75 Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits and Charities
Fundraising is the lifeblood of any nonprofit organization. Whether you’re raising money to support your favorite nonprofit or you’re raising money as a nonprofit, finding fun ways to keep fundraising fresh can be challenging.
That’s why we’re here to help. We’ll take a look at some of the top fundraising considerations for a successful fundraiser, as well as give you plenty of ideas to inspire your fundraising efforts. To start, let’s look at some crucial fundraising considerations.
Successful fundraising starts with a good plan. Here are some considerations that can help you maximize your fundraising efforts.
Keeping donors motivated and engaged in your fundraising efforts is crucial. Especially because repeat donors can constitute over half of a nonprofit organization’s total donors. Therefore, thinking about how you’ll engage your supporters even after a one-time fundraising event is crucial. You may decide to host donor-appreciation events, recognize donors through personalized follow-ups, or start a free crowdfunding campaign that can give donors the ability to donate all year long.
Getting the community involved in your cause is another way to ensure a successful fundraising campaign. From working with local businesses that may be interested in hosting fundraising events or matching donations to recruiting event volunteers, getting your entire community to rally behind your organization can be powerful.
Another great way to ensure a successful fundraising event is to ensure that your organization manages all of the event’s costs. Remember, the event’s purpose is to raise money for the charity or nonprofit. Therefore, work to lower the costs you can. You might consider seeking in-kind donations, negotiating prices with vendors, or asking volunteers to provide help to reduce expenses.
Another way you can make sure you have a successful fundraising campaign is to expand your fundraising efforts beyond a singular event. So whether you’re running a one-time event or accepting donations for a specific amount of time, you can bolster these fundraising efforts by adding in the ability to make donations online. For example, if you’re hosting an art auction, you could place QR codes around the gallery with an invitation for patrons to make a donation to the nonprofit by scanning the code. These codes would link to an online crowdfunding platform like GoFundMe, allowing donors to make direct donations.
Events are tried-and-true ways to create excitement, attract donations, and build interest in your nonprofit. Consider supplementing virtual donations with each of these event ideas. A GoFundMe is a great way to accept donations all year long, keeping donors engaged and giving them an avenue to make a difference even after the event has ended.
Charity auctions can provide a major funding source for nonprofit organizations, especially as the bidding gets competitive. Whether you choose to run a live auction, a silent auction, or an art auction, these events can encourage participation and provide donors with a fun evening. Tracking down and soliciting donations is often the most difficult aspect of running a charity auction, so be sure to plan early to acquire enough auction items to make it a successful charity event!
For an elegant fundraising event, organize a gala with dinner, drinks, and live entertainment. This event gives your organization an opportunity to put its best foot forward and showcase your nonprofit’s impact. Price your tickets accordingly to ensure your fundraising efforts are rewarded, and consider asking for corporate sponsorship to help lower your organization’s costs. Setting up a free GoFundMe can help you provide donors with a place to make a contribution even if they can’t attend the event.
Who doesn’t like pancakes? Especially successful in the winter months, this will get people up and at ‘em to eat warm pancakes in the name of a cause they love. An all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast can help your organization raise funds while filling donors with a delicious breakfast. An event like this can be a cost-effective way to fundraise, and you can easily complement this event with a crowdfunding campaign.
A car wash is another great way to raise money while helping donors cross an item off their to-do list. You’ll need to secure a location that can accommodate the car washing, drying, and donation collection.
Partnering with a local bar or restaurant to host a trivia night can also be a great way to add some fun to your fundraising efforts. Participants can sign up in advance and must raise a pre-set amount in order to compete. If their team fails to raise the required amount to play, then they can donate the amount they’ve already raised. This could be a great opportunity to work with the bar or restaurant to see if they’ll donate a portion of their proceeds from the evening to your cause, multiplying the giving potential of this event.
Hosting a karaoke night can be another great way to raise money. With today’s technology, it’s easy for almost anyone to host one. There are multiple ways to make money with a karaoke event, including charging an at-the-door fee, selling concessions, and taking additional donations during the event. If you host your karaoke night at a bar or restaurant, you could ask if they’ll donate some of their proceeds to your organization as well.
Work with a local event space to create and host a fashion show. Whether this show is themed or not is up to you, but you’ll want to reach out to local clothing stores or boutiques to get items donated for the show. Sell tickets to the show, and then incorporate a way to let donors purchase the items or similar items – with the proceeds supporting your nonprofit.
Sharing some laughs is another way to raise funds. Reach out to up-and-coming comics and local community members to showcase their talents through a comedy night event. You can sell entry tickets and concessions, and then encourage donations while the comics are performing.
Talent shows don’t have to be strictly for high schoolers. Everyone wants to showcase their talent, especially when it’s for a good cause. Charge a small admission fee and ask supporters, or local talent, to be a part of your show. Make sure to have a tablet on hand for onsite online donations and offer up t-shirts or other merchandise to boost your donation volume.
Seasonal events provide a more focused fundraising opportunity. It unities the community in some favorite seasonal activities while raising money for your nonprofit. Because these are one-time events, there’s an opportunity to incorporate a longer-running fundraising campaign utilizing the GoFundMe platform.
Easter egg hunts are a family favorite, and can start your Spring fundraising on a great trajectory. You can tailor your hunt to kids, adults, or both. Often, the best way to raise money in this event is to charge an entry fee per person or per family.
Spring is a time for renewal, and a spring plant sale can be a great way to encourage donations while helping beautify the community. You can sell garden supplies, flowers, and potted plants either by yourself or with the help of local gardening shops.
When warmer weather comes, it can be time to host a picnic or BBQ cookoff. Both are great ways to engage the community while also raising funds. For a summer picnic, look to secure corporate sponsors or in-kind donations. If you’re hosting a BBQ cookoff, invite community members to cook up their best BBQ and then charge an entry fee and encourage donations throughout the event.
Nothing says fall like pumpkins, and you can either set up your own pumpkin patch or host an event at a local pumpkin patch. You can fundraise by selling pumpkins or collecting admission fees from a local patch. In addition, you can charge for pumpkin decorating or carving.
Another way to raise funds in the fall is by getting spooky. Your nonprofit can work with a local haunted house to receive a portion of the sales during a specific time, or your organization can build its own haunted house experience.
Costume races can be another fun fall event. Instead of a traditional race, encourage donors to dress up in their favorite Halloween costumes. Donors can raise funds to enter the raise, and you can also have a costume contest where people vote on their favorite costumes by making donations in support of that person’s costume.
With so many seasonal foods, hosting a holiday cooking or baking competition can be a hit. Whether you choose to focus your competition on a specific food category (such as cookies) or that a contestant must utilize a specific ingredient (like cinnamon, for instance), there are many fundraising avenues for an event. Charging an entry fee to participate in the competition is one way to raise funds, but you can also charge an entrance fee to the event for donors, who can then sample the food and cast their votes. You can even make the voting process based on donations.
When the weather turns cold, many need help staying warm. A winter clothing drive that collects gloves, hats, jackets, and other winter clothing can help those who don’t have their own. Donors can make in-kind donations or you can set up a GoFundMe to help collect one-time or recurring donations.
Sporting events can bring some friendly competition to your fundraising efforts. While these events focus on a singular day, that doesn’t mean giving has to be only on that day. A GoFundMe is a great way to bring that friendly competition spirit to giving all year round.
Charity walks are the perfect fundraising idea to get your community active and raise funds for your cause. Organizing a walk might take a bit more effort, but using a platform with built-in ticketing and registration capabilities, easy-to-use communication tools, and user-friendly fundraiser creation pages can get you off to the races in no time.
Make sure to start sending out communication about your walk-a-thon early in the game. This gives supporters the opportunity to set up their own fundraisers, create training teams, reach out to their networks to ask for donations to their fundraiser, and gives you time to nurture them throughout the process from training to walk day to post-walk.
Golf tournaments are another popular charity event. Supporters get a fun day on the course, while there’s a big fundraising opportunity for your organization. Entrance fees and hole sponsorships are two great ways to raise money. If you’re able to partner with a private golf club, you can provide an even more exclusive experience to donors.
Another way to get donors actively involved is to host a bike race. Whether it’s a short ride, a 50-miler, or something even more intense, you can require participants to raise a certain amount of donations to participate.
Flag football or basketball tournaments can be another great fundraising competition. Teams can raise money to donate to your nonprofit, and you can raise even more money when you sell concessions or merchandise.
For a twist on the regular 5K race, make it a relay race. Set the total mileage and number of team members, and ask for a minimum team donation to participate. This is another way to get donations from a wider audience, as you’ll also reach the participants’ friends and family.
Let your donors work up an appetite for helping your cause at one of many food and beverage events. As an added bonus, some of these events can teach donors a new skill that they can use in the kitchen or at their own home bar.
Wine tastings can bring some sophistication to your fundraising. Ask around to see if local wine shops or restaurants are willing to donate a few bottles of wine each. Then, ask a sommelier if they’d be willing to donate their time to teach event attendees how to taste wine. You can tailor these tastings to focus on a specific wine varietal or production country. A wine-tasting event also gives you an opportunity to auction additional wine and wine-related accessories.
Like wine tastings, mixology classes can be another way to help educate donors while providing a fun experience. These classes could focus on a specific drink or a specific type of liquor. In addition to a traditional mixology class, be sure to include an option for creating non-alcoholic mocktails.
For whiskey and bourbon lovers, a tasting offers a great way to fundraise for your organization while getting a guided tasting process. Reach out to local spirits suppliers to see if they’d be willing to sponsor this event.
Offering a cooking class can help community members get more comfortable in the kitchen. You could include different difficulty levels to ensure everyone benefits from the classes. Charge a flat fee or look to have each participant fundraise a certain amount for the class.
For another elevated experience, look to work with local restaurants to host a food and wine pairing dinner for donors. Be sure to discuss costs with the restaurant you choose to ensure this dinner makes money for your nonprofit organization and remind them of the opportunity to showcase their restaurant in front of a captive audience.
Everyone loves ice cream, and setting up an ice cream social can get the community involved in a good cause. Whether you utilize your nonprofit’s space or find a community location, seeking in-kind donations can help you reduce your costs and maximize your donors’ giving impact.
Fundraising ideas such as bake sales help give your community the opportunity to personalize the way they give back to your cause. This is a great fundraising idea for schools or sports teams where members of the club or school can each bake something of their choice and set a price, then have the proceeds all go towards their nonprofit of choice.
Supporters can also take this fundraising idea virtual by hosting an online bake sale. The community can vote with their dollars on your bake sale fundraising page, and the ‘baker’ with the most dollars raised can win a special booth at the actual bake sale or some other easy-to-fulfill prize.
For a less formal fundraising option, consider a dinner party. You can rent a venue or host it at a volunteer’s house and sell tickets to guests. This option can be a way to make personal connections with donors in a more intimate setting.
If you’re looking for events that can capture the imagination of people of all ages, here are some ideas that can appeal to everyone.
Craft fairs allow friends, family members, staff, and volunteers to share their one-of-a-kind crafts and sell them to benefit your nonprofit. A craft fair can be a great option near the holidays, as people shop for unique items for their loved ones.
Organize a board game night at a volunteer’s home or partner with a local restaurant willing to host your organization. You can charge an admission fee or encourage teams to create a fundraising competition. Don’t limit your reach for this event to only your volunteers and known supporters, ask people who already work with your organization to invite their extended network of family and friends.
If your volunteers or employees are great at creating crafts, such as knitting or making decorations for holidays, have them teach a craft workshop. Pick one type of craft and hold an event where people can come in and receive instruction on how to create a craft from one of your talented volunteers. You can charge a fee for the event or ask attendees to make a donation to your charity. If there are enough volunteers, you can even shift this from a one-time workshop to a more recurring one.
From young artists to more seasoned ones, a drawing contest can encourage participation from everyone. You can ask each artist if they’d be willing to donate their contest art to auction off, offering another way to get donations.
Invite artists of all ages to create chalk art outside your organization, then have people vote for their favorites by making a donation in their honor.
If you’re looking for events that can capture the imagination of people of all ages, here are some ideas that can appeal to everyone.
Ask for donations from community members that your nonprofit can sell during a weekend-long yard sale. If someone donates high-ticket items, you could hold an auction for these items to draw even more interest and impact.
Highlight the talent in the community by hosting a local concert that features bands from your community. One way to gamify this evening is to make it a battle of the bands, encouraging the performing bands to raise funds while also collecting entry fees and donations the evening of the concert. To amplify this fundraising, you could work with local food truck businesses who could be on-site and donate a percentage of that night’s profit to your organization.
Your organization could host a local artist showcase to highlight the community’s visual arts talents. You could charge a donation for the artists to be included in the show and an entrance fee. Some artists may also decide to give your organization a portion of any sales they make during the event.
If you’re looking to reach supporters outside of your physical community, consider hosting a virtual event. These events can help you captivate a broader network of potential donors.
A virtual pet show can give community members a great opportunity to showcase their pets, while those who stream the show online can donate to show their support for their favorite.
A way to reach a new audience is to host an online gaming tournament that takes entry fees and gives away prizes to the winner. You may look to partner with a local esports team or league to help design and run the tournament.
Another great virtual fundraiser is to put together virtual tailgate packages. These packages can come with tailgating supplies for a suggested donation amount, and donors can pick them up before the big game.
Hosting a virtual auction can be easier than a physical one. Attendees can log on and bid on certain items in real-time. Plus, your organization does not have to worry about renting a physical space to display all of the items.
Virtual fitness challenges can also be a great way to get your audience involved. Create a challenge that focuses on lifting weights or running a certain number of miles in a month. Participants can collect pledges from friends and family to participate, and you can even reward the top finisher with an award or prize.
Teaching classes in person can be great, but it limits the number of attendees to those who can fit in the physical space. Virtual classes that charge an entry fee can be a great way to raise money without limiting the number of participants who can attend.
Utilize the power of social media by running a social media giveaway or raffle. Once you decide what you’re giving away, give followers step-by-step instructions on how to enter. You can also offer additional entries through extra donations to your nonprofit.
Engage the power of social media by running a photo contest. First, identify a theme for your contest, then ask community members to share their photos on Instagram with certain hashtags or photo tags. Then, take these photos and upload them to a landing page, asking your community to vote for a winner through their donations.
Fundraising can be fun for kids of all ages, and these family-friendly events can help your organization get everyone in the family excited.
Hosting a movie night can be another great way to raise money for your cause. Work with a local movie theater to host or rent a projector and a movie screen.
An outside-the-box family-friendly event is to host a paper mâché party. It’s easy to make, and everyone in the family can work with it. Charge a per-team fee and hold a contest with a grand prize for the winners.
Another fun, family-friendly event is a tie-dye party. Set up multiple tie-dye color baths and let everyone create their own masterpieces. In addition to charging an entrance fee, you can charge supporters for white T-shirts.
Create a scavenger hunt for participants in which they must search for and collect certain items, or try a virtual scavenger hunt that requires teams to take certain pictures and submit them. You can charge a registration fee per person or per team and give teams that donate the most money before the event a headstart.
Face-painting booths can be a great addition to other events. They rely on volunteers who know how to paint well. Therefore, try to find help from those with artistic experience.
Carnivals are a family-friendly staple and provide a lot of opportunities to raise money for your organization. From rides to concessions to carnival games, there are many avenues for donations. Plus, you can add auction items, raffle ticket sales, and even concerts to take this experience to a new level.
A reading marathon can promote literacy while also raising money for your cause. Usually, participants commit to reading a certain number of books in a definite amount of time. Then, donors sponsor participants and can pledge a certain dollar amount per book.
Fundraising for school can be fun, and there are many ways to raise money for a school need, school supplies, a class trip, and other school-related activities.
Car washes are still great charity fundraising ideas. Speak with a local business owner who is willing to host your car wash on their lot. The extra attention from the car wash event could also be a win for the business owner, so they may be open to the idea. Ask supporters to volunteer their time and supplies for the event and, most importantly, spread the word to their extended network. Your volunteers can sell tickets for the car wash in advance to get commitments before the actual event.
A code-a-thon can be a great event for technology-focused schools. Students work together to create an app, usually focused on a specific need or ask. Before entering the event, challenge the entrants to raise the most money for your organization.
You can also raise money by hosting a math competition with divisions for elementary school, middle school, and high school students. Charge an entry fee and consider peer-to-peer support. Whether this is an individual or a team competition, it’ll add up to be a great fundraiser.
Like a math competition, a spelling bee provides an opportunity for good-hearted competition. You can charge an entrant fee and also have supporters pledge donations to back a contestant. Don’t forget to have fun with the words you choose for the competition!
Hosting a school concert can be another great way to raise the funding you need. Sell tickets and encourage your community to make additional donations throughout the evening to show their support for the musicians.
Fundraising ideas for nonprofits don’t have to always cost your organization money to run and a used book sale is a great example of this. Most people have a stack of books they have no use for anymore. Why not use these books as a way to raise money for a favorite cause?
Host the fundraiser by creating an online book sale campaign, asking supporters to set up their own fundraisers, and asking for mobile donations at the event. The ‘virtual’ book sale will show its cumulative impact online and could easily turn into an annual event for your cause.
Much like a school concert, school talent shows can be a great way to bring in donations through ticket sales and concessions. Not only can this event showcase the variety of talents of your students, but it offers a great way to source donations.
Work with local schools to have students submit their artwork and then invite the community to come to your art show for a small fee. See if a local establishment will donate its space or warehouse and have refreshments or snacks available for purchase. You can either have the art show be admission only or actually put the artwork up for sale to boost donations.
Organizing a science fair can provide another avenue for fundraising. Like other school events, you can charge entry fees for the competition while promoting scientific learning.
While there are many kid-friendly fundraising events, it can also be a good idea to host an adults-only evening. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Bring back some of the top hits from years ago with an adult prom. Invite donors to dress up and hire a DJ. Charge an entrance fee and have a photo booth, limo rental, themed cocktails, and more. You may even decide to crown a prom king and queen, giving participants the ability to nominate someone by making a donation to your cause.
With more and more movie theaters offering full-service food and beverages, you could work with a local theater to offer an all-inclusive movie experience. Charge an entrance fee and put together a menu of drinks and food that accompanies the movie. If there are no theaters in your area, you could look to rent equipment and host this night at your organization.
A themed costume ball can also provide a unique fundraising opportunity for participants. Find a live band that fits the theme and provide a dress code for a night your guests won’t forget. You can charge an entry fee and also give away themed prizes.
A mystery dinner theater could be another fun and interesting fundraiser. Guests enjoy dinner while trying to solve a mystery. The more interactive the better. This may be the right event to partner with a local theater company to develop the storyline, either with volunteers acting it out or the theater’s actors donating their time.
Hosting a poker tournament with entry fees going to your organization can be another great way to fundraise. Offer prizes for the top finishers and reach out to supporters and local businesses to get donations for the prizes.
Thinking outside the box can benefit your nonprofit. Here are some unique fundraising ideas to stand out to your supporters.
Have an active following? A treadmill relay race can give them a fun workout for a good cause. Here’s how it works: Work with a local gym to use their treadmills. Then, participants collect donor pledges based on the total miles a team completes. Each person on the team also commits to a minimum amount of time on the treadmill. This could also work as a virtual event.
Dogs are such lovable pets, but some owners may not have time to walk them enough. Your organization can volunteer to walk dogs or pet sit for donations, helping members of the community while raising money for your cause.
Host an eating contest and get everyone involved. Participants can pledge to raise a certain amount, while attendees can pay an entry fee and support contestants by donating money in their name. To add to the fundraising, you may also decide to serve concessions or sell merchandise.
Everyone needs a break from the stress of day-to-day life, so consider hosting a meditation night. Work with a local yoga teacher who can lead participants through a guided meditation. Charge per person and then ask for donations from the attendees.
Another cool – or ice-cold – way to raise funds is a polar plunge. Invite participants to jump in a nearby lake during the coldest time of the year. You could have each participant raise a certain amount of money for your nonprofit to participate.
For an event as the weather starts to change from summer to fall, look to host a community bonfire. This could be a great way to get many members and donors together and charge a per-person fee. Provide the fixings for s’mores, hot chocolate, and other fall-forward foods. Be sure to thank your donors and share with them how much of a difference they’re making for your organization.
Another outside-the-box fundraiser is a head-shaving fundraiser. Volunteers agree to get their heads shaved on a certain date, and they raise money for your organization. You could give away a prize for the volunteer who raises the most money, and let the biggest donor for each person operate the clippers. You could raise even more money by hosting a live event where the shaving happens, collecting more donations during the evening as well as selling food and drink leading up to the big moment.
This idea highlights the concept of “making every dollar count.” Ask supporters to give up an everyday luxury for one week and instead donate the money they would normally spend on it to your fundraiser. Crunch some numbers so donors can understand their impact. For example, tell everyone that if just 10 people give up their daily $5 coffee for seven days, that would bring in an extra $350 for your organization in a week.
Suggest supporters give up things like restaurant meals, fancy coffees, or going to the movies. Inspire them to think about your fundraiser each time they consider their routine, keeping your cause top of mind for an extended period.
No matter what kind of fundraiser you decide on for your nonprofit, a GoFundMe can provide a great way to accept even more donations. It’s free and easy to start, with features that help you create the perfect fundraiser for your needs. So whether you’re a volunteer, a nonprofit employee, or simply a supporter who wants to raise money for a nonprofit, GoFundMe can help.
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