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.
Please enter a valid email address.
.png)
%201.png)
By organization
Additional lists
All fundraising ideas
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
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
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pta-mimosa-breakfast
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Pi Day
Celebrate Pi Day on March 14th by inviting your community to contribute to your cause. Set the suggested donation amount at $3.14, $31.40, or $314.00, but let supporters know that any amount adds up to something great.
Cost:



1
Effort:



1
Impact:



1
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pi-day
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Pages & forms
Dance silent auction
Give the traditional silent auction a dance-themed twist by selling off items, vouchers, and experiences that your dancer community would love. Make this part of a gala event and sell tickets to enter for even more fundraising opportunities.
Cost:



2
Effort:



3
Impact:



3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/dance-silent-auction
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Auctions
Farmer’s market
Approach a local farmer’s market with a sponsorship proposal and see if they can host a special fundraising event for your cause or dedicate a certain percentage of their Saturday morning profits to your campaign. Be sure to outline all of the perks that vendors can expect from the collaboration, like free publicity.
Cost:



1
Effort:



2
Impact:



2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/farmer-s-market
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Pages & forms
Shoe-decorating
Source an array of paints and art supplies and invite community members to make a donation and bring a pair of sneakers to paint together for your good cause.
To create a seamless event experience, set up custom ticket types, like an upsell ticket that provides a pair of shoes. Make sure to add a custom question to get the right shoe size!
To create a seamless event experience, set up custom ticket types, like an upsell ticket that provides a pair of shoes. Make sure to add a custom question to get the right shoe size!
Cost:



2
Effort:



2
Impact:



1
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/shoe-decorating
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Auctions
Drag bingo
Sell bingo cards for a night of drag entertainment and competition! Winners receive donated prizes. To raise even more at this memorablefundraising event, offer drink specials and sell eye-catching merch.
Cost:



1
Effort:



2
Impact:



2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/drag-bingo
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Fan Combine
Invite family, friends, and fans to this ultimate sports fundraising event. Participants join in a series of challenges, such as football tosses, 50-yard dashes, and obstacle courses.
Cost:



2
Effort:



3
Impact:



2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/fan-combine
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
T-shirt design contest
Encourage supporters to submit their best t-shirt designs to enter a competition. Set up team fundraising pages for each design and have supporters donate to vote for their favorite. Each donation will appear on a leaderboard so everyone can watch the votes (and donations!) come in.
Cost:



1
Effort:



2
Impact:



2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/t-shirt-design-contest
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
Pay you not to ask me again
Give your supporters a way to opt out of all your upcoming donation requests during a big fundraising effort. If they contribute via your donation form before a certain date, you’ll take them off your email and call list for the whole campaign! Then, you can easily segment your email list with your built-in CRM and marketing tools.
Cost:



1
Effort:



1
Impact:



3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pay-you-not-to-ask-me-again
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Pages & forms
Community service day
Organize volunteers to participate in a day of community care—tackling local projects and tasks in exchange for donations from your community members.
Showcase every project or fundraiser you’re working on using a central giving hub, so supporters can see all your amazing work in one place.
Showcase every project or fundraiser you’re working on using a central giving hub, so supporters can see all your amazing work in one place.
Cost:



2
Effort:



3
Impact:



2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/community-service-day
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Pages & forms
Parents’ night out
This fundraising event can be a fun gathering for parents—or a chance for grownups to drop off their kids for a few hours in exchange for a donation to your cause. Charge an hourly rate or flat “entrance fee” and give caregivers some priceless peace and quiet.
Cost:



1
Effort:



2
Impact:



2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/parents-night-out
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Mystery art show
Invite local artists, students, and other enthusiastic community members to contribute small paintings or other works for an anonymous community art sale.
Charge an entrance fee and invite supporters to purchase pieces all at the same price—without knowing who their artist is until the end of the event!
Cost:



1
Effort:



3
Impact:



3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/mystery-art-show
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Pages & forms
Teacher spelling bee
Put your teachers and school admins in the spelling spotlight. Ask for an entry fee and charge contestants for “help” if their skills are rusty (like buying an “ask-the-audience” pass!).
To make this event virtual or hybrid, livestream it from your event page for attendees to watch from home.
To make this event virtual or hybrid, livestream it from your event page for attendees to watch from home.
Cost:



1
Effort:



2
Impact:



2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/teacher-spelling-bee
Please enter a valid email address.
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
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/raise-some-dough-with-cookie-dough
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
Food fight
This isn’t your typical cafeteria food fight. This cleverly named event raises awareness and funds to fight food insecurity and help keep your community fed.
Cost:



1
Effort:



2
Impact:



3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/food-fight
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Peer-to-peer
Events
Pages & forms
Movie night
Choose an indoor or outdoor space and host a ticketed screening of a fan-favorite movie—bonus if it’s related to your cause! Sell popcorn, treats, and drinks to raise even more funds.
Use Givebutter’s fundraising event tools like online ticketing, mobile check-ins, and scan-to-donate to keep everything seamless.
Cost:



2
Effort:



2
Impact:



2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/movie-night
Please enter a valid email address.
All
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
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/face-painting
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Pages & forms
Tails and trails
Gather your dog-loving supporters for a tails and trails dog-walking fundraiser. Choose a scenic, dog-friendly trail and charge a set fee for tickets.
Don’t forget to provide refreshments at the end of the trail—for both humans and canines!
Cost:



1
Effort:



2
Impact:



2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/tails-and-trails
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Swim-a-thon
Swap your sneakers for a swimsuit or trunks and host a swim-a-thon to raise money for your cause. Set a route that feels achievable, and invite participants to create their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages to help you reach your goal.
Cost:



1
Effort:



2
Impact:



2
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/swim-a-thon
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Peer-to-peer
Pride flag decoration party
Charge attendees a small fee to attend this crafty gathering and then sell or auction off your creations at an upcoming event.
Make the silent auction process as smooth as possible with mobile bidding tools that enable supporters to participate right from their phones.
Cost:



2
Effort:



2
Impact:



2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pride-flag-decoration-party
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Auctions
Pages & forms
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.
Cost:



1
Effort:



2
Impact:



3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/food-truck-smorgasbord
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Pet portraits
Pet owners love having portraits of their pets—even if they’re not made by professionals! Host a fun pet portrait fundraiser where volunteers draw or paint pictures of supporters’ furry friends. Ask donors to bring a photo of their pet or upload one when they make a donation online.
Cost:



1
Effort:



2
Impact:



2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pet-portraits
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Auctions
Pages & forms
Street painting competition
Choose a theme and secure a paved area where supporters can register to paint their own parking space or designated square.
Ask a local business to donate painting supplies, then invite the community to vote for their favorite design by making a donation ($1 = 1 vote) using a scan-to-donate QR code.
Ask a local business to donate painting supplies, then invite the community to vote for their favorite design by making a donation ($1 = 1 vote) using a scan-to-donate QR code.
Cost:



1
Effort:



2
Impact:



2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/street-painting-competition
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Pages & forms
Volleyball tournament
Sell tournament tickets, and spread the word on social media to get your team and wider community involved. Sell concessions, and consider finding a corporate sponsor.
Cost:



2
Effort:



2
Impact:



3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/volleyball-tournament
Please enter a valid email address.
All
Events
Pages & forms
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
.webp)
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
.png)
%201.png)