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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.

Givebutter fundraising progress graphic showing $45,000 raised out of a $50,000 goal (90% complete), with a smiling yellow character holding a light bulb and a green 'Support Now!' button.

All fundraising ideas

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Peer-to-peer fundraising

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!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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Peer-to-peer

Drag bingo

Sell bingo cards for a night of drag entertainment and competition! Winners receive donated prizes. To raise even more at this memorable fundraising event, offer drink specials and sell eye-catching merch.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/drag-bingo
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Events

Concession stand

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

Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/concession-stand
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Events
Donation forms

Tree planting day

Plan a day of tree or flower planting to beautify your community. Invite local businesses to sponsor the whole event or an individual plant or tree, and invite donations from the wider community.
Cost:
2
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/tree-planting-day
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Events
Donation forms

Halloween costume run

Ask supporters to wear their silliest or spookiest Halloween costumes during this fun run. Use team or peer-to-peer fundraising to help participants set a donation goal and spread the word.

At the end, award special prizes to the race winners, the teams or individuals who raised the most, and the best costumes!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/halloween-costume-run
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Home exercise classes

Invite local fitness instructors and coaches to donate their skills and invite community members to join you for at-home exercise classes in exchange for a donation.

Manage everything in one place by broadcasting your classes with a livestream right on your event registration page.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/home-exercise-classes
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Events

Bowl-a-thon

Reserve lanes at a bowling alley, ask participants to gather pledges for an all-you-can-bowl night, and watch the donations roll in on team fundraising pages.

Offer special prizes for the team with the highest score, most creative name, or even the best uniforms.

Cost:
1
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/bowl-a-thon
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Adopt-a-mile fundraiser

Raise funds for a mission trip by asking congregation members to “adopt a mile.” This is a fun way to tie your fundraising activity into the experience and drive donations closer to your goal.

Highlight how close you are to reaching your target by displaying a live goal bar on your fundraising page, where the fundraising goal total equals the number of miles.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/adopt-a-mile-fundraiser
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Fundraising page
Donation forms

Singing telegram

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

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

Read-a-thon

Students pledge to read a certain number of minutes each day and collect donations for each minute read or a flat rate. To gamify your efforts, use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage readers to compete to see who reads—and raises—the most.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/read-a-thon
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Teen film festival

Invite teens to showcase their own short films and charge admission to audience members. In order to cast a vote for their favorite films, supporters must give a donation to the film’s/filmmaker’s team fundraising page. Watch the results roll in on the live leaderboard and offer awards for the best film winners in various categories.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/teen-film-festival
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Staff vs. students

Organize an afternoon of relay races, obstacle courses, and brain teasers at your school and challenge teachers to partake. Be sure to create a fun and engaging event page where attendees can easily purchase tickets!

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/staff-vs-students
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Events

Virtual auction

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.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/virtual-auction
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Auctions
Fundraising page

Date auction

Brave individuals offer themselves up for your auction to go on a date with the highest bidders. This idea is a little bitdated, but with the right planning, you can have a lot of fun with it.

Ask sponsoring restaurants to donate gift certificates to bring in more bids for these “items”and make for an easy, in-public location for each date.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/date-auction
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Auctions

Fall carnival

Host your very own fall-themed festival with live music, food and drink, local vendors, and carnival games.

Ask local businesses for supplies and prize donations and raise funds through refreshments, games, and stallholder fees.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/fall-carnival
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Events
Donation forms
Fundraising page

Community potluck dinner

Invite each person to contribute a dish and invite at least two people to join your dinner. To keep everything organized, customize your donation form so participants can note what dish they’re bringing when they RSVP—and make a contribution to your campaign.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/community-potluck-dinner
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Events
Donation forms

Cooking competition

Take inspiration from the TV show “Chopped” and challenge teams to a culinary showdown!

You can get even more spectators in on the fun by livestreaming the event and asking for donations throughout the program.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/cooking-competition
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Events
Fundraising page
Peer-to-peer

Snowman contest

If you've been lucky to have enough snow, host a pop-up snowman contest for your local area. Invite everyone to take part, tour the entries, and then award the winner with a prize donated by a local business. Use team fundraising pages and encourage people to donate to vote—they’ll be able to see who’s winning on the live leaderboard!

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
1
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/snowman-contest
All
Events
Donation forms
Peer-to-peer

Postcard drive

Handwritten, personalized messages can have a huge impact on your fundraising efforts. During your next campaign, ask volunteers to write and address postcards to your contacts to ask for donations. 

Add a modern twist to this old-school tactic and have volunteers include an easy-to-read, short URL that goes right to your fundraising page. 
Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/postcard-drive
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Fundraising page
Donation forms

Horseback riding

Charge a fee for donated guided trail rides or lessons with trained instructors. To give participants access to more activities, offer custom ticket types for this memorable fundraising event.

Cost:
1
Effort:
1
Impact:
2
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/horseback-riding
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Events

Annual holiday party

Throw a big annual holiday party to finish the year in style. Make this a VIP event and raise funds through ticket sales or partner up with sponsors to help offset costs and reach more supporters.

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

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/annual-holiday-party
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Events

Ski-a-thon

Swap a traditional walk-a-thon for a wintry ski-a-thon. Invite supporters to raise funds from friends and family members leading up to the big day through peer-to-peer fundraising, and watch your leaderboard update in real time to reflect who’s raised the most!

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/ski-a-thon
All
Events
Peer-to-peer

Dance-a-thon

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.

Cost:
2
Effort:
3
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/dance-a-thon
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Events
Peer-to-peer

Three point contest

Request a minimum donation for event attendees to participate. Each team shoots shoots from behind the three-point. The winning team is the one with the most points when the time goes off.

Cost:
1
Effort:
2
Impact:
3
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https://givebutter.com/fundraising-idea/three-point-contest
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Events
Fundraising page
Peer-to-peer
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