Looking for quick fundraising ideas you can do with kids? Try the following unique ways to quickly get the community involved and also help you unleash the creative side in your neighborhood children.
1. Organize a community mural
Using various media, invite the community members to create a mural. Charge an entry fee to audience and participants and then display the finished project or auction it off to raise more funds. You can ask members to bring/donate/contribute art materials such as paints, pencils, fabrics, tiles and clay etc. Alternatively, if budget is a concern and you are looking for cheap fundraising ideas, you can approach the local art shop for materials. You can host the event at a local park or church or school. Speak to local businesses or shop keepers to see if they will allow the mural on their building walls.
2. Offer to take family photographs
This is an easy way to fundraise for kids who are good in photography. You will need an attractive backdrop, good camera/Smartphone and chairs or benches for the families to pose on. One can also approach local photography studio/students and ask them to volunteer for this project. A clean park, uncluttered church or a dance/art studio is a good place to take photos in. You can then sell the enlarged versions of these photos. Try locating a cheap online photo print service which offers prints, frames and mats for the photos.
3. Tie-Dye station
Kids and adults alike will agree that this is not only fun but also unique fundraising idea. Set up a station where adults and kids can have fun dyeing rubber-banded t-shirts, tops and dresses. Local craft stores can help by donating tie dye kits and items to tie-dye. You can easily host this event in your yard or at the church. Volunteers: don’t forget to wear tie-dye shirts to advertise this fun and quick fundraising idea!
4. Clean/wash/paint on cars or vans
One of the cheapest fundraising ideas for kids is washing cars. Take this a step further and decorate the vans/cars instead. Offer to draw and paint some artwork on the side of a van using washable paint. You can ask a local car dealer for a van on display for a short time. Display the dealer’s name and number in the car’s safe place. Possible venues for this event include malls, church parking lot, parks etc. If you need artists, give an ad in the community newspaper for free to target artists from nearby. Parents: ensure there is water source nearby for kids to wash hands.
5. Host a community bingo night
This is one of the proven ‘big money’ fundraising ideas that everyone loves. Ask a local bingo club to give you the hall for the evening. Alternatively, any venue with chairs and tables is suitable for hosting this event. You can easily print bingo cards and templates available online for free. Try this free bingo card printable. You can approach local businesses to sponsor gifts for participants and winners.
6. Raffle draw
This is one of the most popular, easy and quick fundraising ideas. It entails selling tickets, drawing a ticket and picking a winner. The only expense is the price of raffle tickets which can even be printed free.
7. Auctions
Auctions are proven unique fundraising ideas that are easy to set up and give good returns. You can auction a lunch date with a CEO or even handmade artwork, quilts, paintings, jewelry, antiques etc. Members of the community can volunteer to make these items or donate them to your event. Volunteers: display the item/s on auction to encourage sales.
8. Bake/no-bake sales
Ask members to bring in either baked or no-bake items. Sell them during lunch or after hours as part of easy fundraising ideas for small groups.
9. Yard/book sale
Dust off the old items/books and sell them for a few cents/dollars to quickly earn cash.
10. Spare change/coins drive
Place empty containers in each department/classroom. Ask students/members to bring in spare coins and loose change for a given period of time. Every little bit helps in when it comes to easy fundraising ideas for kids.
11. Host dinner/movie night/BBQ cookout at your place
Invite people over for a dinner/movie or a Barbecue cookout event. Ask them to contribute or donate at the event. You can even have a BBQ cook off where cooks eat free and participants who eat have to pay a small amount. These unique fundraising ideas are fun for people who love to eat.
12. Sell candles/soaps/scents
This is one of the unique fundraising ideas for churches and religious groups. Wholesale organizations often sell items to organizations for discounted rates.
13. Create obstacle courses
Obstacle courses are fun fundraising ideas for kids. Kids, teenagers and adults alike can set these up to earn money. Create different games and obstacles, set up an online registration form for the event and ask people to participate as individuals or as teams. Offer a prize to the team/person that courses fastest through the obstacles.
14. Tutor other kids
Teens and in-betweens: offer to tutor or teach other kids for small fee. Just make sure you have time to do your own homework as well. Check out this article on easy ways for teenagers to make money.
15. Pie throwing
You can host a pie throwing contest – a fun way to spend the afternoon raising funds. Charge a small amount for each pie-made simply with some whipped cream. (Alternatively ask bakers to sponsor some pies).You and your guests will have fun with this ‘funny’ fundraising idea!
16. Fundraising walkathon
Get the entire community fit and healthy by organizing a walkathon. Charge a small admission fee and give away free t-shirts, water bottles and hats along the route.
17. Organize a quiz night
Trivia night is a fun and educational way to raise funds. Advertise in advance and charge a small fee to participants and audiences. Have a good system for asking questions and getting answers. You can also talk to a restaurant or a bar to host the event and get part of the funds for your charity.
18. Scavenger hunt
What a fun way to raise funds and also discover your locality! Have teams of kids or adults sign up for the event for a small fee. Create a hunt by hiding clues and objects around the locality. Give a small prize to winners.
19. Tree plantation drive
Give away small saplings to people for a small fee and plant them around the locality or in their homes. This is a great way to raise money while doing something for the environment. Local nurseries can donate saplings for this event.
20. Beard challenge
Ask men in your community to sport a beard. For one week’s beard-they pay $5, for two weeks $10, for three weeks $15 and so on. With enough participants, you will end up earning a ton of money and nearly everyone in your community will be sporting a beard!
21. Host a community picnic
Get families to pay a small amount and educate them about your nonprofit. You can sell food sponsored by local delis or bakeries or ask people to bring covered dishes.
22. Reverse raffle
Raffles are fun ways of fundraising for kids but have you tried reverse raffle? In this, you sell raffle tickets for a small fee and then pull out tickets one by one from the bowl. The last ticket left in the bowl is the winner. Give away unique prize to the winner (donated by a local business so that the only cost to you is the price of raffle tickets) so more people are encouraged to try for the reverse raffle.
23. Host a dog grooming event
You can combine car wash with a pet wash or dog grooming event; many people would love to have their cars and their dogs cleaned! Plan this event on a sunny day. People will love to drive away with shiny cars and fresh smelling pooches!
24. Pet photography
Get a local photographer to take pictures of pets. People can get framed photos of their pets for a small fee. Partner up with a local studio to sell mugs and t-shirts with pet photos on them. Owners will gladly pay for this merchandise.
25. Pet party/walk-pawathon
Host a walking marathon or walkathon with pets and owners. Charge an admission fee and also sell merchandise like t-shirts, caps and bottles etc. Dog walkathons are a huge hit! Try it this summer.