Creative fundraising ideas

Challenge your congregation to reach your fundraising goal by pledging that your pastor or ministry leader will sleep on the roof if you hit it—or until you do!

Embed a donation form on your website with a live goal bar, so your community members can see just how close you are to hitting that target.

Invite supporters to make a donation to have lawn flamingos placed on their friends’ yards. Volunteers will sneak them onto recipients’ lawns so they awake to a pink surprise!

To make pulling off this silly fundraiser a breeze, create custom fields on your donation form, like the address of the Flamingo recipient.

Arrange a classic "whodunnit" event in which your guests roleplay to find out who the criminal within the group is.

Use easy event ticketing features to register guests online and check them in quickly with your mobile app to get the festivities started sooner!

Plan exciting entertainment, such as talent showcases and cooking lessons that you can share with your audience entirely online.

Plan a day or evening program, then livestream it to your community right from your event page, so members can make a donation without clicking away from the show.

Bring in donations with the sizzling smells and sweet treats from a street food stand.

Partner with a local restaurant or food truck, or set up your own stall for the day. Want to strike up a relationship with a local restaurant? Use our sponsorship proposal guide to get started!

Sprinkle some extra magic into the classic car wash fundraiser by giving it a theme! Get everyone in your group to dress up in costumes representing the ‘80s, classic Disney characters, superheroes, you name it.

Create a smooth experience for all with fundraising pages that include easy in-person payments and a range of giving options.

Livestream an engaging program from your fundraising page with information, entertainment, and impact stories to inspire viewers to donate. Task volunteers with accepting gifts over the phone and replying to comments and gifts on your supporter feed. Don’t forget to display a live thermometer so everyone can watch donations come in in real time!

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.

For this totally remote fundraising event, charge a registration fee and ask participants to use their computer or mobile device to complete various challenges. Share instructions and updates and announce winners from a livestream hosted right on your event page.

Ask local musicians or bands to perform for a livestreaming audience and invite viewers to make donations or purchase tickets to attend virtually right on your event page.

Make sure to feature a donation thermometer on your page to encourage viewers to make extra donations and get you closer to your goal as they enjoy the music.

Have kids prepare their favorite cupcake recipe to sell at a cupcake-only bake sale. To add some friendly competition in the mix, invite supporters to vote on their favorite treats by making a donation to the tastiest cupcake’s team fundraising page. Watch the results roll in on the live leaderboard and offer prizes for the winners!

Invite community members to try their hand at comedy while earning money—and a few good laughs—for a cause. Sell tickets and raise even more at your event with snacks and drinks.

Invite local animal shelters to bring adoptable dogs and cats to campus during midterms or finals to reduce student stress and raise money for a good cause.

Charge an entry fee and sell inexpensive extras like dog and cat treats. Be sure to offer multiple ways to purchase treats in-person like scan-to-donate and Venmo!

Unlike a traditional raffle, the last ticket holder gets the grand prize in a reverse raffle. Offer custom ticket types to feature various raffle items so participants have lots of options.

Before you start planning, be sure to check for any state regulations on raffles where you live!

Organize a series of lighthearted office games like chair races or paper airplane contests. Charge a small fee (donation) for participation and award prizes to winners. Offer scan to-donate to make the process smooth and simple.

Choose a theme and invite all of your coworkers to pay a small entry fee to participate in beautifying their workspace. To determine the best “dressed” desk, ask colleagues to submit a $5 donation per vote on each decorator’s peer-to-peer fundraising page. Watch the leaderboard to see who’s in the lead in real time!

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!

Sell tickets to a dining experience where guests purchase tickets to a "secret" location revealed only hours before the event. Use free texting software to send updates to attendees and inform them of the location.

Let employees bring their furry friends to work for the day in an exchange for a donation to your local animal shelter. Organize pet-themed activities and competitions to raise additional funds. To get remote employees involved, livestream some of the activities and invite coworkers to tune in!

For National Pet Week, plan a pet competition. Ask people to send in photos of their pets to be judged in various categories like Funniest Pet or Most Adorable. Charge an entry fee, and work with local companies to sponsor a prize.

Invite people to submit their pets via your supporter feed for an engaging way to send in photos alongside their donations.

In honor of Pi Day, invite your community to donate to your cause on March 14th. Set the suggested donation amount at $3.14, $31.40, or $314.00, but let supporters know that any amount is welcome.

Source delicious treats and seasonal goodies to create a selection of Easter gift baskets for aneggcellentsilent auction.

Combine classic Easter baskets (chocolate eggs, bunnies, etc.) with other awesome silent auction basket ideas to offer biddable items for the whole family.

Host a yard sale themed around helping people finish those summer projects they've been meaning to tackle. Have stalls that cater to a range of DIY projects with materials like paint, furniture, craft supplies, scrapbooking materials, and more.

Use email marketing software to spread the word about the upcoming sale and share a printable map, so attendees know what kinds of booths will be there.

Encourage donors to "sponsor" a piece of lumber your team will use in your construction projects. Create custom labels for different donation amounts on your donation form that align with the cost of materials (e.g., $50 donation equals 3 pieces of lumber). Don’t forget to invite all sponsors to the ribbon-cutting ceremony when construction is complete!