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.

Virtual concert

Ask local musicians or bands to perform for a livestreaming audience and invite viewers to make donations or purchase tickets to attend virtually right on your event page.

Make sure to feature a donation thermometer on your page to encourage viewers to make extra donations and get you closer to your goal as they enjoy the music.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/virtual-concert
All
Events

Church choir performance

Organize a night of beautiful singing performed by your talented church choir. Sell tickets for a small fee and invite audience members to make donations at the end of the celebration from their phones with an easy text-to-donate code.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/church-choir-performance
All
Events

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 this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pta-mimosa-breakfast
All
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.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/summer-project-sale
All
Events
Donation forms

Community resource fair

Reserve a large space like a parking lot or school gym and sell booths to local vendors. Invite the community and charge a small entrance fee with easy mobile giving tools like Tap to Pay or scan-to-donate.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/community-resource-fair
All
Events
Donation forms

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.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/holiday-card-campaign
All
Donation forms
Fundraising page

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 this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/ski-a-thon
All
Events
Peer-to-peer

Reverse raffle

Unlike a traditional raffle, the last ticket holder gets the grand prize in a reverse raffle. Offer custom ticket types to feature various raffle items so participants have lots of options.

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

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/reverse-raffle
All
Events
Auctions
Donation forms

Caroling

Embrace the holiday spirit and spread joy by going caroling around town or at an event. Pass the hat for cash donations AND hold a big QR code or text-to-donate number for easy mobile giving!

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/caroling
All
Donation forms
Events

Shoe drive

Ask your community members to donate gently worn or newly purchased pairs of 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
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/shoe-drive
All
Events

24-hour relay race

Create the ultimate relay race for rival schools in your district and charge an entrance fee for spectators. Encourage each school to create a team fundraising page where friends and family can show their support with donations and progress toward their goal in real time.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/24-hour-relay-race
All
Events
Peer-to-peer

24-hour marathon

Host a 24-hour livestream fundraiser for a high-energy day of fun and fundraising.

Great livestream activity ideas include a poetry slam, gaming tournament, or virtual concert.

Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/24-hour-marathon
All
Events

Bake to give raffle

Gather your community’s star bakers and turn their sweet creations into a fundraising feast!

Ask members to whip up their favorite cakes or cookies to sell at your event. Want to add some extra excitement? Sell raffle tickets and give away delicious baked goods as prizes

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/bake-to-give-raffle
All
Fundraising page
Events
Auctions

Wine pull

Collect donated bottles of wine, disguise the labels, and invite attendees to buy them blindly to discover what they’ve won. For some extra fundraising, host a livestream wine-tasting class afterward for everyone to learn more about their picks.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/wine-pull
All
Events
Donation forms
Auctions

Pet therapy

Invite local animal shelters to bring adoptable dogs and cats to campus during midterms or finals to reduce student stress and raise money for a good cause.

Charge an entry fee and sell inexpensive extras like dog and cat treats. Be sure to offer multiple ways to purchase treats in-person like scan-to-donate and Venmo!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pet-therapy
All
Events

LGBTQ+ workshop series

Charge a registration fee for a series of educational workshops or panel discussions on topics such as gender identity, allyship, and queer history.

Spread the word and follow up with attendees using free email marketing software.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/lgbtq-workshop-series
All
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
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/church-camp-dessert-bake-off
All
Events

Apple bobbing

Set up a stall where people can try apple bobbing in exchange for a small donation. This works well as part of a fall festival or Halloween event where you can set up a range of fun activities for families to get involved with.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/apple-bobbing
All
Events

Raise some dough with cookie dough

Buy wholesale cookie dough for volunteers to sell during peak cookie-baking season. To gamify your efforts, use peer-to-peer fundraising so participants can compete to see who sold the most!

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/raise-some-dough-with-cookie-dough
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Donation forms

Volley-a-thon

Request each participant solicit pledges for the number of volleys they’re able to make. Sell event tickets, and put a call out for volunteers to keep things running smoothly.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/volley-a-thon
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Fundraising page

High five booth

Brighten up someone’s day and raise money for a good cause. Set up a booth where passers-by or event attendees can make a donation of their choice and receive a high-five from you or your volunteers.

Make the donation process as quick and easy as the high-five itself—send people straight to your donation form with scan-to-donate.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/high-five-booth
All
Events
Donation forms

Water balloon fight

Celebrate the arrival or end of summer with a water balloon fight, all in the aid of a great cause. Invite individuals or teams to pay to enter and encourage them to set up peer-to-peer fundraising pages to raise donations from friends and family members before the big day.

With team fundraising pages, their individual efforts can be tallied up with their teammates’!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/water-balloon-fight
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Donation forms

Lend a helping hand

Let donors "purchase" 2-5 hours of extra help from students or volunteers (think raking leaves or mowing the lawn).

In order to streamline the process and keep track of contributions, create custom labels for different donation amounts on a special fundraising page or donation form (e.g. $50 = 2 volunteer hours).

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/lend-a-helping-hand
All
Fundraising page
Donation forms
Auctions

Oktoberfest

Take inspiration from the popular German event and host your own Oktoberfest with carnival games, a haunted house, and plenty of beer and non-alcoholic drinks.

This fall festival idea is a great way to raise funds for your cause and give your supporters an exciting day out.

Cost:
3
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Share this idea
Copied!
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/oktoberfest
All
Events
Donation forms
Fundraising page
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