Fundraising ideas

Take inspiration from the TV show “Chopped” and challenge teams to a culinary showdown!

You can get even more spectators in on the fun by livestreaming the event and asking for donations throughout the program.

Charge a registration fee for a fun night of testing your LGBTQ+ knowledge. To raise additional funds at this fundraising event, sell pride-themed merch, drinks, and snacks, too!

Ask your supporters to donate $5 to your cause. Then, each donor has to tag at least five people via social media. The goal is that each person who gets tagged matches that $5 gift to your campaign—and then tags five others.

This is a great social media fundraising idea that can spread quickly within your community, helping you raise funds fast.

Some bakeries like Krispy Kreme sell their doughnuts at a discounted price to individuals and groups raising money for a good cause.

Create a fundraising page or donation form to promote your efforts and make it easier to sell your sweet treats with multiple payment options wherever you are.

Organize an afternoon of hilarious games and exciting dual-team events, like tug-of-war, that are sure to get the competitive spirit going.

Charge entrance fees for this fundraising event, sell snacks and drinks, and don’t forget prizes for the champs!

Collect pledges or donations from supporters based on the number of hits they make during a designated period of time. Have each participant create a personal peer-to-peer fundraising page and reach out to friends and family for donations!

Host your own fall-themed festival with carnival games, food and drink, local vendors, and live music.

Ask local businesses to donate supplies or prizes, and raise funds through refreshments, games, and stallholder fees.

Invite food trucks to a big game or event and ask them in return to donate a portion of all food sales to your team. To really sweeten thesponsorshipopportunity, offer benefits for these small businesses, like free marketing and publicity.

Throw a themed costume party to match the season or holiday and award prizes for the best costumes! Sell tickets to your fundraising event online and partner with local sponsors to offset costs and spread the word.

Choose one Friday every month to be Food Truck Friday, in which you partner up with a local food truck to visit the area and promote their arrival.

In exchange for driving more business their way, use a sponsorship proposal to negotiate a percentage of profits for your good cause.

Challenge a coach or teacher to do something wild (like shaving their head!) if your team reaches its fundraising goal. Build anticipation by letting supporters track your progress in real time with a fundraising page that features a live goal bar.

For a small donation, students can come to school in their pajamas and enjoy a cozy day. Grownups can organize a pajama day fundraiser at work, too! Accept donations in advance or on the day of via multiple payment methods like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Venmo.

Put together your own dance team calendar, and sell this at classes, recitals, and community events to raise funds for your dance company or team. Givebutter’s event ticketing feature is customizable enough for you to use this to sell your calendars and other merch.

In this basketball fundraiser, each contestant pays a small entry fee to see how many baskets they can make in a short amount of time.

Organize a friendly competition between grades or classes to collect the most pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Just grab a few jars and encourage students to find some loose change to get started! 

Host a pay-to-play fundraising event where participants can compete against their friends in games like UNO or Sorry. Sell goodies for competitors to snack on to make this event extra sweet.

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.

Host a talent show and invite supporters to take to the stage and show off their skills. Sell tickets, drinks, and snacks to raise funds for your cause.

Make the experience even more interactive with text-to-donate. Let audience members vote from their seats and help you raise money in real time.

Host a battle of the bands with local musicians. Change the audience a small ticket fee, or raise funds by selling drinks and snacks.

Raise even more money by livestreaming the show. Encourage your supporters to tune in, support the event, and donate what they can towards your goal.

Give the classic “father-daughter” or “mother-son” dance an inclusive update. Invite families of all shapes and sizes to enjoy a fun night of cutting a rug together for a good cause.

Choose a theme, sell tickets for your fundraising event online, and raise even more by setting up a photo booth with silly props!

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.

Choose a location in a high-pet-traffic area, request treat donations from pet supply stores, and get to selling! Offer multiple payment methods, including scan-to-donate and Venmo.

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.