College fundraising ideas

Collect online donations from friends, family, and community members by creating a fundraising page that lays out your needs and the impact that you will make with the money you raise. Use photos and videos to make your story more engaging, and use a goal bar to showcase your progress.

Be sure to follow crowdfunding best practices in order to make your campaign an even bigger success!

Instead of a 5k, organize a high heels walk down a “runway” of your choice. Challenge supporters to see who can raise the most funds leading up to the event through peer-to-peer fundraising—and who can rock the best look. Encourage your supporters to personalize their pages to attract more donations!

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.

Organize a service where volunteers help students move into their dorms in exchange for a set fee or a donation of their choice.

Set up a donation form with pre-set donation amounts and customized labels that show how much support they’re getting, like $50 = 2 hours of moving support.

Invite students to bring t-shirts, tote bags, socks, and other light-colored items of clothing for a tie-dye party. Charge a small fee for entry and supplies, and have some extra clothing items on hand to sell, too.

If you produce a large volume lot of tie-dyed items, create a donation form or buy-now auction to sell them to your community!

Build community and explore your city with a themed art, food, or experience crawl. Collect registrations on your fundraising event page, and partner with the featured venues to benefit from a percentage of ticket or food sales at each stop.

Take part in Giving Tuesday or create your own giving day in which you mobilize your community to reach your fundraising goal in one day.

Keep your supporters invested in your progress with a goal bar and campaign updates that highlight milestones, matching gifts, and special shout-outs throughout the day.

Turn a parking lot and the side of a building into a makeshift drive-in movie theater. Charge an entrance fee and raise funds by selling drinks and snacks.

Sell tickets for your fundraising event in advance, and use engaging features like scan-to-donate and mobile app check-in to streamline your guests' experience.

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.

Challenge your supporters to take a dip in an icy cold body of water to raise funds and awareness for your cause! Participants can set up their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages connected to your campaign, where they can share their stories, set a personal target, and bring in donations from friends and family.

Host a battle of the bands with local musicians. Change the audience a small ticket fee, or raise funds by selling drinks and snacks.

Raise even more money by livestreaming the show. Encourage your supporters to tune in, support the event, and donate what they can towards your goal.

Ask supporters to volunteer their special skills, then auction their time and expertise to the highest bidder!

Streamline the whole experience with the help of free auction software. Add and categorize items, manage bids, and your bidders can get real-time updates on what’s happening.

Invite supporters to “give up” something small like their morning coffee order for a set amount of time and donate those funds towards your campaign instead.

Create a fundraising page for your challenge, including a list of ideas and suggested donation amounts. Share campaign updates and donor shout-outs to keep momentum going toward your goal!

Plan a sophisticated gala night with music, food, and a silent auction.

Get your supporters excited about your upcoming event with an eye-catching gala invitation template. Include details on how to buy tickets, or add a scan-to-donate QR code.

Introduce the wider community to your club or group by hosting a themed culture day. Offer workshops, food, and activities in exchange for small donations using easy fundraising event tools like ticketing and mobile payment options.

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.

Host a magical fundraising event with traditional carnival games, rides, and booths. Charge an all-inclusive fee or make each activity pay-as-you-go using QR codes for a smoother donation experience.

Set up an ice cream stall with different flavors, cones, toppings, and sauces. Raise funds by asking for donations to unlock the most popular or extravagant toppings.

Create a vibrant, themed fundraising page, then send your supporters straight to it with scan-to-donate. From there they can pay for their ice-cream and unlock flavors!

Collect new and used goods from your community and sell items on a first-come, first-served basis—virtually. To introduce some fun competition and bring in more funds, turn the sale into an auction with buy-now pricing options!

Invite participants to register for a day of fun outdoor games and competitions, like relay races, a water balloon toss, and a good old-fashioned tug-of-war.

Make your fundraising event a success with sponsorships from local businesses to offset costs and bring in more participants.

Create a spooky experience and raise funds by encouraging brave participants to enter—if they dare. Accept payments on the spot with scan-to-donate, Venmo, and more convenient options.

Invite student-run bands to rock out for a prize! Charge entry fees and offer rad, donated prizes for the winners. Have each band create a team fundraising page, and encourage attendees to cast their votes for their favorites bands with a donation!

Create and sell discount card coupon books full of deals to local restaurants and businesses. Sell the coupon books on a custom donation form and share it far and wide!

Invite students to post up outside local businesses and ask patrons for donations. Donors receive “tags” (stickers) when they give. Offer in-person payments using Venmo or scan-to-donate!

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.