Fundraising ideas

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! 

Skip the traditional in-person event and go virtual to attract even more participants. Plan your digital tournament around any sport or skill, and livestream the action to boost engagement, support, and donations from anywhere.

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.

Ask employees to bring in baby photos, then hang them up and challenge everyone to make a donation to guess who’s who!  

Let donors "sponsor" a piece of lumber for your next construction project. Customize donation amounts on your donation form to align with the cost of materials (e.g., $50 donation equals 3 studs). 

Don’t forget to invite all sponsors to the ribbon-cutting ceremony when construction is complete!

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! 

This isn’t your typical cafeteria food fight. This cleverly named event raises awareness and funds to fight food insecurity and help keep your community fed.

Host an unforgettable night for your community to come belt out their favorite songs. Charge a small entry fee or accept donations for participation.

To encourage even more donations during the party, display mobile giving options and your progress toward your goal using live display.

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.

Invite students to set up outside local businesses and collect donations from patrons. Donors receive “tags” (stickers) to show they gave. Accept payments via Venmo or scan-to-donate!

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.

Multiply your reach with a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign in which individuals reach out to their own networks of family, friends, and coworkers to solicit donations for your cause.

Create teams to add some fun competition into the mix—and bring in more donations!

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.

At your next BBQ, invite hobby chefs to compete in a grill-off, where they’ll be judged by a panel of experts—your supporters!

Set up team fundraising pages where everyone can make a donation to vote for their favorite chef. They can also see a live leaderboard and watch the votes land in real time!

Host a 24-hour livestream fundraiser for a high-energy day of fun and fundraising.

Great livestream activity ideas include a poetry slam, gaming tournament, or virtual concert.

Gather everyone around the practice green and sell tickets for golfers to putt the ball as far as they can. The winner is the participant that gets their ball closest to the hole.

Turn your next dance recital into a benefit in aid of your chosen charity or nonprofit. Sell tickets and donate a percentage of sales, and raise even more funds by selling refreshments, branded merch, and dance supplies.

Fill a jar with jellybeans (or another candy) and have guessers write down their number estimation alongside their name. 

Use scan-to-donate or other mobile payment options to accept donations for each guess and award a prize to the person whose comes closest! 

Gather your community’s best bakers and turn their sweet creations into a fundraising feast! Ask volunteers to whip up their favorite cakes or cookies to sell at your event. 

To add some extra excitement, sell raffle tickets and offer baked goods as delicious prizes.

Rent your field, venue, office, or community space to other groups and organizations to make the most of any time it isn't in use.

Spread the word that your space is available for rent with your email marketing software. Don’t forget to include photos of the space to encourage interest! 

Build community and explore your city with a themed art, food, or experience crawl. Collect registrations on your fundraising event page, and partner with the featured venues to benefit from a percentage of ticket or food sales at each stop. 

Reserve a large space like a parking lot or school gym and sell booths to local vendors. Invite the community and charge a small entrance fee with easy mobile giving tools like Tap to Pay or scan-to-donate. 

Take the bidding online by allowing participants to browse your silent auction catalog, place bids, and win from anywhere! 

Use auction software that makes the bidding process smooth and simple for you and your donors.

Sell tickets for guests to join you for a sophisticated dinner and dance. This is an ideal fundraising idea for dance groups and studios that want to show off their skills and attract major donors and sponsors.