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All fundraising ideas
Cheap fundraising ideas
Making an impact doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. Changemakers looking to raise funds without burning a hole in their pockets can choose from hundreds of inexpensive fundraising ideas. This list of lower-cost and free fundraising ideas will help you reach your goal without breaking the bank.
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Virtual bike-a-thon
Set a distance and have your bikers pay a registration fee to join in. Then, foster some friendly competition by encouraging supporters to start or join a team, raise funds, and set off wherever they are.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/virtual-bike-a-thon
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Peer-to-peer
Events
Sponsor a stud
Let donors "sponsor" a piece of lumber for your next construction project. Customize donation amounts on your donation form to align with the cost of materials (e.g., $50 donation equals 3 studs).
Don’t forget to invite all sponsors to the ribbon-cutting ceremony when construction is complete!
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/sponsor-a-stud
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Pages & forms
Guest speaker event
Host a webinar or TED-style talk with an interesting topic and a captivating guest speaker sourced from your network.
Raise funds for your livestream by selling tickets and include upgrades like signed copies of books to bring in even more donations.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/guest-speaker-event
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Events
Office Games
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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/office-games
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Events
Pages & forms
Peer-to-peer
Cupcake wars
Have kids prepare their favorite cupcake recipe to sell at a cupcake-only bake sale. To add some friendly competition, invite attendees to vote on their favorite by making a donation to the tastiest cupcake’s team fundraising page. Use a leaderboard to show real-time votes and award prizes for the winning bakers!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/cupcake-wars
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Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
Home exercise classes
Invite local fitness instructors and coaches to donate their skills and invite community members to join you for at-home exercise classes in exchange for a donation.
Manage everything in one place by broadcasting your classes with a livestream right on your event registration page.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/home-exercise-classes
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Events
Baseball bingo
Create bingo cards featuring baseball terms, players, and teams. Sell tickets and show off prizes with a custom fundraising event page that makes it easy to purchase more cards during the event by accepting every kind of payment method—even Venmo.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/baseball-bingo
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Events
Rah-rah raffle
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!
To attract the right audience, host a silent auction at your next spirited event with these experiences included!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/rah-rah-raffle
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Events
Auctions
Expert lecture series
Recruit local experts, professors, speakers, and community leaders to donate their time and expertise for a series of talks on a certain theme.
Sell tickets to in-person attendees and offer a livestreaming option to increase donations and reach interested supporters from anywhere.
Sell tickets to in-person attendees and offer a livestreaming option to increase donations and reach interested supporters from anywhere.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/expert-lecture-series
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Events
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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/coffee-morning
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Events
Discount cards
Create and sell discount card coupon books full of deals to local restaurants and businesses. Sell the coupon books on a custom donation form and share it far and wide!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/discount-cards
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Pages & forms
Spring cleaning
Rally volunteers together for a spring cleaning of your community space or a street in your neighborhood. Reach out to local businesses to sponsor the event and offer supplies. Then, invite donations from your local community with scan-to-donate signage as you work!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/spring-cleaning
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Events
Pages & forms
Community potluck dinner
Invite each person to contribute a dish and invite at least two people to join your dinner. To keep everything organized, customize your fundraising page or donation form so participants can note what dish they’re bringing when they RSVP—and make a contribution to your campaign.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/community-potluck-dinner
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Events
Pages & forms
Festive volunteers
Rally volunteers to act as festive little helpers to put up holiday decorations for others in your community in exchange for donations.
Set up a donation form and use custom labels to create fun options, like a $50 donation = putting up your roof lights.
Set up a donation form and use custom labels to create fun options, like a $50 donation = putting up your roof lights.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/festive-volunteers
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Pages & forms
Gift wrapping
Source donated paper, set up a gift wrapping station in a popular location, and charge for holiday gift-wrapping! Use scan-to-donate or Venmo to accept payments on the spot.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/gift-wrapping
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Events
Pages & forms
Jersey auction
Auction off game-worn jerseys from your team or donated professional jerseys either online or in person. Take advantage of free silent auction software for simple and easy bidding, custom item descriptions, and more.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/jersey-auction
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Auctions
Special series
Create programming for a special series of sermons designed to help raise money for your current fundraising project.
Tie sermons directly to your goal and reach more supporters by livestreaming right from your fundraising page. Anyone can tune into the stream, make a donation, and learn about your campaign all in one place.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/special-series
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Events
Pages & forms
Bingo night
Sell bingo cards and offer exciting prizes to keep everyone engaged all night long—either virtually or in person!
In the lead-up to your fundraising event, entice attendees with campaign updates featuring teasers of some of the prizes at stake to build anticipation.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/bingo-night
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Events
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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/birthday-fundraiser
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Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
Street clean up
Use the longer days of summer to your advantage by organizing a street clean-up to keep your neighborhood looking fresh and welcoming.
Partner with local businesses to sponsor the day and encourage donations toward your charity or group.
Partner with local businesses to sponsor the day and encourage donations toward your charity or group.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/street-clean-up
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Events
Pages & forms
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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Events
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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/toy-drive
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Pages & forms
Refer a friend
For successful referrals to your program, offer your current members discounted membership fees, merchandise, or entry into a raffle. Create custom fields (like “Who referred you?”) on your donation forms to keep track of eligible members.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/refer-a-friend
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Pages & forms
Date auction
Brave individuals offer themselves up for your auction to go on a date with the highest bidders. This idea is a little bit dated, but with the right planning, you can have a lot of fun with it.
Ask sponsoring restaurants to donate gift certificates to bring in more bids for these “items” and make for an easy, in-public location for each date.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/date-auction
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Auctions
Events
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
Donation drive
Set up a donation drive to collect valuable in-kind donations or financial gifts for your cause. This can be done by setting up a drop-off zone in person or collecting donations online through a fundraising page. No matter the format—make sure to share your fundraising goal far and wide to keep the momentum going!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
Examples
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/donation-drive
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Pages & forms
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Frequently asked questions
What is the most affordable fundraising idea?
The most affordable, low-cost fundraising ideas typically utilize existing resources and free tools. Many nonprofits launch online fundraising campaigns with free fundraising software or organize events with low overhead, such as car washes, bake sales, or virtual talent shows in which participants donate their time and artistry for the cause.
Is there a free fundraising platform?
Yes! Givebutter is an all-in-one fundraising platform that is completely free to use. Unlike other fundraising websites, Givebutter pricing doesn’t include hefty subscriptions or hidden fees. Instead, it’s funded by optional tips from donors.
How do I start a free fundraiser?
If you want to start a free fundraiser, the best tool you can use is an online fundraising page where you can easily collect donations and spread the word about your efforts.
It takes just a few minutes to create a free Givebutter account and launch any campaign, whether it’s a donation form, a peer-to-peer fundraiser, or a livestream event. Plus, don’t forget to take advantage of Givebutter’s full suite of CRM and engagement tools to streamline your efforts for fundraising that’s free and easy.
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