If you don’t want to sell products or ask for donations, the next best thing is charity events. Of course, with some fundraising event ideas, you can combine product sales with events to boost earnings further, or even combine compatible events.
Art Show
Showcase the talent of your group and raise money too with the art fundraiser. This is one of a few versatile charity event ideas that works well not only for high level charities, but all the way down to elementary schools […]
Auction
Ideas for fundraising events come and go, but the charity auction has been around a while. Anything can be auctioned, so why not make that a part of your next fundraiser […]
Bake Sale
Almost synonymous with fundraising, if you have a lot of volunteers, the bake sale fundraiser is an easy and tasty way to raise money, plus it’s essentially free since contributors donate the goodies. Learn more and get some easy bake sale ideas here […]
Basketball Tournament
There are a few different basketball fundraising ideas, and they are perfect for people who are looking for ways to raise money that involve fast-paced competition […]
BBQ
Everybody likes to eat, and as charity events ideas go, the BBQ fundraiser can be one of the bigger ones, plus you can piggy-back other fundraiser events on to this one, such as Kiss the Pig, and Cow Pie Bingo, etc […]
Bingo
The Bingo fundraiser is a combination of a social outing and an opportunity to be with friends while giving participants the chance to win money. Bingo is often used for charity fundraising events […]
Book Sales
The best fundraising events provide multiple benefits. The book fundraiser straddles the line between product sales and events, but it encourages reading while raising money for a good cause, so that’s a nice bonus […]
Bricks
As with book sales, this could be considered both a product and an event. Not many fundraiser event ideas leave as lasting of an impression as the brick fundraiser […]
Cake Walk
An offshoot of the bake sale, a cake walk fundraiser is a fun and inexpensive way to raise money. As with other ideas for charity events, the cake walk relies on the generosity of donors […]
Cans
This is a pretty slow way to raise money, but once they’re set up, they work for you 24/7, year ’round. Donation cans may not qualify as fund raising events per se, but they’re easy to implement, don’t involve selling products and have lots of potential, so these fundraising cans are worth considering […]
Car Wash
Everyone wants a clean car, so why not help them and let them help you by earning money for your group. As with a few other fundraising events, ideas like this that involve lots of eager and helpful students are bound to succeed […]
Cookbooks
As with some of the other fund raising event ideas on this list, the cookbook fundraiser is part event, part product sale, but for non-profit organizations that want to add some creativity, this might be just the ticket […]
Cow Pie Bingo
Adding a whiff of excitement to regular bingo, this one puts the “vent” into events fundraising. Mooove over regular Bingo, fun fundraising events don’t get any funner than this […]
Dinner
The fundraising dinner can be a stand-alone event or as an add-on to earlier fundraising activities that day such as a golf or basketball tournament […]
Dog Walk-a-thon
Need exercise? Need money? Get the whole family involved with this, including (of course) your dog. Naturally, the more participants (and dogs) you can garner, the better […]
Dog Wash
This a perfect add-on to the dog walk-a-thon and a lot of dog owners will like. Unique fundraising events like this are well-suited to specialized causes such as animal rescue organizations […]
Flea Market
Definitely not for dogs (you know, because of the FLEAS), this event is a step up from the garage sale. This is like a bunch of garage sales grouped together, which means it will attract a lot more interest […]
Free Car Wash
Sounds crazy, but this clever idea has the potential to earn a lot more than a regular car wash. Click here to discover how this can seriously boost earnings […]
Fun Run
This could be a walk or a run, or both. Combining exercise with raising money makes non profit fundraising events even better. Charity runs provide both […]
Garage Sale
They say one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Although it’s not as large as a flea market, the garage sale fundraiser can still be big and raise a bunch of money […]
Golf
As with other sports fundraisers, you can raise boatloads of money for your organization with a golf tournament. There are a few cool golf fundraising ideas you could utilize […]
Guessing Jar
Get a lot of participation from supporters without a lot of initial expense. Of course, the more prizes and the more value they have, the more participation you’ll have with this, and the more money you’ll raise […]
Hole-in-one
A different kind of golf fundraiser with a gigantic prize. Many charity fundraising event ideas can attract attention, but not like this one, the one with a cool million dollar prize. Click here to get the answer to your next question […]
Hoop-a-thon
If you’re looking for basketball fundraising ideas, here’s an interesting one. It’s a fast-paced game where shooters are given five minutes to sink as many shots as possible. This also works as a perfect adjunct to other basketball fundraisers […]
Huff and Puff
This could be a nice add-on to other events, particularly larger event fundraising ideas that might include games, like the BBQ or the flea market […]
Jail and Bail
Go directly to jail and raise money. Seems counter-intuitive, but a common element of successful fundraising events is that they tend to draw a lot of attention, and this one definitely does that […]
Karaoke
This can work well for large groups such as schools or even as church fundraising events. There are a few ways to raise money with the karaoke fundraiser. Learn more here […]
Kiss the Pig
A perfect add-on to that other farm-friendly fundraiser, cow pie bingo and the BBQ. In this case, the “winner” of some type of contest gets to kiss the pig […]
Mini-Golf
Those who enjoy the regular golf tournament might also like this variation. Plus, it’s more suitable for younger participants than regular golf. This is a good one if you’re looking for popular sports fundraising ideas […]
Movie Night
A movie night fundraiser for school is a simple concept with great potential and called a “win-win” because everyone loves the movies […]
Murder Mystery
Despite the name, this is a painless but fun way to raise money. As fundraising games go, this is a good choice […]
Nude Calendar
How to raise money for charity and get a lot of attention. Hopefully it will translate to more money for your group. While not an event per se, you can sell a lot of calendars if you have the right volunteers and courage […]
Online Fundraiser
If you want to know how to raise money fast, this could be your ticket. In the old days, kids went door-to-door peddling magazines and other goods. These days you can raise money online from the comfort of home and reach a much larger audience, with a lot more products […]
Pancake Breakfast
A great way to raise money that everyone can sink their teeth into, as long as they enjoy tasty American fare […]
Party Night
Especially suitable for older kids, this is how to fundraise and keep your kids in safe environment at the same time […]
Penny Drive
Most of the time pennies seem so worthless – unless you have an army of volunteers collecting them for you, then each donation adds up quickly. Just remember what Ben Franklin said […]
Photographs with Santa Claws
Note the clever spelling on the title of this holiday fundraiser. Especially suited to animal rescue organizations, but this photo fundraiser could work for any charity or group with a penchant for puppies […]
Polar Bear Plunge
Not everyone has the courage to jump into freezing water in the middle of winter. This and the naked calendar are the types of fundraising events that require a thick skin […]
Quiz Show
High school fundraising event ideas don’t always have to involve sports. Brains need exercise too. Have you ever wanted to prove how smart you are? A small investment in a quiz or game show could yield big returns […]
Raffles
Ideal as an add-on to other charity events, the fundraising raffle gives you the opportunity to raise money in a few different ways […]
Read-a-thon
One of the many “thons”, the read-a-thon is a perfect kids fundraising idea that would perfectly blend with the book sales fundraiser above […]
Recycling
Stop throwing out your printer cartridges and obsolete electronics. Recycle fundraisers let you raise money and help our little blue dot at the same time […]
Rubber Ducks
Use this fundraiser as an annual event that is almost sure to capture some attention from the local media. Who wouldn’t love to watch their little yellow duck beat everyone elses. Non profit fundraising event ideas that combine racing and rubber ducks are bound to succeed […]
Sand/Snow Sculpture Contest
Much like an art show, creative fundraising events don’t get any more creative than this. It may take a lot of talent to compete in a charity challenge like these sculpture contests, but there are lots of people willing to try […]
Scavenger Hunt
Discover how to plan a charity event that’s fun and challenging. Scavenger hunt fundraisers might make ideal event ideas for college students or at least students who are old enough to drive […]
Silent Auction
The silent auction might lack the excitement of a regular auction because there’s no fast-talking auctioneer, but the silent kind are still cool event ideas for fundraising because you can sell over a longer period of time to a larger audience […]
Spelling Bee
Spelling bees are typically fundraising events for schools and a competition among younger students, but why not have age brackets and increase participation for all ages […]
Talent Show
Just like the popular TV show American Idol, but not limited to singers. This event has high profit potential, depending upon how many talented participants you can gather […]
Topless Car Wash
Definitely an eye-opener, but it’s all in the name. The topless car wash is definitely one of the more unique fundraising event ideas. Take a peek and discover why they’re so cool […]
Ugly Dog Contest
This is for dog owners and their fans who know their dogs will never make it to the Westminster Kennel Club […]
Ugly Tie Contest
A little old-fashioned these days, this contest is probably best as an add-on to other events to raise money […]
Walk-a-thon
Well suited to schools or other large groups that can garner a lot of participation. Cancer fundraising events often use the charity walk for their event fundraising […]