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.
.png)
%201.png)
By organization
Additional lists
%201.png)
All fundraising ideas
Drive-in movie night
Turn a parking lot and the side of a building into a makeshift drive-in movie theater. Charge an entrance fee and raise funds by selling drinks and snacks. Sell tickets for your fundraising event in advance, and use engaging features like scan-to-donate and mobile app check-in to streamline your guests' experience.









School karaoke









Pottery or clay experiences
Encourage your community to try clay sculpting or pottery painting—or host a clay shooting experience to raise funds for your cause. Perfect for those who enjoy hands-on activities or the great outdoors.









Ice cream social
Create a vibrant, themed fundraising page, then send your supporters straight to it with scan-to-donate. From there they can pay for their ice-cream and unlock flavors!









Jog-a-thon
Host a family friendly jog-a-thon at your local running track. Participants can collect pledges for the number of laps they jog, walk, or run. Recruit volunteers to tally the number of laps each participant completes.









Art festival
Secure a large space, reach out to local artists, and charge an entrance fee to your very own art festival. Check-in attendees and accept payments at the door and use scan-to-donate to encourage additional in-person donations throughout the event.









Church trivia nights
Want to reach an even bigger audience? Go hybrid or virtual so everyone can join in on the fun!









Movie night
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.









Maze for a cause
Charge an entrance fee to walk the maze and make transactions simple with scan-to-donate and Tap to Pay options.









Tag 3
Ask donors to tag three friends when they give. This fun, no-cost challenge turns every donation into an instant ripple effect, sparking new connections and spreading your campaign further.









Pet therapy
Invite local animal shelters to bring adoptable dogs and cats to campus during midterms or finals to reduce student stress and raise money for a good cause.
Charge an entry fee and sell inexpensive extras like dog and cat treats. Be sure to offer multiple ways to pay, such as scan-to-donate and Venmo!









Cupcake wars
Have kids prepare their favorite cupcake recipe to sell at a cupcake-only bake sale. To add some friendly competition, invite attendees to vote on their favorite by making a donation to the tastiest cupcake’s team fundraising page. Use a leaderboard to show real-time votes and award prizes for the winning bakers!









Outdoor adventure day
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!









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!









Trunk or treat
Ask local businesses to sponsor this non-traditional trick-or-treating experience. Families and volunteers decorate their cars and hand out candy to kids in a designated parking lot for a safe, fun-filled event.









Adopt-a-room
Encourage donors to sponsor specific furniture peices and appliances so they can see how their contributions directly support families in need. The easiest way to do this is to set up custom labels for different donation amounts on your donation form that correspond with the items you need. For example, “$25 provides a toaster,” “$50 provides a dinnerware set,” and so on.









Chords for Cancer gala
Invite your community to an evening of music, dance, and entertainment in support of cancer research. Host one large gala event or a series of smaller shows throughout the year.









Scary movie marathon
Pick a series of spooky films to show every Friday night in October. Sell Halloween-themed concessions and display a QR code to encourage donations before the show begins!









Petting zoo
Partner with a local farm or petting zoo to bring animals on-site for a day of fun. Charge an entry fee and optional donations for extra activities like pony rides.
Make sure attendees can make quick payments from their phones, using methods like Venmo or Tap to Pay, so they don't have to return to their cars for cash.









Locker room tour









Employee appreciation day









Partner with a local restaurant
Partner with a celebrated local eatery to donate a percentage of their profits from a certain night or weekend to your fundraising campaign. Check out tips for securing corporate sponsorships to make the most of this opportunity.









Easter gift basket auction
Source delicious treats and seasonal goodies to create a selection of Easter gift baskets for aneggcellentsilent auction.
Combine classic Easter baskets (chocolate eggs, bunnies, etc.) with other awesomesilent auction basket ideasto offer biddable items for the whole family.









Annual holiday party
With Givebutter you can create unlimited custom event ticket types—allowing you to create fun VIP packages to offer to your partygoers.









Subscribe to
The Butter Brief
Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox

Givebutter helps you turn ideas into impact
.webp)
Subscribe to
The Butter Brief
Get fundraising ideas, tips, and free resources right in your inbox

The most-loved fundraising platform
.png)
%201.png)


.png)
.png)








.png)
.png)
.png)


.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)




.png)



.png)
.png)


.png)
.png)

.png)
.png)
.png)


.webp)

.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)


.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)

