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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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Year-end fundraiser
Celebrate the end of the year with a big annual fundraiser. Host an event and attract donations and support with a silent auction, peer-to-peer campaign, and more.
Use the year-end giving checklist to make sure you’ve covered every angle!
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/year-end-fundraiser
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Spring cleaning
Rally volunteers together for a spring cleaning of your community space or a street in your neighborhood. Reach out to local businesses to sponsor the event and offer supplies. Then, invite donations from your local community with scan-to-donate signage as you work!
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/spring-cleaning
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Rent your space
Rent your field, venue, office, or community space to other groups and organizations to make the most of any time it isn't in use.
Spread the word that your space is available for rent with your email marketing software. Don’t forget to include photos of the space to encourage interest!
Spread the word that your space is available for rent with your email marketing software. Don’t forget to include photos of the space to encourage interest!
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/rent-your-space
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Battle of the bands
Host a battle of the bands with local musicians. Change the audience a small ticket fee, or raise funds by selling drinks and snacks.
Raise even more money by livestreaming the show. Encourage your supporters to tune in, support the event, and donate what they can towards your goal.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/battle-of-the-bands
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Tailgate party
Invite a local restaurant to contribute or have volunteers create a menu for a tailgate. Sell entry tickets and offer some fun merch or special treats at an additional price to bring in extra dollars.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/tailgate-party
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Family fun run
Encourage families to run, walk, or jog for your cause! Offer kid-friendly activities, prizes, and course options. Use team and peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage participants to set a donation goal and spread the word about the event.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/family-fun-run
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International Women's Day fundraiser
Highlight the power, strength, and talent of women in your community today and throughout history with a special fundraising event.
Whether it’s in-person, virtual, or hybrid, raise more and stress less with easy online registration, mobile app check-ins, and live display
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/international-women-s-day-fundraiser
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Serve-a-thon
Turn your volleyball skills into a high-energy fundraiser with a serve-a-thon! Players collect pledges for every successful serve they make during a timed event. Invite teammates, supporters, and even future players to join in the fun. It’s a great way to raise funds, strengthen your team, and build community—all while spiking your fundraising goals.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/serve-a-thon
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Pie baking contest and potluck
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.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pie-baking-contest-and-potluck
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Battle of the food trucks
Host a showdown between some of your favorite food trucks. Ask each truck to donate a percentage of sales towards your good cause, and award a fun prize to the truck that makes the most sales that day.
Partnering with food trucks is a great way to reach your fundraising target. Discover how to secure corporate sponsorships.
Partnering with food trucks is a great way to reach your fundraising target. Discover how to secure corporate sponsorships.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/battle-of-the-food-trucks
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Tool drive
Rather than requesting a financial gift, ask supporters to donate new or gently used tools and construction equipment for your programs and services. Or, sell them in an annual community tool sale. Don’t forget to send friendly reminders and guidelines on what kinds of tools can be donated using free email marketing software!
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/tool-drive
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Desk plant sale
Host a desk plant sale featuring potted greenery employees can purchase to decorate their workspace while supporting your cause. Accept Venmo donations and other seamless payment options for quick, easy transactions.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/desk-plant-sale
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Office mini-golf tournament
Transform your office space into a mini-golf course for a day! Employees create teams and pay a small fee to participate—or, to raise even more money, encourage coworkers to set up their own fundraising pages and accept donations from friends and family.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/office-mini-golf-tournament
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Street painting competition
Choose a theme and secure a paved area where supporters can register to paint their own parking space or designated square.
Ask a local business to donate painting supplies, then invite the community to vote for their favorite design by making a donation ($1 = 1 vote) using a scan-to-donate QR code.
Ask a local business to donate painting supplies, then invite the community to vote for their favorite design by making a donation ($1 = 1 vote) using a scan-to-donate QR code.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/street-painting-competition
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Cupcake wars
Have kids prepare their favorite cupcake recipe to sell at a cupcake-only bake sale. To add some friendly competition, invite attendees to vote on their favorite by making a donation to the tastiest cupcake’s team fundraising page. Use a leaderboard to show real-time votes and award prizes for the winning bakers!
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/cupcake-wars
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Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
Take a stroll
Host an inclusive fun run event that’s a little more leisurely. Set a time window for participants to complete their stroll and encourage them to collect donations through peer-to-peer fundraising pages. Be sure to showcase their achievements on social media!
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/take-a-stroll
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Food truck smorgasbord
Invite food trucks to a big game or event and ask them in return to donate a portion of all food sales to your team. To really sweeten thesponsorshipopportunity, offer benefits for these small businesses, like free marketing and publicity.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/food-truck-smorgasbord
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Costume contest
Throw a themed costume party to match the season or holiday and award prizes for the best costumes! Sell tickets to your fundraising event online and partner with local sponsors to offset costs and spread the word.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/costume-contest
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Penny wars
Organize a friendly competition between grades or classes to collect the most pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Just grab a few jars and encourage students to find some loose change to get started!
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/penny-wars
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Pet portraits
Pet owners love having portraits of their pets—even if they’re not made by professionals! Host a fun pet portrait fundraiser where volunteers draw or paint pictures of supporters’ furry friends. Ask donors to bring a photo of their pet or upload one when they make a donation online.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pet-portraits
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Pump-a-thon
Find out who can (safely) lift the most weight curling, deadlifting, or squatting. Charge entry fees for participants, sell tickets, and offer food and drink at an additional cost.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pump-a-thon
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Peer-to-peer
Holiday performance
Put on a special holiday performance for your dance group’s friends and family members. Encourage everyone to make a donation to your chosen cause, or raise money by selling refreshments and dance-themed holiday decorations.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/holiday-performance
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Pajama run
Ask participants to don their favorite PJs while tackling a walk, jog, roll, or run for the cause. Encourage everyone to set a donation goal and spread the word about the fundraiser through peer-to-peer fundraising. Don’t forget to award prizes to the coziest runners!
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pajama-run
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Marathon
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.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/marathon
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