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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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Networking night
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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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Events
Gift wrapping
Source donated paper, set up a gift wrapping station in a popular location, and charge for holiday gift-wrapping! Use scan-to-donate or Venmo to accept payments on the spot.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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Donation forms
Fundraising page
Events
Harvest dinner party
Host a grand harvest or Thanksgiving dinner party for special guests. Raise money through exclusive ticket sales, and use corporate sponsorship best practices to secure a partnership with a local restaurant or catering company.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Events
Movie night
Find a suitable indoor or outdoor space and host a ticketed screening of a fan-favorite movie (bonus if it’s related to your cause!). Sell popcorn, treats, and drinks, too.
Use Givebutter’s fundraising event tools like online ticket sales, mobile app check-ins, and in-person payments to make it easier for you and your supporters.
Use Givebutter’s fundraising event tools like online ticket sales, mobile app check-ins, and in-person payments to make it easier for you and your supporters.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Events
Social media challenge
Choose a theme and a hashtag, encourage supporters to post their video or picture, and then tag others to challenge them to do the same—and donate!
Learn more social media fundraising tips to take your efforts to the next level.
Learn more social media fundraising tips to take your efforts to the next level.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
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All
Donation forms
Fundraising page
Birthday fundraiser
Encourage friends and family members to make a donation to your nonprofit cause instead of giving you a birthday gift.
Givebutter’s fundraising pages make it easy to get creative and express your personality. Add photos and videos, share your story, and leave comments and drawings for your supporters as they give.
Givebutter’s fundraising pages make it easy to get creative and express your personality. Add photos and videos, share your story, and leave comments and drawings for your supporters as they give.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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All
Fundraising page
Peer-to-peer
Donation forms
Earth Day
Reserve an indoor or outdoor space and invite your community to come arrange flower bouquets and pot their own plants to celebrate Earth Day (April 22).
Charge an entrance fee and make your fundraising event move smoothly with mobile app check-in and easy scan-to-donate payment options.
Charge an entrance fee and make your fundraising event move smoothly with mobile app check-in and easy scan-to-donate payment options.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
All
Events
Donation forms
Weeknight meal cooking class
Reach out to local chefs to volunteer to host a class or series for cooking easy weeknight dinners. To make this event virtual, livestream the class(es) so that donors can watch and cook along from home!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Events
Summer project sale
Host a yard sale themed around helping people finish those summer projects they've been meaning to tackle. Have stalls that cater to a range of DIY projects with materials like paint, furniture, craft supplies, scrapbooking materials, and more.
Use email marketing software to spread the word about the upcoming sale and share a printable map, so attendees know what kinds of booths will be there.
Use email marketing software to spread the word about the upcoming sale and share a printable map, so attendees know what kinds of booths will be there.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Events
Donation forms
Murder mystery night
Arrange a classic "whodunnit" event in which your guests roleplay to find out who the criminal within the group is.
Use easy event ticketing features to register guests online and check them in quickly with your mobile app to get the festivities started sooner!
Use easy event ticketing features to register guests online and check them in quickly with your mobile app to get the festivities started sooner!
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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Events
Easter egg hunt
Set up an epic Easter egg hunt and create a fundraising event page for families in your community to register and make a sliding-scale donation to participate.
Create an Easter Bunny photo booth and host a bake sale to bring in even more donations with scan-to-donate and Venmo donations on the day of the hunt!
Create an Easter Bunny photo booth and host a bake sale to bring in even more donations with scan-to-donate and Venmo donations on the day of the hunt!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Events
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:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Events
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
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Events
Holiday card campaign
Craft a festive holiday card to mail directly or send digitally to your supporters. Extend season’s greetings, express gratitude for their support, and invite them to contribute toward your year-end fundraising goals.
Use Givebutter’s built-in Canva integration to add a little extra cheer to your letters or emails in just a few clicks.
Use Givebutter’s built-in Canva integration to add a little extra cheer to your letters or emails in just a few clicks.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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Donation forms
Fundraising page
Community service day
Organize volunteers to take part in a day of community care in which you work together to tackle projects and tasks in exchange for donations from your community members.
Showcase every project or fundraiser you’re working on with a central giving hub. Your supporters can then see all your amazing work in one place.
Showcase every project or fundraiser you’re working on with a central giving hub. Your supporters can then see all your amazing work in one place.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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All
Events
Fundraising page
Donation forms
Coding bootcamp
Partner with coding organizations and offer students discounted class fees and programs. Be sure to include some appealing benefits for participating companies in your corporate sponsorship proposal, like free marketing and publicity.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Events
Chili cook-off
Invite participants to prepare their best chili for attendees—and offer prizes for the winner! Create team fundraising pages for each chili recipe/culinary team. There, supporters can cast their vote with a donation and watch the live leaderboard to see which chef is in the lead!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Virtual bake sale
Sell homemade or donated treats through a donation form or event page and organize volunteers to make deliveries after purchase! For some additional funds, allow recipients to make a donation alongside their purchase.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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All
Donation forms
Fundraising page
Auctions
Fitness challenge
Participants commit to completing a certain number of workouts and collect pledges for each milestone achieved using personal peer-to-peer fundraising pages.
Watch as donations come in through the leaderboard in real time and friends and family share words of encouragement on the supporter feed.
Watch as donations come in through the leaderboard in real time and friends and family share words of encouragement on the supporter feed.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Share this idea
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Teen film festival
Invite teens to showcase their own short films and charge admission to audience members. In order to cast a vote for their favorite films, supporters must give a donation to the film’s/filmmaker’s team fundraising page. Watch the results roll in on the live leaderboard and offer awards for the best film winners in various categories.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Grab bags
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.
To attract more partnerships from businesses, create a sponsorship proposal that emphasizes the benefits for them, like free publicity and marketing opportunities.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
All
Fundraising page
Donation forms
Auctions
Sand ‘n’ sip
For a summer twist on a paint 'n' sip, invite donors to join you for a day of fun on the beach alongside a wine-tasting experience. To reach your goal, sell tickets for your fundraising event online and strike up a sponsorship deal with a local wine company.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Events
Jersey auction
Auction off game-worn jerseys from your team or donated professional jerseys either online or in person. Take advantage of free silent auction software for simple and easy bidding, custom item descriptions, and more.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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All
Auctions
Kids vs. grownups field day
Organize an afternoon of hilarious games and exciting dual-team events, such as tug-of-war, that are sure to get the competitive spirit going.
Charge entrance fees for this fundraising event, offer for-sale hydration and snacks, and don’t forget prizes for the winners!
Charge entrance fees for this fundraising event, offer for-sale hydration and snacks, and don’t forget prizes for the winners!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
All
Events
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