Fundraising ideas

Auction off tickets to the best seats at an upcoming performance, sports game, gala, live concert, or other experience your group is hosting.

Use Givebutter to create unlimited types of event tickets—perfect for customizing your VIP packages.

Set up a mini racecourse and encourage family and friends to sponsor your little big-wheel racers by making a donation on their behalf through your fundraising page. Don’t forget to award prizes!

Let employees bring their furry friends to work for the day in an exchange for a donation to your local animal shelter. Organize pet-themed activities and competitions to raise additional funds. To get remote employees involved, livestream some of the activities and invite coworkers to tune in!

Host a pasta party where you serve spaghetti, salad, breadsticks, and dessert to attendees for a ticket price. Make your event even better by partnering with a local restaurant to sponsor the meal.

Ask community members to purge their wardrobes and donate sell-worthy items to your cause. Host a pop-up clothing shop at a local venue and sell tickets for entry!

Ask supporters to volunteer their special skills, then auction their time and expertise to the highest bidder!

Streamline the whole experience with the help of free auction software. Add and categorize items, manage bids, and your bidders can get real-time updates on what’s happening.

A marathon is a classic fun run fundraising event—perfect for your most ambitious supporters! You can host your own fundraising event, or give supporters the resources they need to raise money for your organization by running in an existing race. 

Instead of birthday gifts, ask friends and family to make a donation to your nonprofit cause!

Givebutter’s fundraising pages make it easy to share your story, upload photos and videos, and let supporters leave comments as they give.

Gather your community for a friendly cornhole tournament. Set a donation amount to participate, and don’t forget prizes for the winning team. 

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. 

Take inspiration from the TV show “Chopped” and challenge teams to a culinary showdown!

You can get even more spectators in on the fun by livestreaming the event and asking for donations throughout the program.

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. 

Find a suitable space, charge an entry fee, and check in attendees as they arrive at your networking event! Get creative by inviting food trucks and hosting hands-on activities. 

Pick an era (like the ‘90s), set the scene, charge an entrance fee, and sell themed merch, food, and drinks. To encourage even more donations during the festivities, display mobile giving options and your goal bar using live display. 

Host a coffee morning and invite your community members to join you for tea or coffee, cake, and a warm conversation. Ask a local coffee shop to sponsor the event or donate a percentage of the morning’s profits to your cause. 

Challenge students to meet a fundraising goal. If they succeed, their teacher gets “locked in jail” (aka gets to relax in the teachers’ lounge) while students take over the classroom for fun and games. Use a custom fundraising page with a live goal bar to build excitement!

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!

Put your knowledge to the test with a faith-filled trivia night! Pick a lively host, sell team tickets, and let the friendly competition begin. 

Want to reach an even bigger audience? Go hybrid or virtual so everyone can join in on the fun!

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.

Host a ballet, jazz, contemporary, or other dance class for the community. Create a fundraising page and ask for a donation in exchange for a spot, or sell tickets for your taster classes instead.

Organize an afternoon of hilarious games and exciting dual-team events, like tug-of-war, that are sure to get the competitive spirit going.

Charge entrance fees for this fundraising event, sell snacks and drinks, and don’t forget prizes for the champs!

Reach out to local businesses and ask them to donate a small number of products that you can bundle together and offer donors online. 

To attract more partnerships from businesses, create a sponsorship proposal that emphasizes the benefits for them, like free publicity and marketing opportunities.  

Host a virtual family movie night using Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) on your favorite streaming platform. Collect donations before or during your fundraising event, and make it more interactive and fun with movie trivia questions throughout the evening. 

Partner with a celebrated local eatery to donate a percentage of their profits from a certain night or weekend to your fundraising campaign. Check out tips for securing corporate sponsorships to make the most of this opportunity.