Cheap fundraising ideas

Team up to clean up! Rally volunteers to collect litter in your local community, and have each participant gather sponsorships based on bags filled or hours spent. It's a powerful way to raise funds and make a visible impact.

Gather your community for a friendly cornhole tournament. Set a donation amount to participate, and don’t forget prizes for the winning team.

Unleash your inner performer with a singing telegram! Cast willing team members to be singers, and and sell performances for a set donation amount.

Who has the cutest pet in your community? Host a photo contest to find out! Invite participants to submit a photo of their four-legged (or feathered or scaly!) friend for a set donation amount. Then, open up voting to the public—each vote can be a small donation. Crown a winner, raise funds, and flood everyone’s feed with cuteness.

Put your knowledge to the test with a faith-filled trivia night! Pick a lively host, sell team tickets, and let the friendly competition begin.

Want to reach an even bigger audience? Go hybrid or virtual so everyone can join in on the fun!

Bring your A-game to a uniform sponsorship drive!

Create a fun, easy sponsorship form so players can rally support from friends and family to help cover uniform costs——because looking sharp on the field starts with a little team spirit (and a lot of love from your biggest fans).

Have participants create personal peer-to-peer fundraising pages and collect pledges from friends and family based on the number of home runs they hit. Sell tickets to watch the game and award prizes to the winners.

Throw a themed costume party to match the season or holiday and award prizes for the best costumes! Sell tickets to your fundraising event online and partner with local sponsors to offset costs and spread the word.

Invite fans to donate to see how many field goals they can make in a minute (use a smaller goalpost for kids!). Have each participant create a personal peer-to-peer fundraising page and reach out to friends and family for support!

Reserve lanes at a bowling alley, ask participants to gather pledges for an all-you-can-bowl night, and watch the donations roll in on team fundraising pages.

Offer special prizes for the team with the highest score, most creative name, or even the best uniforms.

Instead of hosting an event, ask your supporters to donate a specific amount for the entire year. Create a fundraising page with photos, videos, and a compelling story in order to encourage gifts. Be sure to customize your donation amounts and add descriptions that are specific to your needs and impact.

Let donors "purchase" 2-5 hours of extra help from students or volunteers (think raking leaves or mowing the lawn).

In order to streamline the process and keep track of contributions, create custom labels for different donation amounts on a special fundraising page or donation form (e.g. $50 = 2 volunteer hours).

Raffle or auction off donated spirit-related items or experiences like a spot at a cheer clinic and private cheer lessons.

To attract the right audience, host a silent auction at your next spirited event with these experiences included!

Gather volunteers, soap, and plenty of rags to wash cars in exchange for donations. Collect onsite donations easily with a scan-to-donate QR code that lets donors to select from a variety of payment methods.

Sprinkle some extra magic into this classic fundraiser by giving it a theme! Encourage your group to dress up in costumes representing ‘80s icons, classic Disney characters, superheroes—you name it.

Swap your traditional auction for a silent one, where supporters or live audience members can bid any time before the auction ends. With a silent auction, your supporters are able to bid on items online or with their phones via QR code, making it easy and accessible for all.

Find out who can (safely) lift the most weight curling, deadlifting, or squatting. Charge entry fees for participants, sell tickets, and offer food and drink at an additional cost.

Ask community members to purge their wardrobes and donate sell-worthy items to your cause. Host a pop-up clothing shop at a local venue and sell tickets for entry!

Choose a theme and a hashtag, encourage supporters to post their video or picture, and then tag others to challenge them to do the same—and donate!

Learn more social media fundraising tips to take your efforts to the next level.

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!

Take your fundraising run online—or create a hybrid event—by encouraging participants to complete a designated distance anytime, anywhere! Be sure to use peer-to-peer fundraising to spread the word and bring in some major funds.

Get festive by encouraging supporters to wear their ugliest holiday sweater for a fun run! Use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage participants to set a donation goal and spread the word—along with photos of them in their ugly regalia. Offer a special award for the “best” dressed.

Ask supporters to wear their silliest or spookiest Halloween costumes during this fun run. Use team or peer-to-peer fundraising to help participants set a donation goal and spread the word.

At the end, award special prizes to the race winners, the teams or individuals who raised the most, and the best costumes!

Encourage supporters to submit their best t-shirt designs to enter a competition. Set up team fundraising pages for each design and have supporters donate to vote for their favorite. Each donation will appear on a leaderboard so everyone can watch the votes (and donations!) come in.

Challenge your coach to do something wild (like shaving their head!) if your team reaches their fundraising goal. Have supporters watch the fundraiser’s progress—and create some exciting anticipation—with an engaging fundraising page that features a live goal bar.