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Easy fundraising ideas

Raising money for your organization can be a drain on your limited resources—especially when fundraising is just one item on your very long to-do list! The simple fundraiser ideas on this list are designed to be quick and easy to pull together, so you can spread the word and raise cash fast.

From favorites like board game nights and baked goods sales to donation pages and photo contests, the easiest fundraising ideas will get you closer to your goal without taking up too much of your time or energy.

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Give it up challenge

Invite supporters to “give up” something small like their morning coffee order for a set amount of time and donate those funds towards your campaign instead.

Create a fundraising page for your challenge, including a list of ideas and suggested donation amounts. Share campaign updates and donor shout-outs to keep momentum going toward your goal!

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10,000 steps challenge

Encourage members to set up a fundraising page and accept pledges based on how long they’ll commit to their 10k-steps-a-day habit.

Invite participants to set up a peer-to-peer fundraising page where they can share their personal stories and interact with supporters.

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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.

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Yard sale

Turn old treasures into fresh new funds for your good cause! Ask community members to host individual yard sales and donate their proceeds to your campaign. Or, host one large community yard sale using donated goods.

Create a fundraising page for your yard sale, use campaign updates to keep your community engaged, and update the fundraising total to reflect how much you’ve raised.

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Penny wars

Grades or classes compete to collect the most pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Grab a few jars and encourage students to find some loose change to get started! To ensure that no one forgets their cents at home, send reminders to parents with free texting software.

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Pajama day

For a small donation, students can come to school in their pajamas and enjoy a cozy day. Grownups can organize a pajama day fundraiser at work, too! Accept donations in advance or on the day of via multiple payment methods like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Venmo.

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Lemonade stand

Sell lemonade (and maybe some tasty treats, too!) to raise funds for your cause. Make purchases smooth as butter with scan-to-donate and donation forms that accept every payment method, including Venmo!

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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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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!

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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.

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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!

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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!

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Coffee morning

Host a coffee morning and invite your community members to join you for tea or coffee, cake, and a cozy chat with friendly faces. Ask a local coffee shop to sponsor your event or donate a percentage of their profits from the morning to your cause.

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Naming rights

Supporters cast their vote with donations to name a bench, tree, garden, sculpture, or pathway.

Create custom labels on your donation form for various donation amounts (for example: $100 = named brick in a sidewalk).

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Text-to-donate

With text-to-donate, raising funds is as easy as sending a text message. Post your shortcode on signs at fundraising events, share it on social media, and offer it as a payment option so your supporters can contribute 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.

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Envelope fundraiser

Leave stacks of branded envelopes in various places around your community or grounds. Invite supporters to pick up an envelope, insert a donation, and leave it at a designated drop-off point.

Spread the word with easy email marketing software. Share the details of your campaign and send reminders as the deadline gets closer.

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Karaoke night

Host an unforgettable night for your community to come belt out their favorite songs. Charge a small entry fee or accept donations for participation.

To encourage even more donations during the party, display mobile giving options and your progress toward your goal using live display.

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Count the jellybeans

Fill a big jar with jellybeans or other individual pieces of candy and have guessers write their number estimation next to their name. Use scan-to-donate and other easy mobile payment options to accept donations for guesses on the spot, and offer a worthwhile prize to the person that comes closest!

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Desk decorating contest

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!

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Holiday card campaign

Craft a festive holiday card to mail directly or send digitally to your supporters. Extend season’s greetings, express gratitude for their support, and invite them to contribute toward your year-end fundraising goals.

Use Givebutter’s built-in Canva integration to add a little extra cheer to your letters or emails in just a few clicks.

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Cup of coffee

Set up a coffee cart in the office and ask employees and/or passersby to donate the cost of their morning coffee towards the cause.

Offer scan to-donate and accept Venmo donations to make giving even easier.

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Shoe drive

Ask your community members to donate gently worn or newly purchased pairs of shoes that you can sell at a pop-up shoe drive.

Make transactions easy with scan-to-donate and multiple payment options, including Venmo.

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Food truck Friday

Choose one Friday every month to be Food Truck Friday, in which you partner up with a local food truck to visit the area and promote their arrival.

In exchange for driving more business their way, use a sponsorship proposal to negotiate a percentage of profits for your good cause.

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Pet contest

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.

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Pi Day

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.

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Frequently asked questions

If you need to raise money for your cause quickly, look through super-easy fundraising ideas featured on this page to find one that works for you. Pair these great fundraisers with our step-by-step guide on how to raise $1K in 30 days for a smoother journey toward your fundraising goal.

The best thing about these fast fundraising ideas for nonprofit organizations is that they don’t require heaps of expert knowledge, weeks of planning, or buckets of cash. Instead, these fundraising efforts only require a few materials, inexpensive supplies, and a healthy dose of enthusiasm.

We’ve designed this list of quick fundraising ideas to meet two criteria—that they’re simple and fast. Each fundraiser can be planned with little effort, meaning they’re perfect for small teams, volunteers on a budget, and anyone who needs a last-minute fundraising idea to hit an unexpected target quickly.

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