Fundraising ideas

Create the ultimate relay race to raise funds for your cause. Participants create individual or team fundraising pages where friends and family can show their support with donations and progress toward their goal in real time.

Turn your community’s talents into funds for your cause by hosting a craft sale. Ask volunteer crafters to donate some of their goods or ask for a percentage of their profits in return for promoting and hosting the event.

Want to make an even bigger impact? Auction off some larger or more in-demand items.

Sell tickets or auction off a grand schedule of manicures, pedicures, massages, and more at various spas in your city. Include lots of perks for participating local businesses—like free marketing and publicity—in your corporate sponsorship proposal. 

Auction off tickets to the best seats at an upcoming performance, sports game, gala, live concert, or other experience your group is hosting.

Use Givebutter to create unlimited types of event tickets—perfect for customizing your VIP packages.

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.

Set a distance and have your bikers pay a registration fee to join in. Then, foster some friendly competition by encouraging supporters to start or join a team, raise funds, and set off wherever they are.

Invite community members to try their hand at comedy while earning money—and a few good laughs—for a cause. Sell tickets and raise even more at your event with snacks and drinks.

Unleash your inner performer with a singing telegram! Cast willing team members to be singers, and and sell performances for a set donation amount. 

This fundraising event can be a fun gathering for parents—or a chance for grownups to drop off their kids for a few hours in exchange for a donation to your cause. Charge an hourly rate or flat “entrance fee” and give caregivers some priceless peace and quiet.

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.

Challenge contestants to score as many points as they can within the time limit. Charge an entry fee and check attendees in as they line up. 

Sell passes for a day out of uniform or a day in jeans. You can even turn it into a friendly competition to see which grade has the highest participation. For easy payments, use scan-to-donate, Venmo, or other convenient methods. 

Make your peer-to-peer fundraising run truly memorable with a standout theme! Ask participants to dress up and choose a route relevant to the theme. Encourage participants to create teams to build community and boost the competitive spirit! 

Host the ulti-mutt fundraiser your animal charity or veterinary nonprofit with this pun-tastic theme. Rally your community in support of their four-legged friends for a day of celebration and giving.

Find a viral social media dance challenge and invite your supporters to have a go. Ask them to include a message to donate towards your good cause, or use peer-to-peer fundraising to help them raise money from their friends and family members.

Set up a toy drive so your community members can donate toys or cash to support families over the holiday season. Distribute toys to those most in need and use extra funds to buy additional gifts.

Let everyone know when, where, and what to donate with the help of email marketing software.

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.

Ask your local junkyard to donate totaled cars and invite supporters to make a donation to take a sledgehammer to them. 

Sell different kinds of tickets online for smashers and audience members and offer food and drinks to raise even more during the fun. Don’t forget the safety goggles! 

Perfect for the Halloween season, challenge participants to a pay-to-play series of games like pumpkin races and decorating contests. Sell tickets in advance or on the day of using scan-to-donate or Venmo. 

Invite a photographer to host a tour around the local area, taking in the sights of the season. Sell tickets in advance and use an easy mobile app to check in guests and take any last-minute payments on the day of. 

Partner with a local florist to set up a stall where volunteers make, wrap, and sell flower bouquets for Mother's Day, Easter, or any other spring celebration.

Create a fundraising page with custom donation amounts featuring a photo of each kind of bouquet and the number available so donors can reserve bouquets online or purchase in person.

For National Pet Week, host a pet competition! Ask people to send in photos of their pets to be judged in categories like Funniest Pet or Most Adorable. Charge an entry fee and partner with local businesses to sponsor prizes.

Invite supporters to submit their entries via your supporter feed for an engaging way to send in photos alongside their donations.

Design and sell pride-themed merchandise such as t-shirts, buttons, stickers, and flags. To drum up excitement, create a custom donation form, event, or fundraising page that includes images of the available items.

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.

Set up a themed scavenger hunt in your venue, neighborhood, or even across the entire town. Charge participants a small entrance fee and offer donated prizes for the winners.

Streamline ticket sales and create a central hub with a fundraising event page. All the energy you save can be spent making your event even more exciting!

Invite supporters to donate for your good cause with a creative twist—the top fundraiser earns the honor of kissing a pig!

Send a festive holiday card—by mail or email—to share season’s greetings, thank your supporters, and invite them to contribute toward your year-end fundraising goals. 

Use Givebutter’s built-in Canva integration to add extra cheer to your letters or emails in just a few clicks.

Using individual peer-to-peer fundraising pages connected to your main event page, participants gather donations and pledges based on how long they aim to dance—without taking a break!

Supporters can donate, leave encouraging messages for the dancers, and purchase tickets to join in the fun—all in one place.

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! 

Secure a sponsorship from a local museum and invite families and community members to make a donation to enjoy a crowd-free evening of fun.  

Host a literary-themed silent auction or raffle—think signed books, gift cards, and book-related tech. Perfect for libraries and community projects.

Use an existing stand or create your own and sell items like popcorn, candy, and sunflower seeds. To boost sales, create customticketswith mouth-watering pictures of available treats!

Reserve an indoor or outdoor space and invite your community to come arrange flower bouquets and pot their own plants to celebrate Earth Day (April 22). 

Charge an entrance fee and make your fundraising event move smoothly with mobile app check-in and easy scan-to-donate payment options. 

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!

Find a local restaurant that will host your fundraising event and donate at least 10-20% of the profits from the evening to your campaign. To really sweeten the sponsorship, offer lots of benefits for participating restaurants like free marketing and publicity. 

Sell tickets to a prohibition-era-themed night that features poker, themed cocktails, live music, and more. Sell tickets to this fundraising event ahead of time, and accept donations from latecomers on the spot, too.

Host a hockey-themed fundraiser in support of cancer research or a cancer care facility. Rally your community of hockey fans to raise much-needed funds through ticket sales, themed merch, and peer-to-peer fundraising.

Put on a special holiday performance for your dance group’s friends and family members. Encourage everyone to make a donation to your chosen cause, or raise money by selling refreshments and dance-themed holiday decorations.

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.

Ask local nurseries to donate herbs, seeds, and soil you can use to assemble gardening kits. Bring volunteers together to assemble everything and sell them on a custom fundraising page or donation form.

Volunteers bake batches of cookies to contribute to a decorating contest! Participants pay a small fee to enter and use frosting and other edible flare you provide to compete for the best cookie design.

To make your fundraising event even sweeter, bring in a cookie-decorating expert to show off some sweet tips and tricks.

Organize a series of lighthearted office games like chair races or paper airplane contests. Charge a small fee (donation) for participation and award prizes to winners. Offer scan to-donate to make the process smooth and simple.

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. 

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.

Put teams together and face off to see who truly is the best when it comes to dodgeball. Charge teams an entry fee, sell tickets to watch the games, and sell refreshments to raise even more funds.

Invite participants to set up team fundraising pages so they can also compete to see who can raise the most funds for your cause.

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.

Map out your fundraising run route and have supporters donate to participate. Then, use peer-to-peer and team fundraising tools that let supporters create their own donation pages, set goals, and ask friends and family to contribute!

Charge participants a registration fee for a full day of outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, and nature walks. Use marketing tools to tease different activities and remind supporters what to bring along on the big day!