Running a little low on creativity this spooky season? In this article, I’ll share 11 Halloween fundraising ideas to make your creepy fundraiser a success!
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!81% of U.S. donors regularly attend nonprofit fundraising events. Halloween is the ideal time of year to get creative and go all out with entertaining activities to engage supporters ahead of the giving season.
Below, I’ll share 11 creative Halloween fundraising ideas to bring in additional funds for your organization this fall.
Use this handy checklist to help you decide which Halloween fundraiser is right for your organization.
| Fundraising Type | Setup Cost | Volunteers Needed | Planning Time | Fundraising Potential | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin sale | $$ | 3-6 | 2–4 weeks | $$ | Nonprofits of all sizes with a local community presence |
| Pumpkin carving | $$ | 5-10 | 3–6 weeks | $$$ | Schools, community groups, nonprofits with family audiences |
| Decorate your porch contest | $ | 2-4 | 1–3 weeks | $$ | Small nonprofits, schools, and community-focused organizations |
| Haunted house | $$$ | 15+ | 6–10 weeks | $$$ | Medium to large nonprofits with a strong volunteer base |
| Spooky party | $$$ | 8-15 | 4–8 weeks | $$$ | Medium to large nonprofits with a strong volunteer base |
| Obstacle zombie race | $$$ | 15+ | 6–10 weeks | $$$ | Health and fitness organizations with highly engaged supporters |
| Pumpkin spice latte workshop | $$ | 3-6 | 2–4 weeks | $$ | Small nonprofits with a strong local community presence |
| Horror movie night | $$ | 4-8 | 3–6 weeks | $$ | Schools and community-focused organizations |
| Witch project | $$ | 5-10 | 4–6 weeks | $$ | Community organizations and nonprofits with event-planning capacity |
| Halloween candies | $ | 2-4 | 1–3 weeks | $$ | Schools and small nonprofits |
| Spooky trivia night | $$ | 4-8 | 2–4 weeks | $$ | Small to medium nonprofits with an engaged supporter base |
| Halloween art contest (virtual) | $ | 2-3 | 1–3 weeks | $$ | Schools, youth organizations, and nonprofits with online communities |
| Spooky story contest (virtual) | $ | 2-3 | 1–3 weeks | $ | Schools, youth organizations, and online communities |
| Halloween costume contest (virtual) | $ | 2-3 | 1–3 weeks | $$ | Small nonprofits, schools, and organizations with an engaged online community |
Now, let’s look at these fundraising ideas in detail.
This fundraising idea is perfect for Halloween, but also for fall and Thanksgiving fundraising.
To go the extra mile, turn your pumpkin sale into a proper pumpkin patch and offer pumpkin carving (see below), fun activities for families, warm beverages, and more. Consider having a concession stand for selling candy apples, popcorn, and other fall favorites!
Pro tip: Promote your sale and pumpkin patch online. Create collages and creative graphics to showcase and promote your pumpkin patch in your community.
Another traditional Halloween activity, pumpkin carving can raise a lot of funds for your nonprofit. Organize pumpkin carving as an event within a pumpkin patch (see Idea 1) or as a separate event.
You could also offer pumpkin painting for a fun twist!
Your volunteers should be present at all times to help families and other visitors with their designs and carving efforts.
Charge an entry fee (reasonably high) since you’re providing all the implements to make a jack-o-lantern on the spot. Simplify the process by selling tickets online using an event ticketing tool like Donorbox Events.
Pro tip #1: Download free pumpkin carving patterns online.
Pro tip #2: To reach a wider community, take your pumpkin carving virtual! To enter your online pumpkin carving contest, get supporters to donate a small amount through your online donation form (e.g., $5). Host a Zoom Halloween party and display all the entries. Then, pick a winner and award them an attractive prize.
The example below is great inspiration for online pumpkin carving campaigns. Use a donation page like this to raise money with your virtual, as well as hybrid and in-person Thanksgiving events.
Raise More for Your Halloween Fundraiser with Donorbox
This creative low-cost Halloween fundraising idea is ideal for creating interest and buzz among your supporters. It’s best-suited for community organizations, schools, and small local nonprofits, but nonprofits of all sizes can try it.
This Halloween fundraising idea can also be turned into a social media campaign. Create a specific campaign hashtag to drive awareness of your brand and cause.
Everyone loves a good scare on Halloween, and creating a Haunted House is the perfect way to achieve that and increase donations to your nonprofit.
If you want to make your Haunted House less scary and more fun, have your actors act silly or hit walls. Alternatively, organize activities like Musical Zombies or bobbing for apples.
Charge admission fees and set cauldrons across the Haunted House (especially at the exit of the tour) to encourage guests to donate more.
Since most guests are unlikely to have cash, set up a donation kiosk using in-person fundraising software like the Donorbox Live™ app. Use Donorbox Live™ Kiosk to turn your tablet and card reader into a donation magnet for accepting cashless donations via cards and digital wallets. Or, get volunteers to use the Donorbox Live™ Mobile mode on their smartphones and collect funds throughout the evening.
A Halloween party is a great way to organize a fundraiser catering to adults during a holiday that can sometimes seem “childish” – and the theme is already picked out for you.
Use our handy event planning checklist to make your spooky party a success.
To take your event to the next level, organize a VIP Halloween-themed gala and invite prominent guests. Sell tickets to your event online and include different tiers for added exclusivity (the more exclusive, the higher the fee).
For inspiration, check out the New York Restoration Project’s annual gala, “Hulaween 2026.” They’ve set up a donation form to inspire even more generosity, in addition to creating different tiers for exclusive tickets and tables to their event:
Pro tip: To increase attendance at your Halloween event, allow guests to add an event reminder with all relevant information to their calendar. Donorbox Events, for example, makes this easy for attendees to do!
To make a run or race Halloween-appropriate and add a fun twist to it, consider a Zombie Race. Alternatively, organize a walk instead of a run.
Have all participants come dressed up as zombies and race to the finish line. Award bonus points for zombie moves!
This is also a fundraising event that can generate a lot of buzz. As word of mouth spreads, you’ll have registrations pouring in.
How to make your zombie fundraising event a success:
To make it even more interesting, organize the run/walk at night and have your volunteers come out at certain times to scare participants.
Alternatives to consider:
Here’s an example of a virtual zombie run to raise donations for Street Homeless Animal Project:
It’s the season of warm beverages, so consider hosting a pumpkin spice latte workshop for this time of year.
Use a text-to-give option like Donorbox Text-to-Give to raise more during your pumpkin spice latte workshop. Donorx can text your unique campaign ID or custom keyword to the toll-free number or short code. Then they’ll receive a link to your donation form to quickly complete their gift.
Pro tip: Make this idea bigger by partnering with a local coffee shop or coffee shop chain. Create a special Halloween warm drink with them and have the proceeds (or part of them) go to your nonprofit.
As the days get colder and Halloween approaches, organize a big, cozy horror movie night and charge admission fees to raise funds.
Note: Any showing of a film for profit will put you in violation of copyright laws. To book a film for public showing, contact an independent film broker who will get you the film, charge a fee for the process, and report your box office receipts to the owner of the film.
Since these fees can sometimes be steep, consider selling tickets to raise money that will cover the costs and meet your fundraising goals. Donorbox Events makes selling tickets online easy. Create unlimited ticket tiers (e.g., include a higher ticket level with admission, candy, and drinks), accept donations on top of ticket sales, and display the tax-deductible amount for each ticket tier to encourage sales.
Here’s an example of an organization’s online event page with a ticketing form selling tickets:
Sell Tickets with Donorbox Events
We can’t forget about the witches when talking about Halloween! Organize an entirely witch-themed event to increase engagement this spooky season.
You could also sell customized potions and spells to participants (of course, it’s all just for fun – so make sure everyone knows that!).
Pro tip: In addition to the parade and the party, organize a spooky witch workshop for broom-making and wand-decorating.
Selling Halloween treats is a simple and popular way to raise money while spreading awareness for your nonprofit.
Packaged chocolate bars are by far the most popular fundraising candy. However, put a little research into fundraising candy sale options.
Pro tip: Review previous fundraising statistics to determine what the bestsellers were among your supporters.
Trivia is popular, can be tailored to most audiences, and is simple to organize, so consider hosting a spooky trivia night this Halloween.
Consider the following for your trivia night:
For more ideas, check out this mega guide of 100+ fundraising ideas for nonprofits.
This is a classic fundraising event done simply online.
Pro tip: Consider conducting the contest as a social media campaign. Let the campaign run for a few days to increase participation.
Consider hosting an online spooky story contest to connect with your supporters virtually.
Host a Halloween costume contest to engage and connect with your donors.
Before committing to a specific Halloween fundraising idea, estimate the costs you may need to cover. Your budget will depend on the scale and type of event, but the table below offers a general overview to help you plan accordingly:
| Category | What to Budget For |
|---|---|
| Venue | Rental fees, deposits, cleaning, and equipment |
| Permits | Event permits, food permits, or other local requirements |
| Supplies and decorations | Halloween décor, activity materials, tables, signage, etc. |
| Food and drinks | Refreshments, catering, food-service equipment |
| Prizes | Contest prizes, raffle items, giveaways, and incentives |
| Marketing | Flyers, digital advertising, promotional materials, and social media ads |
| Volunteer expenses | Meals, transportation, T-shirts, supplies, etc. |
A Halloween fundraiser is a great way to increase support for your cause in an exciting way this fall. Get creative with these Halloween fundraising ideas, but remember to consider your donors’ interests.
Unified fundraising platforms like Donorbox offer intuitive and powerful fundraising features to scale your organization’s growth.
Sign up to raise more for your mission this fall and beyond.
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Raviraj heads the sales and marketing team at Donorbox. His growth-hacking abilities have helped Donorbox boost fundraising efforts for thousands of nonprofit organizations.
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!
