Creative Fundraising Ideas

The most challenging part of fundraising is coming up with a creative idea that will appeal to your audience. Since the best idea is often found in having a lot of them, you’ll be off to a great start with your next fundraiser with these ideas.

Art Sale
Invite local artists to donate some of their works, which will be displayed and then sold to the public.

Bake Sale
A bake sale is one of the easiest fundraisers to run and can be used as part of a larger event such as a craft sale for the holidays, open house, or parent/teacher conference.

Beat the Goalie
Pick the best hockey or soccer goalie you know and invite people to try to score a goal for a prize. Every participant has to pay to play.

Bingo Is Its Name-O
Everyone loves to compete… get prizes donated and charge an entrance fee

Blessings Jar
Ask your church, local businesses, class, office, club, or any organization you’re involved in to fill up a donation jar for Blessings in a Backpack. Provide them with a decorated blessings jar.

Bowling
Organize a bowling night or a competition. Charge everyone a small fee to enter or have participants get bowl-a-thon pledges.

Carnival Day
Host a mini carnival, with games, prizes, and popcorn, in a local park or your own backyard. Charge admission and/or a small fee to play games.

Celebrity Cook Off
Solicit local celebrities, government officials, principals, teachers to enter their best dishes and have people pay to vote on the winners.

Eat for a Cause
Ask a local restaurant to sponsor a Blessings in a Backpack Night and donate a percentage of their profits on a designated night in exchange for encouraging your friends, family, and community supporters to eat there. Click here for a list of participating restaurants!

Game Show Night
Recreate one or more of your favorite game shows and charge contestants a small entrance fee. Sell tickets to the audience.

It’s a Wrap
Coordinate with local stores to offer gift-wrap services during the holidays.

Jeans Day
In schools or offices with a specific dress code, everyone gets to wear jeans if they raise enough money to meet a goal.

Jellybean Count
Fill a jar with jellybeans and have people pay to guess how many there are in the jar. Ask local businesses and retailers to provide a prize for the winner.

Lunch Money Challenge
The average American spends $10 when going out to lunch. Once a week “brown bag it” and use the money saved to support Blessings in a Backpack. “Thanks for Giving Walls” can be used to show appreciation to participants.

Potluck for Sale
Volunteers, family, and friends donate homemade meals to sell.

Skip a Meal
Sponsors commit to giving up one meal and donate the money saved to Blessings in a Backpack.

Smoothie Stand
A healthy and delicious twist on the traditional lemonade stand.

Sweet Tooth
Get baked goods donated to sell at a large event like a dance, open house or basketball/football game

Ugly Sweater Party
Invite guests to an event, dinner, or sports game where a prize is given for the ugliest sweater. Guests pay an admission price to participate. Great fun during the fall and winter holidays.

Winter Carnival or Bazaar
Hold a winter carnival or bazaar. Invite students, staff, and the community to participate. Charge admission and/or a small fee to play games.

Working at the Car Wash
Coordinate youth, teens, and college students to wash cars during parent meetings, open houses, etc.

For more creative fundraising ideas and how-to instructions, click here.