20+ Successful and Profitable Fundraising Ideas, Verified by Pros
As fundraising experts, we’ve learned a thing or two about raising money over the years. To help you earn cash for your cause, we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide to the best fundraising ideas—backed by data from our community of seasoned fundraising managers.
What to consider when choosing a fundraising idea
Everyone strives for a successful fundraiser, but how can you ensure you reach your goals? According to 30+ fundraising managers we surveyed, here are some top ways to create a recipe for success:
77%
said your fundraiser should engage or appeal to a wide audience
69%
said your fundraiser should be cost-effective
69%
said your fundraiser should be easy to execute
65%
said your fundraiser should have the potential to be recurring, ongoing, or long-term
1. RaiseRight: Buy gift cards or shop to earn
RaiseRight is a fundraising program that turns everyday purchases into money for your cause.
Here’s how it works: enroll your organization with RaiseRight for free, add participants to your fundraising program, then purchase gift cards or shop online across hundreds of popular and beloved brands, such as Walmart, McDonald’s, Amazon, and more.
With every gift card or online purchase, your organization earns up to 20% back, with an average earning of 6% per brand. Overall, you could earn up to five times more than you would through a traditional fundraiser; many families take home $1,000 or more each year.
This fundraiser works because your supporters won’t have to spend extra money contributing to your cause, or spend extra time planning or attending an event. They can simply shop as they normally would—in-person or online—and stick within their budget.
Best of all, there’s no risk. RaiseRight is free to join and endlessly flexible, with year-round earning possibilities. There’s no need to manage inventory if you don’t want to, no need to sell goods door-to-door, and no need to plan costly events. Just live your life and earn!
To see the benefits for yourself, get started for free by enrolling your organization with RaiseRight. Or, check out these resources:
2. Crowdfunding and direct asks
Crowdfunding is a strategy that relies on the generosity of your friends, family, neighbors, and other community members. Using a platform like GoFundMe or Snap! Raise, you can create a donations page and send the link to your network. Supporters can then donate directly to your cause.
Setting up a crowdfunding campaign is typically fast and easy, and you can start raising money right away. “People can just click a link to make a tax-deductible donation,” says Stacy, who raises money for a cheerleading booster club. “While we only run this fundraiser once a year, we’ve been crowdfunding for multiple years with no need for changes. We can raise over $20,000 in less than two weeks.”
Note that crowdfunding platforms may charge fees, so consider skipping the website and going straight to the source, asking friends and family for cash or checks. As with gift card purchasing, these fundraisers can run year-round and require minimal effort to maintain.
3. Corporate gift matching
With corporate gift matching, you can engage with businesses in your area to raise money.
Here’s how it works: employees make donations to a cause, and their employer matches the amount. Some corporations provide a 1:1 match, while others will double or triple the donation.
To start a corporate gift matching fundraiser, you can encourage people in your fundraising organization to approach their employers with the idea. You can also ask businesses in your community to contribute to the cause.
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1. Restaurant nights
A restaurant night treats people to delicious food from a local restaurant and earns you money. The concept behind restaurant night fundraising is fairly simple:
- You partner with a local restaurant
- You agree on a fundraiser night (usually a weekday)
- You encourage people to eat there on that specific night
By promoting your event, you help fill the restaurant on a typically slower night. In return, the restaurant rewards you with a portion of the night’s profits.
About 10% of organizations we surveyed regularly choose this type of fundraiser. If you want to join them, consider hosting restaurant nights quarterly or monthly for small-scale yet consistent fundraising streams. While these events require a bit of planning, they cost almost nothing—all you have to pay for is the flyers!
Here’s a bonus tip: you’ll earn even more if you collaborate with a restaurant featured on RaiseRight. You and your supporters can buy gift cards for the restaurant, then spend them on your night out to boost your earnings. For example, you can work with restaurants like Chipotle or Panda Express—they host local fundraisers and have gift cards available on RaiseRight.
2. Coupon and discount cards
Selling discount cards or coupons as a fundraiser is another inexpensive option. Once you’ve found businesses willing to offer free products or discounts, simply print a stack of coupon booklets or discount cards and sell them to friends and family. The money you make from each sale is 100% profit.
This strategy also relies on the generosity of local businesses, but it’s not limited to restaurants. You can partner with
- Clothing stores
- Bakeries
- Gas stations
- Fitness studios
These fundraisers are a win-win-win for your community: your fundraiser earns money, your friends and neighbors get discounts to their favorite places, and local businesses enjoy more foot traffic.
Consider partnering with brands featured on RaiseRight for maximum earnings.
3. Raffles and draws
Raffles and draws are classic fundraisers with the potential to be highly successful, which is why 20% of our surveyed fundraising managers say they hold raffles. Simply ask community members and local businesses to donate items or services, then sell raffle tickets. Each ticket is a chance to win.
You don’t even need to plan an event to host a raffle! To save money, you can conduct everything online—in a Facebook group or via Instagram, for example.
To raise even more from a prize draw, you could raffle off gift cards purchased on RaiseRight. That way, you earn twice: once when you buy the gift card, and again when someone bids on it or pays to enter.
Note that raffles meet the definition of lotteries and can fall under the umbrella of gambling, so check your with your county and state before proceeding with this fundraising idea.
1. Concession stand
A concession stand fundraiser is terrific for earning money and delighting hungry customers. They can be permanent stalls or temporary fixtures, like those found outside of sporting events or concerts.
“We enjoy working the concession stand because it brings people together, and we get to enjoy the concerts,” says Stacy, who fundraises for her cheerleading booster club.
The trick is to sell high-margin items with fairly low upfront costs. Buy soda cans, hot dogs, chip bags, or candy in bulk, then sell each one individually at a higher cost. For example, if you buy a 48-pack of chips for $20 and sell each bag for $2, you’ll make $76 in profit. Be sure to use a RaiseRight gift card to purchase your inventory from a grocery or bulk food store like Sam’s Club to earn twice.
Depending on the size of the event, you can cash in big from a concession stand—one of our fundraising managers reported raising over $10,000 just by selling concessions at home sports games!
"We enjoy working the concession stand because it brings people together, and we get to enjoy the concerts."
- Stacy, who fundraises for her cheerleading booster club
“We challenge attending families to donate enough to match what we collected, usually around $25,000. By the end of the night, it feels like we’ve really accomplished something.”
- Patty, who raises money for a private Christian school
3. Walkathon
A walkathon is a casual fundraising event that encourages community members to get active and explore their neighborhood.
The process is also simple:
Choose a route through town or a local school running track
Set a registration fee for the event
Promote your walkathon and encourage sign-ups
4. Golf tournaments
If there’s a golf course in your community, you can raise thousands of dollars for your cause in a single day. All you have to do is partner with the course to host a charity golf tournament.
Despite a longer planning process, your hard work is likely to pay off. One of our survey respondents reported raising over $10,000 from a school golf tournament, earning four times the profit of their upfront costs.
First, you’ll earn money through registration fees. Then, once golfers arrive, you can earn more by selling:
Drink Tickets
Merchandise
Mulligans
Discounted Rounds
5. Garage or rummage sale
Everyone has items they no longer need, but no one wants to throw things away. What if there were a way to declutter and raise funds?
A community garage sale is just the ticket.
To hold a garage or rummage sale, all you need is a communal space, some tables (a church, gymnasium, or parking lot work well, and be sure to add canopies if you’re holding it outdoors), and a group of people willing to donate gently used items for a good cause. Have the participants bring their unwanted items on the day of the sale, and watch as interested buyers stream in.
Be sure to promote the event ahead of time with plenty of signage around the community and social media posts. The more people come to your rummage sale, the more you’ll earn.
“Our band show is a one-day event—short-term, high yield. But it takes a lot of volunteers and planning to run this fundraiser successfully,”
- Krista, who raises money for a high school band and color guard booster club
1. Selling candles
Scented or unscented, candles can improve the atmosphere of any room. That’s why selling candles has long been a fundraising favorite. If you buy your candles at a low price and sell them with a healthy profit margin, you could earn hundreds of dollars in just a few weeks.
2. Selling candy bars
Ever wonder why candy bar fundraisers are so successful? It’s simple: everyone loves candy! Buy these tasty treats in bulk for a few dollars (ideally from a store listed on RaiseRight), then sell them for at least double what they cost. You can either go door-to-door or sell your candy at local events.
3. Selling cookie dough or baked goods
Few things are better than a tasty cookie. With cookie dough fundraising, you can give your community a chance to indulge in some freshly made sweets. You can also host a bake sale fundraiser at school, church, or in your neighborhood.
4. Selling gourmet popcorn or snacks
Another low-cost option is selling gourmet popcorn. Movie theaters already know that inexpensive popcorn can sell for high prices. Follow their lead, and sell gourmet popcorn or other treats to your friends and family.
5. Selling pizza
If you’re not interested in selling snacks, you can hold a pizza fundraiser instead. Pizza is easy to handle, a crowd favorite, and there are many ways to sell it. For instance, you can set up a restaurant night fundraiser at a pizza parlor, sell fresh slices of pizza at an event, or offer pizza kits or frozen pizzas for sale.
6. Selling sub sandwiches
Similarly, you can sell sandwiches to earn money for your cause. Subs are ideal and popular because they’re fully customizable—everyone can have their perfect sandwich. To run a sub sandwich fundraiser, you can take orders for sandwiches and deliver them, or sell discount cards to local sub shops.
7. Selling gift wrap
If food options aren’t for you, consider selling wrapping paper instead. These fundraisers are typically seasonal pushes, most successful during Christmas. Krista raises money for a band booster club and runs their gift wrap fundraiser for four hours per day for two weeks straight. “This fundraiser is most successful when we have enough volunteers. It takes a large crew, available at a specific time, to make this happen. And, we need to be well-organized.” Outside of the holiday season, you can turn gift wrap sales into a year-round affair by diversifying your selection. For example, you could sell gift wrap for:
- Birthdays
- Weddings and anniversaries
- Easter
- Graduations
8. Other sales-based ideas
Remember to think outside the box: nearly anything can sell to the right audience. Take the time to understand your customers and offer something that would meet their needs or excite them at the right time. With a little creative thinking, you can turn your fundraising strategy into an event that everyone looks forward to. One band fundraising manager finds success running an annual flower and greenery sale. “Our community looks forward to this sale year after year. It works well because people love buying plants for both personal use and gifts, and they get to support our music program in the process.”
