All fundraising ideas

Nonprofit fundraising ideas

From charity balls to penny drives, the possibilities are endless when it comes to raising money for good causes. Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your next big event or seeking creative concepts on a smaller scale, we’ve assembled a whole spread of fundraiser ideas for nonprofits to get you across the finish line.

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Virtual bake sale

Sell homemade or donated treats through a donation form or event page and organize volunteers to make deliveries after purchase! For some additional funds, allow recipients to make a donation alongside their purchase.  
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Auctions

Tree planting day

Plan a day of tree or flower planting to beautify your community. Invite local businesses to sponsor the whole event or an individual plant or tree, and invite donations from the wider community.
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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. 
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Apple bobbing

Set up a stall where people can try apple bobbing in exchange for a small donation. This works well as part of a fall festival or Halloween event where you can set up a range of fun activities for families to get involved with.
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Raise the roof

Challenge your congregation to reach your fundraising goal by pledging that your pastor or ministry leader will sleep on the roof if you hit it—or until you do!

Embed a donation form on your website with a live goal bar, so your community members can see just how close you are to hitting that target.
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Peer-to-peer

TikTok dance-off

Challenge participants to create a dance and post their video to social media. Each person must tag someone and donate once they’ve completed the challenge. 

For easy and simple sharing, create a custom donation form that’s optimized for mobile!
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Lend a helping hand

Let donors "purchase" 2-5 hours of extra help from students or volunteers (think raking leaves or mowing the lawn). 

In order to streamline the process and keep track of contributions, create custom labels for different donation amounts on a special fundraising page or donation form (e.g. $50 = 2 volunteer hours).
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Auctions

Comedy roast

Invite participants to roast their teachers or coaches—in a light-hearted way. Sell tickets online and check-in attendees as they arrive, in addition to offering in-person donations for entry (and snacks!) with Venmo and scan-to-donate. 
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50-yard-line movie night

Hang a projector screen (or large, white sheet) from the goalposts at the football field. Charge a small entrance fee, sell popcorn, and enjoy an outdoor movie night together—football-themed film or not! 
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Bail out the pastor

Lock your pastor or church leader away behind closed doors and ask congregation members to donate towards their freedom. This is a fun and fast-paced way to raise funds quickly! 

Create excitement by displaying a live goal bar on your fundraising page so supporters can watch the total rise in real time. 
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Virtual fun run

Take your fundraising run online or create a hybrid event by encouraging participants to complete a designated distance anytime, anywhere! Be sure to use peer-to-peer fundraising to spread the word and bring in some major funds. 
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Desk decorating contest

Choose a theme and invite all of your coworkers to pay a small entry fee to participate in beautifying their workspace. To determine the best “dressed” desk, ask colleagues to submit a $5 donation per vote on each decorator’s peer-to-peer fundraising page. Watch the leaderboard to see who’s in the lead in real time!
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Rent your space

Rent your field, venue, office, or community space to other groups and organizations to make the most of any time it isn't in use.

Spread the word that your space is available for rent with your email marketing software. Don’t forget to include photos of the space to encourage interest! 
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Movie night

Find a suitable indoor or outdoor space and host a ticketed screening of a fan-favorite movie (bonus if it’s related to your cause!). Sell popcorn, treats, and drinks, too. 

Use Givebutter’s fundraising event tools like online ticket sales, mobile app check-ins, and in-person payments to make it easier for you and your supporters. 
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Youth lock-in

Plan a good old-fashioned lock-in for your younger community members. Charge a registration fee and have chaperones on hand to supervise activities like trivia, movie screenings, and video game tournaments.

Set up an online fundraising event page where participants can register and supporters can make donations. 
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Pajama day

For a small donation, students can come to school in their pajamas and enjoy a cozy day. Accept donations in advance or on the day of via multiple payment methods like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Venmo!
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Refer a friend

For successful referrals to your program, offer your current members discounted membership fees, merchandise, or entry into a raffle. Create custom fields (like “Who referred you?”) on your donation forms to keep track of eligible members.
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Home decor workshop

Charge a registration fee and provide materials for attendees to create their own home decor. Selecting seasonal DIY projects—such as holiday wreaths or pumpkin painting—is a great way to draw a larger crowd. Take this event to the next level by turning it into a competition! Once all projects are completed, attendees can donate to vote for who should be crowned winner.
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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! 
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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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Skate-a-thon

For a fun twist on a walk-a-thon, swap the walking shoes for a pair of rollerblades or quad skates and raise money for a good cause.

Leading up to your event, encourage your participants to create their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages, which they can personalize with their own stories and updates. 
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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.
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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.
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One-day giving event

Take part in Giving Tuesday or create your own giving day in which you mobilize your community to reach your fundraising goal in one day.

Keep your supporters invested in your progress with a goal bar and campaign updates that highlight milestones, matching gifts, and special shout-outs throughout the day.
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Restaurant takeover

Find a local restaurant that will host your fundraising event and donate at least 10-20% of the profits from the evening to your campaign. To really sweeten the sponsorship, offer lots of benefits for participating restaurants like free marketing and publicity. 
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Frequently asked questions

Many valuable funding sources are available for your nonprofit, including foundations, corporate sponsors, and major donors. Our favorite strategy, however, is more grassroots: fundraising campaigns and events that rally community support for your cause, like the ideas shared on this page.
New to fundraising? Learn how to start a fundraiser with step-by-step guidance and even more inspiration.

When it comes to easy fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations, it all depends on your resources, time constraints, and how much you need to raise. One tip is to incorporate your fundraising efforts into pre-existing events, like partnering with a local team to promote your text-to-donate campaign at their next big game.

Pro tip: Offering mobile-friendly payment options makes the entire process easier for youandyour donors.

Some of the highest-raising charity fundraising ideas put the focus—and goal—on a specific day or moment, like Giving Tuesday or an annual benefit auction. Auctions with high-ticket items and campaigns with incentives like matching gifts can also bring in large donations for a more successful fundraiser.

When you need results fast, consider setting up an online fundraiser that includes a social media challenge or some friendly competition. With a peer-to-peer campaign, your supporters can create their own donation pages and spread the word online, building momentum toward your collective fundraising goal.

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