Fundraising ideas for teens
While bake sales and car washes are tried and true ways to raise funds, they can start to feel stale over time. These fun fundraising ideas for teenagers will help you raise what you need for your band trip, sports team, or youth group community service project without repeating the same old idea. Plus, they’ll encourage friends and family to take part in reaching your fundraising goals, too.
%201.png)
Earth Day
Charge an entrance fee and make your fundraising event move smoothly with mobile app check-in and easy scan-to-donate payment options.









Mini-golf tournament
Assemble teams, charge entry fees, and cheer everyone on as they compete for the best score. Encourage participants to make personal team fundraising pages and ask friends and family to support them and the cause.









Swag sale
Raise some extra funds for your organization or club and spread the word about your cause by selling branded swag like totes, stickers, and t-shirts.
With advanced ticketing features, you can offer each item on a mobile-friendly platform and add an image and available amount so supporters can easily purchase and share their sizing info, too!









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.









Grab bags
To attract more partnerships from businesses, create a sponsorship proposal that emphasizes the benefits for them, like free publicity and marketing opportunities.









Staff vs. students
Organize an afternoon of relay races, obstacle courses, and brain teasers at your school and challenge teachers to partake. Be sure to create a fun and engaging event page where attendees can easily purchase tickets!









Comedy roast









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!









Pay you not to ask me again
Give your supporters a way to opt out of all your upcoming donation requests during a big fundraising effort. If they contribute via your donation form before a certain date, you’ll take them off your email and call list for the whole campaign! Then, you can easily segment your email list with your built-in CRM and marketing tools.









Community resource fair









Fitness class
Ask local instructors to donate a virtual or in-person class for your cause. Sell tickets and boost revenue on the day of by offering snacks, drinks, or branded merch.









Water balloons & sponge toss









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!









Game night









Flower bulb sale
Sell wholesale flowers or request donations from nurseries and landscaping stores to sell to supporters. To gamify your efforts, use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage individual supporters to compete to see who can sell the most!









Concert for a cause
Work with popular local musicians and performers to host a benefit concert with a percentage of the proceeds going towards your cause.
Want to make sure everyone can listen in and donate, no matter where they are? Livestream your concert to the masses and enable people to contribute to your campaign without leaving the stream.









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.









High five booth
Brighten up someone’s day and raise money for a good cause. Set up a booth where passersby can make a donation and receive a high-five in return.
Make the giving process as quick and easy as the high-five itself with scan-to-donate.









Trivia night
Make the evening go even smoother with seamless attendee check-ins and easy payment options like Tap to pay, Venmo donations, and scan-to-donate.









Movie night
Choose an indoor or outdoor space and host a ticketed screening of a fan-favorite movie—bonus if it’s related to your cause! Sell popcorn, treats, and drinks to raise even more funds.
Use Givebutter’s fundraising event tools like online ticketing, mobile check-ins, and scan-to-donate to keep everything seamless.









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.









Donate or dare
Pledge to do something wild, exciting, or newsworthy if your campaign hits its goal. Shaving your head is a classic option for this fundraising idea!
Share regular updates on your fundraising page and add a goal bar to keep the momentum going and drive more donations.









Recycling drive
Ask supporters to collect recyclable materials like cans, bottles, or even old tech, then use a local service to turn these items into funds.
Recycling drives work great for long-term fundraising. Keep your supporters engaged and remind them when and where they can drop off materials via your email marketing software.









Caroling
Embrace the holiday spirit and spread joy by going caroling around town or at a seasonal event. Pass the hat for cash donations and display a large QR code or text-to-donate number for easy mobile giving.









Crowdfunding campaign
Collect online donations from friends, family, and community members by creating a fundraising page that lays out your needs and the impact that you will make with the money you raise. Use photos and videos to make your story more engaging, and use a goal bar to showcase your progress.
Be sure to follow crowdfunding best practices in order to make your campaign an even bigger success!









Frequently asked questions
How do you motivate teenagers to fundraise?
Motivating teenagers to participate in fundraising efforts requires tapping into their interests, needs, and desire to make a difference. Peer-to-peer campaigns can add a fun social element to any teen fundraising ideas, plus some friendly competition to keep things exciting.
What are the most popular fundraising ideas for teenagers?
Good fundraising ideas for teenagers often include activities that are hands-on. Viral social media challenges and in-person competitions like sports events and talent shows are popular choices, providing opportunities to be creative and interact with others.
What are some easy fundraising ideas for teenagers?
Easy fundraiser ideas for teens include movie nights, craft sales, and karaoke parties, which require minimal effort and resources, making it simple for high school students—and parents—to be successful at fundraising.
%201.png)
Subscribe to
The Butter Brief
Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox

Givebutter helps you turn ideas into impact
.webp)
Subscribe to
The Butter Brief
Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox

The most-loved fundraising platform
.png)
%201.png)