Fundraising ideas

Host a sports clinic or skills camp for participants to learn from top coaches, pro players, or other notable experts. Depending on the scale of your clinic, you can sell several tickets to the public or offer just a few spots as a big-ticket silent auction item at a fundraising event. 

Create and sell discount card coupon books full of deals to local restaurants and businesses. Sell the coupon books on a custom donation form and share it far and wide!

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.

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!

Instead of a 5k, organize a high heels walk down a “runway” of your choice. Challenge supporters to see who can raise the most funds leading up to the event through peer-to-peer fundraising—and who can rock the best look. Encourage your supporters to personalize their pages to attract more donations!

Get everyone set up for the new school year with a back-to-school sale. Sell items like stationery, backpacks, water bottles, and other accessories for kids of all ages.

Customize online tickets with the name and image of each product, so your supporters can easily choose between the items on sale.

Set up a booth where passers-by can have their face painted by volunteers in your group in exchange for a small donation.

Make it easy for people to take part with scan-to-donate. All they need to do is scan the QR code and they’ll land on your donation page in seconds.

Whether you’re offering branded merch, boxed lunches, or other appealing products, incentivize even more donations for your cause by pledging to give away one “reward” item for each one purchased. (For example, for every pair of cozy socks sold, you’ll donate a pair to a local shelter.)

Showcase this cycle of generosity on your donation forms using custom labels and donation amounts to make it clear you’ll be making an in-kind donation for every monetary donation received.

Charge a fee for donated guided trail rides or lessons with trained instructors. To give participants access to more activities, offer custom ticket types for this memorable fundraising event.

Invite parents to a fun twist on the pancake breakfast by selling tickets to an adult-only meal at your next fundraising event. Offer extra goodies—like espresso martinis!—at an additional cost.

Map out your fundraising run route and have supporters donate to participate. Then, use peer-to-peer fundraising tools that allow supporters to make their own donation pages, set their own goals, and ask friends and family to contribute!

Ask your sponsors and community members to donate items or experiences, then raffle them off! The sky is the limit when it comes to raffle ticket prizes: gift baskets, movie tickets, artwork—anything that will appeal to your community members. 

Just be sure to check your state laws regarding raffles before you start planning!

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.

Invite employees to bring in baby photos. Hang them all up and ask everyone to make a donation in order to guess which colleague is depicted in each picture!  

Partner with a publisher or local book store and host a book sale to raise money. Sell books of all kinds or organize the event around a theme—romance novels, religious books, or children's literature—whatever will resonate with your community. 

Make sure to spread the word about your sale and send reminders using free email marketing software! 

It’s kids vs. grownups in this ultimate showdown. Ask for a small donation per participant or family or charge a small fee for supporters to come watch it all go down.

For a fun twist on the usual wine tasting, sell tickets online and in person to an ale-tasting event instead. Host an evening of learning about brewing, tasting different beers, and raising money for a good cause.

Ask supporters to wear their spookiest Halloween costume during this fun run, walk, or roll. Be sure to use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage participants to set a donation goal and spread the word. 

At the end, award the winners of the race, the teams or individuals who raised the most, and, of course, the best dressed with special prizes. 

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.

Invite community members to sign up and submit their songs for an unforgettable lip-sync battle. Recruit a volunteer panel of judges to select the winners—and don’t forget prizes for the winners!

Sell tickets for this fundraising event online, streamline check-in, and accept extra donations with the same easy platform.

Source quality school-related items, such as backpacks and shoes, and auction them off during a virtual, in-person, or hybrid event. 

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. 

Invite bakers to submit their best pies for consideration as the dessert offering at your next potluck dinner. 

Community members can make small donations as their “votes” for their favorite pies, and you can display the leaderboard to keep the competitive spirit up and momentum moving toward your fundraising goal throughout the event.

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.