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All fundraising ideas
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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Featured campaign
Women's Club Basketball at NC State
3rd Annual Play4Kay Basketball Tournament & Competition
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Beach day
Arrange a day of sand and sun for your team members, volunteers, and the wider community with beach games, a picnic, and lots of family fun.
Set an affordable ticket price or ask for donations to cover the cost of the event and raise funds—whichever you choose, our fundraising event tools can help!
Set an affordable ticket price or ask for donations to cover the cost of the event and raise funds—whichever you choose, our fundraising event tools can help!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/beach-day
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Events
Pool or beach volleyball tournament
Turn your local beach or community pool into a sports arena with a pool volleyball tournament. To make this a high-value event, charge teams an entry fee and encourage them to raise sponsorship through their team fundraising pages.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pool-volleyball-tournament
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Beach Games
Plan an exciting beach competition including an Olympics-style championship for events like volleyball, surfing, and sandcastle making.
Ask participants to pay a small fee to register and raise even more funds by selling cold drinks and ice cream.
Ask participants to pay a small fee to register and raise even more funds by selling cold drinks and ice cream.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/beach-games
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Events
Membership drive
Incentivize supporters to invite friends and family to sign up for a membership during a specific period of time. Offer discounted rates or additional perks, and accept recurring donations on a monthly or annual basis.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/membership-drive
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Pages & forms
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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/hot-chocolate-stall
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Events
Pages & forms
Comedy night
Sell tickets to join your organization for an evening of laughter, drinks, and fundraising! Partner with a local venue and ask other businesses for corporate sponsorships to offset costs and bring in even more dollars for your cause.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/comedy-night
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Events
Give $5, grab 5 friends
Ask your supporters to donate $5 to your cause. Then, each donor has to tag at least five people via social media. The goal is that each person who gets tagged matches that $5 gift to your campaign—and then tags five others.
This is a great social media fundraising idea that can spread quickly within your community, helping you raise funds fast.
This is a great social media fundraising idea that can spread quickly within your community, helping you raise funds fast.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/give-5-grab-5-friends
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Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
Fitness challenge
Participants commit to completing a certain number of workouts and collect pledges for each milestone achieved using personal peer-to-peer fundraising pages.
Watch as donations come in and friends and family share words of encouragement on the supporter feed.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/fitness-challenge
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Home decor workshop
Charge a registration fee and provide materials for attendees to create their own home decor. Selecting seasonal DIY projects—such as holiday wreaths or pumpkin painting—is a great way to draw a larger crowd. Take this event to the next level by turning it into a competition! Once all projects are completed, attendees can donate to vote for who should be crowned winner.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/home-decor-workshop
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Events
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.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/drag-show
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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:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/lgbtq-workshop-series
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Events
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
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/drag-bingo
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Events
LGBTQ+ trivia night
Charge a registration fee for a fun night of testing your LGBTQ+ knowledge. To raise additional funds at this fundraising event, sell pride-themed merch, drinks, and snacks, too!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/lgbtq-trivia-night
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Events
Pride-themed merch sale
Design and sell pride-themed merchandise such as t-shirts, buttons, stickers, and flags. To drum up excitement, create a custom donation form, event, or fundraising page that includes images of the available items.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pride-themed-merch-sale
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Events
Pages & forms
Smash it!
Ask your local junkyard to donate totaled cars and invite supporters to make a donation to take a sledgehammer to them.
Sell different kinds of tickets online for smashers and audience members and offer food and drinks to raise even more during the fun. Don’t forget the safety goggles!
Sell different kinds of tickets online for smashers and audience members and offer food and drinks to raise even more during the fun. Don’t forget the safety goggles!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/car-smashing
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Events
Thrifty fashion show
Host a fashion show featuring only second-hand clothes, which will then be on sale after the show! Charge an entrance fee, sell food and drinks, and remember to send a big thank you to everyone when your fundraising event is all over.
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/thrifty-fashion-show
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Events
Pet yoga
Ask a local yoga teacher to lead a class with adoptable animals—or invite participants bring their pets along for some zen!
Make this fundraising event even better by asking a local yoga studio to be a sponsor.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pet-yoga
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Events
Speakeasy night
Sell tickets to a prohibition-era-themed night that features poker, themed cocktails, live music, and more. Sell tickets to this fundraising event ahead of time, and accept donations from latecomers on the spot, too.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/speakeasy-night
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Events
Photo contest
Run a short photo contest for an inexpensive, all-ages fundraiser. Choose a theme, charge a small fee to enter, and invite community members to submit their photos alongside their donations in your supporter feed.
Raise even more by turning the top photos into a deck of cards or a calendar.
Raise even more by turning the top photos into a deck of cards or a calendar.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/photo-contest
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Events
Pages & forms
Photography walk
Invite a photographer to host a tour around the local area, taking in the sights of the season. Sell tickets in advance and use an easy mobile app to check in guests and take any last-minute payments on the day of.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/photography-walk
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Pages & forms
Events
Pie-eating contest
Ask local bakeries and volunteers to contribute pies, then host a pie-eating contest with a ticket price for entry. Sell refreshments (including slices of pie!) to raise extra funds.
Use a range of fundraising event features, such as online registration, on-the-spot payments, and seamless check-ins.
Use a range of fundraising event features, such as online registration, on-the-spot payments, and seamless check-ins.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pie-eating-contest
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Peer-to-peer
Events
Back-to-school sale
Get everyone set up for the new school year with a back-to-school sale. Sell items like stationery, backpacks, water bottles, and other accessories for kids of all ages.
Customize online tickets with the name and image of each product, so your supporters can easily choose between the items on sale.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/back-to-school-sale
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
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
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/oktoberfest
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Events
Pages & forms
Dodgeball tournament
Put teams together and face off to see who truly is the best when it comes to dodgeball. Charge teams an entry fee, sell tickets to watch the games, and sell refreshments to raise even more funds.
Invite participants to set up team fundraising pages so they can also compete to see who can raise the most funds for your cause.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/dodgeball-tournament
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
Year-end fundraiser
Celebrate the end of the year with a big annual fundraiser. Host an event and attract donations and support with a silent auction, peer-to-peer campaign, and more.
Use the year-end giving checklist to make sure you’ve covered every angle!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/year-end-fundraiser
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Events
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Pages & forms
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Frequently asked questions
How do college clubs and groups make money?
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.
What are the most popular college fundraising ideas?
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.
What are the most profitable college fundraisers?
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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