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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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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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Desk decorating contest

Choose a theme and invite all of your coworkers to pay a small entry fee to participate in beautifying their workspace. To determine the best “dressed” desk, ask colleagues to submit a $5 donation per vote on each decorator’s peer-to-peer fundraising page. Watch the leaderboard to see who’s in the lead in real time!

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/desk-decorating-contest
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Recycling drive

Ask supporters to collect recyclable materials like cans, bottles, or even old tech, then use a service that helps you turn these items into cash. Recycling drives work as great long-term fundraising activities. Keep your supporters engaged and remind them where and when they can drop off materials with 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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Events
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Golf tournament

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.

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/golf-tournament
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Events
Auctions
Peer-to-peer

Pancake breakfast


There’s nothing like pancakes to bring a community together. Charge an entry fee for an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, and ask a local restaurant to sponsor the event to make your fundraiser even sweeter.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/pancake-breakfast
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Events
Donation forms

T-shirt design contest

Encourage supporters to submit their best t-shirt designs to enter a competition. Set up team fundraising pages for each design and have supporters donate to vote for their favorite. Each donation will appear on a leaderboard so everyone can watch the votes (and donations!) come in.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/t-shirt-design-contest
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Fundraising page
Peer-to-peer
Donation forms

Refer a friend

For successful referrals to your program, offer your current members discounted membership fees, merchandise, or entry into a raffle. Create custom fields (like “Who referred you?”) on your donation forms to keep track of eligible members.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/refer-a-friend
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Fundraising page
Donation forms

Grown-up bake sale

Sell donated or homemade gourmet goodies like croissants and macarons for the ultimate grownups-with-a-sweet-tooth fundraiser.

Collect in-person payments with scan-to-donate, which gives donors a wide range of payment options.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/grown-up-bake-sale
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Events

Fantasy football draft festival

Turn a fantasy football draft into an exciting fundraising event! Sell tickets and offer tailgate games, food, and entertainment.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/fantasy-football-draft-festival
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Events

Sell swag or merch

Raise some extra funds for your organization or club and spread the word about your cause by selling branded swag like totes, stickers, and t-shirts.

With advanced ticketing features, you can offer each item on a mobile-friendly platform and add an image and available amount so supporters can easily purchase and share their sizing info, too!

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/sell-swag-or-merch
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Events
Donation forms
Auctions

Candle Making

Host a creative candle building workshop for your team and their family. You’ll raise money, and your guests get to take home their very own candle!

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/candle-making
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Events
Auctions

Flamingoed

Invite supporters to make a donation to have lawn flamingos placed on their friends’ yards. Volunteers will sneak them onto recipients’ lawns so they awake to a pink surprise!

To make pulling off this silly fundraiser a breeze, create custom fields on your donation form, like the address of the Flamingo recipient.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/flamingoed
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Events
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Fundraising page

Yard raking

Set up a yard raking service in exchange for donations toward your good cause.

Follow best practices for volunteer recruitment to build a loyal community of supporters ready to pitch in for yardwork and more.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/yard-raking
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Donation forms
Auctions

Book sale

Partner with a publisher or local book store and host a book sale to raise money. Sell books of all kinds or organize the event around a theme—romance novels, religious books, or children's literature—whatever will resonate with your community.

Make sure to spread the word about your sale and send reminders using free email marketing software!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/book-sale
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Events

Open mic night

Invite community members to perform music, poetry, or comedy for a good cause. Ask audience members to make a small donation and offer snacks to raise more funds using easy in-person mobile payments like Tap to Pay and scan-to-donate.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/open-mic-night
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Events

Virtual scavenger hunt

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.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/virtual-scavenger-hunt
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Events

Fantasy football draft party

Host a live draft event where participants pay an entry fee to join a fantasy football league, with proceeds benefiting your team or program. Set the scene with big screens and food vendors!

Cost:
3
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/fantasy-football-draft-party
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Events
Fundraising page
Auctions

Count the jellybeans

Fill a big jar with jellybeans or other individual pieces of candy and have guessers write their number estimation next to their name. Use scan-to-donate and other easy mobile payment options to accept donations for guesses on the spot, and offer a worthwhile prize to the person that comes closest!

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/count-the-jellybeans
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Donation forms

Raise some dough with cookie dough

Buy wholesale cookie dough for volunteers to sell during peak cookie-baking season. To gamify your efforts, use peer-to-peer fundraising so participants can compete to see who sold the most!

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/raise-some-dough-with-cookie-dough
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Donation forms

Special series

Create programming for a special series of sermons designed to help raise money for your current fundraising project.

Tie sermons directly to your goal and reach more supporters by livestreaming right from your fundraising page. Anyone can tune into the stream, make a donation, and learn about your campaign all in one place.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/special-series
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Fundraising page
Events

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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Gift basket auction

Go big with your silent auction baskets! Ask local businesses to donate goods to help you fill hampers with items that fit different themes. Wrap them up nicely to entice bidders and bring in more dollars for your cause.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/gift-basket-auction
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Auctions
Events
Fundraising page

Flower bulb sale

Sell wholesale flowers or request donations from nurseries and landscaping stores to sell to supporters. To gamify your efforts, use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage individual supporters to compete to see who can sell the most!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/flower-bulb-sale
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Events
Peer-to-peer
Donation forms
Fundraising page

Church trivia nights

Put your knowledge to the test with a faith-filled trivia night! Pick a lively host, sell team tickets, and let the friendly competition begin.

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

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
Share this idea
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/church-trivia-nights
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Fundraising page
Events
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