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
Bar crawl
Organize a themed 21+ bar crawl to the local pubs! Create custom ticket types for various amounts of drink tickets and eats along the way.









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.









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!









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.









Cheer off
Invite dance, cheer, or pom squads to pay a small entry fee and battle it out for top spots like “Most Spirited” and “Best Routine.” Take this event to the next level by asking attendees to consider adding a donation to their ticket purchase, offering concessions, or evenlivestreamingthe event.









Bowl-a-thon
Reserve lanes at a bowling alley, ask participants to gather pledges for an all-you-can-bowl night, and watch the donations roll in on team fundraising pages.
Offer special prizes for the team with the highest score, most creative name, or even the best uniforms.









Pajama day









Comedy roast









Corporate matching gift drive
Feature matching gifts on your fundraising page and encourage corporate staffers to explore employer matching via Double the Donation.









Pet expo
Partner with local vendors to bring your animal-loving community together for an exciting day out. Pets and their people can visit various tents, participate in activities, and learn about your organization’s impact. Sell tickets for general admission, and for a larger donation, offer VIP tent access with catered treats for both humans and furry friends.









Hot chocolate stall
Set up a cozy drink stand to warm up your community! Offer coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and an array of syrups and toppings for an added fee. Don’t forget the marshmallows!
Make it easy for supporters to pay as they order with scan-to-donate, Venmo, and other seamless options.









Church choir performance









Maze for a cause
Charge an entrance fee to walk the maze and make transactions simple with scan-to-donate and Tap to Pay options.









Locker room tour









Holiday-grams
Put together bundles of holiday cards and small gifts and charge extra for distribution at your club, school, college, or workplace.
Customize your donation form with custom fields to collect all the details you need—such as the recipient’s name, a personalized, heartfelt holiday message, and where the gram should be delivered.









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.









Drag show
Sell tickets for a night of performances by local drag artists and musicians (with food and drinks available, too!).
Manage your event ticketing, check in your attendees, and accept additional donations in person with easy fundraisng event software.









Weeknight meal cooking class
Reach out to local chefs to volunteer to host a class or series for cooking easy weeknight dinners. To make this event virtual, livestream the class(es) so that donors can watch and cook along from home!









Chili cook-off
Invite participants to prepare their best chili for attendees—and offer prizes for the winner! Create team fundraising pages for each chili recipe/culinary team. There, supporters can cast their vote with a donation and watch the live leaderboard to see which chef is in the lead!









Scratch card fundraiser
Buy a batch of scratch cards from a wholesaler. Each circle hides a dollar amount, typically ranging from 50 cents to several dollars. Participants scratch off as many spots as they’d like—the total amount revealed is how much they’ll donate!
Collect cash or accept virtual payments on the spot with Tap-to-Pay, Venmo, and other convenient options.









Culture day









Game night
Sell custom event ticket types and group tickets that offer unlimited access to games—or charge a certain number of tickets per game.









Carnival night
Host a magical fundraising event with traditional carnival games, rides, and booths. Charge an all-inclusive admission or use QR codes for each activity to create a smoother pay-as-you-go experience.









Lend a helping hand
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).









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)



.webp)

.png)







.webp)
.png)
.png)






.png)
.png)








.png)
.png)







