Looking for ways to incorporate Thanksgiving into your year-end fundraising strategy? In this article, I’ll share three ways to include gratitude in your campaign and share 14 effective Thanksgiving fundraising ideas.
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!Thanksgiving falls on November 26, 2026 in the U.S. and serves as the unofficial start to the holiday season. 38.1 million Americans donated $4 billion to nonprofits on Giving Tuesday in 2025.
The holiday season and Thanksgiving are a timely opportunity to engage supporters, launch seasonal fundraising campaigns, and build momentum toward year-end giving.
Below, I’ll share 14 Thanksgiving fundraising ideas to inspire your end-of-year strategy. I’ll also share some helpful resources to help you plan, along with the three key principles for successful Thanksgiving fundraising.
Thanksgiving is an ideal time to connect with your existing donors. Mobilize volunteers to write thank-you notes to those who have donated within the last year or two. Have your board of directors call donors to thank them for their support.
If you have the budget and the capacity, consider hosting a Thanksgiving dinner or other donor appreciation event.
Here are some additional ways to thank your donors:
Showcasing individual stories about your beneficiaries is more powerful than throwing statistics around. You can also share stories from the viewpoint of a dedicated volunteer or longtime donor, empowering them to speak about why they support your mission.
Include one of these impact stories in your thank-yous, or send out a Thanksgiving email featuring a video of one of your stories. A video featuring several donors, volunteers, and/or staff members saying thank you in honor of the holiday can be extremely powerful.
The key this Thanksgiving season is to build on the sentiment of gratitude to increase giving, but without manipulating or guilting your donors into making a gift.
A good way to do this is to express your gratitude to donors, as described in the first point above, reminding them of what they helped you achieve. Segment your donors, then use personalized messaging to thank them through their preferred communication channel.
Finally, ask your supporters to give tastefully, focusing on warmth, community, and cheer.
Each fundraising idea below requires a different level of investment of time, money, and resources. Use this quick comparison table to choose an idea that aligns with your organization’s capacity.
| Idea | Cost | Effort | Fundraising Potential | Lead Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving meal for those in need | $ | Medium | $$$ | 3–6 weeks |
| Thanksgiving social media giveaway | $–$$ | Low | $$ | 2–4 weeks |
| Holiday gift drive | $–$$ | Medium | $$ | 3–6 weeks |
| Turkey Trot | $$$ | High | $$$ | 6–12 weeks |
| Thanksgiving bake sale | $ | Medium | $$ | 1–3 weeks |
| Thanksgiving raffle | $$ | Medium | $$$ | 3–6 weeks |
| Fall foliage tour | $$$ | High | $$ | 4–8 weeks |
| Gift baskets | $$ | Medium | $$ | 3–6 weeks |
| Pumpkin or mums sale | $$ | Medium | $$ | 3–6 weeks |
| Harvest Fest | $$$ | High | $$$ | 6–12 weeks |
| Yard cleanup | $ | Medium | $–$$ | 1–3 weeks |
| Candle fundraiser | $ | Low | $$ | 2–4 weeks |
| Corn maze | $$$ | High | $$$ | 6–12 weeks |
Pro tip: If you are a small nonprofit with minimal budget and/or limited volunteers, start with a lower-cost idea like a bake sale, yard cleanup, or candle fundraiser. Larger events like a turkey trot or harvest fest have greater fundraising potential but require more planning, volunteers, and upfront resources.
Below, I’ll share 14 ideas to inspire your fundraising.
If your organization is a food pantry, soup kitchen, or otherwise focused on addressing food insecurity, consider raising funds to provide a Thanksgiving meal to beneficiaries. This is a fantastic low-budget Thanksgiving fundraising idea for small nonprofits.
Start fundraising a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Ask supporters to donate the equivalent of a turkey or side dish so families in your community can enjoy a holiday meal.
For example, see how Heartland Hope Mission collected donations to provide Thanksgiving meal kits to low-income families. They used Donorbox to create an online giving page and include descriptions so supporters knew exactly how their gift would have an impact.
Create a Thanksgiving Campaign on Donorbox
Consider offering a Thanksgiving-themed giveaway on social media to engage your supporters. Partner with a local business and offer a discount coupon or gift card for every donation.
If possible, offer prizes donors will appreciate for Thanksgiving or the upcoming holiday season, such as a grocery store gift card, holiday decor, or an evening out.
This is an excellent way to generate buzz on social media, reward donors, and inspire generosity. It’s also an easy way to foster local business partnerships.
With Christmas and other gift-giving holidays around the corner, the weeks around Thanksgiving are an ideal time to launch a holiday gift drive for kids and families in your community.
Collect physical items for your gift drive, and ask for monetary donations from those who don’t have time to shop or are unable to reach your drop-off location.
See how Veteran Aid Ukraine collected online donations to provide children in Ukraine with Christmas gifts. Their crowdfunding campaign raised $26,556.96, exceeding their original fundraising goal!
Organizing a 5k, 10k, or marathon run can be a profitable Thanksgiving fundraising idea. Design a campaign and incorporate crowdfunding and peer-to-peer fundraising.
Let participants set up peer-to-peer fundraising pages to collect donations for racing and share their pages on social media. Encourage your runners to dress up according to the theme and reward the best costumes.
Pro tip: Save time and money by hosting a virtual 5k instead. Let runners participate whenever they want (typically within a set time frame). You don’t need to block off streets, purchase decorations, or worry about the many other tasks and expenses associated with an in-person race.
A Thanksgiving bake sale is a great low-cost fundraising idea for smaller nonprofits that adds a seasonal twist on a traditional fundraiser. Sell baked goods that are fall-themed or Thanksgiving-themed, like apple pies, crumbles, and anything pumpkin spice.
Host your bake sale in person or virtually within the week leading up to Thanksgiving. For an in-person event, ask your volunteers to bake goods to sell. Host your sale in a high-traffic area at your location, or partner with a local business that attracts a lot of people.
To raise even more, set up a donation kiosk to accept cashless in-person gifts made via cards and digital wallets. In-person fundraising software like Donorbox Live™ lets you quickly turn your tablet or smartphone into a powerful giving kiosk.
Pro tip: Use an event ticketing tool like Donorbox Events to sell items for your virtual bake sale. List each item available (pies, cookies, etc.) as separate “tickets” on your online ticketing form. Set a quantity limit for each “ticket.” This creates a sense of urgency and encourages more purchases.
Thanksgiving is an opportune time to host an online raffle for a vacation and other large prizes. Advertise it through various channels, and offer one major prize like an all-expenses-paid trip or present three or four options to appeal to various audiences.
Let donors buy one raffle ticket for a chance to win all prizes. Or, use an online donation form so donors can choose the raffle they want to enter.
Take a look at this example from Tri-League. They offered a package of raffle prizes – donors could give $10 to purchase one entry or $25 for three entries.
Note: Before you run a raffle, check local laws. Some states have specific laws and regulations regarding raffles, and the Internal Revenue Service considers it a form of lottery.
Many people love going on day trips to enjoy the scenery during the holiday season. Plan a fall foliage sightseeing trip and advertise it locally.
This type of event is popular amongst the elderly, so advertise your tour to retirement homes and senior centers. Rent a bus and a driver (or have someone from your organization drive), and plan a route. Ensure the scenery is colorful, and there is a spot for lunch on the way.
Sell tickets to cover the cost of gas and a light meal, or ask for a freewill donation and have attendees cover their own lunch.
Gift baskets are a natural fit for the holiday season. They also make for great hostess gifts when attending a Thanksgiving meal in someone else’s home.
Create your own gift baskets to sell, preferably designing several different ones to fit different buyer profiles and budgets (e.g., wine baskets, artisanal baked items, or body care packages). Consider raffling off a few baskets with bigger ticket items. Perhaps one basket may have a $50 gift card and another an iPad!
Nothing says fall like pumpkins and mums (short for chrysanthemum). Order these items in bulk from a local farmer, and sell them at your offices or a public space (like a farmer’s market) at a higher price to raise money.
If you’re hosting a harvest fest or you’d like to decorate your office or place of worship, ask donors to purchase pumpkins or mums in honor or memory of a loved one.
Use them as fall decorations for your event or over a few weeks. Then, allow each donor to take a pumpkin or mum home.
Make the most of the fall harvest and Thanksgiving season and arrange a Harvest Fest or Fall Festival. Sell local produce or treats that are particularly in demand around this time of year.
Consider inviting area crafters to sell their handmade goods, like seasonal decorations, quilts, clothing, and jewelry. Contact a local farmer willing to sell you a large quantity of seasonal produce to resell at your fest, alongside corn on the cob, apple cider, and other seasonal food and drink.
Use a donation kiosk to collect cashless gifts at your event.
See how the Lux Christi Academy promoted and sold tickets to their 2025 Harvest Festival using Donorbox Events:
Many people spend a lot of time clearing leaves during the fall. If you’re a small nonprofit wanting to host a Thanksgiving fundraiser with minimal expenses and effort involved, offer yard cleanups in exchange for donations.
Mobilize your volunteers to do this. If you don’t have a volunteer base, consider partnering with a local school. This is also a great project for a church youth group.
Have all the supplies you need on hand, including extra-large yard bags, rakes, yard gloves, and bag stands.
A candle fundraiser is an excellent way to raise some additional funds this Thanksgiving. Source candles from local markets and sellers and set up an online donation page to sell them.
This is a great cost-effective Thanksgiving idea for small nonprofits with minimal volunteers and budget to work with.
See how this nonprofit below uses a donation page to sell candles and raise funds.
Corn mazes are a fantastic and family-friendly fall fundraising idea, perfect for Thanksgiving and the holidays.
Create your own maze or obstacle course in a large open space using purchased hay bales, corn stalks, or other materials. Or, partner with a local farm that has an existing corn or hay bale maze, and ask if you can host a fundraising event for a single day of their season.
Use this helpful checklist to plan your Thanksgiving fundraiser successfully.
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Determine your fundraising goal | Decide how much you want to raise and what the funds will support. |
| Confirm your Thanksgiving fundraising idea | Choose an idea that aligns with your audience, budget, timeline, and resources. |
| Create a budget | Where applicable, estimate costs for supplies, food, permits, marketing, and other expenses. |
| Assign responsibilities | Assign clear roles and responsibilities to staff and volunteers, such as who will plan and promote your fundraiser. |
| Create your online donation page or event form | Depending on your fundraising idea, set up a user-friendly campaign page or event form where supporters can donate, register, buy tickets, or learn how to get involved. |
| Promote your fundraiser | Share it via email, social media, your website, and other channels you use to connect with supporters. |
| Acknowledge supporters | Thank participants and donors, share your results and impact, and invite them to stay involved. |
| Organization Type | Fundraising Ideas to Consider | Why They May Work |
|---|---|---|
| Schools and PTAs | Bake sale, holiday gift drive, yard cleanup | These fundraisers involve students, parents, teachers, and volunteers while keeping activities community-focused. |
| Churches and faith-based organizations | Bake sale, yard cleanup, Thanksgiving meal, Harvest Fest | Churches can draw on their existing congregation, volunteers, and community to organize service-oriented or social fundraisers. |
| Food pantries and hunger-relief organizations | Thanksgiving meal, holiday gift drive | These activities connect fundraising directly to the organization’s mission and give donors a tangible way to support families during the holidays. |
| Community-focused nonprofits | Harvest Fest, Turkey Trot, gift baskets, pumpkin or mums sale | Community-focused events can attract supporters outside of an organization’s existing donor base and create opportunities for local partnerships. |
| Small or volunteer-led nonprofits | Bake sale, yard cleanup, candle fundraiser, social media giveaway | These options generally require fewer resources and can be adapted to the organization’s existing volunteer capacity. |
| Organizations with a larger volunteer base | Turkey Trot, Harvest Fest, corn maze, Thanksgiving meal | Larger events can accommodate more participants and bring in more revenue, but require greater coordination and planning. |
The last three months of the year are when nonprofits like yours raise the majority of their annual funds, with December accounting for 37% of all 2025 online revenue. The holiday giving season can create additional opportunities to engage supporters.
Global, unified fundraising platforms like Donorbox offer all the intuitive fundraising features you need to take your Thanksgiving fundraiser to the next level.
Sign up to start raising more today.
For more fundraising ideas and tips, visit the Nonprofit Blog. Subscribe to the monthly newsletter for a curated selection of resources sent to your inbox.
Ilma is a content writer with over eight years of experience, specializing in nonprofits and social impact, marketing, language, and psychology. She draws on years of volunteering in the nonprofit sector to craft thoughtful, research-informed pieces. Ilma is also a therapist passionate about mental health and often weaves this perspective into her writing.
Join the fundraising movement! Join the fundraising movement!
