Nonprofit fundraising ideas
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Street clean up
Partner with local businesses to sponsor the day and encourage donations toward your charity or group.
Grown-up bake sale
Collect in-person payments with scan-to-donate, which gives donors a wide range of payment options.
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.
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.
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.
Flower bouquets
Create a fundraising page with custom donation amounts featuring a photo of each kind of bouquet and the number available so donors can reserve bouquets online or purchase in person.
Date auction
Brave individuals offer themselves up for your auction to go on a date with the highest bidders. This idea is a little bit dated, but with the right planning, you can have a lot of fun with it.
Ask sponsoring restaurants to donate gift certificates to bring in more bids for these “items” and make for an easy, in-public location for each date.
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!
Plant sale
Ask your green-thumbed community members to grow their best seedlings and plants for a future plant sale to raise much-needed funds. Or, send a sponsorship proposal to a local plant nursery to sign on as your event sponsor or partner.
Pop-up clothing shop
Ask community members to purge their wardrobes and donate sell-worthy items to your cause. Host a pop-up clothing shop at a local venue and sell tickets for entry!
Coding bootcamp
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.
Pumpkin Games
Perfect for the Halloween season, challenge participants to a pay-to-play series of games like pumpkin races and decorating contests. Sell tickets in advance or on the day of using scan-to-donate or Venmo.
Text-to-donate
With text-to-donate, raising funds is as easy as sending a text. Display your shortcode at fundraising events, share it on social media, or add it to signs so your supporters give using their mobile devices right on the spot—no matter where they are.
See for yourself how easy it is! Text “DEMO” to 53-555.
Ugly sweater run
Raffle
Ask your sponsors and community members to donate items or experiences, then raffle them off! The sky’s the limit when it comes to raffle ticket prizes: gift baskets, movie tickets, artwork—anything your community members will love.
Just be sure to check your state laws regarding raffles before you start planning!
Color run
Spray participants with brightly colored powder along the course of your charity fun run. By the end, runners will be rainbow-ed! Set up a photo booth at the finish line for selfies, and encourage donations on social media via a scan-to-donate code.
5k walk/run
Map out your fundraising run route and have supporters donate to participate. Then, use peer-to-peer and team fundraising tools that let supporters create their own donation pages, set goals, and ask friends and family to contribute!
Pet yoga
Ask a local yoga teacher to lead a class with adoptable animals—or invite participants bring their pets along for some zen!
Make this fundraising event even better by asking a local yoga studio to be a sponsor.
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.
24-hour relay race
Create the ultimate relay race to raise funds for your cause. Participants create individual or team fundraising pages where friends and family can show their support with donations and progress toward their goal in real time.
Popcorn fundraiser
Silent auction
Swap your traditional auction for a silent one, where supporters or live audience members can bid any time before the auction ends. With a silent auction, your supporters are able to bid on items online or with their phones via QR code, making it easy and accessible for all.
Community resource fair
All you can eat buffet
A free event ticketing platform can help you organize and manage your evening and check people in from your mobile device without any stress.
Frequently asked questions
How do I raise money for my nonprofit?
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.
Which ideas for nonprofit fundraising are the easiest?
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.
What are the most profitable nonprofit fundraising ideas?
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.
How can I raise money for my nonprofit fast?
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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