Fundraising for nonprofit organizations is a noble cause that is greatly appreciated. But in times of economic hardship, money is a high-priority topic for nonprofit leaders. Nonprofit fundraising is challenging. You have built and managed many successful programs, but those programs will fail without the fundraising they need. 

That is why we are going to share 10 easy fundraising ideas that are going to help you reach your limits quickly and seamlessly. Let us get started.

Common Obstacles Nonprofits Face While Raising Funds

Before sharing the easy fundraising ideas for your nonprofit organization, let us address the obstacles that other nonprofits face on a daily basis. It will help you to take extra precautions and avoid hiccups in collecting donations. 

⛔ Limited Visibility And Brand Awareness

Many nonprofits struggle to reach potential donors because their mission is not widely known. Without strong visibility, even compelling causes may go unnoticed. It results in low donor acquisition and limited reach beyond existing supporters.

⛔ Fatigue Among Donors

Another significant barrier to nonprofit fundraising is declining donation frequency and poorer campaign performance. Supporters are often approached by multiple causes, leading to reduced engagement over time—especially if requests feel repetitive or transactional.

⛔ Lack of Trust Or Credibility

Hesitation from new donors and difficulty securing large or recurring gifts. Donors may hesitate to give if they are unsure how funds are used or whether the organization delivers measurable impact.

⛔ Overreliance on a Single Funding Source

Unstable revenue, if that source diminishes or disappears, is also an obstacle. Financial risk is increased when one funding source, such as grants, events, or significant donors, is heavily relied upon.

⛔ Poor Storytelling Or Messaging

Nonprofits sometimes focus on operational details rather than clear, human-centered impact stories. This results in reducing emotional connection and lower donor motivation.

⛔ Ineffective Use of Digital Channels

Outdated websites, complex donation forms, or low social media engagement can discourage donors. It will lose donations and reduce online fundraising success for your nonprofit organization.

⛔ Limited Resources & Staff Capacity

Many nonprofits operate with small teams and tight budgets, making it difficult to dedicate enough time or personnel to fundraising efforts. Limited resources can also restrict marketing, outreach, and donor engagement initiatives.

⛔ Lack of Engagement & Relationship Building

Building strong relationships with donors requires consistent communication and engagement beyond fundraising tasks. Nonprofits sometimes struggle to maintain these connections, which can impact donor retention and long-term support.

While these challenges can feel daunting, nonprofits are constantly finding creative ways to overcome them. The fundraising ideas we’ve shared next are designed to directly tackle one or more of these obstacles, helping you maximize support and impact.

10 Easy Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits [Tested & Proven]

Now you know what common fundraising barriers you may face for your nonprofits. Here are 10+ easy fundraising ideas that can be quickly put into practice and significantly improve donation collection.

1. Online Donation Campaign with a Website 

Creating an online presence or having a website is no longer optional. And if you take a look back, you will find that all the nonprofit fundraising going on around you, you have heard about from online platforms. Therefore, you should create a simple, focused donation page tied to a clear cause or short-term goal.

A key challenge is making it easy for supporters to donate without any friction. A tool like Better Payment allows you to quickly create focused donation pages tied to a clear cause or short-term goal. It supports multiple payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe, PayStack, etc.) and provides layouts designed specifically for fundraising, so you can launch your campaign efficiently without coding.

Nowadays, creating a fundraising campaign website is no longer a complex or time-consuming task. With ready-made website templates, you can build a complete, professional-looking site in just a few clicks, without starting from scratch or dealing with complicated design work. Simply choose a layout that fits your campaign, customize the content, and your website is ready to go in a much shorter time.

Real example:

Charity: The water donation campaign is doing well and generating a lot of buzz. It is focused on specific clean-water projects. Their website is playing a significant role in increasing donations.

📖 Read More: How to Launch a Fundraising Campaign Using Better Payment

2. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

When you work for a cause, it is difficult to achieve success on your own. That is why we require assistance from others and the peer-to-peer fundraising idea is an excellent solution. Supporters raise money for you by sharing personal stories with their networks.

Real example:
The ALS Association’s Ice Bucket Challenge is a classic peer-to-peer success story. This was hugely popular and all other peers came forward to make it a success.

3. Utilize Social Media for Fundraising

Social media platforms are not only for sharing your updates with friends. They are a great medium for creating fundraising campaigns and raising funds, too. Do you know that the most popular social platforms have fundraising tools that can help you reach goals seamlessly? Use Facebook or Instagram fundraising tools to collect donations directly on social platforms.

Real example:
Many nonprofits raise funds on birthdays using Facebook Fundraisers. Check out Amy Lentz 2025 NYC Marathon on Facebook. It trended on Facebook and raised the targeted funds ahead of schedule.

4. Conduct Fundraising Campaigns Using Emails

When you are ready to maximize your fundraising efforts, you should consider a 360-degree approach. And now that you have a fundraising website and a social media presence, the next fundraising idea to consider is running an email campaign. Send a brief, emotional and goal-oriented email series encouraging supporters to donate.

Real example:
UNICEF regularly runs emergency appeal email campaigns. Despite having a dedicated website, email campaigns have been a huge success for them.

5. Run a Text-to-Donate Campaign

Though we are emphasizing more online-based easy fundraising ideas for you, offline methods are still effective. Especially if your nonprofit is focused on local causes. Text-to-Donate campaigns allow donors to give by sending a simple text message. You can easily collect area-based donor numbers directly from local government organizations.

Real example:
The Red Cross used text-to-donate successfully during disaster relief campaigns. When you need to reach your fundraising limit fast and for natural disasters, in these times, text-to-Donate campaigns are the only easy, fastest and reliable way.

6. Organize Webinar, Workshop Or Other Virtual Events

A little shoutout will surely help your fundraising campaign reach its target smoothly. If you are exploring more opportunities online, then you can definitely consider hosting a virtual event and charging a small registration fee or accepting donations. It can be a webinar, workshop or talk. This fundraising idea is appropriate if your fundraising goal is to raise awareness about social issues. 

Real example:
Nicholas House historically held an annual Dream Builders fundraiser. When in‑person gatherings were not feasible, they transitioned the event to a virtual format: they incorporated elements like panel discussions, musical performances, leadership messages and peer‑to‑peer fundraising within a webinar/virtual program to engage supporters and drive donations.

7. Launch Crowdfunding Campaigns on Popular Platforms

You are just one online search away from popular fundraising platforms where thousands of dollars are raised every day for a variety of causes. When you create campaigns on these platforms, you can maximize the visibility of your fundraising efforts. You can raise funds for a specific project with a clear story, goal and timeline through popular platforms such as GoFundMe and Global Giving.

Real example:

If you look into the GoFundMe or GlobalGiving platforms, you will find numerous success stories from people who have raised funds through them. Whether the cause is local or global, there are numerous real-world examples.

8. Arrange Donation Matching Campaign

A Donation Matching Campaign is when a nonprofit partners with a sponsor, business, or major donor who agrees to match the donations made by supporters during a specific period. Essentially, every dollar your supporters give gets doubled (or sometimes even tripled), making their gift feel bigger and more impactful. This fundraising idea encourages giving by partnering with a sponsor who matches donations.

Real example:
Many nonprofits run “Double Your Impact” campaigns during Giving Tuesday. Charity: The Red Cross often runs donation-matching campaigns, where corporate partners match every donation made by individual supporters. During these campaigns, they have seen donation spikes of up to 2–3x their normal giving levels because supporters know their contributions have double the impact.

9. Raise Funds by Selling Merchandise 

Selling branded merchandise is a fun and effective way for nonprofits to raise money while spreading awareness about their cause. This approach turns supporters into walking ambassadors for your mission. Many nonprofits use print-on-demand platforms like Bonfire or CustomInk, which print and ship items only after an order is placed. This means no upfront costs or inventory headaches.

Real example:
Nonprofits frequently run campaigns using print-on-demand platforms like Bonfire or CustomInk. For instance, a small animal shelter could sell t-shirts with “Adopt, Don’t Shop” slogans to fundraise for their shelter needs.

10. Run Community Challenge or Contest

Many people are familiar with marathons and ice-bucket challenges for a greater cause. You can implement this fundraising idea too for your nonprofits. It can be a fun run with challenges like steps walked, photos submitted, goals achieved, etc., with entry fees or sponsorships.

Real example:
To inspire you to adopt this fundraising idea, here is a real-life example: Walkathons and fitness challenges are common for health-focused nonprofits. One of the most iconic community challenge fundraising campaigns in history was the Ice Bucket Challenge run by the ALS Association. It raised an estimated $115 million for the ALS Association in just a few months.

11. Local Business Partnership Fundraiser

A Local Business Partnership Fundraiser is when a nonprofit teams up with a local business (like a restaurant, café, bookstore, or shop) to raise money. During a special event or time period, the business agrees to donate a portion of its sales to the nonprofit. This benefits both the nonprofit and the business by attracting customers and raising awareness.

Real example:

A great real-world example of this is Toppings Frozen Yogurt partnering with the local homeless shelter, Our Brother’s Keeper. Throughout January, the shop committed to donating $1 from every “Warm Hearts Latte” sold directly to the shelter, helping meet increased winter needs and rallying the community around the cause.

Streamline Fundraising Goals with the Best Practices

Finding new ways to raise funds is crucial for many nonprofit organizations and charities. Implementing trending fundraising ideas like running donation campaigns, arranging matching donations, or partnering with local businesses can make a significant impact.

Equally important is choosing the right tools to streamline your campaigns’ online payments. A tool like Better Payment can help you create focused donation pages, integrate multiple payment gateways, and launch campaigns quickly, making it easier for supporters to contribute and helping your nonprofit reach its goals more efficiently. By combining creative fundraising ideas with the right digital tools, your organization can maximize donations, engage supporters, and achieve your mission more effectively.

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