30+ Fun and Easy Fundraising Ideas for Kids to Raise More

Getting your kids involved with fundraising instills the values of charity and generosity. But, to keep them engaged and raise funds, your fundraising ideas for kids must be fun and profitable. Additionally, fundraising activities help children learn valuable skills such as responsibility, teamwork, and the importance of giving back to the community. So, what are simple and easy ideas? 

Whether you are trying to fundraise with young children or bring out your own inner child, these 30+ fundraising ideas are sure to make any kid smile. If you’re brainstorming fundraising ideas for your nonprofit organization, school, individual fundraising, or a larger cause, getting your kids involved can be fun and uplifting for the whole family. So, without further ado–let’s dive into our favorite fundraising idea for kids, a shoe drive fundraiser!

Our Favorite Fundraising Idea for Kids

1. Shoe Drive Fundraiser

Kids seem to outgrow shoes overnight, so families likely have extra pairs lying around. And these outgrown shoes can finally serve a bigger purpose!

Here’s how to get started with a shoe drive fundraiser:

1. Partner with a shoe drive coordinator like Funds2Orgs. We’ll drop off collection supplies and marketing materials you can use to promote your shoe drive.
2. Place your collection materials around the community to gather as many shoes as possible.
3. Encourage your community to donate their gently worn, used and new shoes to these collection boxes.
4. Your shoe drive coordinator will pick up the shoes to repurpose them.
5. You’ll receive a check in the mail depending on the weight of the bulk of shoes you gathered and donated.

Super easy, right? You’ll give new life to your kids’ old shoes while instilling the values of generosity and ecological responsibility for the donations and repurposed shoes.

Why Host A Shoe Drive Fundraiser?

PTAs, PTOs, booster clubs, and charities serving children can ditch the product catalogs and rethink fundraising!

Not only is this fundraiser super easy, but it’s also incredibly affordable, with no out-of-pocket costs. With Funds2Orgs, you’ll even have a dedicated coaching team to help you crush your fundraising goals. Our how-to videos, social media templates, and weekly email tips will help you get started on the right foot!

We’ve saved 32 million pairs of shoes from landfills and helped raise over $11 million for causes like yours. It’s easy, kid-friendly, and a unique way to inspire contributions, so give it a shot!

Other Creative Fundraising Ideas for Kids

2. Matching Gift Drive

Matching gift programs are a form of corporate philanthropy where companies match donations that their employees make to charitable causes. Companies typically only match donations to nonprofit organizations, including grade schools and higher education institutions. For example, someone might donate $50 to their child’s school, and their employer would match that gift, increasing that donation to $100.

Here’s how this fundraising strategy works:

1. Someone donates to your nonprofit or school.
2. They research their match eligibility using a matching gift database like the one from Double the Donation.
3. If eligible, the donor submits a request to their employer.
4. The company reviews the request and confirms the donation was made.
5. If everything’s in line, the company donates to your organization.

While this is a popular corporate philanthropy program, matching gifts are underused by employees. In fact, $4-7 billion in matching gift funds go unclaimed yearly, so your priority should be to spread the word. After all, one in three donors will give more than they originally planned if they know their gift is eligible for matching.

Spread the word about matching gifts and let your donors know how to research their eligibility. Be sure to embed your matching gift database in key spots like your donation form to encourage them to look up their employers.

Match Challenge

For a one-off matching gift-themed campaign, find a local company willing to match all donations within a certain time period. For instance, maybe a local sporting goods store will match gifts to your Little League team during a two-week period. This is known as a matching gift challenge.

Work with your sponsor to set a few parameters for your challenge:

• A match ratio that defines the sponsor’s contribution rate (e.g., 1:1, which means they’ll donate $1 for every $1)
• A fundraising goal to aim for
• A time frame to create urgency

During your fundraising campaign, send emails or post on social media to tell everyone that your sponsor is matching donations to your cause for a limited time. Once your campaign wraps up, the sponsor will donate based on the predetermined match ratio and maximum contribution.

3. Fundraising eCards

One delightful and interactive way to raise funds for your cause while engaging your youngest community members is by selling eCards. This digital approach eliminates the need for snail mail and offers an eco-friendly alternative to traditional paper cards.

Here’s how you can set up an eCard fundraiser that captivates supporters:

• Create various designs. Make this a year-round fundraiser by creating designs for occasions like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, and thank-you notes. Your fundraising eCard software should provide plenty of customizable templates and graphics to bring your designs to life.
• Involve the kids. You might organize a fun art session where kids can draw pictures or write inspirational quotes. These artworks and messages can then be digitized and transformed into beautiful eCards. Not only does this process foster creativity among the children, but it also gives them a sense of ownership and pride in contributing to a good cause.
• Market your eCards. Promote your eCards through your school newsletters, local community boards, and social media. Highlight that the kids designed the cards and that all proceeds will support your school or community project. This approach is likely to resonate with potential buyers.

By integrating eCards into your fundraising strategy, you provide a practical and desirable product and engage the creative talents of children, making it a truly community-centered project.

4. Google Ad Grants

Using Google Ads is a fantastic way to promote your organization’s fundraising initiatives. Organizations serving children can apply for the Google Ad Grants program and potentially receive up to $10,000 in monthly ad credits. While educational organizations are ineligible, organizations focused on child welfare and fundraising departments of educational organizations can still benefit!

Check your eligibility for the Google Grants program. If you’re ineligible, you can still purchase Google Ads. You can also leverage resources through Google for Nonprofits or Google for Education.

While great for adding money to your marketing budget, you can turn around and spend the ad credits on your fundraising campaign pages, making it an even more valuable fundraising tool. Here are some pages you can promote with your Google Ads:

• Fundraising event pages for events such as school fairs, sporting events, or 5Ks
• Donation pages where people can contribute and set up recurring donations
• Program-specific fundraising pages for new sports equipment, library books, and so on
• Scholarship fund pages to help students afford tuition

To see this resource in action, here’s a hypothetical example of Google Ad promoting a fundraiser for the Summit Hill Elementary Schools’ library:

Many organizations hire a Google Grants agency to help them apply for the program, research keywords, create winning ads, and comply with the program’s rules.

5. Popcorn Fundraisers

Raise money and provide something for everyone with this popular and fun fundraiser idea for kids. If you’re looking for a family-friendly fundraiser for your school, church, or other organization, look no further than popcorn fundraising. Selling delicious snacks to your community in exchange for donations is a great way to earn money for any cause!

Get started with a personalized web store from ABC Fundraising and start selling popcorn to anyone and everyone throughout your community—grandparents, family friends, colleagues, etc. After all, who doesn’t love ordering gourmet snacks that, as a bonus, support a great cause?

6. Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a flexible online fundraising solution in which you collect many small donations from a broad audience, making it ideal for kids without an income to participate. For instance you could do a walk-a-thon crowdfunding campaign. This kind of event allows kids to ask for donations based on their performance in terms of distance walked, which encourages physical activity and fundraising simultaneously.

You can easily pair it with events such as a-thons and Fun Runs. Or, keep it simple and opt to fundraise for personal causes all online. Use a crowdfunding platform that allows you to customize your page with a photo of your child or family; then, write a short description of your cause. Market your campaign on social media to appeal to your online network for donations. You’ll be amazed at how many gifts come flowing in!

7. Bake Sale Fundraising

First, you need an excellent product. Do you have a famous chocolate chip cookie recipe? Are your brownies out of this world? Dig into some of the old favorite recipes. Maybe this is when you tell your kids about age-old family baking secrets!

Second, you need some of the cutest sales and delivery workers around. Luckily, you already have access to that! Kids will love bringing these amazing goods to neighbors and friends.

8. Movie Night Fundraiser

Gather family, friends, neighbors, and classmates to participate in a fun movie night with a large screen, popcorn, and fun movie-themed snacks and decorations. You can also sell snacks and drinks at the event to boost fundraising. To take this to the next level, you could host it outside and let kids sleep in tents for the night.

Or, rent a pool for the afternoon and host a fun swim-up movie night. Monetize the event by charging admission or requiring that some families help you set-up and clean up the event to get in. That way, all parties can have fun and share the work equally. Before selecting a film, you can send out a survey of top picks to gauge interest and find a movie that will provide the largest turnout.

9. Family Picture Day

Taking a good picture of the entire family can be a real hassle. Between kids squirming and finding someone to take the picture, most families do without it. Hosting a family picture day will give families these keepsake photos while raising money for a great cause!

Offer a professional photo shoot for your supporters to take a group or individual picture. You can then sell these pictures to them as framed or wallet-sized photos, custom mugs, or any other personalized item. This fundraising idea for kids requires only a good camera and a location to take the photos. It’s that easy!

10. Pictures with Santa

How often have you visited the mall during the holiday season and seen kids lined up for their 30-second photo shoot with the big guy? The mall can be incredibly overwhelming and the wait times can be long.

You can host your own pictures with Santa event for a better experience for the kids, plus some extra funds for you!

All you need for this is a great camera and some of Santa’s finest helpers. Try including a holiday cookie-baking contest at this event. Who’s a better judge than Santa to find the best milk and cookies in town? That makes it one of the very special fundraising ideas for kids!

11. Help-O-Ween

Get your kids excited for the Halloween season and the season of giving!

Instead of asking for candy, encourage your kids to explain your cause to each family they visit on Halloween and ask for spare change instead. This will not only collect funds for your cause but also instill a charitable spirit in the kids.

In addition to raising money, your kids will be spreading the word of your incredible mission to the entire community.

12. Rubber Duck Race

Get your supporters in the competitive mood with a rubber duck race.

Competitions are one of the top ways to get people involved in your fundraising efforts, and it’s just as exciting as other fundraising ideas for kids! What cuter competition is there than rubber ducks?

Gather enough rubber ducks for everyone who wants to join the race, then number each one. Supporters submit a small registration fee to enter the competition, then cheer their numbered duck to the finish line! Remember to provide a small prize for the race winner.

13. Valentine Candygrams

eCardWidget’s Valentine’s Day fundraising guide cites that people planned to spend an incredible $25.9 billion on Valentine’s Day, so why not tap into that generosity with a kid-friendly candygram fundraiser? Valentine’s Day candygrams are the perfect way to show that special someone you care.

People can buy a candygram valentine (a piece of candy and a small note) to support your cause. This token of love is then delivered to the recipient. Try offering an alternative to a monetary donation: if kids would instead donate a pair of shoes for the candygram, you can add it to your shoe drive fundraiser.

Ask kids to deliver the valentines for a super cute spin on this fundraising idea,! You can also get kids involved by hosting this fundraiser at your local elementary school.

14. Used Book Sale

How many required reading books do kids purchase, read, and never touch again? A used book sale is tops as one of the perfect fundraising ideas for kids that will repurpose this old reading material for other children to enjoy.

Encourage kids to donate the old books that they may have outgrown or no longer read. Then, resell these books to other kids. The donation pile is bound to be full of fun books or future required readings that other parents can get for a great deal.

15. Penny Wars Fundraising

Penny wars are a perfect kids fundraiser idea to make the most of the natural competitive spirit we develop at a young age.

Split the kids into teams or encourage competition between different elementary school classes. Kids put pennies and other coins in the jar for their team. Every cent collected is a point toward that team.

The twist is that dollars are negative points. Kids can put dollars in the jars for their competitors to subtract 100 points for that team. Whoever has the most points at the end of the fundraiser wins! Don’t forget to provide a small prize (like a pizza party) for the winning team.

16. Read-a-Thon

A read-a-thon is one of our top fundraising ideas for kids because it encourages kids to spend the day reading with their friends or classmates.

The fundraiser works like this: Kids ask parents, teachers, friends, and family to sponsor their efforts in the read-a-thon. Kids collect donations for however many minutes or pages they read. Remember to give a prize to the child who reads the most during the event!

This event is often used as an effective and profitable fundraiser for schools, but it can certainly be applied to any organization or cause.

17. Hat or PJ Day

Hat or PJ Day is a perfect fundraiser for schools, church youth groups, or any other group that may have a dress code. This fundraiser is entirely free to run. All you need to do is ask kids to pay a small fee to wear a silly hat or their pajamas to school or Sunday service.

Kids will have fun wearing previously forbidden clothing, while you raise money for an incredible cause. Send out promotions ahead of time to make sure kids don’t miss the opportunity to dress up.

18. Parents’ Night Out

Sometimes parents need a break. The Parents’ Night Out fundraiser gives them the chance to go out on a date night, get some errands finished, or take a staycation.

Essentially, this event is like group babysitting. Recruit volunteers to watch children while their parents take a night off. As a top school fundraising event, it’s easy to promote, and you’ll have parents ready to sign up in no time.

Kids love this idea because they get to hang out with their friends. Parents love this idea because they get a well-deserved break for the evening. Plus, by charging a small fee to watch the children, your cause raises money. Everyone wins!

19. Cookie Dough Fundraiser

Purchase cookie dough from a wholesale provider, then sell it to your community members. Ask your kids to bring the order form to their school or youth group to expand your network even further. This fundraising idea is especially effective during the holiday season when everyone wants to make batches on batches of holiday cookies.

20. Restaurant Night

When was the last time your whole family was able to sit down to a special family dinner? Between the craziness of the kids’ schedules, this time is priceless. Now, imagine you can take this time and help support a great cause!

Many restaurants offer a “restaurant night” fundraiser for nonprofits, schools, and other causes. Chains like Chipotle, Moe’s, Zaxby’s, and Panera Bread can partner with the cause and agree to donate a portion of the profits for a single evening to the nonprofit. Don’t forget to ask local restaurants if they’d like to participate in supporting small businesses and get the community together.

This unique fundraising idea allows families to spend quality time together while contributing to a great cause.

Other Creative Kids Fundraisers

21. Silent Auction Fundraise

Silent auctions, whether online or in-person, are a great idea for getting kids excited about fundraising.

If you are hosting an auction for a school, procure items that students will enjoy, such as a school supply basket or a collection of top children’s books or teen novels. You could also auction off trips, sports merchandise, or dinner certificates for the entire family to enjoy!

Another way to get kids involved in this fundraiser is to encourage them to create the auction items themselves. Parents will love bidding on art projects by their own children!

22. Scavenger Hunt Fundraising

Encourage kids at a local school, youth camp, or neighborhood group to sign up for and help plan a scavenger hunt. You can charge admissions for families or ask that they volunteer to help with event planning. To keep kids involved, consider trying out these strategies:

• Pick an engaging, kid-friendly theme like “finding lost pirate treasure”
• Hide items in a walkable and safe area like a local park or around neighborhoods
• Create fun clues and riddles
• Give out hints when necessary
• Check-in to make sure kids are on the right track
• Get the whole family involved in finding clues

Scavenger hunts can be a perfect Saturday activity for kids (and adults) of all ages. Consider having an indoor backup plan in case your outdoor scavenger hunt gets rained out, or host a hybrid indoor-outdoor scavenger hunt event.

23. Trivia Night

Trivia nights are a perfect and educational way to get kids involved with your next fundraising event. Ask questions about popular television shows, books, and pop culture. Include a kids category to ask about kids’ favorite movies or sports teams!

Sell tickets and invite the whole community to attend. If you host the event at a local restaurant, you can always ask if they’d be willing to share a cut of the profits for your cause so you can earn a little extra cash.

Bonus! You can also ask the host if you can include a shoe drive collection box, which is located in the corner of the event. Then, encourage people to bring their old, gently worn, used and new shoes to donate during the event.

24. Talent Show

Host a talent show to let kids show off their incredible skills to the world! A talent show provides an opportunity for community members to showcase their skills while raising funds by charging admission for participants and audience members.

All you need for this kids’ fundraiser is a stage and some incredible performers. Sell tickets to family members so they can come to watch their kids wow the crowd.

To make extra cash during this event, sell concessions or fun, branded merchandise to audience members.

25. 5K Race Fundraiser

These handy fundraisers encourage kids and adults alike to get out and be active while raising money for an incredible cause. A 5K fun run is a great way to encourage participation from both kids and adults while raising funds through entry fees. 5K fundraisers are easy to host during most seasons as long as you have a reliable route.

Some organizations see incredible success with these fundraisers. For example, the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk raised an incredible $106 million last year, making it America’s largest peer-to-peer fundraiser. While most 5Ks aren’t as lucrative, your school or community organization can still earn much-needed funds. For example, Foreverfamily from Atlanta raised nearly $47,000 at its annual 5K4Kids event.

In addition to raising money and encouraging a healthy lifestyle, you’ll also help kids burn off seemingly never-ending energy, making it a go-to idea for after-school, weekend, or holiday fundraising.

Bonus! You can run a shoe drive fundraiser alongside your 5K. Request that participants bring their gently worn, used and new shoes and sneakers to donate before the event or after they cross the finish line.

26. Art Auction

An art auction is a perfect fundraiser to show off kids’ creative abilities!

Encourage kids in an art class to create paintings or pottery. Then, set up an art gallery to show off their work. Invite family and friends to come along and bid on their child’s artistic creation.

Combine this fundraiser with others (like a scavenger hunt) to make it an event. Also, consider investing in mobile bidding auction software so families can bid while enjoying other activities.

27. Class Cookbook

A class cookbook is a great fundraiser for kids but also a perfect resource for meals that will be treasured for years to come.

Ask every kid in a class, team, or other group to bring their favorite recipe to compile in a cookbook. All you have to do is have it printed and make copies to sell to the families.

For more fun, make it a holiday-themed cookbook. Who doesn’t like to try new holiday cookie recipes? Try this yummy one of our fundraising ideas for kids.

28. Field Day Fundraiser

Field Day is a classic sports fundraising event that kids everywhere look forward to each year.

Set up games and activities outside for everyone to enjoy, such as tug-of-war, kickball, a water balloon toss, a three-legged race, and other fun activities. Charge a small admission fee or ask for gently used sneakers from families to run a shoe drive fundraiser alongside your field day event.

Don’t forget to make a rain plan for this event! Check out the website for your local community center. Depending on their availability, you may be able to reserve the center for your event.

29. Carnival Fundraising

A carnival is a perfect way to get everyone together for a day of family fun. Plus, you can combine multiple fundraising ideas for kids in one big event!

Make sure you provide plenty of games for all ages during this event. From rides to guessing games, silent auctions to shoe drive fundraisers, and everything in between, your kids are bound to have a blast at the event.

Carnivals are also perfect for schools. Gather kids of all ages to come out and enjoy a fun night filled with family, games, friends, and fun!

30. Dodgeball Tournament

A dodgeball tournament is a fun and exciting way to get adults and kids alike out and about for your fundraising cause.

Require some participation or spectator fees for the tournament. Kids and adults alike will love throwing these soft balls at their family and friends. Remember to offer a prize for the winner of the competition!

Try adding a concession stand at the tournament and putting a shoe drive fundraising collection box in the corner during the competition for some extra earnings.

31. Family Game Night

Pull out your favorite classic board games because it’s time for a family game night.

Encourage all families invited to the event to bring their favorite board games. Then, charge a small admissions fee per family to play.

Don’t forget to show appreciation to everyone who came to the event. Make sure to offer a small prize for the winner of the tournament. It could be a trophy or a gift card to a local restaurant for dinner after the event.

32. Soup Delivery Fundraiser

On a cold day, nothing tastes better than a hot cup of your favorite soup. And that’s why it’s made our list of our favorite and easy fundraising ideas for kids.

Did you know this delicious soup can help you raise money too? Gather a group of people together to make a huge batch of soup that you can provide to family and friends. Then, recruit volunteers (we suggest the cutest volunteers in town—your kids!) to deliver the soup.

Ask for a small contribution in exchange for the soup delivery. You can either request a small fee for the soup or open the payment up to another donation type: trade soup in exchange for a pair of shoes for your shoe drive fundraiser.

33. Cupcake Wars

Cupcake Wars are a great fundraising idea for all the sweets lovers in your family.

Charge a small admission fee to enter the competition. Set up age groups so everyone is competing with others roughly the same age. Then, let the games begin!

Set cupcakes in front of everyone and give them a certain amount of time to decorate that cupcake for the competition. An unbiased volunteer judge passes a verdict to find the best cupcake designer for each age group. Finally, everyone enjoys their sweet treats.

34. Sports Team Competition

How about a little friendly competition for this one on the list of our fundraising ideas for kids? Up the fundraising ante with a sports team competition. Invite your community to show up and show out for a fun-filled sports day. You can group family and friends randomly, have each family compete against each other, place grade levels against each other, or randomly draw teams to ensure fairness.

Consider rotating sports like:

• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Soccer
• Pickleball
• Tennis
• Hockey

Have a dedicated judge in place, and you can invite other community members to act as coaches to rally each team to victory! Not to mention, you can host a peer-to-peer fundraiser and have other community members pledge their support based on individual teams.

Additional Resources for These Fundraising Ideas for Kids

Running a kid-friendly fundraiser is a simple and fun way to raise support and get the whole family involved. As you plan your fundraising ideas for kids, don’t limit yourself to just one fundraiser at a time. Instead, consider combining fundraisers to maximize support and get the most fun out of your plans.

For instance, you could pair a shoe drive fundraiser with any sports-related event or host a peer-to-peer fundraising opportunity during competitive events to incentivize teams. Assemble a small planning committee early to ensure all fundraising elements are good to go. Then, set off to raise money for a cause that matters to you—you’ve got this!

Interested in learning more about all things fundraising? Check out our dedicated fundraising resources below:

• 55+ School Fundraising Ideas to Reach Your Goals. School fundraising can get repetitive if you don’t spice up your strategy now and then. Check out these ideas to refresh your school fundraising!
• 25+ Seasonal Fundraising Event Ideas to Stock Your Calendar. Planning ahead for the upcoming year? Look to this guide for event ideas to help you raise funds and celebrate each season.
• Fundraising Event Planning: 10 Steps for Event Success. Don’t let fundraising event planning get you down! Read this guide and learn how to break any fundraising event plan into bite-sized steps.