Easy fundraising ideas
Raising money for your organization can feel overwhelming, especially when fundraising is just one task on a very long to-do list. These simple fundraiser ideas are quick to pull together and easy to execute, so you can spread the word and collect donations for your cause.
From favorites like board game nights and baked goods sales to donation pages and photo contests, the easiest fundraising ideas will help you hit your goal fast—without burning out your team.
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Caroling
Embrace the holiday spirit and spread joy by going caroling around town or at a seasonal event. Pass the hat for cash donations and display a large QR code or text-to-donate number for easy mobile giving.
Birthday fundraiser
Instead of birthday gifts, ask friends and family to make a donation to your nonprofit cause!
Givebutter’s fundraising pages make it easy to share your story, upload photos and videos, and let supporters leave comments as they give.
Give it up challenge
Ask supporters to “give up” a small indulgence—like their morning coffee—for a set amount of time and donate those funds to your campaign instead.
Create a fundraising page to share challenge ideas, set suggested donation amounts, and post updates or donor shout-outs to keep momentum going.
Face painting
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.
Yard sale
Turn old treasures into new funds for your good cause! Ask community members to host individual garage sales and donate their proceeds to your campaign—or host one large community yard sale using donated goods.
Create a fundraising page for your event, post campaign updates to keep people engaged, and update the fundraising total as donations come in.
Penny wars
Organize a friendly competition between grades or classes to collect the most pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Just grab a few jars and encourage students to find some loose change to get started!
Pajama day
Lemonade stand
Set up a classic lemonade stand—and maybe add some tasty treats—to raise funds for your cause. Make purchases seamless with scan-to-donate and mobile-friendly donation forms that accept Venmo and other popular payment methods.
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.
Virtual book club
Host a virtual book club and charge a small registration fee or ask for donations to join. Hold regular discussions via Zoom or another video conferencing platform to keep the community engaged.
Set up recurring donations as a simple way to collect membership fees for ongoing gatherings.
Teacher “jail”
Challenge students to meet a fundraising goal. If they succeed, their teacher gets “locked in jail” (aka gets to relax in the teachers’ lounge) while students take over the classroom for fun and games. Use a custom fundraising page with a live goal bar to build excitement!
Engraved bricks
Allow supporters to “buy” a brick for your next 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—and be sure to set a word count limit so they don’t go over!
Toy drive
Set up a toy drive so your community members can donate toys or cash to support families over the holiday season. Distribute toys to those most in need and use extra funds to buy additional gifts.
Let everyone know when, where, and what to donate with the help of email marketing software.
Postcard drive
Handwritten messages can make a huge impact on your fundraising by helping donors feel seen and appreciated. During your next campaign, have volunteers write and mail postcards to your contacts asking for support.
Add a modern twist by including a short URL that links directly to your fundraising page.
Coffee morning
Host a coffee morning and invite your community members to join you for tea or coffee, cake, and a warm conversation. Ask a local coffee shop to sponsor the event or donate a percentage of the morning’s profits to your cause.
Naming rights
Offer supporters the chance to name a bench, tree, sculpture, or pathway in recognition of their gift.
Create custom labels on your donation form for different naming tiers (e.g., $100 = named brick in a sidewalk).
Text-to-donate
With text-to-donate, raising funds is as easy as sending a text. Display your shortcode at fundraising events, share it on social media, or add it to signs so your supporters give using their mobile devices right on the spot—no matter where they are.
See for yourself how easy it is! Text “DEMO” to 53-555.
Best seat in the house
Auction off tickets to the best seats at an upcoming performance, sports game, gala, live concert, or other experience your group is hosting.
Use Givebutter to create unlimited types of event tickets—perfect for customizing your VIP packages.
Envelope fundraiser
Distribute branded envelopes around your community and invite supporters to pick one up, insert a donation, and drop it off at a designated location.
Spread the word with easy email marketing software. Share campaign details and send reminders as the deadline gets approaches.
Count the jellybeans
Fill a jar with jellybeans (or another candy) and have guessers write down their number estimation alongside their name.
Use scan-to-donate or other mobile payment options to accept donations for each guess and award a prize to the person whose comes closest!
Baby picture guessing
Ask employees to bring in baby photos, then hang them up and challenge everyone to make a donation to guess who’s who!
Desk decorating contest
Choose a theme and invite your coworkers to pay a small entry fee to decorate their workspace. Let others donate $5 to vote for the best “dressed” desk through each participant’s peer-to-peer fundraising page. Track the leaderboard in real time to see who’s in the lead!
Holiday card campaign
Send a festive holiday card—by mail or email—to share season’s greetings, thank your supporters, and invite them to contribute toward your year-end fundraising goals.
Use Givebutter’s built-in Canva integration to add extra cheer to your letters or emails in just a few clicks.
Cup of coffee
Set up a coffee cart in the office and invite employees or passersby to donate the cost of their morning beverage to your cause.
Offer scan to-donate and accept Venmo donations to make giving even easier.
Shoe drive
Invite your community members to donate gently worn or newly purchased shoes that you can sell at a pop-up shoe drive.
Make transactions easy with scan-to-donate and multiple payment options, including Venmo.
Frequently asked questions
How can I raise money fast for my nonprofit?
To raise funds for your cause quickly, look through super-easy fundraising ideas featured on this page to find one (or a few!) right for you. Then, check out our step-by-step guide on how to raise $1K in 30 days for a smoother journey toward your fundraising goal.
What are the benefits of running an easy fundraiser?
The best thing about these fast fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations is that they don’t require expert knowledge, extensive planning, or a lot of upfront cost. Instead, these fundraising efforts only need a few materials and plenty of enthusiasm—perfect for teams with limited resources.
What makes something an easy or simple fundraising idea?
We’ve designed this list to meet two criteria—that they’re fast to plan and simple to execute. Each of these can be planned with little effort, making them ideal for anyone on a tight budget or in need of last-minute fundraising ideas.
What is the easiest fundraiser?
Bake sales, read-a-thons, car washes, and scavenger hunts in a local park or partnering with a local restaurant are some of the best quick fundraising ideas. Other great examples include text-to-donate, matching gifts, and online fundraising campaigns.
What are the easiest fundraisers for small teams?
If your nonprofit team is small (but mighty!), focus on nonprofit fundraisers that don’t require too much setup effort. Raffles, car washes, and yard sales will raise funds for your cause without requiring a huge lift. Virtual fundraising events—like fun runs, concerts, or movie nights are also great options for small teams because they are low-cost and can bring in significant revenue through charging an entry fee.
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