5 Fundraising Ideas (That Actually Work)

5. Host a Trivia or Game Night 🎲

What it is:
Gather your supporters for a classic trivia night or a casual game night. You can host a fundraising trivia night in person or virtually, using platforms like Zoom or Kahoot. Charge entry fees for teams and offer prizes for the winners.

Why it works:
Trivia nights are easy to organise and have wide appeal: friends, families, coworkers, and schools all love a little friendly competition. They also create natural team building and fundraising momentum.

Tips to maximise results:

• Choose a fun theme (e.g. 90s pop culture, movie quotes, sports)
• Partner with local businesses to donate prizes
• Use a leaderboard to keep participants engaged
• Offer extra point "power-ups" for small donations

4. Organize an Open Mic or Talent Show 🎤

What it is:
Give participants a chance to showcase their talents with a ticketed open mic night or talent show. Singers, comedians, poets, and musicians can register to perform, and guests pay to attend (in person or online).

Why it works:
This creative fundraising idea is packed with entertainment value. Plus, performers naturally bring their own audiences, boosting attendance and donations. They're perfect for schools, youth groups, or creative communities.

Tips to make it memorable:

• Livestream the event for remote donors
• Include audience voting with a donation-to-vote system
• Offer food, drinks, or raffle tickets to increase per-person revenue

3. Run an Outdoor Adventure Challenge 🏃‍♀️

What it is:
Design a fun-run obstacle course, scavenger hunt, or adventure challenge in a local park. Teams pay to participate and can fundraise in advance through pledges.

Why it works:
It's physical, social, and fun, perfect for school or sports team fundraising in the spring or autumn. Outdoor fundraisers are easy to market visually and can attract groups and families looking for active, meaningful experiences.

Success boosters:

• Allow each participant to fundraise individually
• Include challenges or checkpoints with mini-prizes
• Encourage team costumes or themes
• Take lots of photos and share them on social media

2. Plan a Cook-Off or Bake-Off 🍲

What it is:
Invite amateur chefs or local pros to compete in a themed fundraising cook-off event, cupcake competition, or similar food event. Attendees purchase tickets to sample and vote for their favourites.

Why it works:
Food + community = guaranteed turnout. These events are family-friendly and offer strong word-of-mouth potential.

Ways to stand out:

• Offer awards like Judge's Choice, Fan Favourite, and more.
• Sell recipe booklets or merch to increase revenue
• Invite food trucks or vendors to sponsor or co-host
• Approach local restaurants for vouchers to give away as prizes

1. Host a Virtual Racing Event using Creature Dash 🏁

What it is:
Creature Dash is an online platform that lets you host your own virtual race night. Think fun, animated creature races where people place bets on racers, compete with others, and go home with prizes. It's fast-paced, customizable, and completely digital. Whether you're raising funds for year-end giving campaigns, school or PTO fundraisers, or even corporate team-building events with a cause, Creature Dash is your go-to virtual fundraising platform for hosting a fun, engaging race night fundraiser.

Why it works:
Whether you're running a campaign for a nonprofit, school PTO, sports team, or company cause, Creature Dash is family-friendly, fast-paced fun that will have donations rolling in.

• Custom branding: Tailor the experience to your school or a sponsor's company
• Gamified giving: Put the fun in fundraising with leaderboards, teams, and prizes
• No tech skills needed: You will have the event up and running in minutes

Tips for race-night success:

• Offer team entries to boost competition and group engagement
• Add local business sponsors for prizes or naming rights
• Promote results live on social and email with screenshots, GIFs, and top leaderboard highlights