Types of Fundraisers to Raise Money for Any Cause

Raising money for a cause can be a challenging but rewarding experience. There are several types of fundraisers that can help you achieve your goal.

Charity runs and walks are a popular way to raise money, often with a set distance or time goal. These events can be organized in various locations, from local parks to city streets.

Silent auctions can be a fun and engaging way to raise funds, with attendees bidding on items or experiences donated by local businesses or individuals. Proceeds from silent auctions can be significant, often reaching tens of thousands of dollars.

Direct mail campaigns can be an effective way to raise money, allowing you to reach a large number of people with a personalized message. These campaigns can be tailored to specific demographics or interests.

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Hosting an in-person fundraiser can be a fun and engaging way to raise money for your cause. A bingo night, for example, can be a classic and affordable option, with bingo sets available for purchase or rent from party suppliers.

Scavenger hunts are another popular choice, appealing to a wide range of participants and can be held anywhere, from a park to your nonprofit's office. You can even add extra fundraising opportunities like a small fee for hints or guidance throughout the hunt.

A carnival fundraiser has all the entertainment you need to bring in the crowd, with options like cotton candy, dunk tanks, and Ferris wheels. You can also collaborate with corporate partners to sponsor carnival rides or game booths to help cover costs in return for brand exposure.

Many corporations and donors are interested in sponsoring fundraising events, which brings in more money for your mission and helps you make important corporate partnerships. A great event also helps build your organization's visibility and brand, bringing in more donations down the line.

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Host a bingo night where participants pay an entrance fee and make donations to get additional bingo cards. Offer a range of donated prizes to encourage participation.

A scavenger hunt can be held anywhere, from a park to your nonprofit's office, and supporters can form teams to register online before the big day.

Carnivals have endless fundraising potential with games like ring toss, face painting, and dunk tanks, and you can collaborate with corporate partners to sponsor carnival rides or game booths.

Fundraising through events has become increasingly popular, and you can host a walk-a-thon, gala dinner, art exhibition, concert, silent auction, field day, or movie night to attract a large number of people.

Bring Vegas to your hometown by hosting a casino night with roulette, blackjack, and poker games, and invite guests to dress up and exchange their bets for donations.

Dart toss is a classic way to raise money at a carnival, and you can charge a small participation fee and offer a cool prize to the winners.

Mini-golf tournaments are a relaxing and low-pressure way to raise money, and you can ask donors and local businesses to sponsor players or to donate based on player scores.

Scavenger hunts can be organized with social media, and participants can take photos of the items on their lists and use a hashtag to track them.

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Identify volunteers, donors, partners, or board members willing to take a shift in the dunk tank and sell tickets to those interested in sending them for a swim.

Partner with a local gym for a treadmill relay race, and ask supporters to sign up for a time slot and collect pledges of specific gift amounts per mile their team completes.

Turn the traditional 5K or 10K into a team relay race or obstacle course, and runners can solicit their networks for donations or ask their friends and family to purchase event tickets to come to watch.

Determine the MVPs in your community with a laid-back cornhole tournament, and you can charge a small entrance fee to the event with a cash or donated prize for the champion.

Encourage donors to dig out their Halloween boxes and have fun in a costumed race, whether it's zombies, Star Wars, Harry Potter, or another theme.

Host a golf tournament where supporters donate to play on teams, with winners taking home a big prize, and engage your organization's corporate sponsors and major donors to interact with other players to encourage donations.

Have donations based on whether or not your participants are brave enough to jump into the water at a polar bear plunge, or charge a small entry fee that goes to support your organization.

Invite donors to jump into an ice-cold lake at a polar plunge, and it's a perfect opportunity for peer-to-peer fundraising where supporters can tap into their networks to raise money on behalf of your organization.

Ask local wineries or restaurants to donate a bottle or two of wine for your event in exchange for free marketing, and you can hire a sommelier to teach attendees how to taste each wine properly.

Try to think of community members that attendees would love to dunk at a dunk tank, and don't forget to plan your event with a water source in mind to fill that tank!

Host a themed costume party where guests can participate by dressing based on a unique theme, and add a touch of charm by allowing guests to donate to vote for their favorite costumes!

Auction events are a fantastic way to engage guests and raise additional funds for your cause. People love to win things, and it's fun to come to see what others are bidding on.

You can host a silent auction, which allows participants to come and mingle while putting in their bids. This format also gives you the flexibility to include a mix of services and items, depending on the demographic you're trying to engage.

Securing donations can be a challenge, but start early and really sell businesses on your vision and cause. Taking advantage of fundraising software such as Fundly can also make it easier for you.

Leverage local businesses who can donate items, and consider partnering with donors and corporate sponsors to secure donated auction items.

Here are some features to look for in silent auction software:

You can also host a silent online charity auction using innovative nonprofit auction software, or add one to an existing fundraising initiative as a supplementary revenue driver.

Contests and Competitions can be a fun and engaging way to raise money for your cause. A little friendly competition is sure to get your supporters' hearts racing and get them riled up to support your cause.

You can host contests like a Pumpkin Carving Contest or a Diorama/Craft Contest, where participants pay a small fee to enter and compete. These types of contests are great for kids and can be held in the fall or winter when people are more likely to spend time at home doing crafts.

If you're looking for something more low-key, you can also host a Photo Contest where supporters share their photos on Instagram with a specific hashtag and vote for the winner by making a small donation.

Contests and Competitions can be a great way to engage your community and raise money for your cause. A little friendly competition is sure to get your supporters' hearts racing and get them riled up to support your cause.

You can host a contest in the spring or fall when people are ready to relax outdoors. This is a good time to host a Pumpkin Carving Contest, where people can pay a small fee to come carve a pumpkin and enter it into the competition.

Consider hosting a Diorama / Craft Contest, which is an activity that's great for kids and can be a fun way to showcase your community's creative skills. This is a good one for fall or winter, when people are likely to spend more time at home doing crafts.

You can also host a photo contest, where supporters can share their photos on Instagram with a specific theme or subject. This can be a great way to engage your community and raise money for your cause.

A holiday cooking competition can be a fun way to bring people together and raise money for your cause. You can invite supporters to create their best holiday dishes with a specific ingredient or other criteria, and people can pay to taste each dish and cast their votes.

Video game competitions are also a great way to engage your community and raise money for your cause. You can invite video game players to compete for a fee to benefit your cause, and build excitement with a scoreboard to track how many times players have won.

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Trivia tournaments and nights can be a fun way to test the brain power of your supporters and raise money for your cause. You can encourage donors to participate in teams, working towards an eye-catching prize that you can easily ask a corporate partner to sponsor.

Partnering with a local restaurant or bar to host your trivia night can be a great way to reach new prospects and make your event a success.

Penny Wars is a fun and engaging contest that's perfect for raising funds for your cause. It's a team-based competition where two teams collect pennies in buckets.

Set up two teams with buckets and challenge them to collect the most pennies. To sabotage the other team, they can encourage people to add other coins to their bucket, which will count against their score.

The team with the highest score wins, and your organization gets to keep the buckets of coins. A clear scoring system is essential to avoid disputes.

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A referee on hand can help settle any disputes that may arise. This ensures the contest runs smoothly and fairly.

Penny Wars can be set up in the spring or fall when people are ready to relax outdoors. This is a great time to get people engaged and excited about your fundraiser.

Food-based fundraisers are a great way to raise money for your cause, and they can be as simple as a bake sale or as complex as a chili cook-off.

You can host a bake sale and invite volunteers to bake a variety of treats to sell, with proceeds going toward your cause. Find a highly trafficked area to set up your sale, and invite donors and community members to attend.

A classic way to host a food-based fundraiser is to hold a chili cook-off, where participants bring their favorite dish and charge a small fee to sample the food. Secure a space to serve food with burners ready to keep it all hot, and consider a theme and time of year appropriate for the item.

You can also host an ice cream social, where you set up an ice cream shop in a high-traffic summer spot and charge per scoop or offer an all-you-can-eat option. Ask local businesses to donate supplies, and consider adding a toppings station for supporters to enjoy for a small fee.

If you're looking for something a bit more unique, consider hosting a video game competition, where participants pay a fee to compete, and build excitement with a scoreboard and front-row seats available for a fee.

Sports and fitness fundraisers are a great way to get people moving and motivated to donate. You can host a youth sports tournament, where teams compete in a fun event, and spectators can enjoy concessions like candy, popcorn, and foam fingers.

To boost fundraising, consider selling game accessories throughout the tournament. This can be a big hit with spectators and teams alike.

A dance-a-thon is another great option, where participants collect donations to dance for 24 hours. You can create engaging challenges throughout the event, like the best solo dance, and invite everyone to donate to vote for their choice of winner.

For a relay event, you'll need a large space to host the relay, which can be outdoors or in a school gym. You might need to work with local authorities to block off a road for visibility.

Consider hosting a treadmill relay event, where supporters donate for each minute of running. You can partner with a local gym to get enough treadmills and even offer to publicize their services.

If you don't have the space for an outdoor relay, a treadmill relay can be a great alternative. You can partner with a local gym and offer to publicize their services in return.

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Online fundraisers are a great way to raise money for your cause. They're convenient for donors and can be done from anywhere.

You can set up a crowdfunding page on websites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, which are great for projects with a specific goal in mind. Crowdfunding works best when you provide regular updates to donors, so be sure to factor in some time for that.

Online donations are the bread and butter for most nonprofits, and a secure, dependable online giving system is essential. Many donors prefer to give online, so make sure your website has a user-friendly donation page.

Text-to-give is another option for online fundraising, where donors can make donations by texting a keyword to a dedicated number. This can be a convenient and easy way for donors to give, especially during events or in-person opportunities.

Social media challenges can also be a fun and engaging way to raise money online. Try to think of a challenge that relates to your community or cause, and make sure it's directly linked to an online campaign so that people actually give.

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a great way to leverage your existing donor base and their networks. It's an efficient donor acquisition strategy that can help you reach new pools of supporters and build social proof.

Donation kiosks can also help you raise more money in an increasingly cashless world. They're portable and make it easy for donors to give more than what they might have in their pockets.

Text-to-give platforms like Txt2Give and Snowball can arrange the text service for you, so you just need to decide on a memorable word or phrase for people to donate. Some platforms charge a monthly fee, others charge a small amount per donation, and with some you can pay a one-off fee for an event.

Online fundraisers can be a powerful way to raise money for your cause, but it's essential to choose the right platform and strategy for your organization. Donorbox, for example, offers powerful crowdfunding tools that can help you harness the power of the crowd to raise more money.

Creative Fundraisers are a great way to raise money for a cause. You can recruit community members, local performers, and up-and-coming comics to show off their talents at a comedy night event.

Sell entry tickets to generate revenue, and consider encouraging donors to show additional support through food and beverage purchases for suggested donation amounts, as seen in a comedy night event where food and beverage purchases are made for suggested donation amounts.

Consider reading: Casino Night Fundraiser

Art-based fundraisers can be a unique way to raise money for your cause. Consider hosting an art auction where you ask local artists to donate their work, which can then be sold to raise funds.

Partnering with an art gallery can help increase sales. You could also get art from local artists who already have recognition in your community.

A theme can make your art auction more engaging, such as "come dressed as your favorite art or artist." Selling concessions can also add to your fundraising efforts.

Alternatively, you can run an art auction where donors, supporters, and artists create art to be sold. This can be done in a live or virtual environment.

To elevate an art show, you can tap into students' and local artists' creative talents. Ask each artist to pay a nominal entrance fee to showcase their work, and set a flat ticket price for attendees.

A talent show can also be a fun way to raise money, where you secure a venue and recruit talented individuals to perform. Encourage supporters of all ages to participate for a chance to win a grand prize.

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Craft-Based Fundraisers are a great way to raise money for your cause. Invite community members to participate in a gift-wrapping drive for a small donation.

Hosting a craft show is especially effective right before the holidays. You can rent tables and chairs, and your profits will be fixed. Make sure to have enough space to display all the items people bring in.

A gift-wrapping drive is a fantastic way to raise funds for your cause. Invite community members to bring their gifts and have them wrapped for a small donation.

This idea is perfect for the holiday season when people are already busy, but want to get their gifts wrapped nicely. Hosting a gift-wrapping drive can be a win-win situation for both your cause and the community.

You can boost your fundraising by offering specific wrapping paper or accessories, such as bows or ribbons, for an additional fee. This way, people can get exactly what they want and you can earn more money.

People will appreciate the convenience of having their gifts wrapped while supporting a good cause. It's a great way to make the holiday season a little bit brighter for everyone involved.

Craft-Based Fundraisers are a great way to engage your community and raise funds for your cause. You can host a gift-wrapping drive where community members can get their gifts wrapped for a small donation.

Hosting a gift-wrapping drive is a practical fundraising idea, especially during the busy holiday season. Invite community members to stop by and get their gifts wrapped for a small donation.

To boost your fundraising, offer specific wrapping paper or accessories, such as bows or ribbons, for an additional fee. This can be a great way to increase revenue and make the event more appealing to donors.

Consider hosting a craft show where community members can showcase their handmade crafts and artisan goods. This can be a fun and engaging way to raise funds and highlight local businesses.

You can partner with an organization that runs art classes to get their students involved and showcase their work. This can be a great way to attract a wider audience and raise more funds.

Hosting a craft show is especially effective right before the holidays, when people are looking for unique gifts. Make sure you have enough space to display all of the items that people bring in.

To make the event more interesting, you can invite participants to compete for the title of most talented baker or craftsperson. This can add an element of fun and excitement to the event.

Consider hosting a bake sale or craft fair where people can buy handmade crafts and artisan goods. You can also invite donors to art classes where they can make their own creations for a small donation.

Hosting a craft fair is a classic idea that showcases a variety of handmade crafts and artisan goods. You can also use this opportunity to highlight local businesses and raise funds for your cause.

By hosting a craft-based fundraiser, you can engage your community, raise funds, and highlight local businesses. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved!

Music can be a powerful tool for fundraising. You can charge for entry to a karaoke night and encourage spectators to vote for their favorite performers through small monetary donations.

A school concert is another great option, where you can sell tickets and encourage attendees to make donations throughout the evening. You can even livestream it with reliable fundraising event software to reach a wider audience.

Benefit concerts are also a great way to raise funds, where local artists can promote their music while your organization raises funds for a good cause. You can also offer ticket packages for VIP seating or "backstage" passes to increase revenue.

Music-Based Fundraisers can be a blast, and here are a few ways to make them successful.

You can host a karaoke night and charge for entry, then encourage spectators to vote for their favorite performers through small monetary donations. The performer with the most donations at the end of the evening will be the winner.

A school concert is another great idea, where you can sell tickets and encourage attendees to make donations throughout the evening to support their loved ones. You can also livestream the event with reliable fundraising event software.

Partnering with local artists to create a benefit concert is a win-win for everyone involved, as they promote their music while your organization raises funds for a good cause. You can also offer ticket packages for VIP seating or "backstage" passes to increase revenue.

Music Lessons are a fantastic way to raise funds for a good cause. Local music schools and instructors often partner with charities to offer group or private lessons, with a portion of the tuition going towards the fundraising goal.

For instance, a music school might offer a series of group piano lessons for kids, with a suggested donation of $20 per lesson. The money raised can go towards funding music education programs for underprivileged children.

One music teacher even offered private guitar lessons to raise funds for a local animal shelter, with each lesson costing $30 and all proceeds going towards animal care.

Some music lessons can be quite unique, such as a songwriting workshop where participants can learn to write their own songs and perform them for an audience.

Hosting a talent show can be a fun and engaging way to raise funds. For instance, one venue can be secured and attendees can be encouraged to participate, as seen in the example of hosting a talent show, where supporters of all ages can take the stage for a grand prize.

Securing a venue is a crucial step in planning a successful talent show. This can be done by renting a local theater or community center.

Recruiting talent for the evening can be done by reaching out to local schools, music schools, or dance studios to find performers. The example of hosting a talent show shows that it's not just about the performers, but also about creating a memorable experience for attendees.

A grand prize can be offered to the winner, such as a coveted trophy or a custom T-shirt, as seen in the example of hosting a talent show.

Event-Based Fundraisers are a great way to get people excited about giving. They're a fun and engaging way to raise money for your cause.

A charity gala is a fantastic option, allowing you to combine fundraising with entertainment. With flexible event-planning software tools, you can effortlessly organize a memorable night to spread awareness for your cause.

Inviting donors to loosen up and have some old-fashioned fun with a night of karaoke is a great way to get people involved. Charge for entry, then encourage spectators to vote for their favorite performers through small monetary donations.

The performer with the most donations at the end of the evening will be the winner, adding an exciting element to the event. This type of fundraiser offers a unique way to engage with your donors and build relationships with your community.