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Fundraising ideas

We’ve got the best fundraising ideas for good causes of all shapes and sizes! Check out our curated lists or browse all fundraising ideas below by cost, effort, and impact.

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Serve-a-thon


Turn your volleyball skills into a high-energy fundraiser with a serve-a-thon! Players collect pledges for every successful serve they make during a timed event. Invite teammates, supporters, and even future players to join in the fun. It’s a great way to raise funds, strengthen your team, and build community—all while spiking your fundraising goals.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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Bar crawl


Organize a themed 21+ bar crawl to the local pubs! Create custom ticket types for various amounts of drink tickets and eats along the way.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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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.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/color-run
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Culture day

Introduce the wider community to your club or group by hosting a themed culture day. Offer workshops, food, and activities in exchange for small donations using easy fundraising event tools like ticketing and mobile payment options.  
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/culture-day
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Raise some dough with cookie dough


Buy wholesale cookie dough for volunteers to sell during peak cookie-baking season. To gamify your efforts, use peer-to-peer fundraising so participants can compete to see who sold the most!
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/raise-some-dough-with-cookie-dough
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Back-to-school sale


Get everyone set up for the new school year with a back-to-school sale. Sell items like stationery, backpacks, water bottles, and other accessories for kids of all ages.

Customize online tickets with the name and image of each product, so your supporters can easily choose between the items on sale.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/back-to-school-sale
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Team apparel sale

Sell custom team apparel like T-shirts and hats featuring your team's logo and colors—online, in person, or both! Be sure to collect key info—like size and color—using custom fields on your donation forms.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/team-apparel-sale
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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.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/one-for-one-pledge
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Local celebrities

Invite a local children’s book author or beloved mascot to an event. Guests will pay a fee to attend, ask questions, and take photos! 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/local-celebrities
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Easter egg hunt


Host an epic Easter egg hunt and set up a fundraising event page so families can register with a sliding-scale donation. 

Add an Easter Bunny photo booth or bake sale and accept donations with scan-to-donate or Venmo on the day of the hunt. 

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/easter-egg-hunt
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Candy bar sale


Sell wholesale candy bars and sweet treats to your supporters. Bring them to events or offer them anywhere people might need a snack! Use peer-to-peer fundraising to spark a bit of friendly competition and easily track who’s sold the most.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/candy-bar-sale
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Give it up challenge


Ask supporters to “give up” a small indulgence—like their morning coffee—for a set amount of time and donate those funds to your campaign instead. 

Create a fundraising page to share challenge ideas, set suggested donation amounts, and post updates or donor shout-outs to keep momentum going. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/give-it-up-challenge
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Family photo day

Partner with a local photographer and charge a fee for photo packages with themed backdrops or props. Create custom tickets with time slots for families to sign up to keep the day moving smoothly. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/family-photo-day
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Face painting


Set up a booth where passersby can get their face painted by volunteers from your group in exchange for a small donation.

Make it easy for people to give with scan-to-donate. All they need to do is scan the QR code and they’ll land on your donation page in seconds.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/face-painting
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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
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/community-potluck-dinner
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Thanksgiving food drive

Raise funds and ask supporters to contribute food items to provide neighbors in need with all the ingredients for a delicious and dignified Thanksgiving dinner.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/thanksgiving-food-drive
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Book sale


Partner with a publisher or local book store and host a book sale to raise money. Sell books of all kinds or organize the event around a theme—romance novels, religious books, or children's literature—whatever will resonate with your community.

Make sure to spread the word about your sale and send reminders using free email marketing software!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/book-sale
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Cornhole tournament

Gather your community for a friendly cornhole tournament. Set a donation amount to participate, and don’t forget prizes for the winning team. 
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/cornhole-tournament
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Field goal derby

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!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/field-goal-derby
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Scratch card fundraiser


Buy a batch of scratch cards from a wholesaler. Each circle hides a dollar amount, typically ranging from 50 cents to several dollars. Participants scratch off as many spots as they’d like—the total amount revealed is how much they’ll donate!

Collect cash or accept virtual payments on the spot with Tap-to-Pay, Venmo, and other convenient options.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/scratch-card-fundraiser
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Events

Spaghetti dinner


Host a pasta party where you serve spaghetti, salad, breadsticks, and dessert to attendees for a ticket price. Make your event even better by partnering with a local restaurant to sponsor the meal.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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Skate-a-thon


For a fun twist on a walk-a-thon, swap the walking shoes for rollerblades or quad skates and raise money for a good cause.

Encourage participants to create peer-to-peer fundraising pages they can personalize with their own stories and updates leading up to the big day. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/skate-a-thon
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Count the jellybeans


Fill a jar with jellybeans (or another candy) and have guessers write down their number estimation alongside their name. 

Use scan-to-donate or other mobile payment options to accept donations for each guess and award a prize to the person whose comes closest! 
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/count-the-jellybeans
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One-day giving event


Take part in Giving Tuesday or create your own giving day in which you mobilize your community to reach your fundraising goal in one day.

Keep your supporters invested in your progress with a goal bar and campaign updates that highlight milestones, matching gifts, and special shout-outs throughout the day.
Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/one-day-giving-event
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