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College fundraising ideas

Whether you're raising money for your study abroad trip or on behalf of a local nonprofit, college fundraising requires strategy. To stand out in a crowd of other activities, you’ll need fresh campaigns and events that are fun and easy to get involved in.

These university fundraising ideas will help you tap into the generosity of your fellow students, faculty, alumni, and the broader campus community. 

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Community potluck dinner

Invite each person to contribute a dish and invite at least two people to join your dinner. To keep everything organized, customize your donation form so participants can note what dish they’re bringing when they RSVP—and make a contribution to your campaign.

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No-talent show

Sell tickets to an all-but-traditional talent show where people make a fool of themselves for a good cause. Offer seamless event ticketing, sell food and drinks, and let the laughs begin!

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Fashion show

Host a fashion show that showcases talented local designers, fashion students, or both! Make it inclusive and invite people of all sizes and abilities to be your models.

At this fundraising event, you can bring in donations by charging entrance fees, selling food and drinks, and adding a silent auction.

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Impact:
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Virtual food/wine tasting

Partner with local eateries and provide tasting kits for participants to enjoy at home for a small fee. Then, host a livestream tasting experience.

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Teen film festival

Invite teens to showcase their own short films and charge admission to audience members. In order to cast a vote for their favorite films, supporters must give a donation to the film’s/filmmaker’s team fundraising page. Watch the results roll in on the live leaderboard and offer awards for the best film winners in various categories.

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Impact:
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Nostalgia night party

Pick an era (like the ‘90s), set the scene, charge an entrance fee, and sell themed merch, food, and drinks. To encourage even more donations during the festivities, display mobile giving options and your goal bar using live display.

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Art festival


Secure a large space, reach out to local artists, and charge an entrance fee to your very own art festival. Check-in attendees and accept payments at the door and use scan-to-donate to encourage additional in-person donations throughout the event.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Community service day

Organize volunteers to take part in a day of community care in which you work together to tackle projects and tasks in exchange for donations from your community members.

Showcase every project or fundraiser you’re working on with a central giving hub. Your supporters can then see all your amazing work in one place.

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Impact:
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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!

Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Virtual bike-a-thon

Set a distance and have your bikers pay a registration fee to join in. Then, foster some friendly competition by encouraging supporters to start or join a team, raise funds, and set off wherever they are.

Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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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:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Auctions

Eating contest

Challenge contestants to (safely) stuff their faces in a race to the finish. Sell tickets to watch and offer prizes for the winner! To gamify the experience even more, encourage contestants to create personal peer-to-peer fundraising pages where friends and family can show their support.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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BBQ cookout

Host a BBQ cookout featuring grilled meats, sides, and desserts. Charge entrance fees and ask for donations at this fundraising event, too. Make this fundraising event even tastier by sharing sponsorship proposals and inviting local restaurants to sponsor your event (or even compete!).

Cost:
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Impact:
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Virtual book club

Charge a registration fee or ask for donations to join your book club, and host regular discussions via Zoom or another video conferencing platform.

Be sure to set up recurring donations as a simple way to collect membership fees for ongoing gatherings.

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Impact:
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Spring break t-shirt sale

Design your own spring break t-shirts and sell them in person and online to raise funds for your group or cause.

Use custom fields on your donation form to collect the details you need from buyers, such as their t-shirt size and color choice.

Cost:
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Impact:
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International Women's Day fundraiser

Highlight the power, strength, and talent of women in your community today and throughout history with a special fundraising event.

Whether it’s in-person, virtual, or hybrid, raise more and stress less with easy online registration, mobile app check-ins, and live display

Cost:
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Impact:
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Peer-to-peer

Student art auction

Auction off students' art projects online, in-person, or both! Add photos and descriptions for each masterpiece using easy auction software.

Cost:
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Effort:
2
Impact:
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Fall carnival

Host your very own fall-themed festival with live music, food and drink, local vendors, and carnival games.

Ask local businesses for supplies and prize donations and raise funds through refreshments, games, and stallholder fees.

Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
3
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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:
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Impact:
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Bingo night

Sell bingo cards and offer exciting prizes to keep everyone engaged all night long, either virtually or in person!

In the lead-up to your fundraising event, entice attendees with campaign updates featuring teasers of some of the prizes at stake.

Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Book sale

Partner with a publisher or local book store and host a book sale to raise money. Sell books of all kinds or organize the event around a theme—romance novels, religious books, or children's literature—whatever will resonate with your community.

Make sure to spread the word about your sale and send reminders using free email marketing software!

Cost:
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Impact:
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Lip sync competition

Invite community members to sign up and submit their songs for an unforgettable lip-sync battle. Recruit a volunteer panel of judges to select the winners—and don’t forget prizes for the winners!

Sell tickets for this fundraising event online, streamline check-in, and accept extra donations with the same easy platform.

Cost:
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Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Multicultural fair

Showcase dishes and traditions from around the globe and celebrate the diversity of your community with a multicultural fair fundraiser. Sell tickets and set up food, drinks, and gift booths for attendees to enjoy.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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Basketball bonanza

Challenge contestants to score as many points as they can within the time limit. Charge an entry fee and check attendees in as they line up. 
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Cooking competition

Take inspiration from the TV show “Chopped” and challenge teams to a culinary showdown!

You can get even more spectators in on the fun by livestreaming the event and asking for donations throughout the program.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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Frequently asked questions

College clubs and groups use various strategies to raise money and collect donations in support of their activities. Common fundraising ideas for college organizations include running bake sales or car washes, selling tickets to events, getting sponsorships from local businesses, and receiving grants.

The most popular fundraising ideas for college students engage fellow students and the local community while providing value or entertainment. Favorite options include charging an entry fee to themed parties or events like a battle of the bands, organizing social media challenges, selling raffle tickets, or teaming up with local restaurants to add some flavor to your fundraising efforts.

The impact of college fundraisers can vary depending on factors such as the size of the audience, the level of engagement, and the expenses involved. Some of the most profitable fundraisers for college clubs and groups include hosting large-scale events such as concerts, festivals, charity galas, gaming tournaments, and auctions, and leveraging online platforms for crowdfunding campaigns.

Strategic partnerships with businesses or alumni networks can also help maximize fundraising potential, too!

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