Fundraising ideas for work
Whether you’re looking to rally your employees or coworkers around a cause close to your heart or your nonprofit is eager to engage more supporters with workplace fundraising, you’ll find inspiration in this list of exciting ideas for fundraisers at work.
Get everyone in the office involved in the action, from coffee cart donations to CEO challenges, and help bring in donations and bring your staff together at the same time.
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Peer-to-peer fundraising
Multiply your reach with a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign in which individuals reach out to their own networks of family, friends, and coworkers to solicit donations for your cause.
Create teams to add some fun competition into the mix—and bring in more donations!









Battle of the food trucks
Host a showdown between some of your favorite food trucks. Ask each truck to donate a percentage of sales towards your good cause, and award a fun prize to the truck that makes the most sales that day.
Partnering with food trucks is a great way to reach your fundraising target. Discover how to secure corporate sponsorships.









Plant sale
Ask your green-thumbed community members to grow their best seedlings and plants for a future plant sale to raise much-needed funds. Or, send a sponsorship proposal to your favorite plant nursery with the goal of signing them as your event sponsor or partner.









One for one pledge
Whether you’re offering branded merch, boxed lunches, or other appealing products, incentivize even more donations for your cause by pledging to give away one “reward” item for each one purchased. (For example, for every pair of cozy socks sold, you’ll donate a pair to a local shelter.)
Showcase this cycle of generosity on your donation forms using custom labels and donation amounts to make it clear you’ll be making an in-kind donation for every monetary donation received.









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.









Themed auction
Partner with local businesses to source items for a themed auction with a variety of attractive packages, exciting products, and alluring getaways.
Asking for items to sell at your auction can feel daunting at first, so use this silent auction donation request guide to help you build relationships and attract amazing donations.









Pie baking contest and potluck
Invite bakers to submit their best pies for consideration as the dessert offering at your next potluck dinner.
Community members can make small donations as their “votes” for their favorite pies, and you can display the leaderboard to keep the competitive spirit up and momentum moving toward your fundraising goal throughout the event.









Toy drive
Set up a toy drive to allow your community members to turn their generosity into thoughtful gifts for kids over the holiday season. Ask for toy and cash donations, then distribute toys to those most in need and use funds to buy extra gifts.
Let everyone know when, where, and what to donate with the help of email marketing software.









Donation matching
Build relationships with local businesses and major donors that can offer matching donations to feature during your next campaign.
Matching gifts create an enormous incentive for supporters who understand that they can automatically double (or even triple or quadruple!) their impact for your cause.









Murder mystery night
Arrange a classic "whodunnit" event in which your guests roleplay to find out who the criminal within the group is.
Use easy event ticketing features to register guests online and check them in quickly with your mobile app to get the festivities started sooner!









Text-to-donate
With text-to-donate, raising funds is as easy as sending a text message. Post your shortcode on signs at fundraising events, share it on social media, and offer it as a payment option so your supporters can contribute using their mobile devices right on the spot, no matter where they are.
See for yourself how easy it is — text “DEMO” to 53-555.









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.









Street food stand
Bring in donations with the sizzling smells and sweet treats from a street food stand.
Partner with a local restaurant or food truck, or set up your own stall for the day. Want to strike up a relationship with a local restaurant? Use our sponsorship proposal guide to get started!









Best seat in the house
Auction off tickets to the best seat(s) in the house for an upcoming performance, sports game, gala night, live concert, or other experience your group is hosting.
With Givebutter you can also create unlimited kinds of event tickets—perfect for creating VIP packages.









Garage sale
Host a garage sale to transform your old belongings into funds for your mission. Your buyers will get some new treasures, and you will reach your fundraising goal.
Use our free email marketing software to send a big launch email with all the details, then send reminders closer to the day of the sale.









Golf tournament
Golf tournaments are an incredible way to build relationships and raise funds for your cause. Charge teams an entry fee, secure sponsorships, and enjoy a day on the green with your community.
Check out our guide to discover how to make your next golf tournament even more profitable.









Virtual scavenger hunt
For this totally remote fundraising event, charge a registration fee and ask participants to use their computer or mobile device to complete various challenges. Share instructions and updates and announce winners from a livestream hosted right on your event page.









Spa crawl









Networking night
Find a suitable space, charge an entry fee, and check in attendees as they arrive at your networking event! Get creative by inviting food trucks and hosting hands-on activities.









Virtual auction
Take the bidding online by allowing participants to browse your silent auction catalog, place bids, and win from anywhere!
Use auction software that makes the bidding process smooth and simple for you and your donors.









Count the jellybeans
Fill a big jar with jellybeans or other individual pieces of candy and have guessers write their number estimation next to their name. Use scan-to-donate and other easy mobile payment options to accept donations for guesses on the spot, and offer a worthwhile prize to the person that comes closest!









Meditation retreat
Organize a mindfulness retreat focused on yoga, meditation, and wellness sessions in a serene setting.
Customize tickets for this fundraising event to collect needed information from registrants, such as dietary restrictions.









Baby picture guessing









CEO challenge
Challenge company leaders to undertake fun or silly activities if you reach your fundraising goal. For example, the CEO could agree to wear a superhero costume for a day if your office reaches its fundraising target by a certain date. Use a custom donation page with a goal bar so everyone can watch donations roll in—and make sure you hit your goal.









Office mini-golf tournament
Transform your office space into a mini-golf course for a day! Employees create teams and pay a small fee to participate—or, to raise even more money, encourage coworkers to set up their own fundraising pages and accept donations from friends and family.









Frequently asked questions
How can I raise money for charity at work?
Your workplace is one of the best places to raise money for charity, especially if your fundraising efforts are work-related or promote employee involvement. Hosting bake sales in your building lobby, planning desk decorating contests, and organizing trivia nights are just a few fun office fundraising ideas your team will be eager to participate in. Plus, they offer a great opportunity for networking and building camaraderie, all while helping you reach your goal.
Don't forget to include donation jars around the office and online fundraising pages that employees can use to spread the word and raise more from friends and family.
How do you organize easy fundraising ideas for the workplace?
Launching these easy workplace fundraising ideas is pretty simple. Buy-in is key. Gather a small group of coworkers to pick a charitable cause that will resonate with your colleagues. Together, choose the best kind of activity or event for raising money. Be sure to check in with the nonprofit you’re supporting about your plans or even to collaborate on ideas!
You can also check out the different types of workplace giving programs that can further incentivize your coworkers to participate in raising funds.
What is corporate fundraising?
Corporate fundraising, also known as corporate philanthropy, is the practice of a company or business raising money to support a cause or charity.
Corporate fundraising ideas can range from larger-scale happenings like wine tastings and golf tournaments to smaller-scale activities like a car wash. At more formal events, organizers often charge an entry fee and invite the local community and other small businesses to attend and participate.
Some companies also donate a portion of their profits to a specific charity or encourage staff to volunteer. Others match donations, meaning employees can give to their organization of choice, and their employer will contribute the same amount or more!
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