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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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Zookeeper


Create individual pages for the animals you care for and invite your supporters to donate to become a “Zookeeper” for a group or specific animal. Zookeepers receive regular updates on their animals and special access to events and volunteer opportunities. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/zookeeper
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Restaurant takeover

Find a local restaurant that will host your fundraising event and donate at least 10-20% of the profits from the evening to your campaign. To really sweeten the sponsorship, offer lots of benefits for participating restaurants like free marketing and publicity. 
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/restaurant-takeover
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Events

Face painting


Set up a booth where passersby can get their face painted by volunteers from your group in exchange for a small donation.

Make it easy for people to give with scan-to-donate. All they need to do is scan the QR code and they’ll land on your donation page in seconds.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/face-painting
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Events
Pages & forms

School karaoke

A silly and fun way to raise funds, students pay a small donation to sing family-friendly karaoke songs over the school’s P.A. system or in a special assembly. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/school-karaoke
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Talent show


Host a talent show and invite supporters to take to the stage and show off their skills. Sell tickets, drinks, and snacks to raise funds for your cause.

Make the experience even more interactive with text-to-donate. Let audience members vote from their seats and help you raise money in real time.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/talent-show
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Events

Chords for Cancer gala


Invite your community to an evening of music, dance, and entertainment in support of cancer research. Host one large gala event or a series of smaller shows throughout the year.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/chords-for-cancer-gala
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Auctions
Pages & forms

BBQ cookout

Host a BBQ cookout featuring grilled meats, sides, and desserts. Charge entrance fees and ask for donations at this fundraising event, too. Make this fundraising event even tastier by sharing sponsorship proposals and inviting local restaurants to sponsor your event (or even compete!). 
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/bbq-cookout
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Events

Trash-a-thon

Team up to clean up! Rally volunteers to collect litter in your local community, and have each participant gather sponsorships based on bags filled or hours spent. It's a powerful way to raise funds and make a visible impact.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/trash-a-thon
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms

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!
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/taco-making-contest
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Events
Pages & forms

Mother’s Day brunch

Reserve a community space or partner with a local restaurant or café to host a Mother's Day brunch, with proceeds going toward your cause. 

Charge a small ticket fee for this fundraising event and offer a selection of refreshments, sandwiches, and sweet treats. 
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/mother-s-day-brunch
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Events

Telethon


Livestream an engaging program from your fundraising page with information, entertainment, and impact stories to inspire viewers to donate. Task volunteers with accepting gifts over the phone and replying to comments and gifts on your supporter feed. Don’t forget to display a live thermometer so everyone can watch donations come in in real time!
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/telethon
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms

Shoe drive


Invite your community members to donate gently worn or newly purchased shoes that you can sell at a pop-up shoe drive.

Make transactions easy with scan-to-donate and multiple payment options, including Venmo.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/shoe-drive
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Events

Halloween costume run


Ask supporters to wear their silliest or spookiest Halloween costumes during this fun run. Use team or peer-to-peer fundraising to help participants set a donation goal and spread the word. At the end, award special prizes to the race winners, the teams or individuals who raised the most, and the best costumes!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/halloween-costume-run
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Literary pub crawl

Each stop on this bar-hopping adventure features readings or performances inspired by famous works of literature related to a given theme—poems, books, plays, you name it! 

To take this fundraising event further, arrange to have each watering hole feature a special cocktail or brew (with some non-alcoholic beverages in the mix!) to match your theme. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/literary-pub-crawl
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Events

Scary movie marathon

Pick a series of spooky films to show every Friday night in October. Sell Halloween-themed concessions and display a QR code to encourage donations before the show begins!

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/scary-movie-marathon
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Events

Monster Mash

Throw a rockin’ Halloween party for a good cause! Sell tickets and sponsorships, use Tap to Pay for drinks and snacks, and celebrate the best costumes with special prizes.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/monster-mash
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Events

Mascot showdown


Join forces with your rival team for a good cause. Organize a race or other competition between your mascots during halftime at a big game, and ask supporters to vote for their mascot by donating on a team fundraising page. Use text-to-donate or a QR code to bring in even more funds from the stands during the event.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/mascot-showdown
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Adopt-a-mile fundraiser


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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/adopt-a-mile-fundraiser
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Candy grams


Buy some crowd-favorite candies and charge supporters to send these sweet treats to a chosen recipient along with a heartfelt note. To streamline the process, have donors fill out custom fields on your donation form with their personal notes and recipient addresses.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/candy-grams
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Paint and sip

Get creative juices flowing with a fundraising paint and sip! Sell tickets, and provide snacks and art materials. Add an element of friendly competition and ask participants to vote on their favorite painting at the end. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/paint-and-sip
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Events
Pages & forms

Trike-a-thon


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!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/trike-a-thon
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Events
Pages & forms

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.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/plant-sale
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Events
Pages & forms

Beach bash


Head to your favorite local beach for a summer celebration like no other. Feature live music, beach activities, refreshments, and plenty of fun—all in support of your good cause.
Cost:
3
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/beach-bash
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Events

Food truck Friday


Choose one Friday every month to be Food Truck Friday, in which you partner up with a local food truck to visit the area and promote their arrival.

In exchange for driving more business their way, use a sponsorship proposal to negotiate a percentage of profits for your good cause.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/food-truck-friday
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Events
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