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All fundraising ideas

Creative fundraising ideas

While bake sales and car washes are tried-and-true strategies for raising funds, it’s good to mix things up and keep your supporters on their toes with innovative fundraising ideas, too. To get inspired, check out these unique fundraiser ideas that offer a twist on traditional events and challenges—either by flipping them entirely on their head or introducing new and exciting themes.

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“Celebrity” breakfast

Charge an entrance fee for a special family breakfast with a beloved children’s character like Elmo! Check-in attendees and accept in-person donations with Tap to Pay as guests arrive, ask volunteers to whip up scrambled eggs and pancakes, and arrange a corner of the room for family photos and selfies.

Cost:
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Impact:
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Family photo day

Partner with a local photographer and charge a fee for photo packages with themed backdrops or props. Create custom tickets with time slots for families to sign up to keep the day moving smoothly.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Donation forms

Trike-a-thon

Create a race course and encourage family and friends to sponsor your little big-wheel racers by making a donation on their behalf on your fundraising page.

Cost:
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Effort:
2
Impact:
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Kids’ art calendar

Turn kids’ finger paintings and drawings into custom calendars—or transform them into keepsakes like photo books, mugs, or t-shirts. Sell the merch using a fun, eye-catching auction or fundraising page.

Cost:
1
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Impact:
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Donation forms
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Auctions

Flower bouquets

Partner with a local florist to set up a stall where volunteers make, wrap, and sell flower bouquets for Mother's Day, Easter, or any other spring celebration.

Create a fundraising page with custom donation amounts featuring a photo of each kind of bouquet and the number available so donors can reserve bouquets online or purchase in person.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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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.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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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.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Peer-to-peer

Skate-a-thon

For a fun twist on a walk-a-thon, swap the walking shoes for a pair of rollerblades or quad skates and raise money for a good cause.

Leading up to your event, encourage your participants to create their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages, which they can personalize with their own stories and updates.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Peer-to-peer

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.

Cost:
2
Effort:
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Impact:
2
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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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Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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Easter egg hunt

Set up an epic Easter egg hunt and create a fundraising event page for families in your community to register and make a sliding-scale donation to participate.

Create an Easter Bunny photo booth and host a bake sale to bring in even more donations with scan-to-donate and Venmo donations on the day of the hunt!

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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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:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Auctions
Events
Fundraising page

Teacher “jail”

Challenge students to meet a fundraising goal. If they do, their teacher is sent to relax in the teachers’ lounge while students play games in the classroom. Use a custom fundraising page with a live goal bar to build excitement!

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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Peer-to-peer

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:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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Donation forms
Fundraising page

That’s a wrap

Students make donations to buy sections of toilet paper. At the end of the fundraising period, they get to wrap their teacher with it! For a smoother process, set custom donation amounts and labels on your fundraising page or donation form.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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Superhero run

Participants pay an entry fee to partake in a costumed fundraising run. Encourage runners to raise more for your cause with their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages, and award prizes for race winners, best super hero costumes, and most donations!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Peer-to-peer

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:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Night at the museum

Secure a sponsorship from a local museum and invite families and community members to pay a donation to enjoy a crowd-free evening of fun.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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TikTok dance-off

Challenge participants to create a dance and post their video to social media. Each person must tag someone and donate once they’ve completed the challenge.

For easy and simple sharing, create a custom donation form that’s optimized for mobile!

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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Fundraising page
Donation forms

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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Peer-to-peer

24-hour marathon

Host a 24-hour livestream fundraiser for a high-energy day of fun and fundraising.

Great livestream activity ideas include a poetry slam, gaming tournament, or virtual concert.

Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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Pancakes for parents

Charge a small entrance fee for a dropoff pancake breakfast just for kids, allowing parents to take some much-needed time to rest and relax.

Make the whole process even more convenient for parents with easy online ticketing and scan-to-donate options at the door.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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One for one pledge

Whether you’re offering branded merch, boxed lunches, or other appealing products, incentivize even more donations for your cause by pledging to give away one “reward” item for each one purchased. (For example, for every pair of cozy socks sold, you’ll donate a pair to a local shelter.)

Showcase this cycle of generosity on your donation forms using custom labels and donation amounts to make it clear you’ll be making an in-kind donation for every monetary donation received.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Fundraising page

Festive volunteers

Rally volunteers to act as festive little helpers to put up holiday decorations for others in your community in exchange for donations.

Set up a donation form and use custom labels to create fun options, like a $50 donation = putting up your roof lights.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Donation forms
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Engraved bricks

Give your supporters the opportunity to “buy” a brick for your new construction project that will have their name or dedication engraved on it for all to see.

Use custom fields on your donation form to capture essential details for donors’ bricks—make sure to provide a word count so they don’t go over!

Cost:
2
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
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Frequently asked questions

Creativity in fundraising means thinking outside the box and finding unique ways to entice donors. Try hosting themed events, leveraging social media challenges, or tapping into the specific interests of your local community or audience. If you offer a spin on some classic, easy fundraising ideas, your supporters will surely love it, and you’ll be closer to your fundraising goal.

Alternative fundraising ideas keep donors engaged and active. They generate excitement around your cause with existing supporters and can even bring in new ones—especially with peer-to-peer fundraising!

If your supporters are used to the same predictable ways of raising money for your cause, new, creative ideas for fundraising might be an adjustment. To help get your audience on board, partner with local businesses that can boost your fundraising efforts, help spread the word, and even offer fun prizes for winners.

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