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.
.png)
%201.png)
By organization
Additional lists
%201.png)
All fundraising ideas
Water balloons & sponge toss
For this fundraising event, charge a small fee per water balloon or sponge, and let students throw them at each other during a pep rally or outdoor event. For easy participation, offer scan-to-donate and accept multiple payment methods like Apple Pay, Venmo, and more.









All you can eat buffet
A free event ticketing platform can help you organize and manage your evening and check people in from your mobile device without any stress.









Family photo day
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.









Donation matching
Build relationships with local businesses and major donors that can offer matching donations to feature during your next campaign.
Matching gifts create an enormous incentive for supporters who understand that they can automatically double (or even triple or quadruple!) their impact for your cause.









Plant sale
Ask your green-thumbed community members to grow their best seedlings and plants for a future plant sale to raise much-needed funds. Or, send a sponsorship proposal to a local plant nursery to sign on as your event sponsor or partner.









Bingo night
Sell bingo cards and offer exciting prizes to keep everyone engaged all night long—either virtually or in person!
In the lead-up to your fundraising event, entice attendees with campaign updates featuring teasers of some of the prizes at stake to build anticipation.









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!









Pool party
Charge an entry fee for a fun day in the sun—think pool floats, squirt guns, and water balloons!
To make this fundraising event even more of a hit, sell summery snacks and drinks, too. Don’t forget the sunscreen!









Crowdfunding campaign
Collect online donations from friends, family, and community members by creating a fundraising page that lays out your needs and the impact that you will make with the money you raise. Use photos and videos to make your story more engaging, and use a goal bar to showcase your progress.
Be sure to follow crowdfunding best practices in order to make your campaign an even bigger success!









Principal for the day
Auction off the chance for a student to be school principal for the day! The lucky student will get to greet classmates as they arrive, make morning announcements, visit classrooms, and enjoy a special lunch with the principal.









Coding bootcamp









Shoot-a-thon
In this basketball fundraiser, each contestant pays a small entry fee to see how many baskets they can make in a short amount of time.









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









Baseball hit-a-thon
Collect pledges or donations from supporters based on the number of hits they make during a designated period of time. Have each participant create a personal peer-to-peer fundraising page and reach out to friends and family for donations!









24-hour relay race
Create the ultimate relay race to raise funds for your cause. Participants create individual or team fundraising pages where friends and family can show their support with donations and progress toward their goal in real time.









Desk decorating contest
Choose a theme and invite participants to decorate their workspace, door, etc! Let others donate $5 to vote for the best “dressed” desk through each participant’s peer-to-peer fundraising page. Track the leaderboard in real time to see who’s in the lead.









Rent your space
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!









Murder mystery night
Use easy event ticketing features to register guests online and check them in quickly with your mobile app to get the festivities started sooner!









Thrifty fashion show









Refer a friend
For successful referrals to your program, offer your current members discounted membership fees, merchandise, or entry into a raffle. Create custom fields (like “Who referred you?”) on your donation forms to keep track of eligible members.









Taco-Making Contest
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!









Sledding course









Fix the felines
Launch a trap-neuter-return fundraising campaign to help reduce the number of stray cats and kittens in your community.
Make your fundraising goal visible with a fundraising thermometer, so supporters can see how their contributions are moving you one step closer to your goal.









Annual holiday party
With Givebutter you can create unlimited custom event ticket types—allowing you to create fun VIP packages to offer to your partygoers.









Subscribe to
The Butter Brief
Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox

Givebutter helps you turn ideas into impact
.webp)
Subscribe to
The Butter Brief
Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox

The most-loved fundraising platform
.png)
%201.png)



.png)








.png)
.png)
.png)


.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)

.png)
.png)
.png)
%20(1).png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)





.png)
.png)
.png)

.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)

