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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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Date auction
Brave individuals offer themselves up for your auction to go on a date with the highest bidders. This idea is a little bit dated, but with the right planning, you can have a lot of fun with it.
Ask sponsoring restaurants to donate gift certificates to bring in more bids for these “items”and make for an easy, in-public location for each date.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/date-auction
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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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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/storybook-character-dress-up-day
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Dance silent auction
Give the traditional silent auction a dance-themed twist by selling off items, vouchers, and experiences that your dancer community would love. Make this part of a gala event and sell tickets to enter for even more fundraising opportunities.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/dance-silent-auction
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Auctions
Pi Day
Celebrate Pi Day on March 14th by inviting your community to contribute to your cause. Set the suggested donation amount at $3.14, $31.40, or $314.00, but let supporters know that any amount adds up to something great.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pi-day
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Summer day out
Raise funds and give your supporters a memorable experience at the same time with an excursion to an exciting attraction, museum, or other destination.
Use a fundraising event page to make registration and payment easy, and add custom fields to capture important information from each participant, such as t-shirt size or dietary restrictions.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/summer-day-out
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Events
Apple bobbing
Set up a stall where people can try apple bobbing in exchange for a small donation. This activity works especially well as part of a fall festival or Halloween event with a range of seasonal activities for families to enjoy.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/apple-bobbing
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International Women's Day fundraiser
Highlight the power, strength, and talent of women in your community today and throughout history with a special fundraising event.
Whether it’s in-person, virtual, or hybrid, raise more and stress less with easy online registration, mobile app check-ins, and live display
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/international-women-s-day-fundraiser
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Fourth of July party
Celebrate our nation’s independence with a red, white, and blue fundraiser! Work with businesses to secure sponsorships and an amazing venue, then sell tickets to your fundraising event, filled with food, music, and activities.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/fourth-of-july-party
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Bonfire BBQ
Plan a cozy community fundraiser with a firepit, s'mores, firecrackers, and a delicious BBQ. Charge an entrance fee or raise funds through carnival games and refreshments.
With user-friendly fundraising event features, you can sell tickets in advance and accept donations in person, too.
With user-friendly fundraising event features, you can sell tickets in advance and accept donations in person, too.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/bonfire-bbq
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Events
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.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/serve-a-thon
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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.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/donate-or-dare
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Basketball tournament
Host a basketball tournament between different schools, teams, or departments. Sell event tickets and offer drinks, snacks, and merch using Tap to Pay.
Step things up by challenging each team to see who can raise the most. Encourage them to create team fundraising pages to track their impact and build momentum toward game day.
Step things up by challenging each team to see who can raise the most. Encourage them to create team fundraising pages to track their impact and build momentum toward game day.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/basketball-tournament
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Events
Peer-to-peer
DIY gingerbread house kits
Make holiday magic easy for families by preparing gingerbread house kits they can buy for a small cost that supports your cause. Offer kits with larger houses or extra decorations for added fun and funds, which you can highlight in your custom your donation forms.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/diy-gingerbread-house-kits
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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!
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/field-goal-derby
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Car wash
Gather volunteers, soap, and plenty of rags to wash cars in exchange for donations. Easily accept onsite payments with a scan-to-donate QR code featuring Venmo and other modern methods.
Give this classic fundraiser a fresh twist by adding a theme! Encourage volunteers to dress up as ‘80s icons, classic Disney characters, superheroes—you name it.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/car-wash
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Elect an animal
Nominate some of the animals in your care to be “election candidates.” Create fundraising pages for the nominees and have supporters cast their vote by donating. Be sure to spotlight each animal’s story and how your organization has helped them thrive.
The winning animal receives some extra treats—and social media recognition!
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/elect-an-animal
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Peer-to-peer
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Community cookbook
Create and sell a custom cookbook featuring favorite recipes from your community members and families. To drum up excitement and spread the word, share sneak peek photos on your custom fundraising page.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/community-cookbook
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Dance team calendar
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.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/dance-team-calendar
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No-talent show
Sell tickets to an all-but-traditional talent show where people make a fool of themselves for a good cause. Offer seamless event ticketing, sell food and drinks, and let the laughs begin!
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/no-talent-show
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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.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/bake-sale
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Teen film festival
Invite teens to showcase their own short films and charge admission to audience members. In order to cast a vote for their favorite films, supporters must give a donation to the film’s/filmmaker’s team fundraising page. Watch the results roll in on the live leaderboard and offer awards for the best film winners in various categories.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/teen-film-festival
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Teacher “jail”
Challenge students to meet a fundraising goal. If they succeed, their teacher gets “locked in jail” (aka gets to relax in the teachers’ lounge) while students take over the classroom for fun and games. Use a custom fundraising page with a live goal bar to build excitement!
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/teacher-jail
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
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.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/office-mini-golf-tournament
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Peer-to-peer
Events
Fashion show
Host a fashion show that showcases talented local designers, fashion students, or both! Make it inclusive and invite people of all sizes and abilities to be your models.
At this fundraising event, you can bring in donations by charging entrance fees, selling food and drinks, and adding a silent auction.
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Examples
https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/fashion-show
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Pages & forms
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