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Fundraising ideas

We’ve got the best fundraising ideas for good causes of all shapes and sizes! Check out our curated lists or browse all fundraising ideas below by cost, effort, and impact.

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Beach day

Arrange a day of sand and sun for your team members, volunteers, and the wider community with beach games, a picnic, and lots of family fun. 

Set an affordable ticket price or ask for donations to cover the cost of the event and raise funds—whichever you choose, our fundraising event tools can help!
Cost:
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Inspiration
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Events

Give $5, grab 5 friends

Ask your supporters to donate $5 to your cause. Then, each donor has to tag at least five people via social media. The goal is that each person who gets tagged matches that $5 gift to your campaign—and then tags five others.

This is a great social media fundraising idea that can spread quickly within your community, helping you raise funds fast.
Cost:
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Effort:
2
Impact:
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Inspiration
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Donation forms
Fundraising page
Peer-to-peer

You name it

Come up with a creative fundraiser with a cathy name like “Pancakes for Parents” brunch or a “Chicken Wings for Cheerleaders.” To get supporters excited, create a custom fundraising page full of on-theme photos, videos, ands more! 
Cost:
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Events

Building tour

If you're opening a new building, offer a VIP tour to your community members. Set a ticket price or auction them off. To raise the most from your VIP building tour, use auction software to host a fun and stress-free experience for your supporters.
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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. 
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Peer-to-peer

Pet contest

For National Pet Week, plan a pet competition. Ask people to send in photos of their pets to be judged in various categories like Funniest Pet or Most Adorable. Charge an entry fee, and work with local companies to sponsor a prize.

Invite people to submit their pets via your supporter feed for an engaging way to send in photos alongside their donations.
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Events
Fundraising page
Donation forms

Membership drive

Incentivize supporters to invite friends and family to sign up for a membership during a specific period of time. Offer discounted rates or additional perks, and accept recurring donations with ease on a user-friendly platform.
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Fundraising page
Donation forms

Pet run/walk

Invite community members to bring their furry friends along to walk in a charity 5k. Encourage participants to create individual fundraising pages that feature their pets, set a donation goal, and help spread the word about the cause. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
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Inspiration
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Workshop or masterclass

Put your community’s talents to good use.  Host an expert workshop or masterclass series and raise funds through ticket sales.

You don’t need to limit your audience to only the people you can fit in the room. Consider livestreaming your event to make it more accessible and raise even more dollars.
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Events
Auctions

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. 
Cost:
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Inspiration
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Auctions

Photography walk

Invite a photographer to host a tour around the local area, taking in the sights of the season. Sell tickets in advance and use an easy mobile app to check in guests and take any last-minute payments on the day of. 
Cost:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Donation forms
Events

Maze for a cause

If you don’t have corn maze capabilities, find a large outdoor space where you can build a maze from hay bales!

Charge an entrance fee to walk the maze, and make transactions easy with scan-to-donate and Tap to Pay options. 
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Events
Donation forms

Pet-friendly bake sale

Choose a location in a high-pet-traffic area, request treat donations from pet supply stores, and get to selling! Offer multiple methods for payment including scan-to-donate and Venmo.
Cost:
1
Effort:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Events

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. 
Cost:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Auctions

Sponge toss

For this fundraising event, charge a small fee per soggy sponge and let students throw them at each other outside during a pep rally or other event. For easy participation, offer scan-to-donate and accept multiple payment methods like Apple Pay, Venmo, and more.
Cost:
1
Effort:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
All
Events

Alumni night

Sell tickets to an all-inclusive alumni dinner before a big game or event. During half-time or intermission, bring out the alumni for special recognition. Alternatively, you can livestream a special alumni message during a virtual event.
Cost:
3
Effort:
3
Impact:
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Inspiration
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Events

Give it up challenge

Invite supporters to “give up” something small like their morning coffee order for a set amount of time and donate those funds towards your campaign instead. 

Create a fundraising page for your challenge, including a list of ideas and suggested donation amounts. Share campaign updates and donor shout-outs to keep momentum going toward your goal! 
Cost:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Fundraising page
Peer-to-peer

Church camp dessert bake-off

Challenge your church camp attendees to a bake-off to raise money for your next big project or trip. Bakers offer samples of their treats in exchange for donations from parishioners and community members, and a panel of judges can award prizes for the best s’mores, cupcakes, and ice cream sundaes. 
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Events

Water balloon fight

Celebrate the arrival or end of summer with a water balloon fight, all in the aid of a great cause. Invite individuals or teams to pay to enter and encourage them to set up peer-to-peer fundraising pages to raise donations from friends and family members before the big day.

With team fundraising pages, their individual efforts can be tallied up with their teammates’!
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Donation forms

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. 
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
All
Events

Pet costume contest

Invite owners to enter their pets in costume categories such as "cutest" or "most creative." Charge an entry fee and ask attendees to vote on their stylish furry favorite by donating to the pet’s individual fundraising page
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Fundraising page

Scratch card fundraiser

Buy a bulk batch of scratch cards from a wholesaler. Each circle hides a dollar amount, usually ranging from 50 cents to several dollars. Participants scratch off as many sections as they’d like, and the total amount is how much they’ll donate!

Collect cash or accept virtual payments on the spot with Tap-to-Pay, Venmo, and more convenient options.
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Inspiration
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Donation forms
Events

Color run

Spray participants with brightly colored powder along the course of your charity fun run. By the end, runners will be rainbow-ed! Create a photo booth at the end with your scan-to-donate code where runners can take selfies and encourage more donations on social media. 
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
Peer-to-peer

Petting zoo

Partner with a local farm or petting zoo to bring in animals for a day of fun. Charge an entry fee and offer optional donations for extra activities, like pony rides, to raise even more funds. Make sure attendees can make quick payments from their phones, using methods like Venmo or Tap to Pay, so they don't need to return to their cars for cash.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Inspiration
All
Events
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Dive into our list of best fundraising ideas in the meantime 

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