. Instead, it’s funded by optional tips from donors.
How do I start a free fundraiser?
If you want to start a free fundraiser, the best tool you can use is an online fundraising page where you can easily collect donations and spread the word about your efforts.
It takes just a few minutes to create a free Givebutter account and launch any campaign, whether it’s a donation form, a peer-to-peer fundraiser, or a livestream event. Plus, don’t forget to take advantage of Givebutter’s full suite of CRM and engagement tools to streamline your efforts for fundraising that’s free and easy.
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