Top Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits in 2025

Why Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits Are Evolving in 2025

In the nonprofit world, one truth never changes: fundraising is the lifeline. But how do we raise those funds? That’s evolving—fast. Fundraising ideas for nonprofits have been transformed since 2025. Yes—there are still bake sales and charity runs. However, today’s nonprofits are operating in a hybrid, hyper-connected world. Donors are often online, your audience and consumers are more global than ever, and attention spans are short. What does this mean? It means if you weren’t adapting your nonprofit’s fundraising way-to-market thinking, you are probably already overly behind post-covid.

The good news—you don’t need a crazy budget or a full tech team to innovate. Whether you are a grassroots organization or scaling up a social impact startup, there are countless nonprofit fundraising ideas combining traditional methods with new ideas. For example, a simple virtual walk-a-thon can now include live leaderboards, social media shout-outs, and a live donation tracker. Or maybe you have a local trivia night? Well, now you can leverage hybrid to have players (and donors) from across the country.

That’s what’s so exciting about today’s nonprofit fundraising ideas—they are flexible. Flexibility equals accessibility. You can meet donors where they’re at, whether that’s at a gala, scrolling TikTok, or joining a webinar from their living room. This also allows you to select from the best fundraisers for nonprofits, not only based on tradition or trend, but on where they actually fit your mission, resources, and audience.

So, if you feel like you’re stuck or don’t know where to start—take a breath. We are here to walk you through a curated mix of both classic and newer ideas that work in 2025. Ready? Let’s dig in.

Classic Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits That Still Work

At times, the best path forward is to look back at what we know to be good. And in terms of fundraising ideas for nonprofits, there are a few tried and true methods that are still the best. Especially if we find a way to innovate and modernize them.

The “classics” are classics for a reason. They are familiar, fun, and community-based. Moreover, they bring people together, and they can easily be revitalized with a bit of creativity.

Run a Gala (Without the Stress)

Galas don’t have to be expensive. You could plan a themed dinner with entertainment, donor recognition, and a raffle. Find a local restaurant or caterer to partner with as a sponsor, and don’t make it a black-tie event—make it semi-formal and focused on the community. You’ll still get the built-in elegance while avoiding the expense.

Host a Charity Auction (Live or Silent)

Whether it is a fancy in-person get-together or a virtual bidding war, auctions are still one of the best fundraisers for nonprofits. They work because they provide competition and because they allow people to be generous. By adding art by local artisans, donated services, or authentic experiences, you can make a memorable event.

Bake Sales & Craft Fairs

Well, they are old school. But they are still in style because they work. Put a little digital spin on it with QR codes on tables, pay by phone on-site, and social media promotions. Even better, livestream the event or allow people to pre-order online.

Organize a Fun Run or Walkathon

Fun runs tick off several boxes: low overhead, high excitement, and community engagement. Provide participants with the option to band together in teams and raise pledges, and offer custom gear as part of registration. It’s the healthiest way to raise funds—and profile your community.

These traditional nonprofit fundraising ideas aren’t going anywhere. But the key is to keep them dynamic. Layer in tech. Add social media buzz. Offer digital donation options. You’ll keep the nostalgia and the momentum.

Creative and Low-Cost Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas That Deliver Big Results

Let’s be honest—sometimes your budget feels like it’s held together with duct tape. And yet, the show must go on. The good news? You don’t need deep pockets to make a big splash. Some of the most effective non profit fundraising ideas are also the simplest. It’s all about creativity, thinking outside the box, and a willingness to try something a little out of the ordinary.

Envelope Fundraiser Boards

Take a poster, write all donation amounts on 100 envelopes (from $1 to $100), and then you simply sit back, and all of the 100 envelopes will disappear. It’s just a numbers game: if you fill the 100 envelopes, you raise $5,050. And it’s a game, which makes it fun. The game aspect gets people engaged right away.

Pro tip: You can even do this virtually—just post a digital board on your website or social media.

Coin Wars & Penny Drives

Want to get schools, teams, or offices excited? Run a “coin war.” Create a little friendly competition between groups to collect the most spare change. It’s low effort, kid-friendly, and surprisingly effective.

Host a Social Media Challenge

Think “ice bucket challenge,” but tailored to your cause. Ask followers to complete a fun task, tag your nonprofit, and donate a small amount. You’ll get exposure and funds—and if it goes viral, it’s pure gold.

Game Night or Trivia Tournament

People love a reason to play. Host a game night—either in person or online—and charge a small entry fee. Offer donated prizes and throw in a live leaderboard to raise the stakes.

These low-cost nonprofit fundraising ideas are great for new nonprofits, small teams, or groups that need to maximize their impact and resources. You are not just raising money; you are creating memorable moments that people want to participate in again.

Virtual and Hybrid Events: The Future of Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas

These days, the most effective nonprofit fundraising ideas aren’t limited to in-person gatherings—they live online, scale with ease, and often cost less to run. They exist at scale, they operate online, they are less expensive to execute, and smaller or larger donors can participate anywhere.

Whether your supporters are local, global, or somewhere in between, virtual and hybrid fundraising events allow you to go to them:

Workshops, Classes, or Skill Shares

You could offer a virtual cooking class, yoga lesson, skills class, or anything else. Approach an expert, a local influencer, or even your board to schedule a time. Ask an industry expert to host your workshop or class for exposure and perhaps a donation. You can even host your event on ZOOM or make it Insta or YouTube live, or YouTube premiere your skills workshop or even cooking class.

Virtual Walkathons & Run and Cycling Challenges

Physical events are still great—but by making them virtual, they become everywhere. Let folks complete their own 5K, while you share their time online, their support for your organization via social media, and possibly a donation. Increasing participation via peer-to-peer fundraising, even an online leaderboard for donations, will create competition.

Live-Streamed Experiences

Consider the potential for concert performances, stand-up comedy nights, or behind-the-scenes tours of your nonprofit in action. Charge for virtual tickets, or if everyone is so kind, charge for your virtual event but offer your virtual ticket free with a suggested donation. You can then share a live chat or reasonable donor shout-outs, as well as ‘unlockables,’ onto these new experiences.

Hybrid Fundraisers

Continue to offer smaller in-person gatherings with an online component for more donations or peer-to-peer fundraising. A local art auction could be streamed online for remote attendees bidding online. You can even take your gala home: with a meal delivery or a meal delivery in conjunction with a video for your program.

These tech-enabled and tech-powered nonprofit fundraising ideas do not only allow you to reach audiences like never before. They also provide flexibility, lower costs, and more options for interaction or engagement with a growing audience. And take note, they are scalable. You can even test small, make adjustments, and build excitement with every virtual event.

The Best Fundraisers for Nonprofits That Rally Community Support

At the foundation of any successful fundraiser is a sense of belonging. When people connect to something meaningful, when they can see the bigger picture, they support it. They give more time and money, and they stay involved. This is the reason why the best fundraisers for nonprofits are ones that include engagement and togetherness in our community.

These types of events often are not solely focused on fundraising. They foster trust, build relationships, and ensure a memorable reputation.

Pop-Up Markets or Vendor Fairs

Let local makers, food trucks, and small businesses set up booths at your event in exchange for a donation or vendor fee. You get a vibrant atmosphere and potential sponsors, while they get foot traffic and feel-good exposure.

Community Art Shows or Talent Nights

Everyone loves to express their creativity—and even more when it’s for a great cause. Host a local art gallery night or a neighborhood talent night. Charge for entry, sell concession food, or auction off the works of art. This is an easy way to engage schools, families, and local businesses!

Family Fun Days & Field Games

Think bouncy castles, face painting, food trucks, and simple competitions like sack races or tug-of-war. This is a winner if you’re focused on family engagement or working with schools and youth programs.

Neighborhood Cleanup Fundraisers

Get volunteers to pledge time for a community cleanup in exchange for donations. It’s great PR and even better for forging partnerships with city officials, environmental orgs, or local businesses.

Successful Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits That Scale as You Grow

Let’s discuss your strategy. While you can leverage one-off events and interesting outreach campaigns, you will want fundraisers for your nonprofit that are scalable—fundraisers that can grow with you. This is where scalable systems will be useful. The most effective fundraising ideas for nonprofits aren’t simply interesting. They are scalable, malleable, and meant to be modified along with the development of your organizational mission. This is the playbook for growing revenue when it comes to your fundraising effectively over time.

Build a Recurring Donation Program

One-off gifts are good; recurring gifts are a game-changer. Recurring gifts provide predictable income, promote donor retention, and reduce the emphasis on chasing new donations. Even small amounts of donation on a monthly basis will add up over time.

Pro-tip: Name the tiers for your donors, provide special content experiences or benefits, and celebrate milestones with your donors. Keep donors engaged.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Let your most ardent supporters become fundraisers. Whether it’s for a birthday, a run, or “just ’cause,” your supporters can create their own mini campaigns and share them with their networks. You provide a platform and let them do the work and generate new donors!

Platforms like Givebutter and Classy provide easy-to-use platforms to launch P2P campaigns while also having built-in social sharing features.

Tiered Team Campaigns

Take the peer-to-peer campaigns up another level with team-based campaigns. Encourage friendly competition with each team having their own goals, and offer incentives or shout-outs for the best teams. Schools, neighborhoods, corporate employees, and teams with clubs.

Track and Optimize

A major area that differentiates successful fundraising ideas for nonprofits from time-bound campaigns is data. You can track engagement, conversion rates, gift size, and retention and make adjustments accordingly. Learn from each opportunity for the next one.

Innovative Fundraiser Ideas for Nonprofits in 2025: Standing Out With Fresh Approaches

Each year brings new trends, and 2025 is no different. If you really want to grab attention and get people excited, you sometimes have to get creative. The best fundraiser ideas for nonprofits this year combine a focus on technology, thinking creatively, and understanding what motivates donors.

Here are some of the hottest, most creative ways we can help you to make your cause stand out.

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Experiences

Imagine you are able to take your donors on a virtual tour of the work they support: a school that is being built, wildlife being protected, and clean water projects. By using VR and AR tech, you create immersive experiences that let them feel the emotional connection in a way that traditional fundraisers can’t. These experiences are not just technical toys but catalysts to further deepen your donor’s empathy and also motivate them to give.

AI-Powered Donor Matchmaking

There are powerful AI tools that can analyze donor behavior and preferences to match them to personalized giving experiences. For example, your supporter could receive suggested giving opportunities to the projects they are most likely to give to, or they may be matched with peer fundraisers. This kind of tech-enabled personalization increases retention and total donation amounts.

NFT Charity Auctions

Artists and creatives can donate NFTs as digital art for auction, which can help your organization reach new donors and donors who are more tech-savvy. NFT auctions take exclusivity, collectibility, and philanthropy and combine them to powerful effect.

Social Impact Challenges (Apps)

Apps such as Strava or other charity apps offer donors a chance to participate in challenges that are tracked and raise funds. Think, “If you walk 10,000 steps, I will donate $5,” or “If I complete my creative challenge, my sponsors will donate.” This gamified giving approach will appeal to younger donors and encourage them to keep giving.

The great thing about fundraising ideas for nonprofits is that they will help you stand out against your nonprofit competition. In many acts of social purpose, there is no harm in experimenting and piloting smaller projects. And sometimes the best fundraising ideas are blending traditional fundraising with adoptions of tech.

Best Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits Using Tech Tools

Technology is not just a buzzword—technology is a fundamental paradigm shift in fundraising. The best fundraising ideas for nonprofits in 2025 will likely involve a large focus on technology to make donations easier, more engaging, and measurable. If you are relying solely on paper checks and in-person events, you are missing out on opportunities. Here is how to leverage technology to enhance your fundraising efforts.

Fundraising Through TikTok and Instagram Reels

Short videos are everywhere. Capitalize on our short attention span and use TikTok or Instagram Reels to get your nonprofit’s story out there, share impact, or create a challenge. When you do this, find a way to include a clear call to action (link to where donors can donate) in your bio or video copy. The more creative you can be and the more authentic you can be, the more your audience is going to resonate with what you’re doing

Text-to-Donate Campaigns

One of the most simple but impactful pieces of technology to use is text-to-donate. Supporters text a number and give their contribution, which is instantly collected for you. No form to fill out, no website they have to navigate to—just a simple text. Text-to-donate works beautifully for events, social media efforts, or anything through TV. It just means fewer hoops to jump through, and that generally means higher participation.

Interactive Donor Walls and Live Dashboard

Utilize an interactive donor wall that shows your fundraising progress in real time. These tools can create excitement and show people the impact their contributions have on your goal. Incorporating live leaderboards and goal meters taps into our innate desire to be part of something growing.

What’s Essential? CRM and Donation Plugins or Forms

You need a reliable donor management system (CRM) as a minimum. This will make tracking donations, organizing contact follow-up, helping personalize outreach, and tracking past giving much more manageable. With many CRMs, you can integrate the donation forms or donation plugins created for your website, making the donation action very seamless.

These technology-driven best fundraising ideas for nonprofits are not simply trends—they are proven ways to save time and scale your fundraising impact. The only challenge will be choosing technology that best fits what capacity your team has, as well as what your audience is comfortable using.

Corporate & Partner-Based Fundraisers for Nonprofits: Building Lasting Alliances

One of the smartest ways to elevate your fundraising efforts is to partner with businesses and corporate partners. These fundraisers for nonprofits leverage corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, sponsorships, and cause marketing to create shared opportunities with business partners, so it is mutually beneficial.

The benefits of partnering with companies include not only having access to funds but also extending your sector with credibility.

Matching Gift Programs

Did you know there are companies that match employees’ contributions dollar-for-dollar? That’s free money just waiting to be tapped into! If you can encourage even just a few people to check with their employer for matching gifts, you’ll skyrocket your funds with very little effort.

You’ll want to check that your donation platform has matching gift integrations, just to make it easier to promote.

Cause-Related Marketing Campaigns

Work with a brand on a campaign where a certain % of sales goes directly to your cause. This can be through special item lines, limited-time promotions, and even co-branded merchandise. Cause marketing can tie up consumer goodwill and create a source of revenue without requiring the donor to give money directly.

When corporate partnerships are done correctly, they are fun fundraisers for nonprofits. The key elements are building meaningful relationships, finding common causes, and providing direct meaningful impact. This way you are creating a partnership that benefits both parties beyond a one-off event.

Summing Up: Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits

Type	The ideas
Classic fundraising ideas for nonprofits	🍽️ Run a gala 🎟️ Host a charity auction 🧁 Bake sales & craft fairs—with a digital spin 🏃 Organize a fun run or walkathon
Creative and low-cost nonprofit fundraising ideas	🎯 Envelope fundraiser boards 💰 Coin wars & penny drives 🎥 Host a social media challenge 🎮 Game night or trivia tournament
Virtual and hybrid events	🧘 Workshops, classes, or skill shares 💻 Virtual walkathons & run + cycling challenges 🎤 Live-streamed experiences 🌍 Hybrid fundraisers
Fundraiser ideas with a focus on the community support	🛍️ Pop-up markets or vendor fairs 🎨 Community art shows or talent nights 🧸 Family fun days & field games 🧹 Neighborhood cleanup fundraisers
Fundraising ideas that scale as you grow	🔁 Building a recurring donation program 🙋 Peer-to-peer fundraising 🎯 Tiered team campaigns 📊 Track and optimize
Innovative fundraiser ideas	🕶️ Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences 🤖 AI-powered donor matchmaking 🎨 NFT charity auctions 📱 Social impact challenges (apps)
Using tech tools for fundraising	🎥 Fundraising through TikTok and Instagram Reels 📲 Text-to-donate campaigns 🖥️ Interactive donor walls and live dashboards 🔧 What’s essential? CRM and donation plugins or forms
Corporate & partner-based fundraisers for nonprofits	🤝 Matching gift programs 🎯 Sponsored challenges and events 📣 Cause-related marketing campaigns

Launch Your Own Nonprofit Fundraising Platform With Scrile Connect

In today’s high-paced fundraising market, having a flexible and easy-to-use platform can be invaluable. As a turnkey solution, Scrile Connect is your one-stop-shop solution for nonprofits to establish, brand, and grow their own fundraising platforms.

What is Scrile Connect?

Fully customizable. Build around your nonprofit’s branding without having to conform to its templates.
Multiple streams of revenue. One-time donations, subscriptions for recurring donors, and content for which donors can buy access.
Social functionalities. Let your community engage by sharing your content with others, live chats, and thanking donors for their contributions.
Simple to implement. You don’t have to be a programming wizard. Scrile Connect handles all of the technical specifications so your team can focus on your mission.
Scalable for every size organization. Small nonprofits can start so they don’t lose momentum, and large nonprofits can scale with new funding options.

How Can Scrile Connect Support Your Fundraising Ambitions?

Scrile Connect allows nonprofits to mix and match various fundraising ideas in one spot. Launch your campaigns quickly, test out different formats for virtual events, create a membership program to reward loyal donors, and more. Moreover, the integration capabilities make connecting with payment providers and business intelligence tools easy.

If you want to innovate your fundraising, increase donor engagement, and diversify your revenue options, Scrile Connect is a powerful partner.

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How to Choose the Right Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits: A Practical Guide

There are tons of fundraisers to choose from, so we can understand how overwhelming it seems trying to decide which one to host. Here’s the good news: no decision is the wrong decision. The best fundraising ideas for nonprofits are aligned with your mission, your audience, and your capacity. Take time to think through the following considerations when deciding which fundraiser to host.

Is It Aligned?

Your mission should be the north star. Fundraising options that fit with the community you are engaging with should be based on your values. For example, a conservation organization might host a cleanup fundraiser, while a nonprofit arts organization might host a creative auction fundraiser.

Costs and Capacity

Some fundraising ideas may require an overhead cost and can demand a great deal of volunteering capacity, while others may have little or no cost and can be run with just the effort of a small group of people. Be honest and realistic about your limits—don’t risk burnout!

How Do Your Supporters Want to Engage?

Be honest with yourself about how your supporters want to engage, and have fun in the process. Do your supporters want to socialize with a large number of people? Gather for a more intimate event? Participate in a virtual event? You might want to think about hybrid fundraising too, but that probably involves more coordination in the planning than other forms of participation.

Scalability and Longevity

Would this event be something that you could replicate or grow into a future event? A successful repeating donor or recurring gala event could effectively become a reliable path to the nonprofit’s financial sustainability.

Ultimately, don’t be afraid to try out a variety of activities. Keep a note of your achievements, discover what works best for you, and adapt as needed. The best fundraising ideas for nonprofits are the ones that grow alongside your nonprofit and the passion of your supporters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most profitable fundraiser?

The most successful fundraisers typically blend low costs, universal appeal, and strong community involvement. Some of the top examples would include:

Matching gift drives. There is the potential to double donations with few costs by simply asking donors to check to see if their employer will match their gift.
Car washes. Simple to set up and low cost as long as the money can be found to buy soap. (Note: It’s free if you can get volunteers to wash the cars).
Drive-in movie nights. A great way to promote family involvement. Can sell tickets and concessions.
Text-to-give campaigns. Instant impulse gifts when people can send a text with their donations.
T-shirt fundraisers. Help raise money through branded merchandise and also provide awareness and education.
Dance-a-thons, races, or dancing contests. Helps promote philanthropy with fun. Will generate sponsorships with each participant.
Picnics or barbeques. Fun community building and low cost while making money enjoying a casual meal.

What is the fastest way to raise money for a nonprofit?

When time is of the essence and you need funding for urgent projects, you might want to know the fastest ways to get your donations. Here are a few of the quickest ways to give and get donations flowing:

Build a branded donation page. A professional-looking, easy-to-navigate online donation page encourages more giving, and faster than the old way. Using platforms like Scrile Connect is simple and quick, and you will see immediate impact.
Set up donation kiosks. If you are at an event or a place with a lot of traffic, consider setting up a donation kiosk so people can give immediately.
Use text-to-give alternatives. Text-to-Give is a fast way for people to donate. They can give quickly on their phones, so it is fast fundraising.
Steward donor relationships. If you are prompt in thanking people and keeping them informed about where their money went, you can easily grow a first-time giver into a repeat giver.
Send appeal letters. Using snazzy, targeted appeal letters will activate your current donors quickly.
Perform crowdfunding campaigns. Short, web-based campaigns that have a time pressure element create urgency and encourage sharing.
Host fundraising events. Fundraising events can have immediate cash flow from ticket sales and sponsorships.

Continuously utilize these methods, and maintain momentum while integrating more digital options, which can and will further amplify fundraising.

What are good fundraising ideas for a charity?

Successful nonprofit fundraising events provide fun, ease of participation, and a positive impact. Here is a sampling of past favorites that have been proven:

Cultural soup round table. Gather a small group of people representing different cultures for a themed dinner to bring the community together.
Bake-off competitions. Friends and colleagues have an outright baking contest with paid tickets and tastings for the judges.
A round of shots. A social event where participants take shots (alcoholic or otherwise) and raise money for each round or a donation.
$20 art projects. Workshop or essay and present your work of art to be worked on; at each low price point, it is $20 to entice the donor to give.
Community dinner popups. You stage a delightful popup dinner, as you did, to bring neighbors together to raise funds.
Bar crawls. Partner with local bars to produce a fun night and sell tickets to join in a bar crawl experience.
Blog takeovers. In a short, socially active way, invite influencers along with other community members to blog about their story to encourage donations.

Ready to Boost Your Impact? Start Your Next Fundraiser Today!

You’ve just gone through a trove of fundraising ideas for nonprofits that are in 2025—from traditional events to tech-forward solutions, community-driven efforts to scalable opportunities with donors. Now, it’s time to take action.

Regardless of whether you’re a small nonprofit testing out your first virtual event or a growing organization about to launch an all-encompassing customized fundraising platform, there is a way forward that aligns with your mission and capacity.

So, if you want a simple and effective tool to amplify your fundraising efforts, look no further than Scrile Connect. Use it to create branded fundraising campaigns, engage supporters in new ways, and create ongoing sustainable revenue streams. Don’t wait until the time is right. Start small, try things out, and see your fundraising grow. Contact us to take your nonprofit’s fundraising to the next level!

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Best Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits in 2025