Is it just us, or are fundraisers becoming complicated these days?
Budget is also a big factor when planning an event, and you shouldn’t need to spend huge chunks of money to launch an unforgettable fundraiser.
Luckily, there are plenty of easy fundraisers to organize — without a hefty budget — so you can raise the fun and the funds.
At Eventbrite, we’ve worked with various nonprofits and charities, from food banks to animal shelters, so we understand you want a strong return on investment (ROI) for your efforts.
In this article, we’ll share our top fundraiser ideas to keep your audience hooked and bring in the cash without the long prep time.
Outstanding Ideas For Event Creators
Easy fundraiser ideas for charitable organizations
Easy fundraiser ideas for educational organizations
Easy fundraiser ideas for environmental organizations
Easy fundraiser ideas for health organizations
Easy fundraiser ideas for arts and culture organizations
Easy fundraiser ideas for charitable organizations
Creating a successful fundraiser doesn’t have to be time-consuming, but it does require some creativity and strategic planning.
Charitable organizations, like Black Girls Vote, use innovative and low-cost ideas, such as ‘cocktails and convHERsation,’ to generate high ROI and spread awareness about important causes in their local community.
By tapping into your existing network of donors, volunteers, and community partners, you can uniquely raise funds and cultivate hype around your brand, attracting a larger audience.
1. Families and friends unite: A virtual talent show
Cost: 💰
ROI: 🤑🤑🤑
Prep time: 💪
Have you ever wanted to bring back the good ol’ days of performing for a panel of professional talent scouts (also known as your parents)?
Well, now you can.
Send emails to the ‘hottest talent’ from around the world (who just so happen to also be on your email list) for an exclusive, one-night-only talent show.
No act is off limits, so participants must bring their A-game. The only work required from you is to set a time limit for how long the act can be, create an online-only event, and organize a few volunteers to act as judges.
And we haven’t even gotten to the really exciting part!
Try using your pricing model as a clever marketing strategy to reach your fundraising goals. For example, Ramon C. Cortines School of VAPA hosted a donation-based student and faculty talent show, where attendees contributed to support their favorite acts of the night.
On social media like Instagram and TikTok, you can create polls that show which acts are receiving the most donations throughout the event in real-time, but also in the weeks leading up to the talent show as well. This will help raise more money for your cause but also boost engagement levels and shareability of your marketing campaign.
Put the fun back into ‘fundraising’
💸 How to keep it low cost: Create multiple streams of revenue by charging a participation fee for performers and charging virtual audiences a small fee to get a live streamlining link, just like you would for tickets to tickets to an in-person, live performance.
2. Swim in’ cinema: Poolside movie screening
Cost: 💰💰💰
ROI: 🤑🤑🤑
Prep time: 💪💪💪
Is there anything better than lying on an inflatable flamingo while sipping a frozen margarita and munching on pizza?
Yes, there is: doing all those things while also watching a classic film on a projector screen.
Invite guests to a pool party movie screening by plastering ‘90s aesthetic’ flyers around local hotspots, promoting it on event marketplaces like Eventbrite, and marketing it as a ‘family-friendly poolside movie experience’ kids and adults will love.
Hire local food trucks around the pool area to offer classic drive-in snacks like corn and cotton candy. Incorporate selling fun accessories, like inflatable drink holders, crazy straws, and 3D movie glasses to really nail the theme and make it an immersive experience.
💸 How to keep it low cost: To save money on venue rental, consider using a natural outdoor setting like a lake or beach. You can hire a screen and projector from a local film store and lean into the outdoor setting in your theme, such as calling it ‘lakeside horror film night.’
3. What’s in the box: Mystery box raffle
Cost: 💰💰
ROI: 🤑🤑
Prep time: 💪💪
Mystery box raffles are a bit like that person your mom warned you against dating in college: exciting, mysterious, and completely unpredictable — plus (best of all) they’re super easy to host.
Fill the boxes with items that’ll appeal to your target audience. For example, The Joy Team is hosting a Christmas raffle for dog lovers, filled with high-value prizes, such as K9 dog training passes.
Add a touch of creativity by sticking to a theme, like ‘living my best life,’ and offering boxes filled with exercise gear, wellness products, and skincare. Alternatively, you can spice it up and host an ‘adults-only’ raffle box, complete with whips, naughty suggestion cards, and flavored lube — all for a flat-rate entry ticket.
You can use unconscious influences to help the perceived value of your gift baskets increase and nudge attendees to donate more. For example, saying things like “exclusive” and “unique” or using colors and designs that mimic expensive brands.
Once you’ve organized your gift baskets, use social media marketing to promote them. If you need help with social media ad campaigns and content creation, consider partnering with an event platform like Eventbrite that can automate and streamline your social media promotion.
💸 How to keep it low cost: To cut costs on the items to fill the donation boxes, consider leveraging sponsorships and partnerships in your local community. For instance, if you’re a community-driven nonprofit, like Bay Area Rescue Mission, partnering with local wineries or chocolatiers can be a great fundraising opportunity and allows you to negotiate discounted rates for their products.
Easy fundraiser ideas for educational organizations
People are willing to donate to an educational cause they believe in — especially those with a strong social impact. For example, colleges and universities across the US raised $52.90 billion dollars from 2021 to 2022.
Successful fundraising for educational nonprofits requires understanding your target audience’s interests and values. In fact, nonprofit organizations are utilizing ‘data mining’ to identify patterns in their audience’s behavior.
While data mining may not be a feasible option for smaller, more community-led nonprofits, an event marketing platform like Eventbrite can provide real-time data reports on attendee purchasing behavior — cutting your research and pre-event workload significantly.
4. Take one, leave one: Book sale with a twist
Cost: 💰
ROI: 🤑🤑
Prep time: 💪💪
If your target audience is anything like us, the mere idea of a book-themed fundraiser is enough to get them queuing outside your event venue. Coupled with a bake sale and hot chocolate stall — they’ll be banging down your door.
Rather than selling rows of new books, consider organizing a ‘book swap’ — similar to a garage sale — where attendees exchange their books with ones from other participants.
Not only is this idea a book lover’s dream, it’s incredibly easy to organize.
You can even market the event as a ‘cozy book nook,’ where attendees discuss their favorite books and purchase them at a cheap rate. For example, Friends of the Beverly Hills Library Bookstore hosts ‘Dollar Book Sidewalk Sales’ where people can stroll rows of used books for one dollar.
💸 How to keep it low cost: Host the ‘bookstore’ at a university or library. You can charge a small entrance fee and even reach out to local businesses to donate refreshments for the event in exchange for some promotion.
5. Mamma knows best: Community cookbook
Cost: 💰
ROI: 🤑🤑🤑
Prep time: 💪💪
Food is a cornerstone of culture, community, and connection — so why not build a community cookbook based on residents’ recipes?
For example, some educational nonprofits, like Soul Fire Farm, focus on ending racism and injustice in the food industry. Putting together a community cookbook could not only engage local community members but also help promote the importance of cooking with locally sourced and grown food and adopting a more ‘head-to-tail’ approach.
To get started, promote the idea on your social media accounts or through a targeted email marketing campaign. Encourage people to send a photo and description of their dish, complete with an ingredient list and a recipe.
The potential ROI for this idea is huge. Depending on its size, you could charge as much as $50 per book.
💸 How to keep it low cost: Post on social media for people in the area to send in recipes as a volunteering opportunity, and they’ll receive credit in the book.
6. WOW! Let’s hang it on the fridge: Student art auction
Cost: 💰
ROI: 🤑🤑
Prep time: 💪💪
The best things in life are free, but we think there’s no better feeling than out-bidding a parent on their kids’ ‘intentionally abstract’ artwork at a student art auction.
Unlike silent auctions, this idea is perfect for youth centers, schools, or universities that want to showcase their students’ creativity while raising money for a good cause.
To get started, simply gather a collection of artwork created by students, and promise to pay them with exposure.
Choose a few different pieces for display, such as paintings, drawings, and sculptures. For example, Central Arizona College is hosting a student art show with all different student works, from photography to ceramics.
Set up a ‘showroom’ with free champagne glasses and fizzy drinks in champagne flutes for underage artists. Encourage attendees to ‘bid’ on their favorite works — and don’t forget to ensure everyone arrives dressed to impress!
💸 How to keep it low cost: To maximize your ROI, consider setting a minimum bid price for each artwork.
Easy fundraiser ideas for environmental organizations
Fundraisers are important to the campaigns and activities of environmental organizations, but they can also be challenging to organize.
However, the Desert Institute is a great example of a straightforward idea’s effectiveness.
They host sunset hikes and guided tours through Joshua Tree National Park to educate attendees on the local ecosystem and the importance of protecting it. These events raise awareness and funds yet require minimal money and resources.
When organizing a fundraiser, the last thing you want is to add even more work to your plate. That’s why you need fun yet highly marketable ideas — just like the two listed below.
7. Buy one, plant one: A foster plant event
Cost: 💰💰
ROI: 🤑🤑🤑
Prep time: 💪💪
Just like how you can buy a star for $44.99 for one day only, your event attendees can ‘adopt’ a baby plant.
Similarly to pet owners, attendees can name their plants and even personalize their plant pots with paint or markers. You can set up the event with different stations for planting, with small shovels, dirt, and watering cans available.
You can even create QR codes filled with a blog on your website with resources on caring for plants.
This easy fundraising idea ticks all the boxes:
✅ Educational activities that teach attendees the importance of fighting the climate crisis
✅ Fresh air and limited access to cell phones
✅ A chance to be a plant parent for life
💸 How to keep it low cost: Instead of paying for miniature plaques, use a Polaroid camera to capture ‘family photos’ of attendees with their new plant babies, and charge a small fee for each photo.
8. Do it for the turtles: Beach clean-up sausage sizzle
Cost: 💰
ROI: 🤑
Prep time: 💪💪
Classic beach clean-ups are popular for a reason.
The idea is sweet and simple: Organize attendees to meet at a beach and pick up garbage along the shore, followed by a sausage sizzle BBQ for participants.
Plus, preparation time for the event is short, as you only have to organize bags to put garbage in, tongs to pick up garbage, a party pack of sausages, and some buns and sauces.
To make the event even more special, host it at sunset or sunrise so attendees get a wicked view while they collect garbage!
💸 How to keep it low cost: Host the beach event at a location where public BBQs are accessible, or encourage participants to bring their own. This can save you money on renting equipment and purchasing gas bottles.
Easy fundraiser ideas for health organizations
In 2024, health and wellness has become a top priority in the US, with more than 90% of adults believing there’s a mental health crisis in the country.
The rise in body positivity, mental health awareness, and self-love movements has caused a shift away from the notion that healthy is having a ‘picture-perfect’ body. Now, people recognize that mental and physical wellness is mandatory for leading a fulfilling and enjoyable life.
Fortunately, when it comes to easy health fundraiser ideas — the possibilities are endless. For example, Atlanta Humane Society is hosting a puppy yoga class to promote physical health and mental wellness while allowing attendees to snuggle with adorable dogs.
9. A moment’s peace: A silent retreat
Cost: 💰
ROI: 🤑🤑
Prep time: 💪
Modern life is stressful, and it’s easy to experience sensory overload.
At your next event, invite attendees to switch off, take a deep breath, and relax.
Take inspiration from Modern ŌM, and host a one-day meditation silent retreat, or go the other way and host it in the middle of a park sanctuary.
Use an event listing platform like Eventbrite or our integration with Facebook to advertise for a licensed meditation or yoga practitioner who’s willing to volunteer their time to promote the importance of mental and physical health.
💸 How to keep it low cost: To keep costs to a minimum, encourage attendees to bring a yoga mat or towel and wear comfortable clothes. Put a large sign at the front of the park’s entrance that states, ‘no words must be spoken from this point on.’
10. Dance your worries away: A virtual dance-a-thon
Cost: 💰
ROI: 🤑🤑🤑
Prep time: 💪
Nothing promotes happiness like shakin’ your booty.
So get your community up and dancing with a virtual dance-a-thon. Like a traditional marathon, this event focuses on the survival of the fittest — with the ‘last person standing’ crowned the winner and given a gift card or discount code to your next event.
As HubSpot identifies, social media challenges for fundraising became widely popular after the huge success of the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ in 2014, with 17 million people participating.
Make the most of social media, like TikTok For Good, by creating an event-specific hashtag and encouraging supporters to watch and cheer on participants by joining the livestream.
💸 How to keep it low cost: Use an app like Dance Fight, where two participants battle against one another, and the general public vote on the winner.
Easy fundraiser ideas for arts and culture organizations
With the increasing dominance of AI and technology, it’s become more important than ever for art and culture to remain relevant in our society.
For organizations and nonprofits in the art space, it’s time to think of out-of-the-box fundraising ideas that capture the attention of attendees, larger donors, and sponsors.
After all, if artist Jens Haaning can give two blank canvases to the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art and generate hype worldwide, then one thing is clear: In the art world, there’s no such thing as “rules.” Instead of focusing on sticking to traditional ideas, put energy into crafting an emotionally moving and intimate experience for attendees.
11. I think I’ve heard this story before: A book reading
Cost: 💰💰
ROI: 🤑🤑
Prep time: 💪
Partner with a charming bookstore and bar, like Vintage Bookstore and Wine Bar, and organize a book reading or poetry session.
Include massive bean bags on the floor with fluffy blankets, line up multiple bowls of fresh fruit punch, and invite attendees to arrive in their PJs to listen to their favorite author read aloud their most popular book.
To keep the event simple, limit the number of attendees, you don’t need too many supplies. This will also create a cozy and intimate atmosphere, which is perfect for reading. You might even set up candles around the store to create a warm glow or burn an incense stick to transport attendees to another land.
Low maintenance but still memorable; that sounds like our kind of fundraiser.
💸 How to keep it low cost: Instead of spending money on hiring an author to come and read their book, why not invite attendees to buy a book at the event and have turns reading aloud — like a group reading book club?
12. You’ve never seen anything like this: Art walk
Cost: 💰
ROI: 🤑🤑🤑
Prep time: 💪
What better way to showcase the unique art world of your local community than through a guided art walk?
Create an immersive experience for attendees to embark on a journey through local museums, galleries, and even artist workshops. It’s a great way for attendees to discover new artists and for you to support local artists in your community.
For example, Belltown Art Walk is a not-for-profit organization that hosts regular art walks in Seattle to promote local artists and display the unique culture of Seattle.
@rawplusseattle Looking for a Free Event to attend in Seattle? Belltown Artwalk in the perfect way to spend your evening sipping wine and enjoying local art OPEN 2nd Friday of everymonth 6pm-9pm #seattle #seattletiktok #seattlephotographer #seattleartscene #arttok #artwalks #pnw #seattleevents ♬ original sound – Raw + Seattle
During an art walk, take attendees to locations where they can view and purchase artwork they like and even engage with the artists themselves. This will create a unique, hands-on experience that fosters community engagement and highlights the importance of art and culture.
💸 How to keep it low cost: Instead of researching and seeking out local artists, consider using an ‘open call’ policy, where local artists can apply to be part of the art walk through your website. This not only keeps your preparation time and costs low but also allows you to negotiate with artists about donating a portion of the proceeds from their sales to your nonprofits, creating a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Easy fundraisers don’t need to break the bank
Whoever said good things don’t come easy and require a huge budget hasn’t been to an outstanding fundraiser.
At Eventbrite, we believe cheap fundraising ideas are an excellent opportunity to get in front of your audience and make an impact.
That’s why we help event creators from all over the world make their event registration process, marketing strategy, and data reporting as simple and affordable as possible.
With Eventbrite, you can easily connect with potential attendees in your local area who are actively searching for fundraising events just like yours and reach new audiences, so you can expand your reach and increase your ROI.
