16 Fall Fundraising Ideas

Fall can be a challenging season for nonprofits as end-of-year fundraising approaches, but it’s also a peak time for generosity. With the right fall fundraising strategies, your nonprofit can capitalize on this crucial time to boost donations and support. Whether you’re looking to raise money online or engage your community, this is your golden opportunity. At Mightycause, we provide the tools and ideas you need to succeed. Explore these fall fundraising ideas to make the most of this season and reach your year-end goals.

Fall is the perfect time for festivals! It’s YOUR time to shine and make a statement by hosting an unforgettable fall festival event. With the help of Mightycause, creating events is a breeze, ensuring that your fall festival will be a resounding success in terms of fundraising. Incorporate networking with your community and partner with local businesses or individuals to make it a show-stopper!

1. Network & Partner

If the thought of hosting a large event feels a bit overwhelming, don’t do it alone. Is there a nearby farm, petting zoo, or garden willing to partner with you? Give them incentives for hosting your event with a percentage of the proceeds going to your organization? Or network with a few sponsors in the community to invest in helping to jump-start your event. 

Festival Festivities

The benefits of hosting large events are many, but a primary one is the opportunity to grow your network with new supporters. Get creative with your fall fundraising and have a variety of booths and festivities for your big event. Here are a couple of fall ideas you can include to make your event an impressive show-stopper, a fall festival to remember!

2. Pie Sampling

Who doesn’t enjoy pie in the fall? Whether it’s hosting a baking class, or asking local bakeries to donate a percentage to your proceeds, the possibilities are endless with the types of fundraising you can incorporate. Interested in using peer-to-peer fundraising? Invite supporters to a pie bake-off where participants can even create a fundraising page leading up to the festival, for a little peer-to-peer fundraising.

3. Pumpkin Carving

Another grand idea for teams and booths is carving a pumpkin. Did you know that “National Pumpkin Day” is October 26th? Why not make it a pumpkin carving for your cause? It may get messy, but it is a must-have for fall fun! Is there a local pumpkin patch willing to host a booth? Remember it takes a village to host a show-stopper event. Don’t shy away from networking. 

4. Chili Connections 

Chili and fall go hand-in-hand. Get a well-known or favorite local restaurant to have a booth selling chili with a percentage of the proceeds going towards your organization. Or invite individuals to participate in a cook-off contest.  The Chili booth or booths at your fest can bring in all those hungry and ready to warm up. Make the most of chili season to inspire potential donors, recurring donors, and others to learn more about why your nonprofit matters. Continue with the theme of having booths and perhaps competing teams to make your BIG event a smashing hit! 

Stir up some more fun for almost any BIG event by creating a booth contest. For example, each booth can create a QR code linked to that booth’s individual fundraiser page. Donation dollars are votes and the winner receives a prize at the end of the BIG event!

As a bonus to your Big Fall Festival, you can have certain areas or features geared toward adults. Everyone can appreciate that, especially during seasons often geared towards “what the kids enjoy.” The following two ideas can be incorporated into your festival. Or you could even let each fundraising idea stand alone as their own Big events. 

5. Oktoberfest

Make your own Oktoberfest by networking with a local brewery. Bring in food trucks, perhaps even local bands and artists to join in the fun. Want to add little competition? Utilize an event page to create a mini battle of the bands. Each band has a fundraising page, donation dollars equal votes, and your event leaderboard shows the realtime favorites.

Whether you add a beer booth to your fall festival or let this one stand alone as its own event, toasting some beers with your friends is always a reason to invest in a cause!

6. Nature Walk

Nov. 17th is National Hiking Day. You could feature a trail or corn maze in your BIG festival. Or like Oktoberfest, this could stand alone, and be a big show-stopper on its own! Take advantage of the national holiday and work with a local park or your local Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to engage the community.

Have things along the hike/trail to display the importance of your work. Participants can raise money through individual fundraisers or teams. Similar to a walk-a-thon, encourage everyone to reach out to friends and family to support their hike. Often your local DNR or environmental agency will have events happening, can you partner with them to join in what they are already doing in the community? 

Whichever way you decide to GO BIG, remember that fall is full of momentum, festivals are all the craze and it’s time to make the most of your fall fundraising! If you GO BIG, it will be an event your donors and community remember, keeping your organization’s work at the forefront of their minds in the giving season and the years to come!

Foster funding through online or hybrid events. Create an online presence by creating stories and hashtags. What’s more, Mightycause works to make managing your donor engagement easy and accessible. 

Below are four ideas to take advantage of fall momentum and make your online fundraising creative, substantial, and effective.

7. Bike-a-thon

Fall is the perfect weather for bike riding. The cool breeze and beautiful colors make for a glorious time to be outside. To set up a bike-a-thon, simply map out an easy course for your participants or a goal for miles biked. Then let your supporters raise money with every mile! This is a great way to encourage and utilize peer-to-peer fundraising. 

8. Costume Run

We can’t forget fall is Halloween season and costumes are on the minds of most kids and many adults. A costume contest is great, but why not turn it into a run? Can’t you just feel the joy an event like this will bring?!

A Costume Run is a new twist on a 5k run for a cause. It’s a great opportunity for families to show off their costumes and have a laugh!

Utilize peer-to-peer fundraising and have participants promote the event on their social media. Enhance the festivities by having supporters vote on their favorite costumes by making a donation. If runners can’t make it to the event, that’s ok! They can run in their costumes anywhere!

9. No Shave November

The great thing about online fundraisers is that they can be created by literally anyone, or focus on a select group. Take for example No Shave November, this campaign was originally started to bring awareness to cancer, but you can join in on the idea for your own work. Make fundraising last a whole month.

If your mission is related to fathers or your donor base is primarily men, this would be a great way to engage your donor base. 

This kind of fundraising event thrives on social media involvement. Have participants share updates throughout the entire month! Make it fun by offering prizes for different categories of beards or beard length. It is without a doubt a fundraiser that would bring smiles and funding to your mission!

10. Bowling Tournament

Once it gets too chilly outside, people won’t want to be out running or biking, but bowling is always a good time! Embrace a bowling event, with the same concepts as previously mentioned. Using our event features, participants can register using Eventbrite, create a team, raise funds leading up to the tournament, and then gather for a great time. 

Partner with your local bowling alley for a discount on games or renting space. Work with other local businesses to raffle off prizes or award the highest bowler or team. You can make this an event for serious bowlers, or you can create a friendly competition atmosphere. It’s totally up to you! The goal is to fund your mission and build awareness for your amazing work.

Any of these events have great potential to boost funding for your mission and give you the fall fundraising focus you need. Be bold and try one out!

In the hustle and bustle of fall festivities, sometimes it’s easy to lose focus from your current supporters. You can’t do what you do without your board members, volunteers, and long-term recurring donors. So how do you show appreciation to your current supporters and donors?

Consider hosting an intimate event to show your appreciation. The main focus here is about donor engagement. It’s more than just fundraising, it’s about showing thanks and care for those who already support your cause. They make the continued success of your mission and your organization possible, so it’s important they feel seen and valued.

Here are four intimate ideas to show appreciation to those close to the work you do day in and out, while still creating ways of funding for your organization.

11. Paint and Sip

Consider hosting an intimate event such as a paint and sip. Paint and sips are a great way to have people come together for a fun, easy activity.

Work with a local paint studio or pottery business to support your cause. Charge tickets to the event using our Eventbrite integration or simply have an option for donations to be taken on-site. Keep it small, and invite your board members and most important supporters.

12. Bonfire

Are you counting down the days for bonfire weather like we are?! Sitting around a fire is a great way to have a more intimate fundraising experience. Whether you’re sitting on logs or comfy couches, create a calm night with only your board members to show them they are vital to the work you do.

Maybe even making the night less about fundraising, and more about motivating your board to be active in networking as the giving season intensifies. You could have donations to attend be optional, yet have them pledge to gain a certain number of new donors for your organization before the end of the year.

However you chose to sit around the fire, allow it to be a space where your board members are encouraged and appreciated. Inspire them to renew their passion for the mission they are a part of through your organization. Your board members are one of your biggest assets and making sure they know this will only benefit your growth.

And don’t forget the s’mores! 

14. Friendsgiving

The concept of Friendsgiving has been around since 2006. This is another option for a more intimate fundraising event. It could be big or small, depending on how much effort you want to put into it. Whether it’s a potluck or a catered event, it’s an opportunity to show your gratitude to those close to your organization.

Make it fun by creating awards for your various supporters, board members, volunteers, and recurring donors. Celebrate the accomplishments your organization has made and how those in attendance have made those goals attainable. 

15. Trivia Night

Getting out on a chilly night for some trivia fun, who can resist that! Ask a local restaurant or coffee shop to partner with you, or even find a board member willing to host the trivia night at their home. Remember to keep this simple and intimate, and stay focused on showing appreciation to those close to your day-to-day success. 

As mentioned in the previous ideas, you can have donations to attend be optional, yet have them pledge to network by gaining new donors. Provide hot cocoa and treats, and make it cozy with a bit of healthy competition. When creating your trivia questions make sure to have some related to your organization and perhaps a few audience members.  

16. GivingTuesday

Whichever way you go this fall-giving season, remember that Mightycause is here to help you reach your goals and support you along the way. If you have questions or want to speak with someone directly, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

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