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LGBTQ+ fundraising ideas

Whether you’re a nonprofit community center that serves queer youth or an individual looking to raise funds for a cause that’s close to your heart, we’ve got a list of the best LGBTQ fundraiser ideas—from pride-themed merchandise sales to dance-a-thons, trivia nights, and everything in between.

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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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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.
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Holiday-grams

Put together bundles of holiday cards and small gifts and charge extra for distribution at your club, school, college, or workplace.

Customize your donation form with custom fields to collect all the details you need—such as the recipient’s name, a personalized, heartfelt holiday message, and where the gram should be delivered.
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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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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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Community service day

Organize volunteers to take part in a day of community care in which you work together to tackle projects and tasks in exchange for donations from your community members. 

Showcase every project or fundraiser you’re working on with a central giving hub. Your supporters can then see all your amazing work in one place.
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Photo contest

Run a short photo contest for an inexpensive, all-ages fundraiser. Choose a theme, charge a small fee to enter, and invite community members to submit their photos alongside their donations in your supporter feed

Raise even more by turning the top photos into a deck of cards or a calendar. 
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Drive-in movie night

Turn a parking lot and the side of a building into a makeshift drive-in movie theater. Charge an entrance fee and raise funds by selling drinks and snacks.

Sell tickets for your fundraising event in advance, and use engaging features like scan-to-donate and mobile app check-in to streamline your guests' experience.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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Celebrity guest appearance

Invite minor or major league players or other celebrity guests to your fundraising event to make a general appearance, offer a meet-and-greet session for VIPs, or participate in the event themselves! You can sell tickets and offer food and drink at an additional cost to make this fundraising event a big win for your cause.
Cost:
2
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2
Impact:
3
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Fourth of July party

Celebrate our nation’s independence with a red, white, and blue fundraiser! Work with businesses to secure sponsorships and an amazing venue, then sell tickets to your fundraising event, filled with food, music, and activities.
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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:
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Impact:
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Pride-themed merch sale

Design and sell pride-themed merchandise such as t-shirts, buttons, stickers, and flags. To drum up excitement, create a custom donation form, event, or fundraising page that includes images of the available items. 
Cost:
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Field day

Invite participants to register for a day of fun outdoor games and competitions, like relay races, a water balloon toss, and a good old-fashioned tug-of-war. 

Make your fundraising event a success with sponsorships from local businesses to offset costs and bring in more participants. 
Cost:
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Impact:
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Tool drive

Rather than requesting a financial gift, ask supporters to donate new or gently used tools and construction equipment for your programs and services. Or, sell them in an annual community tool sale. Don’t forget to send friendly reminders and guidelines on what kinds of tools can be donated using free email marketing software!
Cost:
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Impact:
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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. 
Cost:
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Impact:
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Ice cream social

Set up an ice cream stall with different flavors, cones, toppings, and sauces. Raise funds by asking for donations to unlock the most popular or extravagant toppings.

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!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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Chili cook-off

Invite participants to prepare their best chili for attendees—and offer prizes for the winner! Create team fundraising pages for each chili recipe/culinary team. There, supporters can cast their vote with a donation and watch the live leaderboard to see which chef is in the lead!
Cost:
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Impact:
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Box Top fundraiser

Until recently, students had to cut out labels found on participating grocery items and submit them for cash grants for their school, but now it’s even easier with the Box Tops for Education App. Just make sure to send reminders to parents using free email marketing software.
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Staff vs. students

Organize an afternoon of relay races, obstacle courses, and brain teasers at your school and challenge teachers to partake. Be sure to create a fun and engaging event page where attendees can easily purchase tickets!
Cost:
2
Effort:
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Impact:
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Talent show

Stage a talent show and invite members to take to the stage to show off their skills. Sell tickets, drinks, and snacks to raise money.

Make the whole experience feel even more interactive with text-to-donate. Invite audience members to vote from their seats and raise money for your cause at the same time.
Cost:
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Coding bootcamp

Partner with coding organizations and offer students discounted class fees and programs. Be sure to include some appealing benefits for participating companies in your corporate sponsorship proposal, like free marketing and publicity.
Cost:
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Car wash

Gather volunteers, soap, and plenty of rags to wash cars in exchange for donations. Collect onsite donations easily by displaying a simple scan-to-donate QR code, which allows donors to select from a variety of payment methods. You can even offer different package options for those who are willing to donate more for a deeper clean.
Cost:
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Cold water plunge

Challenge your supporters to take a dip in an icy cold body of water to raise funds and awareness for your cause! Participants can set up their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages connected to your campaign, where they can share their stories, set a personal target, and bring in donations from friends and family. 
Cost:
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Impact:
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Family photo day

Partner with a local photographer and charge a fee for photo packages with themed backdrops or props. Create custom tickets with time slots for families to sign up to keep the day moving smoothly. 
Cost:
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Snowman contest

If you've been lucky to have enough snow, host a pop-up snowman contest for your local area. Invite everyone to take part, tour the entries, and then award the winner with a prize donated by a local business. Use team fundraising pages and encourage people to donate to vote—they’ll be able to see who’s winning on the live leaderboard!
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Frequently asked questions

Pride fundraising ideas are as diverse as LGBTQ+ communities. Reach out to local nonprofits to see if you can join any current fundraising campaigns, or offer to organize one on their behalf. 

Gather a group of volunteers and decide how you’ll raise money: Hosting a pride-themed merch sale? Selling tickets to a special Drag Queen Story Hour? Whatever shape your pride fundraiser takes, be sure to collaborate with local businesses and influencers to amplify your fundraising efforts and reach a wider audience during your local gay pride parade, too!

Social media campaigns and fun events that bring people together are two ways that you can celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and raise money and awareness for organizations that create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals. Strategies like peer-to-peer fundraising also help rally community support and raise funds for LGBTQ+ nonprofits. 

Consider sharing educational content, like a history of the Stonewall Riots, to grow an understanding of the struggles of LGBTQ people, and show how organizations are continuing the fight for equality today.

Some popular LGBTQ+ fundraising ideas include queer trivia nights, pride art auctions, and drag bingo. Additionally, you can offer pride-themed products or services with a portion of the proceeds donated to LGBTQ+ nonprofits.

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