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All fundraising ideas
Food fundraising ideas
In fundraising, as in life, one thing is certain: food is the way to the heart. If you’re looking to raise money for your school, nonprofit, sports team, or another worthy cause, we’ve got some of the best food fundraiser ideas that are sure to delight your donors.
From food truck festivals and chili-cookoffs to potluck dinners and bake sales that are perfect for school fundraisers, check out these easy food fundraising ideas to inspire every inner chef.
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Dinner dance
Sell tickets for guests to join you for a sophisticated dinner and dance. This is an ideal fundraising idea for dance groups and studios that want to show off their skills and attract major donors and sponsors.
Cost:
3
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/dinner-dance
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Food fight
This isn’t your typical cafeteria food fight. This cleverly named event raises awareness and funds to fight food insecurity and help keep your community fed.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/food-fight
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Taco-Making Contest
Put your culinary skills to the test! Charge an entry fee per team, and provide everyone with the same ingredients. The winner is the team with the tastiest tacos. Ready, set, cook!
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/taco-making-contest
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Bake to give raffle
Gather your community’s best bakers and turn their sweet creations into a fundraising feast! Ask volunteers to whip up their favorite cakes or cookies to sell at your event.
To add some extra excitement, sell raffle tickets and offer baked goods as delicious prizes.
To add some extra excitement, sell raffle tickets and offer baked goods as delicious prizes.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/bake-to-give-raffle
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Candy bar sale
Sell wholesale candy bars and sweet treats to your supporters. Bring them to events or offer them anywhere people might need a snack! Use peer-to-peer fundraising to spark a bit of friendly competition and easily track who’s sold the most.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/candy-bar-sale
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Tailgate party
Invite a local restaurant to contribute or have volunteers create a menu for a tailgate. Sell entry tickets and offer some fun merch or special treats at an additional price to bring in extra dollars.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/tailgate-party
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Raffle
Ask your sponsors and community members to donate items or experiences, then raffle them off! The sky’s the limit when it comes to raffle ticket prizes: gift baskets, movie tickets, artwork—anything your community members will love.
Just be sure to check your state laws regarding raffles before you start planning!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/raffle
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Concession stand
Use an existing stand or create your own and sell items like popcorn, candy, and sunflower seeds. To boost sales, create customticketswith mouth-watering pictures of available treats!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/concession-stand
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Open mic night
Invite community members to perform music, poetry, or comedy for a good cause. Ask audience members to make a small donation and offer snacks to raise more funds using easy in-person mobile payments like Tap to Pay and scan-to-donate.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/open-mic-night
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Pizza party
Have each class or group create a team fundraising page for donations and campaign sharing. Reward the team that raises the most with a bottomless pizza day, donated by a local pizzeria or made by volunteers.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pizza-party
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Grab bags
Reach out to local businesses and ask them to donate a small number of products that you can bundle together and offer donors online.
To attract more partnerships from businesses, create a sponsorship proposal that emphasizes the benefits for them, like free publicity and marketing opportunities.
To attract more partnerships from businesses, create a sponsorship proposal that emphasizes the benefits for them, like free publicity and marketing opportunities.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/grab-bags
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Community cookbook
Create and sell a custom cookbook featuring favorite recipes from your community members and families. To drum up excitement and spread the word, share sneak peek photos on your custom fundraising page.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/community-cookbook
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Food truck smorgasbord
Invite food trucks to a big game or event and ask them in return to donate a portion of all food sales to your team. To really sweeten thesponsorshipopportunity, offer benefits for these small businesses, like free marketing and publicity.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/food-truck-smorgasbord
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Restaurant takeover
Find a local restaurant that will host your fundraising event and donate at least 10-20% of the profits from the evening to your campaign. To really sweeten the sponsorship, offer lots of benefits for participating restaurants like free marketing and publicity.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/restaurant-takeover
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March Madness
Raise money while cheering on your favorite NCAA players with a bracket competition culminating in a ticketed March Madness watch party.
To take this fundraising idea online, take advantage of livestreaming tools, too!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/march-madness
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Bake sale
Everyone loves sweet treats! Whip up some cookies, cakes, or donuts and host a bake sale to raise funds for your good cause.
Supporters don’t have cash? No problem! With Givebutter, you can accept mobile payments through a range of modern methods, including Venmo.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/bake-sale
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The guessing game
Fill a jar with candy at your next event and invite people to guess how many pieces are inside for a small donation. The closest guess wins all the candy!
Use scan-to-donate for quick, on-the-spot giving—just print the QR code on a poster or display it at your stand.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/the-guessing-game
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Partner with a local restaurant
Partner with a celebrated local eatery to donate a percentage of their profits from a certain night or weekend to your fundraising campaign. Check out tips for securing corporate sponsorships to make the most of this opportunity.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/partner-with-a-local-restaurant
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Grill-off
At your next BBQ, invite hobby chefs to compete in a grill-off, where they’ll be judged by a panel of experts—your supporters!
Set up team fundraising pages where everyone can make a donation to vote for their favorite chef. They can also see a live leaderboard and watch the votes land in real time!
Set up team fundraising pages where everyone can make a donation to vote for their favorite chef. They can also see a live leaderboard and watch the votes land in real time!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/grill-off
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Take a pie to the face
Set up a booth and invite people to pay to throw a pie at willing participants like teachers, bosses, or coaches—the more authority, the more satisfying!
With scan-to-donate, pie throwers use your QR code to land on your donation page instantly—no waiting around.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/take-a-pie-to-the-face
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All you can eat buffet
Host an all-you-can-eat buffet or potluck dinner, and charge a small fee to enjoy a meal together with your community.
A free event ticketing platform can help you organize and manage your evening and check people in from your mobile device without any stress.
A free event ticketing platform can help you organize and manage your evening and check people in from your mobile device without any stress.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/all-you-can-eat-buffet
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Grown-up bake sale
Sell donated or homemade gourmet goodies like croissants and macarons for the ultimate grownups-with-a-sweet-tooth fundraiser.
Collect in-person payments with scan-to-donate, which gives donors a wide range of payment options.
Collect in-person payments with scan-to-donate, which gives donors a wide range of payment options.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/grown-up-bake-sale
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Crawl for a cause
Build community and explore your city with a themed art, food, or experience crawl. Collect registrations on your fundraising event page, and partner with the featured venues to benefit from a percentage of ticket or food sales at each stop.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/crawl-for-a-cause
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Gala night
Plan a sophisticated gala night with music, food, and a silent auction.
Get your supporters excited about your upcoming event with an eye-catching gala invitation template. Include details on how to buy tickets, or add a scan-to-donate QR code.
Cost:
3
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/gala-night
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Culture day
Introduce the wider community to your club or group by hosting a themed culture day. Offer workshops, food, and activities in exchange for small donations using easy fundraising event tools like ticketing and mobile payment options.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/culture-day
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Dive into our list of best fundraising ideas in the meantime
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best food to sell for fundraising?
The best culinary delights to include when hosting a food fundraiser will depend your target audience, location, and season. You can really never go wrong with crowd-pleasers like pizza, hot dogs, tacos, and baked goods, but the best food ideas for fundraising will ultimately depend on the taste buds of your community. Be sure to also consider cost, preparation time, and potential profit margins as you make your decision!
How do food fundraisers work?
Food fundraisers involve selling delicious treats or hosting culinary events to raise funds for a cause. Usually, organizations promote the event through channels like email and social media and charge an admission fee to attend.
Another option is to team up with local restaurants and chefs. Often called a “restaurant takeover,” organizations invite community members to dine for a cause, and a percentage of the profits from the night go directly to your mission!
How do I set up a food fundraiser?
Setting up a food fundraiser consists of a few key steps. First, decide on the type of food you want to sell or the food-related event you wish to host. Next, plan the details, such as the menu, venue, pricing, and target fundraising goal. Then, promote the fundraiser food idea through various channels to attract attendees or customers. Finally, handle sales, collect funds, and thank your hungry supporters!
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