There are occasions when your organization desperately needs a boost of funds, but there just isn't time to organize a fully-fledged event. Each of these fast fundraising ideas can be set up in a week or less. The best part? Most bring in money on the day they run.
For low-effort options with more lead time, see the easy fundraising ideas.
Email your supporters a specific goal with a two-day deadline and a link to your donation page. Say what the money pays for in one sentence, such as new jerseys for the under-12 team. A named purpose with a dollar figure gives people something concrete to respond to.
Send a short update at the halfway point showing the amount raised so far. Post the same update on social media. Close with a thank-you message that shares the final total.
Ask a business owner or a major supporter to match every donation made in a 24-hour window, up to an amount they choose. Offer to thank them publicly in your announcement, which gives a local business a good reason to agree.
Announce the match by email and social media that morning. Share a running total in the afternoon so supporters can see how close you are to the full match.
Each volunteer sends your donation link to ten people in their phone with a short personal note. Five volunteers reach fifty people in one evening.
Give everyone the same two-line message to copy, with room to add a sentence of their own. Texts from a friend get opened and answered quickly, so pick one evening and have all your volunteers send at once.
Use a game or a school concert that is already on the calendar. Ask the organizer for two minutes at halftime or the intermission. Put a QR code on the screen or on signs at the door, then have someone explain the cause and the goal.
People give from their seats while the cause is fresh. A student or a team member makes the best speaker, since the audience came to support them.
A principal or a manager agrees to a dare if the group hits its goal by Friday. Popular dares include taking a pie in the face or dyeing their hair in team colors.
Post a running total each day to keep donations coming. Carry out the dare in front of everyone, then share the photos with your supporters as a thank-you.
An oldie but a goodie!
Invite students or employees to dress casually for one Friday per month, in exchange for a fixed donation. With approval from management or the school office, you can announce it on Monday and collect on Friday. A sticker or wristband shows who has paid.
A fun alternative to the Friday Dress Down. Invite everyone to attend work or school with the wildest, wackiest hairstyle they can come up with, in exchange for a fixed donation.
Consider offering a prize for the most creative idea.
Invite staff members, students or colleagues to wear their clothing inside out, or back to front, or both, for the for the whole day. There are two ways to raise funds using this method. The quickest is a fixed donation from each participant. For a bigger total, charge a set amount per item and hand out a raffle ticket for each one, then draw a winner that afternoon for a share of the pot.
Announce it on Monday and hold it on Friday. Raffle rules differ by state, so check yours if you choose the per-item method.
Always popular and incredibly easy to run alongside another event because you can sell tickets as people arrive. The winner takes half the pot and your group keeps the rest.
Find out how to run a 50-50 raffle here.
Perfect for holding in conjunction with another event, or wherever a crowd is gathered. Overheads are minimal and little organization is needed.
Learn how to run a heads or tails raffle here.
Most of these fit inside a game or a meeting that is already scheduled, which saves you from planning a separate event.