Giving Season Events: 10 Fundraising Ideas to Raise More
Discover 10 diverse fundraising ideas for your Giving Season events that will help you raise more when you’re already connecting with supporters.
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Discover 10 diverse fundraising ideas for your Giving Season events that will help you raise more when you’re already connecting with supporters.
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!Generosity flourishes during the last two months of the calendar year, making it the perfect time to host events that capitalize on this generous spirit of giving. Beyond end-of-year donations, Giving Season events offer additional perks like attracting new supporters, building mailing lists, and increasing awareness of your mission.
In this article, I’ll showcase ten fresh event ideas to make your giving season fundraising even more successful this year.
Events are a great way to harness the energy of Giving Tuesday, hosted annually on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving in the U.S. (December 1st in 2026).
In 2025, nonprofits raised $4 billion globally on Giving Tuesday, a 13% increase over 2024. Donors are excited to support the causes they care about on this day of generosity – making it a great opportunity to connect through unique events.
Since this is such a big opportunity, I’m sharing two ideas for events on this day.
Drive awareness by hosting a parking lot or in-lobby coffee and donut stand. Enthusiastic volunteers greet morning commuters with, “Happy Giving Tuesday! Enjoy coffee and a donut on us.” Then, they hand over a flyer about your mission with the goodies!
Although the goal of this event is primarily to raise awareness, you should also collect donations. Set out a donation jar or, better yet, incorporate a donation kiosk for easy on-site giving. With the right kiosk tool, you can collect email addresses for easy follow-up – and add them to future appeals!
Location matters, so scope out a place that offers plenty of foot traffic and has nearby power sources for coffee makers and space to accommodate your stand. Partner with a community business to get the coffee and/or donuts donated for maximum revenue.
Gather your supporters together over a festive Friendsgiving-adjacent food event at a local restaurant with a “Friends of Your Organization” dinner the night of Giving Tuesday.
Sell tickets to the dinner in advance. During the event, line up some giveaways or merchandise that would make great stocking stuffers to boost awareness and income. Make sure all your advance marketing stresses that it’s a Giving Tuesday event so the timing of it is easy to remember!
Ring in the season – no matter which holiday you celebrate – with a musical fundraiser. Invite local artists or ensembles to stage a concert, with proceeds from ticket sales going toward your cause.
To add another level of fun, invite several groups to perform a short set. Then, offer a cash prize for the best group based on a People’s Choice vote. (Hint: This award incentivizes the groups to bring more ticket-buying friends and family members, increasing your attendance.)
Host a classic fall or winter soiree featuring seasonal décor, entertainment, and a silent auction. Sell tickets for this glamorous gala, where attendees can support your organization while enjoying a memorable evening. An aptly named event – like The Fall Frolic or The Snow Ball – conveys elegance, enchantment, and energy.
This event can also take a distinctly un-holiday approach. Hosting it before Thanksgiving or in the early weeks of December means people aren’t in holiday-hectic mode, but you’re still getting engagement from them during the Giving Season.
Collaborate with local businesses to create a giving season shopping event and capitalize on the shopping mindset common during this time of year. You can sell tickets for higher discounts, or simply ask that your partner businesses donate a portion of their sales. Offer added perks like food and drink to create a fun atmosphere,and host activities like a wine pull to directly benefit your mission.
Done well, these events can attract new shoppers to featured businesses, giving them exposure they wouldn’t otherwise have. It’s a win-win-win for shoppers, businesses, and your organization!
Similar to a Friendsgiving event, this can serve two purposes – showing your volunteers appreciation for their year of support and raising some funds at the same time.
Serve an easy, cost-effective menu – spaghetti, pancakes, pizza, etc. – for free and tap fundraising strategies like sponsorships, a 50/50 raffle, selling holiday merchandise, or other fun on-site activities.
Host a public lighting display in your community to spread cheer and awareness for your mission. Ideal for an undeveloped area with road infrastructure (e.g., a future housing development, community park, or summer camp), these events give families somewhere to get into the holiday spirit while staying warm and cozy in the car or strolling through a winter wonderland.
On top of ticket sales, boost your year-end fundraising with sponsorships, food and drink sales, and donations collected at the event entrance.
To save time and money, invite local clubs and businesses to build unique lighted displays. Offer prizes to the best designs to encourage participation. Or, team up with a local drive-through light display for a one-night-only fundraiser where your organization receives a portion of their proceeds.
Organize a seasonal 5K or fun run/walk, encouraging participants to embrace the theme, be it Thanksgiving, the autumnal equinox, or a winter holiday. Runners can participate in a Turkey Trot around Thanksgiving, or hoof it to your Reindeer Run or Sleigh the Day 5K.
Charge an entry fee and provide fun incentives for participants, such as themed medals or tumblers, that serve as year-round advertising for the event and your organization.
Pro Tip: Use peer-to-peer fundraising alongside this giving season event to boost revenue and awareness simultaneously for your organization. Runners can each create their own fundraising page connected to your campaign and then ask friends and family to donate to support their race.
Your giving season event could be a craft fair featuring local artisans and crafters. Charge a vendor fee and invite the community to shop for unique, handcrafted gifts.
A modest entrant fee for shoppers can also benefit your mission. Also consider an event add-on, like a “Kids Create” area where parents make a donation for the wee ones to try their artistic hand at a simple craft.
Create a winter wonderland with games, rides, and seasonal treats for a giving season event that appeals to children and families. Charge an admission fee and/or offer a mix of free and ticketed activities to cater to all budgets.
For example, ask local businesses to host booths with simple, free games for kids (think Plinko, Prize Wheels, and more) in exchange for the promotion it provides for their brand. Then, charge a small fee for tickets to ride a carousel, Ferris wheel, and other fun rides.
Plan a gingerbread house decorating contest for individuals, families, or local businesses. Entry fees, sponsorships, and sales of gingerbread house kits can contribute to your fundraising goals.
This is another event where you can feature a People’s Choice award. Entrants encourage friends and family members to attend and vote for their deliciously decorated dwelling.
Pro Tip: Boost awareness by posting entries on your social media accounts, encouraging entrants to share your post to get more votes for the People’s Choice award.
| Event | Cost Level | Planning Effort Level | Revenue Possibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Free” Coffee and Donut Stand for Giving Tuesday | Low with donated food and beverages | Low | Lower opportunity for revenue; more of an awareness event |
| Giving Tuesday “Dine to Donate” Restaurant Day | Low if sponsored by a local restaurant | Medium | High |
| Concert Fundraisers | Medium to High depending on venue and performer expenses | High | High |
| Seasonal Gala | High | High | High |
| Giving Season Shopping Event | Low | Medium | Medium |
| Volunteer Appreciation Celebration | Low | Low | Low |
| Holiday Light Display | Low to Medium depending on lighting equipment costs | High | High |
| Fall or Holiday-themed Fun Run | Low | Medium to High depending on location | High |
| Craft Fair | Low | Low | Medium |
| Children’s Winter Carnival | Medium | Medium to High | High depending on sponsorships |
| Gingerbread House Decorating Contest | Low | Medium | Medium |
Here are the events I would recommend budget- and capacity-strapped teams take on:
These offer the perfect combination of low expenses and relatively low effort, while still capitalizing on the momentum of the season.
To determine how much you should invest in your Giving Season event, first decide how much you hope to raise and then work backwards using a budget. Return on investment, or ROI, might be difficult to measure if your event is geared more toward awareness and outreach than fundraising.
Here’s an example event budget for a small event:
Unfortunately, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to how much money you should expect to spend on your Giving Season event. If you know your typical cost per dollar raised for events, you can calculate about how much you’re comfortable spending based on your expected return.
When you should start planning your Giving Season event varies depending on the size and scale of your event. Larger events will obviously need an earlier start to secure venue rentals and other vendors.
I recommend creating a timeline and working backwards to understand when you need to complete certain tasks. For example, let’s say your organization chooses to host a concert fundraiser at the local community center on December 11th.
Here’s what your timeline might look like:
To create this, I started at the bottom with the event date and calculated around 12 weeks for total prep. As I shared above, your event may require more advanced planning.
As you plan, use our free Event Planning Checklist to ensure you don’t forget any crucial step.
Several of the giving season events listed above mention add-on fundraising activities. These extra income generators should not be underestimated! In some instances, the income from add-ons can surpass ticket sales.
For every type of fundraising event your organization plans, be sure to consider whether any or all of the following add-ons could be featured.
During the Giving Season, people are making more than charitable gifts; they’re giving to friends and family.
Everyone is looking for coworker/neighbor treats, stocking stuffers, and hostess gifts during the months of November and December. Take advantage of this shopper mindset by showcasing your own unique products, like candles, wrapping paper, t-shirts, or mugs. Branded items serve as both memorabilia and a source of revenue.
Incorporate silent auctions into your events as an added source of entertainment and revenue. Encourage local businesses to donate items for bidding, tap your own community of volunteers and their friends and family for donations of unique items, and ensure you have a seamless bidding process in place.
If you have a handful of in-demand items (Taylor Swift tickets, anyone?), consider adding a raffle to your event. Raffles are great because people give in the hopes of just maybe getting something back, but “losers” don’t typically mind missing out since it’s for a good cause.
Important Note: While raffles can be a great fundraising tool, it’s important to recognize that many states require extra steps to comply with local raffle laws. This often includes obtaining a license or registration before selling tickets. Review our guide on raffle laws in all 50 states to learn more.
One of the best tools you can add to your giving season event is an on-site giving kiosk that accepts cashless donations. Whether you use it to encourage additional donations or to collect payment for merchandise, refreshments, attraction tickets, raffles, and more, there are so many ways you can put a donation kiosk to work at an event.
The Donorbox Live™ app makes it easy to set up your own donation kiosk. Simply create a fundraising campaign on Donorbox, download the app to an iPad or Android tablet, pair it with a card reader, and you’re ready to accept donations via card or smart device.
Yes, donation kiosks work at fundraising events and are a great tool for capturing more attendee generosity.
I’ve seen some really incredible success in the industry, including at Riley Rocks’ 2025 gala. This organization, which supports children battling cancer, raised over $100,000 with the help of Donorbox Live™ Kiosk. The tap-to-donate feature made giving more convenient than ever, as guests could just select their donation amounts and tap their phones to give. 
A donation kiosk is a great way to add earning potential to any of the events I listed above.
Donorbox Events’ robust platform increases ticket sales and streamlines your giving season event management.
Nonprofits use Donorbox Events to create quick event ticketing forms, capture payments with 25+ payment methods, collect attendee information, and check guests in quickly and efficiently. Donorbox Events is free to get started, with a 3.95% platform fee per transaction plus payment processing fees.
Additionally, robust tools behind the scenes simplify your event planning process, with at-a-glance metrics and quick-edit tools.
Uncover some proven tips and strategies to maximize the success of your next fundraising event.
My final bit of wisdom to impart: you cannot let the relationship with potential new donors end once the event is over.
Collect contact information like email addresses and send follow-up communication thanking them for attending. Now is also a great time to send a donor survey and learn more about your new audience, including their philanthropic interests. You may even convert some attendees into recurring donors.
And remember, Giving Season events are powerful tools to raise more at year-end. Engaging your community through these events fosters a culture of giving that outlasts the season.
Looking for the perfect partner for Giving Season? Donorbox offers tools that make events and year-end fundraising easy. Learn more and sign up to start fundraising today.
With 20+ years of nonprofit management experience and a passion for serving the nonprofit sector, Libby has been called a “nonprofit brainiac.” Libby’s nonprofit professional experience runs the gamut – board management, governance, fundraising, development, budgeting, marketing, special events, and more! When not consulting and writing, you’ll find her on a boat on the coast of North Carolina with her daughter and chocolate lab!
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!
