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Children’s fundraising ideas

Whether you’re raising funds for causes that impact children or looking for fundraiser ideas that kids can participate in, we’ve got you covered.

From t-shirt design contests to a much-needed parents' night out, these kids and family fundraising ideas offer fun, engaging ways to raise money for schools, clubs, sports teams, and more.

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Pop-up clothing shop


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!
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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!
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Obstacle course


Challenge supporters to navigate walls, mud pits, and rope climbs. To amplify your impact and spark some friendly competition, encourage team fundraising—all supporters can join an existing team or create their own to compete!
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Color run


Spray participants with brightly colored powder along the course of your charity fun run. By the end, runners will be rainbow-ed! Set up a photo booth at the finish line for selfies, and encourage donations on social media via a scan-to-donate code.
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Virtual fun run

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.
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Walkathon

Ask supporters to lace up their shoes and gather pledges or donations for every mile they walk. Sell official charity gear, encourage participants to share updates on their own personal donation pages, and award top fundraisers with exciting prizes.
Cost:
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Impact:
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5k walk/run


Map out your fundraising run route and have supporters donate to participate. Then, use peer-to-peer and team fundraising tools that let supporters create their own donation pages, set goals, and ask friends and family to contribute!
Cost:
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Impact:
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Ugly sweater run

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.
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Halloween costume run


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!
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T-shirt design contest

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.
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Impact:
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Dance-a-thon

Using individual peer-to-peer fundraising pages connected to your main event page, participants gather donations and pledges based on how long they aim to dance—without taking a break!

Supporters can donate, leave encouraging messages for the dancers, and purchase tickets to join in the fun—all in one place.
Cost:
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Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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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!
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Jeans day


Sell passes for a day out of uniform or a day in jeans. You can even turn it into a friendly competition to see which grade has the highest participation. For easy payments, use scan-to-donate, Venmo, or other convenient methods. 
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Shoe-decorating

Source an array of paints and art supplies and invite community members to make a donation and bring a pair of sneakers to paint together for your good cause. 

To create a seamless event experience, set up custom ticket types, like an upsell ticket that provides a pair of shoes. Make sure to add a custom question to get the right shoe size!
Cost:
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Impact:
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Storybook Character Dress-Up Day

Invite students to come to school dressed as their favorite storybook characters. Charge a small participation fee and organize storytimes throughout the day.
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Impact:
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Crafts night


Charge an entrance fee and check in attendees as they arrive for an evening of creativity and fun. Ask volunteers to bring craft supplies or request donations from local art stores. 
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Impact:
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Principal for the day


Auction off the chance for a student to be school principal for the day! The lucky student will get to greet classmates as they arrive, make morning announcements, visit classrooms, and enjoy a special lunch with the principal. 
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Read-a-thon


Students pledge to read a certain number of minutes each day and collect donations for every minute read or a flat rate. Use peer-to-peer fundraising to gamify your efforts and encourage readers to compete to see who reads—and raises—the most.
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Pumpkin Games


Perfect for the Halloween season, challenge participants to a pay-to-play series of games like pumpkin races and decorating contests. Sell tickets in advance or on the day of using scan-to-donate or Venmo. 
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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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. 
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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.  
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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!
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Water balloons & sponge toss

For this fundraising event, charge a small fee per water balloon or sponge, and let students throw them at each other during a pep rally or outdoor event. For easy participation, offer scan-to-donate and accept multiple payment methods like Apple Pay, Venmo, and more.
Cost:
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Impact:
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Pool party


Charge an entry fee for a fun day in the sun—think pool floats, squirt guns, and water balloons!

To make this fundraising event even more of a hit, sell summery snacks and drinks, too. Don’t forget the sunscreen!
Cost:
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Effort:
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Impact:
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Game night

Sell custom event ticket types and group tickets that offer unlimited access to games—or charge a certain number of tickets per game.
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Impact:
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Frequently asked questions

Kids have plenty of options when it comes to crafting items for charity. Some of the best kid-friendly fundraiser ideas tap into their creativity, like designing t-shirts or baking tasty treats to sell at bake sales or fundraising events.

Car washes and lemonade stands are two great fundraising ideas for kids. Shoe drive fundraisers offer an easy way for kids to engage with local community members, while hosting a walk-a-thon in your local park gives them a chance to get active while boosting fundraising efforts through pledges, small donations, or sponsorships from local businesses.

Pro tip: Offering small prizes at the end can help keep motivation high!

Easy kids' fundraising ideas require minimal resources or adult supervision. Game nights and read-a-thons, for example, are two great fundraisers for kids that keep things simple while still providing fun, memorable experiences.

For children with short attention spans, look for active fundraising events with activities that don’t take long to complete. Try water balloon fights, color runs, costume contests, or kids vs. grown-ups field days.

To keep everyone engaged when raising money for a cause, focus on fundraising campaigns that bring families together. Bonus points if there’s a little friendly competition—like a scavenger hunt, trivia night at a local restaurant, or a family-friendly talent show. Share updates and photos on social media, and use fundraising tools like team pages or leaderboards to keep excitement high.

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