50+ Phenomenal Fundraising Event Ideas to Skyrocket Giving
There’s no doubt about it—fundraising events work. With the average event donation increasing by 15% since 2023, your nonprofit has a prime opportunity to bring in major fundraising dollars.
To help you plan a show-stopping event, we’ve created a list of the top fundraising event ideas that your supporters will look forward to all year long:
Our Favorite Fundraising Event Ideas
1. Silent Auction
Incorporate a silent auction into your golf tournament, annual gala, or other fundraising efforts to engage guests and raise additional funds at your event.
Partner with donors and corporate sponsors to secure donated auction items. These items are then displayed around your event venue for attendees to bid on, usually through mobile bidding.
The following silent auction software features will set you up for success:
- Auction AI: Save hours with AI-generated auction and raffle descriptions, be prepared for your event with AI-driven Event Readiness, and offer personalized item recommendations to drive bids with Suggest Sort and Recommended Items.
- Event management: Simplify check-in, reduce checkout lines, and enable your supporters to bid, buy, and donate throughout your event, all in one place.
- Item management: Organize and centralize your item procurement efforts, so you have everything you need on the event day.
- Gamification: Incorporate friendly competition into the bidding process with scoreboards, fundraising thermometers, and more.
- Data tracking: Automatically generate data insights and real-time fundraising progress.
Innovative fundraising software with user-friendly mobile bidding tools empowers your supporters to conveniently submit bids directly from their phones, making the process more efficient and rewarding than paper bid sheets.
2. Golf Tournament
When the weather’s warm, why not combine fun in the sun with fundraising? Host a golf tournament where supporters donate to play on teams, with winners taking home a big prize!
Engage your organization’s corporate sponsors and major donors to interact with other players to encourage donations to benefit your cause. Add golf games and contests throughout the charity tournament to boost your fundraising revenue.
3. Charity Gala
Combine fundraising with entertainment at a charity gala! Plan for a memorable evening to unwind and connect with donors, partners, and other community members.
Galas offer you the opportunity to recognize your top supporters, build new relationships, and raise funds for your cause. With flexible event-planning software tools, you can effortlessly organize a memorable night to spread awareness for your cause.
4. Walkathon
Walk-a-thons, like many other active fundraising events, thrive on group participation. Using peer-to-peer fundraising software, your donors can form teams to raise money for your cause.
By equipping participants with the ability to easily create their own fundraising pages, you can leverage their social networks to support your organization.
Easy Fundraising Events
5. eCard Campaign
Want an easy but engaging way to raise awareness? An eCard campaign does just the trick!
Supporters donate in exchange for sending a branded digital greeting card to a friend or family member. In return, your nonprofit can tap into new networks and spread brand awareness to the receivers of these eCards.
6. Benefit Concert
Connect with local artists to create an event that benefits your community and your nonprofit. Artists can promote their music while your organization raises funds for a good cause.
Concerts are flexible events where you can incorporate additional ways to raise funds, such as ticket packages for VIP seating or “backstage’ passes.
7. Trivia Tournament
Test the brain power of your supporters with a bit of trivia fun! Encourage donors to participate in teams, working towards an eye-catching prize that you can easily ask a corporate partner to sponsor.
If you can partner with a local restaurant to host the night, you can even reach new prospects who just happen to be business patrons.
8. Craft Fair
Take a classic idea that showcases a variety of handmade crafts and artisan goods to the next level! Invite donors to art classes where they can make their own creations for a small donation.
Not only will your nonprofit earn considerable funds for your mission, but you’ll also be able to highlight local businesses in a big way.
9. Fun Run
Inspire friendly competition among all generations with this themed race idea. Build the energy for your event with donations from family, friends, and peers to support runners’ participation.
Peer-to-peer software will make it easy for participants to get active while supporting a meaningful cause!
10. Pancake Breakfast
Kick off your fundraising with the ultimate breakfast of champions! A pancake breakfast is an affordable opportunity to gather supporters while raising funds through ticket sales, sponsorships, or topping fees.
Offer this tasty meal before your main event, such as a golf outing, to start the day energized and ready to fundraise!
11. 50/50 Raffle
A simple yet exciting fundraiser is a 50/50 raffle where participants purchase tickets for a chance to win half of the total ticket sales while the other half goes to support your mission.
Advertise the prize amount to really build excitement and use strong messaging like “Double your Chances” to get more supporters to join the fun.
12. Branded Merchandise
Who doesn’t love a new mug or t-shirt to represent their favorite cause? Encourage supporters to submit design ideas or request their most wanted items for a successful merchandise launch.
You can sell branded merchandise online, at events, or through pre-order sales. Take your merchandise to the next level by offering exclusive, limited-edition items to encourage purchases.
13. Raffle Baskets
Like a treasure chest of fun, raffle baskets can reap big rewards for your cause! Tailor baskets to your donors’ interests and allow supporters to preview the baskets before the event to maximize engagement.
Boost your raffle’s appeal by partnering with community partners, local businesses, and event sponsors to raffle off popular, in-demand items that will catch your donors’ attention.
14. Themed Costume Party
Who doesn’t love an excuse to dress up? A themed costume party turns fundraising into a creative experience where guests can participate by dressing based on a unique theme.
You can easily turn your annual gala into a themed costume party or have participants dress up for your next 5K. It’s an easy fundraising idea you can incorporate into most events. Add a touch of charm by allowing guests to donate to vote for their favorite costumes!
15. Fitness Lessons
Get your community moving with a fitness lesson. Recruit volunteers to lead the classes and invite your supporters to donate to join in person or virtually to break a sweat!
Secure sponsorships to provide essential equipment, like yoga mats, to make your event inclusive for everyone.
16. Holiday Party
A holiday party is a perfect way to spread cheer while raising funds for your cause. Your guests can enjoy holiday-themed games, cocktails, raffle baskets, and more.
While you can sell event tickets, hosting a live auction will add fun to your event and boost your fundraising. To increase excitement, offer a live auction preview on your event site with your auction software.
17. Karaoke Night
Hosting an evening of karaoke is a simple, low-effort way to build community and spread awareness to your organization. Participants can pay a fee to pick their favorite song to perform for the crowd.
Offer group discounts to inspire friends to perform together. It’s a great way to get more people involved by letting them rock out together!
Cost-Effective Fundraising Event Ideas
18. Shoe Drive
A shoe drive fundraiser is an amazing event in which you can help eliminate waste and raise money for your cause at the same time!
Companies like Funds2Orgs make for perfect partners for these types of events. All you have to do is host your fundraiser, collect the shoes, and then contact Funds2Orgs to pick up your collection and provide a check in return. Sounds easy enough!
19. Car Wash
Between a car wash’s simplicity and outdoor setting, it’s hard to find a better fundraiser! Recruit your nonprofit staff and volunteers to help wash cars the day of your event. You’ll just need to invest in soap, sponges, and buckets.
Designate a few volunteers to stand near a busy road with signs to promote your event. Elevate your supporters’ experience and drive additional fundraising dollars by offering car accessories for sale, such as air fresheners!
20. Bake Sale
A classic yet effortless way to raise money is to invite volunteers to bake a variety of treats to sell, with proceeds going toward your cause. The key to success? Find a highly trafficked area to set up your sale!
Invite donors and community members or share about your bake sale on social media for the ultimate attendance!
21. Movie Night
Grab your popcorn and settle in for a movie night that does more than entertain—it benefits your cause. Partner with a movie theatre or drive-in, and you’re good to go!
In addition to an entry ticket, sell snacks, drinks, or other themed goodies to keep the fundraising going all night long.
22. Matching Gift Drive
Challenge your donors to give big during a specified time frame for their contributions to be doubled. Partner with a major donor or a corporate sponsor who would be willing to match gifts to make this happen!
Donors are more likely to make a larger gift if matching is applied, so be sure to communicate the matching gift opportunity on your donation page. It’s also best to briefly explain how matching gifts work for your supporters to understand better how they can amplify their impact.
23. Tour of Homes
Want a special way to engage your community to support your cause? Host a home tour! Coordinate with homeowners to showcase their beautiful homes for an interactive event.
Include a few historical homes on the tour to attract community members who may not be familiar with your mission. You can incorporate testimonials throughout the tour to spread brand awareness.
24. Dance-a-thon
Ready to get your groove on? Dance-a-thon participants get sponsored to dance and show off their best moves to support your organization for a 24-hour period.
To keep the energy up and the fundraising momentum going, create engaging challenges throughout the event, like the best solo dance, and invite everyone to donate to vote for their choice of winner.
25. Secondhand Sale
Collect gently used items to organize this low-cost fundraiser. A secondhand sale will bring in donations with little effort needed from your nonprofit.
Increase community interest, create excitement, and encourage attendance by offering a preview of items with your fundraising software.
26. Peer-Peer Challenge
Tap into the power of your community with a peer-to-peer challenge! Empower your supporters to become active fundraisers by leveraging their social networks and raising money on your behalf.
Recognize top fundraisers with a leaderboard and enticing prizes, sponsored by your corporate partners, to motivate participants to raise even more. Plus, invest in peer-to-peer fundraising software that makes it easy for supporters to share their personalized campaigns on behalf of your organization!
27. Ice Cream Social
An ice cream social is the sprinkle of fun you need for your next fundraiser event. To motivate people to contribute a bit more, offer a general admission ticket for a scoop or two and an unlimited scoops ticket for a higher price.
Add the cherry on top with a toppings station for supporters to enjoy for a small fee. By offering a variety of ice cream flavors and toppings, you can create a customizable experience for guests to enjoy.
28. Text-to-Give®
Text-to-Give® fundraisers can stand alone or make the perfect revenue-boosting addition to any event! Supporters can easily contribute toward your fundraising goal by texting a keyword to a designated number from anywhere, anytime.
With the right fundraising software, it’s super easy for nonprofits of any size to organize a text-to-give campaign. Just share your keyword on social media and in your email communications to expand your reach.
29. Online Shopping Fundraiser
Whether your nonprofit sets up an online store with branded items or partners with local businesses, an online shopping fundraiser lets your supporters shop around without needing to attend an in-person event.
Promote special sales or limited-edition merchandise to entice people to support your fundraiser. Regardless of your approach, your nonprofit will benefit from a percentage of sales.
30. Lip Sync Competition
A fundraising event that’s low pressure, cost-effective, but still full of fun? A lip sync competition is just what your nonprofit should host!
Bring a friendly competition to your event by letting the audience donate to vote for their favorite performance.
Kid-Friendly Fundraising Events
31. Obstacle Course
An obstacle course is the perfect fundraising event and can be an interactive challenge for kids, teenagers, and adults alike.
Encourage teams to register online together to spark friendly competition. Ensure your fundraising software offers a leaderboard feature to keep momentum throughout the event.
32. Field Day
Plan a full day of games, food, and music for different age groups to enjoy. Charge a fee to participate in a full day’s activities or for individual events.
Take advantage of your digital presence to promote your fundraising event in advance to increase attendance. Encourage supporters to bring their friends to recruit even more participants.
33. Carnival
Cotton candy? Dunk tanks? Ferris wheel? A carnival fundraiser has all the entertainment you need to bring in the crowd. From ring toss to face painting, this family-friendly event has endless fundraising potential.
Maximize your fundraising efforts by collaborating with corporate partners to sponsor carnival rides or game booths to help your nonprofit cover costs in return for brand exposure.
34. Scavenger Hunt
Everyone loves classic scavenger hunts! Scavenger hunts appeal to a wide range of participants—families, corporate teams, or local supporters—and can be held anywhere, from a park to your nonprofit’s office.
Supporters can form teams to register online before the big day. To raise more, add extra fundraising opportunities like a small fee for hints or guidance throughout the scavenger hunt.
35. Youth Sports Tournament
Ready to score big? A youth sports tournament rallies the community to support their favorite team players in an action-packed event.
Whichever sport you choose to play, spectators will want concessions to enjoy the game! Boost your fundraising with candy, popcorn, foam fingers, and other game accessories to sell throughout the tournament.
36. Video Game Competition
Keep up with the trends and invite video game players to compete for a fee to benefit your cause. Build excitement and urge more event registrations with an enticing price for the winner.
Maintain a fierce but friendly competition with a scoreboard to track how many times players have won. Welcome spectators to create a high-energy atmosphere and make front-row seats available for a fee to enhance your fundraising.
37. School Lock-In
A lock-in is the ultimate all-nighter event for schools, packed with games, activities, and excitement! Have students gather pledges from family and friends to raise money by promising to complete certain challenges.
For example, a family member can donate to help their student hit their best moves in a dance competition or participate in an entertaining karaoke show.
38. Spelling Bee
Bring together students, teachers, and community members for this F-U-N event! This fundraising event has participants take turns spelling increasingly difficult words to be the last one standing.
In addition to charging participants an entry fee, allow the audience to donate any amount to suggest words for contestants to create an interactive experience.
39. Read-a-thon
Want to turn reading into rewards? Organize a read-a-thon for young readers to commit to reading a certain number of books within a set time period to unlock sponsored prizes.
Partner with a corporate sponsor or major donor to donate a certain amount for each book completed by participating readers for your nonprofit to raise more.
40. Easter Egg Hunt
Hop into fundraising with an Easter egg hunt for the whole family to enjoy! Sell entry tickets for different age groups to participate in different egg hunts for personalized fun.
Raffle off baskets filled with seasonal items and themed goodies to boost your event fundraising.
41. Trunk-or-Treat
Don’t be afraid to celebrate the spooky season. Host a trunk-or-treat where supporters can pay for a parking spot, decorate their car, and hand out candy to the community.
Gather volunteers to help participants set up decorations for a small fee or offer decoration packages to increase revenue.
42. Petting Zoo
Kids of all ages love interacting and getting up close with friendly animals like ponies, rabbits, and more. Open your event to the community with exclusive experience packages available for purchase.
Offer the opportunity to feed animals for an additional donation or a guided tour around the petting zoo to maximize your supporters’ experience and revenue.
Creative Fundraising Event Ideas
43. Serve-a-thon
Similar to a walk-a-thon, participants in a serve-a-thon recruit family and friends to commit to donate on their behalf.
Participants volunteer their time to serve the community, so pledges would be based on hours volunteered or the amount of trash gathered. You can recruit Gen Z, Boomers, and all the other generations to support your cause!
44. Talent Show
It’s time for your supporters to show their best skills! A talent show allows supporters to showcase their interests, whether it’s singing or something totally unique!
Elevate your fundraising by offering backstage passes for guests to experience behind-the-scenes fun at an additional cost. Consider selling props, such as pom-poms or glow sticks, for the audience to cheer on their favorite performers.
45. Cook-Off
Bring the heat to your next fundraising event with a charity cook-off. While inexpensive, cook-offs offer a high return on investment because they attract a large audience and create multiple opportunities for you to generate revenue.
Consider entry fees for chefs to compete to support your mission or raffle off themed baskets with restaurant gift cards to maximize engagement.
46. Pub Crawl
What better way to raise money than with friends? Connect with local bars or pubs in your area to put together a pub crawl fundraiser!
Charge adults an entry ticket to access drink specials at participating locations and include a branded T-shirt for them to wear as they go from bar to bar. They’ll be promoting your mission all night long!
47. Penny Social
Drop a penny for a chance to win a prize! Encourage supporters to engage in your fundraiser by easily donating a penny to enter each of your many raffles.
While donations begin with a penny, you can treat your penny social like a silent auction where the more your supporters give, the more likely they are to win.
48. Gift-Wrapping Drive
With the holidays being a busy time for everyone, hosting a gift-wrapping drive is a practical fundraising idea to plan!
Invite community members to stop by to get their gifts wrapped for a small donation. Boost your fundraising by offering specific wrapping paper or accessories, such as bows or ribbons, for an additional fee.
49. Pet Wash
Who doesn’t love our furry friends when they’re freshly groomed? Encourage pet owners to give their pets a day of love at your next fundraising event.
Offer basic services for your volunteers to help with, like washing, brushing, and nail trimming. Bring in more people to raise more money by partnering with a pet store to provide discount codes for your supporters to enjoy.
50. Wine Tasting
Maximize your fundraising efforts with a wine tasting event! Choose a nearby vineyard for guests to come and enjoy wine with their friends, significant others, and other supporters of your nonprofit.
Your organization can present donors with different priced tiers to choose from for a more personalized experience. Inspire greater generosity by providing supporters with irresistible, high-valued packages, including a complimentary wine bottle to take home or a guided tour around the vineyard.
51. Cooking Classes
Host a private cooking class for donors to learn a new recipe while giving to a good cause. Aside from entry tickets, stir up more revenue by incorporating an auction or raffle.
Item ideas include themed baskets filled with kitchen utensils and other accessories or cookbooks that could be autographed to increase value. Your goal is for attendees to donate more to increase their chance of scoring the items of their dreams.
52. Escape Room
Escape rooms are engaging fundraisers that offer a unique experience for your supporters. You can set up your own or partner with a local business to carry out this idea.
Invite participants to register as teams to create a friendly competition. Reward the team that completes the challenge the quickest. Having mobile-optimized fundraising software to offer players the chance to donate for hints as they go will help you raise more throughout the game.
53. Date Night Auction
Love is in the air! Auction off a romantic date night to get your supporters to bid all night long.
There are many approaches to auctioning off a date night. This could be a weekend-long travel package or a day spent in your city filled with paid-for experiences. Your organization can tap sponsors to help create a high-valued auction item that will raise greater revenue!
54. Eating Contest
Whether spicy wings or hot dogs, challenge your donors to show off their quickness with an eating contest! Work with a corporate sponsor to provide the food, welcome participants from far and wide, and watch your funds grow.
Merchandise to remember this day can serve your organization well as an additional avenue to fundraising.
55. Dodgeball Tournament
A dodgeball tournament is a flexible yet creative idea to raise funds. Because you’re never too old to have some fun, your nonprofit can adapt this idea to work well with any age group.
All you need is foam balls and a large enough space to host the excitement. While players can pay a participation fee, give spectators the option to purchase concessions such as snacks, drinks, and candy to boost your fundraising.
Get Started with OneCause
If you’re ready to host a fundraising event that will “wow” your audience, you’ll need innovative tools ready to support your organization.
The OneCause Fundraising Platform makes giving modern, flexible, and seamless to drive deeper engagement and grow your revenue over time. This all-in-one solution comes with everything you need to pull off a successful event, including:
- Contactless check-in and out with integrated ticketing
- Table and seating management
- Mobile bidding tools with real-time data analytics
- Donor and sponsor management
- Award-winning event support
Take a look at this versatile all-in-one fundraising software that meets the expectations of today’s donors, supporting any in-person, virtual, or hybrid event.
Hosting a Profitable Fundraising Event
Now that you have a wealth of fundraising ideas to choose from, it’s time to bring these exciting ventures to life. Mix and match ideas or make them your own to appeal to your unique audience.
With a little hard work and some creativity, your next fundraising event can be a massive success!
For more inspiration, explore these additional fundraising resources:
- How to Plan a Fundraising Event: 10 Steps to Raise More. Once you’ve decided on the perfect event, this guide will help you plan and execute a flawless fundraiser.
- 30+ Top Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits. Explore our top ideas for putting a fresh spin on your next peer-to-peer fundraiser.
- 10 Nonprofit Fundraising Platforms to Inspire More Giving. Check out the top nonprofit fundraising platforms for a showstopping event to boost your revenue.
