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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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24-hour relay race


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.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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Text-to-donate


With text-to-donate, raising funds is as easy as sending a text. Display your shortcode at fundraising events, share it on social media, or add it to signs so your supporters give 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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/text-to-donate
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Cookie-decorating extravaganza


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.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/cookie-decorating-extravaganza
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Farmer’s market


Approach a local farmer’s market with a sponsorship proposal and see if they can host a special fundraising event for your cause or dedicate a certain percentage of their Saturday morning profits to your campaign. Be sure to outline all of the perks that vendors can expect from the collaboration, like free publicity.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/farmer-s-market
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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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pi-day
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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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/battle-of-the-food-trucks
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Shoot-a-thon


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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/shoot-a-thon
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Pet-friendly bake sale


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.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pet-friendly-bake-sale
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Take a pie to the face


Set up a booth and invite people to pay to throw a pie at willing participants like teachers, bosses, or coaches—the more authority, the more satisfying!

With scan-to-donate, pie throwers use your QR code to land on your donation page instantly—no waiting around.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/take-a-pie-to-the-face
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Speakeasy night


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.


Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/speakeasy-night
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Hole sponsorship

Ask a local company or big brand to sponsor a hole at your next golf tournament. Write a stellar sponsorship proposal that’ll impress them enough to not only sponsor your event but become a long-term partner.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/hole-sponsorship
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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. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/expert-lecture-series
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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! 
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/murder-mystery-night
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The guessing game


Fill a jar with candy at your next event and invite people to guess how many pieces are inside for a small donation. The closest guess wins all the candy!

Use scan-to-donate for quick, on-the-spot giving—just print the QR code on a poster or display it at your stand. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/the-guessing-game
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Volley-a-thon

Request each participant solicit pledges for the number of volleys they’re able to make. Sell event tickets, and put a call out for volunteers to keep things running smoothly.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/volley-a-thon
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Events
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Virtual food/wine tasting


Partner with local eateries and provide tasting kits for participants to enjoy at home for a small fee. Then, host a livestream tasting experience.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/virtual-food-wine-tasting
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Auctions
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Popcorn fundraiser

Partner with a popcorn supplier and sell gourmet popcorn to family, friends, and community members. Add mouthwatering images to tickets to showcase all the different flavors available.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/popcorn-fundraiser
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Recycling drive


Ask supporters to collect recyclable materials like cans, bottles, or even old tech, then use a local service to turn these items into funds.

Recycling drives work great for long-term fundraising. Keep your supporters engaged and remind them when and where they can drop off materials via your email marketing software.
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/recycling-drive
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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.



Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/donation-matching
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Reverse raffle

Unlike a traditional raffle, the last ticket holder gets the grand prize in a reverse raffle. Offer custom ticket types to feature various raffle items so participants have lots of options. 

Before you start planning, be sure to check for any state regulations on raffles where you live! 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/reverse-raffle
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Pet portraits


Pet owners love having portraits of their pets—even if they’re not made by professionals! Host a fun pet portrait fundraiser where volunteers draw or paint pictures of supporters’ furry friends. Ask donors to bring a photo of their pet or upload one when they make a donation online. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pet-portraits
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Sports clinic


Host a sports clinic or skills camp for participants to learn from top coaches, pro players, or other notable experts. Depending on the scale of your clinic, you can sell several tickets to the public or offer just a few spots as a big-ticket silent auction item at a fundraising event.
Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/sports-clinic
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Events
Auctions

Tie-dye fundraiser


Invite students to bring t-shirts, tote bags, socks, and other light-colored items of clothing for a tie-dye party. Charge a small fee for entry and supplies, and have some extra clothing items on hand to sell, too.

If you produce a large volume lot of tie-dyed items, create a donation form or buy-now auction to sell them to your community!
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/tie-dye-fundraiser
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