Your go-to source for fundraising inspiration

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.

Givebutter fundraising progress graphic showing $45,000 raised out of a $50,000 goal (90% complete), with a smiling yellow character holding a light bulb and a green 'Support Now!' button.

All fundraising ideas

Filter
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Pet run/walk


Invite community members to bring their furry friends along to walk in a charity 5K. Encourage participants to create individual fundraising pages that feature their pets, set a donation goal, and help spread the word about the cause.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pet-run-walk
All
Events
Peer-to-peer

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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/refer-a-friend
All
Pages & forms

Social media takeover

Let a supporter, influencer, or volunteer run your socials for a day! A takeover brings fresh energy, authentic voices, and new eyes to your fundraiser.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/social-media-takeover
All
Events
Pages & forms
Peer-to-peer

Guest speaker event


Host a webinar or TED-style talk with an interesting topic and a captivating guest speaker sourced from your network.

Raise funds for your livestream by selling tickets and include upgrades like signed copies of books to bring in even more donations.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/guest-speaker-event
All
Events

Slide into DMs

Few things beat a personalized, one-on-one request. Send direct messages to thank your supporters and link to your donation form or fundraising campaign.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/slide-into-dms
All
Pages & forms
Peer-to-peer

PTA mimosa breakfast

Invite parents to a fun twist on the pancake breakfast by selling tickets to an adult-only meal at your next fundraising event. Offer extra goodies—like espresso martinis!—at an additional cost.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pta-mimosa-breakfast
All
Events

Concession stand


Use an existing stand or create your own and sell items like popcorn, candy, and sunflower seeds. To boost sales, create customticketswith mouth-watering pictures of available treats!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/concession-stand
All
Events
Pages & forms

That’s a wrap

Students make donations to buy sections of toilet paper. At the end of the fundraising period, they get to wrap their teacher with it! For a smoother process, set custom donation amounts and labels on your fundraising page or donation form.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/that-s-a-wrap
All
Pages & forms

Pizza party


Have each class or group create a team fundraising page for donations and campaign sharing. Reward the team that raises the most with a bottomless pizza day, donated by a local pizzeria or made by volunteers. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pizza-party
All
Events
Peer-to-peer

Shave for the cause


Create a peer to peer fundraising campaign and invite participants to create their own pages and compete to raise the most funds. Watch the leaderboard for live updates on who’s in the lead. The person with the highest amount raised or the most individual donations will shave their head—or nominate someone else to shave their own!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/shave-for-the-cause
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms

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
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/candy-grams
All
Pages & forms

Grown-up bake sale

Sell donated or homemade gourmet goodies like croissants and macarons for the ultimate grownups-with-a-sweet-tooth fundraiser. 

Collect in-person payments with scan-to-donate, which gives donors a wide range of payment options.  
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/grown-up-bake-sale
All
Pages & forms
Events

Video challenge

Launch a video challenge that invites followers to do something fun, challenging, or unexpected. Have them share their videos on social media and tag their friends.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/video-challenge
All
Pages & forms
Events

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
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/literary-pub-crawl
All
Events

Calendar fundraiser

Design a calendar featuring fun or themed photos from your community, event participants, or volunteers. Sell it for a set donation amount, or use it as an auction item or giveaway prize.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/calendar-fundraiser
All
Pages & forms

Day at the zoo


Rally your supporters for an unforgettable fundraising field trip to the zoo. Partner with a local zoo to offer discounted admission that includes a donation to your organization. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/day-at-the-zoo
All
Events
Auctions

Summer project sale


Host a yard sale/craft fair event focused on helping people finish those summer projects they've been meaning to tackle. 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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/summer-project-sale
All
Events
Pages & 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! 
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/murder-mystery-night
All
Events

Trunk or treat

Ask local businesses to sponsor this non-traditional trick-or-treating experience. Families and volunteers decorate their cars and hand out candy to kids in a designated parking lot for a safe, fun-filled event.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/trunk-or-treat
All
Events
Pages & forms

Beach Games

Plan an exciting beach competition including an Olympics-style championship for events like volleyball, surfing, and sandcastle making. 

Ask participants to pay a small fee to register and raise even more funds by selling cold drinks and ice cream.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/beach-games
All
Events

Ski-a-thon

Swap a traditional walk-a-thon for a wintry ski-a-thon. Invite supporters to raise funds from friends and family members leading up to the big day through peer-to-peer fundraising, and watch your leaderboard update in real time to reflect who’s raised the most! 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/ski-a-thon
All
Events
Peer-to-peer

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. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/marathon
All
Events
Peer-to-peer

Karaoke night


Host an unforgettable night for your community to come belt out their favorite songs. Charge a small entry fee or accept donations for participation.

To encourage even more donations during the party, display mobile giving options and your progress toward your goal using live display.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/karaoke-night
All
Events

Field goal derby

Invite fans to donate to see how many field goals they can make in a minute (use a smaller goalpost for kids!). Have each participant create a personal peer-to-peer fundraising page and reach out to friends and family for support!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share idea
Link copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/field-goal-derby
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Looks like we don’t have any fundraising ideas matching that criteria 🔎
We're always cooking up new ideas, so check back soon for fresh picks!
Dive into our list of best fundraising ideas in the meantime 

Subscribe to
The Butter Brief

Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox

Subscribed! Your fundraising journey just got a whole lot butter. 🧈
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Givebutter helps you turn ideas into impact

Subscribe to
The Butter Brief

Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox

Subscribed! Your fundraising journey just got a whole lot butter. 🧈
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

The most-loved fundraising platform

G