20+ Cheap Fundraising Ideas for Quick Revenue
Is your team short on cash or time, but big on fundraising dreams? You’re not alone. We know that large-scale galas and auctions can take extensive planning and resources, so we’ve put together a list of creative, cost-effective events that are easier to execute but still packed with potential to raise some serious funds.
Check out these 20+ cheap fundraising ideas!
Fundraising Event Ideas on a Budget
Perfect for quick planning, here are some fundraising event ideas to bring your community together to rally behind your cause:
1. Bake Sale
If you’re on the hunt for a tried-and-true fundraising event on a budget, look no further than a bake sale. Invite volunteers and supporters to bake and donate treats for your team to sell.
In addition to printing flyers, promote your bake sale to the community on social media. If you have more time to plan, partner with a local school, farmer’s market, or community center to host a pop-up sale in an area with high traffic to bring in more buyers. You can add a little fun by hosting a “Star Baker” contest and having buyers donate to vote for their favorite treat!
2. Tour of Homes
Get your community involved in a special way by organizing a local home tour. Coordinate with homeowners to showcase their beautiful homes for an interactive event.
If there are unique, historic, or eye-catching homes in your area, include these in the tour to attract more community members. Sell entry tickets for the tour and invite participating homeowners to share testimonials as a way to spread your mission. These tours are particularly fun when homeowners can decorate according to the season, like Halloween or Christmas!
3. Community Picnic
What better way to bring people together than with food? Invite your community to enjoy an afternoon picnic with lawn games, music, and a mission moment to raise funds at a fun-filled cookout.
Secure a local sponsor to offset food costs and keep things simple with volunteer-run grills serving up hot dogs and burgers (don’t forget a veggie option!) for an afternoon of fun.
4. Fun Run/Walk
Get your supporters up and moving with a fun run/walk to benefit your cause. This low-cost idea can generate big results when paired with peer-to-peer fundraising.
With the right peer-to-peer solution, supporters can create their fundraising page to raise funds on your behalf while spreading awareness, allowing you to activate social networks, optimize fundraising, and increase supporter engagement.
5. Paint & Sip
Host a paint and sip event for the perfect blend of creativity and connection. Guests follow a step-by-step painting class while enjoying wine, mocktails, and light bites.
It’s easy to put together: partner with a local artist or invite a volunteer to lead the event, provide painting supplies, and sell tickets. To align with the “sip” portion of your event, consider incorporating a wine pull for extra revenue.
6. Karaoke Show
Host a karaoke fundraiser to bring supporters together for a night full of singing and giving. Partner with a local cafe or restaurant and bring in donations by charging an entry fee or letting the crowd pick their favorite performance by donating to vote.
Want to boost excitement (and donations)? Add raffle baskets to keep the giving going all night long.
7. Secondhand Sale
Turn your community’s spring cleaning into meaningful giving. A secondhand sale is the perfect way to promote sustainability while raising funds.
Ask supporters to donate gently used clothes, books, toys, and other household items, and then host a one-day sale with proceeds benefitting your cause. Promote a pop-up sale on social media, email newsletters, or flyers to invite the community to stop by.
8. Ice Cream Social
Scoop up support for your cause with a classic ice cream social. Partner with a grocery store or a local ice cream shop to donate supplies and host the event.
Have guests purchase tickets for sundaes or ice cream flights, and for additional revenue, offer other sweet treats for purchase, like milkshakes or chocolates.
Fundraising Game Ideas to Boost Donations
Games bring people together, and when supporting a good cause is part of the fun, everyone wins. These game-themed ideas are easy to plan and packed with fundraising potential:
9. Trivia Night
Organizing a trivia night fundraiser can be accomplished in a few simple steps. Find a space, rent some tables and chairs, come up with questions, and you’re ready for a night of trivia fun!
Charge a participation fee either individually or per team and offer prizes to drive a friendly competition and get the room energized.
10. Bingo
With the right spin, a high-energy game of bingo will appeal to all ages and bring in fundraising dollars. 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.
To attract more adults, host a bingo night at a local brewery, including drink specials or raffles featuring experiences like wine tasting or tee times at a local golf course.
This cheap fundraising idea is simple to organize, and a great way to turn casual fun into money for your cause.
11. Game Night
Whether it’s board games, card games, or video game competitions, a game night is a low-cost way to bring people together to make memories and raise funds for your mission.
Depending on your theme, ask volunteers to bring their favorite game, then charge all players an entry fee. For additional revenue, consider selling snacks and refreshments throughout the evening.
12. Murder Mystery Night
Bring your guests together with a fictional crime where everyone is assigned a character, and as the night unfolds, clues are revealed until the mystery is solved.
You don’t need a massive venue or production team to pull this one off, and it’s sure to bring a night of laughs and suspense. To engage your audience, offer fixed-price items where players can receive hints to help keep the game going.
13. Cornhole Tournament
Looking for a fundraiser with minimal supplies? Consider a casual cornhole game tournament! It’s an easy fundraising event that only requires a few boards, bean bags, and a place to keep track of the winners and games.
Invite supporters to register as teams and secure a prize sponsor to capture attention and keep players motivated. Combine this fundraising game with a community picnic for the ultimate fundraiser.
14. Social Media Giving Challenge
Don’t have enough time to plan a physical event? Take it online and leverage the power of social media to reach donors. Challenge your community to raise a certain amount within a specific time frame.
Encourage supporters to post using a hashtag linked to your campaign and recruit long-term supporters to share with their networks. For maximum impact, use a peer-to-peer platform and watch your donations grow as your message spreads.
15. Scavenger Hunt
Similar to The Amazing Race, a scavenger hunt adds excitement and adventure to your fundraiser. Teams pay to participate and compete to find clues and complete tasks across an area.
It’s a fast-paced fundraising game that rewards the first team to finish or score the most points. You can even offer hints or additional teammates for a small donation to add a little extra revenue!
16. Prize Pull
In need of funds but still want to bring a fun element to your donors? A prize pull is for you! Set up numbered bags or envelopes with donated items, including gift cards, experiences, or other enticing goodies for supporters to donate and pull a prize at random.
This is a quick way to activate supporters to give while gamifying the experience. Unlike a raffle, no one walks away empty-handed in a prize pull.
Budget-Friendly School Fundraising Ideas
From parent-teacher organizations to athletic teams, school fundraisers don’t have to cost much to be effective. These school fundraising ideas are perfect for students, parents, and educators:
17. Craft Fair
Take a classic idea that showcases a variety of handmade crafts and artisan goods to the next level! Invite students to create and donate their artwork, or have the visual arts teachers host mini-lessons for supporters to enjoy.
Promote the craft fair and encourage the community to shop locally, while supporting your mission.
18. Car Wash
A car wash is an easy and low-cost fundraiser for any organization. Organizing it couldn’t be simpler – all you need is soap, sponges, and some eager volunteers, and you’re ready to go!
This works great for sporting teams because it makes recruiting volunteers a breeze. Designate a few volunteers to stand near a busy road with signs to bring in cars and drive additional fundraising dollars by offering car accessories for sale, such as air fresheners.
19. Movie Night
Grab your popcorn and settle in for a movie night that does more than entertain – it benefits your cause. If you choose to do the showing for free due to licensing reasons, consider selling snacks, drinks, or other themed goodies to keep the fundraising going all night long.
20. Dance-a-thon
A dance-a-thon is sure to get students and families moving and grooving for a good cause. This high-energy fundraiser requires open space, like a gymnasium, where participants can dance for a set amount of time to raise money.
Participants can collect donations ahead of time or pay to receive extra breaks or song requests during the dance-a-thon.
21. Pie the Person
If you’re looking for something that requires very little time but still brings fun, consider hosting a pie-the-person event! Recruit students, teachers, or community members to take a pie in the face.
The supplies can be as simple as shaving cream and paper plates rather than purchasing actual pies. The key to raising funds is to set up donation jars for others to come and pie your supporters. This fundraiser brings big laughs and all the fun.
22. Penny War
Penny wars are an easy and interactive school-wide fundraiser! All you need are large enough jars and a bit of friendly competition.
Set up jars for each group, whether for grade levels, classrooms, or sports teams, to collect as many pennies as possible within a given time. Reward the group with the highest total with prizes or a class trophy you can pass to the winner each year.
Wrapping Up
Effective fundraising doesn’t always require a big budget. As you’ve seen, low-cost fundraising ideas can still make an impact and bring people together to support your cause.
Explore more fundraising resources to find the tools, inspiration, and ideas you need to reach your goals.
