Fundraising ideas

Invite students to set up outside local businesses and collect donations from patrons. Donors receive “tags” (stickers) to show they gave. Accept payments via Venmo or scan-to-donate!

Swap a traditional walk-a-thon for a wintry ski-a-thon. Invite supporters to raise funds from friends and family members leading up to the big day through peer-to-peer fundraising, and watch your leaderboard update in real time to reflect who’s raised the most! 

Multiply your reach with a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign in which individuals reach out to their own networks of family, friends, and coworkers to solicit donations for your cause.

Create teams to add some fun competition into the mix—and bring in more donations!

Find a venue, write up some icebreaker cards, and set a time limit for each date. Charge an entrance fee to this fundraising event and watch the sparks fly.

Encourage extra donations if participants find a special someone! 

Raise funds for a mission trip by asking congregation members to “adopt a mile.” This is a fun way to tie your fundraising activity into the experience and drive donations closer to your goal.

Highlight how close you are to reaching your target by displaying a live goal bar on your fundraising page, where the fundraising goal total equals the number of miles.

Unlike a traditional raffle, the last ticket holder gets the grand prize in a reverse raffle. Offer custom ticket types to feature various raffle items so participants have lots of options. 

Before you start planning, be sure to check for any state regulations on raffles where you live! 

Turn your local beach or community pool into a sports arena with a pool volleyball tournament. To make this a high-value event, charge teams an entry fee and encourage them to raise sponsorship through their team fundraising pages.

Grab your snowboards and support a good cause with this fun winter fundraising idea. Combine slope-side competitions with live music, refreshments, and vendors.

Turn your next dance recital into a benefit in aid of your chosen charity or nonprofit. Sell tickets and donate a percentage of sales, and raise even more funds by selling refreshments, branded merch, and dance supplies.

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.

Offer fans an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience that brings them closer to the team. The tour can feature team rituals, player gear, strategy boards, and even pre-game routines.

Challenge your congregation to reach your fundraising goal by pledging that your pastor or ministry leader will sleep on the roof if you hit it—or until you do!

Embed a donation form on your website with a live goal bar, so your community members can see just how close you are to hitting that target.

Work with popular local musicians and performers to host a benefit concert with a percentage of the proceeds going towards your cause.

Want to make sure everyone can listen in and donate, no matter where they are? Livestream your concert to the masses and enable people to contribute to your campaign without leaving the stream.

For a fun twist on a walk-a-thon, swap the walking shoes for rollerblades or quad skates and raise money for a good cause.

Encourage participants to create peer-to-peer fundraising pages they can personalize with their own stories and updates leading up to the big day. 

Offer a skills clinic for your team members and their friends. Charge a registration fee, and accept donations during the event. Don’t forget to sell concessions and merchandise!

Have each class or group create a team fundraising page for donations and campaign sharing. Reward the team that raises the most with a bottomless pizza day, donated by a local pizzeria or made by volunteers. 

Put your culinary skills to the test! Charge an entry fee per team, and provide everyone with the same ingredients. The winner is the team with the tastiest tacos. Ready, set, cook!

Invite supporters to make a donation to have lawn flamingos placed on their friends’ yards. Volunteers will sneak them onto recipients’ lawns so they awake to a pink surprise!

To make pulling off this silly fundraiser a breeze, create custom fields on your donation form, like the address of the Flamingo recipient.

Approach a local farmer’s market with a sponsorship proposal and see if they can host a special fundraising event for your cause or dedicate a certain percentage of their Saturday morning profits to your campaign. Be sure to outline all of the perks that vendors can expect from the collaboration, like free publicity.

Nominate some of the animals in your care to be “election candidates.” Create fundraising pages for the nominees and have supporters cast their vote by donating. Be sure to spotlight each animal’s story and how your organization has helped them thrive. 
 
The winning animal receives some extra treats—and social media recognition! 

Give your supporters a way to opt out of all your upcoming donation requests during a big fundraising effort. If they contribute via your donation form before a certain date, you’ll take them off your email and call list for the whole campaign! Then, you can easily segment your email list with your built-in CRM and marketing tools. 

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.

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.