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All fundraising ideas
Virtual fundraising ideas
Raising money through a virtual fundraiser is a powerful way to get more supporters involved in your cause—anyone around the globe can join and donate! The possibilities are endless when it comes to online fundraising ideas, but we’ve assembled a list of favorites, including virtual happy hours, livestream telethons, and book clubs, to help get your own digital party started.
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Employee appreciation day
Hosting an employee appreciation day is a great opportunity for workplace giving. Let your employees know how valued they are with a special day in their honor, during which you ask for their preferred charity and make a donation on their behalf.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Donation forms
Autographed jersey auction
Connected to the right people? Procure and auction off autographed jerseys (or other memorabilia) to your supporters. You’d be surprised how willing athletes are to offer their signature for a good cause! Take advantage of intuitive auction software for simple and easy bidding, custom item descriptions, and more—no matter if your auction is in-person or completely virtual.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Auctions
LGBTQ+ workshop series
Charge a registration fee for a series of educational workshops or panel discussions on topics such as gender identity, allyship, and queer history.
Spread the word and follow up with attendees using free email marketing software.
Spread the word and follow up with attendees using free email marketing software.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Inspiration
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Events
Grown-up bake sale
Sell donated or homemade gourmet goodies like croissants and macarons for the ultimate grownups-with-a-sweet-tooth fundraiser.
Collect in-person payments with scan-to-donate, which gives donors a wide range of payment options.
Collect in-person payments with scan-to-donate, which gives donors a wide range of payment options.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Inspiration
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Events
Pancake breakfast
There’s nothing like pancakes to bring a community together. Charge an entry fee for an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, and ask a local restaurant to sponsor the event to make your fundraiser even sweeter.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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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.
Set up an online fundraising event page where participants can register and supporters can make donations.
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Inspiration
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Events
Special series
Create programming for a special series of sermons designed to help raise money for your current fundraising project.
Tie sermons directly to your goal and reach more supporters by livestreaming right from your fundraising page. Anyone can tune into the stream, make a donation, and learn about your campaign all in one place.
Tie sermons directly to your goal and reach more supporters by livestreaming right from your fundraising page. Anyone can tune into the stream, make a donation, and learn about your campaign all in one place.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Events
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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Peer-to-peer
Easter gift basket auction
Source delicious treats and seasonal goodies to create a selection of Easter gift baskets for an eggcellent silent auction.
Combine classic Easter baskets (chocolate eggs, bunnies, etc.) with other awesome silent auction basket ideas to offer biddable items for the whole family.
Combine classic Easter baskets (chocolate eggs, bunnies, etc.) with other awesome silent auction basket ideas to offer biddable items for the whole family.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Auctions
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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Peer-to-peer
Legacy giving
Encourage supporters to make a planned gift to your organization (e.g., bequests, charitable trusts, or beneficiary designations) to leave a lasting legacy. Wealth screening software can help you identify the best donors to reach out to right in your CRM.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
Inspiration
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Donation forms
Community resource fair
Reserve a large space like a parking lot or school gym and sell booths to local vendors. Invite the community and charge a small entrance fee with easy mobile giving tools like Tap to Pay or scan-to-donate.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Pie-eating contest
Ask local bakeries and volunteers to contribute pies, then host a pie-eating contest with a ticket price for entry. Sell refreshments (including slices of pie!) to raise extra funds.
Use a range of fundraising event features, such as online registration, on-the-spot payments, and seamless check-ins.
Use a range of fundraising event features, such as online registration, on-the-spot payments, and seamless check-ins.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Inspiration
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Peer-to-peer
Events
Local celebrities
Invite a local children’s book author or beloved mascot to an event. Guests will pay a fee to attend, ask questions, and take photos!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Church choir performance
Organize a night of beautiful singing performed by your talented church choir. Sell tickets for a small fee and invite audience members to make donations at the end of the celebration from their phones with an easy text-to-donate code.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Movies in the park
Ask your community members to join you for a series of movies in the park this summer. Screen a classic or trending movie somewhere scenic, and sell popcorn, drinks, and other refreshments.
Sell tickets online, check guests in with your mobile app, and offer easy payment methods like scan-to-donate for on-the-spot donations.
Sell tickets online, check guests in with your mobile app, and offer easy payment methods like scan-to-donate for on-the-spot donations.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Pet spa day
Recruit volunteers to perform various pet grooming services like bathing and nail trimming. Charge a fee for every “treatment” at this fundraising event by offering tiered ticket types for various services and combinations.
Cost:
2
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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Drag bingo
Sell bingo cards for a night of drag entertainment and competition! Winners receive donated prizes. To raise even more at this memorable fundraising event, offer drink specials and sell eye-catching merch.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Costume contest
Throw a themed costume party to match the season or holiday and award prizes for the best costumes! Sell tickets to your fundraising event online and work with local sponsors to offset costs and spread the word.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Town hall event
Host a town hall event to give community members an opportunity to learn about your organization, program, or new project. Display your text-to-give code prominently around the space to raise funds from inspired audience members.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Wine pull
Collect donated bottles of wine, disguise the labels, and invite attendees to buy them blindly to discover what they’ve won. For some extra fundraising, host a livestream wine-tasting class afterward for everyone to learn more about their picks.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
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Auctions
That’s a wrap
Students make donations to buy sections of toilet paper. At the end of the fundraising period, they get to wrap their teacher with it! For a smoother process, set custom donation amounts and labels on your fundraising page or donation form.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Inspiration
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Fundraising page
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Frequently asked questions
What is a virtual fundraiser?
A virtual or online fundraiser is a campaign or event created to raise money for a good cause that happens entirely on the World Wide Web. While using the Internet to raise funds has been happening for quite some time, this strategy became even more popular during the pandemic when in-person events were prohibited and social distancing was a must.
Unlike in-person fundraising, virtual fundraisers allow people to participate from wherever they are using their computers, phones, or other mobile devices. It's like bringing the fundraising party to your living room! You can connect with others online and support a good cause without having to leave the comfort of your own home.
How can I raise money virtually?
Good causes can raise money online through various channels, such as donation pages, peer-to-peer fundraising, or crowdfunding campaigns, as well as events like livestream concerts, talent shows, and auctions.
Some of the best virtual fundraising event ideas leverage social media (Facebook Live, social media takeovers, etc.), email campaigns, and text-to-donate tools to bring in more donations. Corporate sponsorships, partnerships with local businesses, matching gift programs, and online merchandise sales can also help boost virtual fundraising efforts, too.
What is the best online fundraising site?
The top fundraising sites include popular options like Givebutter, GoFundMe, Fundly, Kickstarter, and Donorbox. Each platform offers different features, fees, and support, so it's important to research and choose the one that aligns best with your fundraising goals and needs.
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