How Nonprofits Raise Money Online: Tools & 29 Ideas (2026)

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Table of contents

• What nonprofits use to raise money online

• How to start fundraising online

• 29 online fundraising ideas for nonprofits

• Tips for a successful online fundraising campaign

• Online fundraising FAQs

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Nonprofits raise money online with donation forms, ticketed events, peer-to-peer pages, raffles, sweepstakes, auctions, memberships, an online store and in-person payments that feed the same campaign. This page shows the tools nonprofits use for each one, what those tools cost, and then 29 online fundraising ideas you can launch this month.

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What nonprofits use to raise money online

The table goes by way of raising money: what Zeffy offers for each one on a single free account, and which other tools nonprofits use list the same thing.

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How to raise more: keep every donor in one CRM

A CRM is not a way to raise money, but it is what helps you raise more next time. On Zeffy, every gift, ticket, raffle entry, membership and store order lands on the same donor record automatically, in a donor CRM that fills itself from every payment, so you know who to thank and who to ask again. On the other tools above, the full CRM is a paid add-on (Donorbox) or not built in (Give Lively, GoFundMe, GoFundMe Pro, PayPal).

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What these tools cost

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Zeffy's $0 is funded by an optional contribution donors can leave at checkout, and the nonprofit receives 100% of every gift either way (see what Zeffy's $0 covers). For a full side-by-side comparison, see our guide to the best fundraising sites for nonprofits.

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How to start fundraising online

• 1. Pick a goal and one idea from the list below. One clear campaign beats five half-finished ones.

• 2. Create a free donation form or campaign page. Add your logo, a photo and a few suggested amounts.

• 3. Tell one story about what the money pays for. Name the project, the people it helps and the amount you need.

• 4. Share it where your people are. Send it by email, post it on social media and print a QR code on paper flyers and signs.

• 5. Thank donors fast, then follow up. Receipts go out automatically, so your time goes into a short personal thank-you and a progress update.

For a small team, this is enough to launch: one form, one story and one email.

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29 online fundraising ideas for nonprofits

These online fundraiser ideas are grouped by type, so you can find the right fit fast. Each one says who it suits and how to run it on Zeffy.

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Donation ideas

1. Giving day campaign. Pick one day, set a goal and ask everyone to give within 24 hours. The deadline gives people a reason to act today instead of "later." Build a donation form on Zeffy and put its live thermometer page on a screen or in your posts so supporters watch the total climb.

2. Matching gift challenge with a local business. Ask a local business to match every gift up to a set amount, like "every dollar doubled until Friday." Donors like seeing their gift count twice, and the business gets public thanks. Put the match in your Zeffy form title and post an update each time you get closer to the cap.

3. Tribute and in-memory giving page. Create a page where people give in honor of a loved one or in memory of someone they lost. Families often share these pages with relatives, which brings in new donors. Zeffy donation forms let donors mark a gift in honor or in memory, so you can thank the right family.

4. QR-code donation drive. Print a QR code on posters, newsletters, report cards or game-day signs, and let people give from their phone in seconds. Great for schools and great for teams, where parents and fans already gather. Every Zeffy form has its own QR code, and each scan that turns into a gift adds that person to your donor list.

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Monthly giving ideas

5. Monthly giving club with a name and perks. Give your monthly donors a club name, like "The Lighthouse Circle," and small perks such as a members-only update or a thank-you call. A name makes a monthly gift feel like belonging, not a bill. Add a monthly option next to the one-time option on your Zeffy form, then email your club from a saved list of recurring donors.

6. Sponsor-a-something. Let donors sponsor a seat, a meal, a shelter animal or a student's supplies each month. It turns an abstract gift into something specific a donor can picture. On Zeffy, label each suggested amount with what it sponsors, like "$15 a month feeds one cat."

7. Year-end ask that turns one-time donors into monthly donors. At the end of the year, write to everyone who gave once and invite them to give a smaller amount every month. Filter your Zeffy contacts by giving history to find them in a few clicks. Zeffy forms can also invite a one-time donor to switch to monthly right at checkout.

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Peer-to-peer ideas

8. Birthday fundraisers. Invite supporters to ask friends for gifts to your cause instead of birthday presents. Each person shares their own page, which reaches people you would never reach alone. On Zeffy, each supporter sets their own goal, story and photo, and every gift rolls up to your campaign.

9. Virtual walk, run or bike challenge. Participants log miles on their own schedule over a few weeks and collect pledges from family and friends. It suits any group with active supporters, and nobody needs to be in the same city. Each participant gets a page with a goal thermometer, and the leaderboard keeps things friendly and competitive.

10. Read-a-thon. Students read as many pages or minutes as they can and ask family to sponsor them. Great for schools: it raises money and builds reading habits at the same time. Set it up as a Zeffy peer-to-peer campaign with one team per classroom, so each class sees its total on the leaderboard.

11. Team challenge. Each player raises money from family and friends toward a team goal, like new uniforms or tournament fees. Great for teams, since every player brings their own network. On Zeffy you can build each player's page for them and log cash and checks against it, so their total stays right.

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Virtual event ideas

Virtual fundraisers let supporters join from home, which cuts venue costs and widens your guest list. For each of these virtual fundraising ideas, sell tickets on Zeffy and run the stream itself on Zoom, YouTube or a similar tool.

12. Virtual gala or livestream. Host a short online program with a mission video, a guest speaker and a live donation ask. Keep it under an hour so people stay to the end. Sell tickets with an optional donation on the form, and send ticket holders the stream link before the event.

13. Online trivia night. Teams join a video call and compete on general knowledge or questions about your school or town. Great for schools and teams. Sell group tickets on Zeffy so each trivia team checks out once, then add a donation round where teams pay for extra hints.

14. Online class or workshop. Ask a supporter with a skill to teach a cooking class, art lesson, yoga session or resume workshop. People pay for something they want to learn, and your cause benefits. Use Pay What You Can tickets on Zeffy so everyone can join at a price that fits them.

15. Virtual 5K. Unlike a weeks-long challenge, this is one race day: runners register, run their 5K wherever they are and post their time. Sell registration tickets on Zeffy and offer a finisher shirt as an add-on in the same form.

16. Livestreamed talent show or gaming marathon. Stream students performing, or gamers playing for hours, and ask viewers to give to keep the show going. Great for schools and youth groups. Show your Zeffy form's QR code and live thermometer on screen, and read donor names out loud to keep gifts coming.

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Product-sale ideas

17. Branded merch. Sell T-shirts, hats, tote bags or water bottles with your logo. Supporters get something useful, and you get walking advertising. A Zeffy store tracks sizes, colors and stock for each item, with no fee on any sale.

18. Popcorn and snack sales. If you're looking for fundraisers like Double Good, the popcorn fundraising company, you can also run your own snack sale. Pick a product your community loves, like popcorn, coffee or cookies, and set the price yourself. List it in a Zeffy store with pick-up or one flat shipping fee, then hand out or ship the orders yourself.

19. Digital downloads. Sell a community recipe book, a calendar of student artwork or printable coloring pages. There is nothing to ship, and each extra copy costs nothing to make. List it in your Zeffy store with no pick-up or shipping option, then email the file to each buyer.

20. Holiday pre-order sale. Take orders for wreaths, pies or holiday gift boxes weeks ahead, then buy only what you sold. You avoid leftover stock and know your profit before you order. Use pre-sale prices in your Zeffy store to reward early buyers, and set a stock count so you never sell more than you can make.

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Raffle, sweepstakes and auction ideas

Raffle and sweepstakes rules vary by state, so check yours before you launch.

21. Online silent auction. Collect donated items and experiences, like a weekend cabin stay or a signed jersey, and let people bid online over a few days. On Zeffy, bidders need no app or account, can set an auto-bid, and get outbid alerts. Winners' cards are charged automatically when bidding closes.

22. Online raffle. Sell raffle tickets online for a prize people really want, like a trip or a big gift basket. Big Brothers Big Sisters of St. Thomas Elgin raises around $3,000 a year with its WestJet Gift of Flight raffle on Zeffy, selling tickets both online and in person. Zeffy numbers each ticket, emails it to the buyer and lets you sell bundles like 5 for $20; when sales close, you export the ticket list and draw the winner the way your rules require.

23. 50/50 raffle. Half of the ticket money goes to the winner and half goes to your cause. The pot grows as more people buy, and a goal thermometer shows it climbing. Great for teams at home games: sell online before the game and at the gate with Tap to Pay.

24. Sweepstakes with a donated prize. Ask a local business to donate a prize, then sell entries at a set price or in bundles. A sweepstakes is a fundraising drawing with a free way to enter. Zeffy writes the official rules from your campaign details and shows them on the campaign page, and you pick the winner on your draw date.

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Membership ideas

25. Annual membership drive with tiers. Offer two or three membership levels, for example individual, family and supporter, each with its own benefits. A yearly membership gives you dependable income and a clear reason to stay in touch. On Zeffy, members get a digital card, renewals run automatically, and yearly members get a reminder 30 days before they expire.

26. Friends or alumni membership. Create a "Friends of" group for fans of your library, park or school, or an alumni circle for former students and players. Great for schools and teams with years of graduates. Offer members-only ticket prices at your events, and email every active member in one click.

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In-person ideas that feed your online campaign

27. Tap to Pay at events and markets. Take card payments at bake sales, farmers markets and game-day tables with just your phone. Zeffy's Tap to Pay app needs no reader and has no fee, and it sells the tickets and store items you already set up. Each buyer's details land on the same donor record as their online gifts.

28. QR codes on tables, signs and flyers. At any event, put a QR code on each table, banner and flyer that points to your current donation form or store. Guests who don't carry cash can still give or buy. It also brings your in-person crowd onto your donor list for next time.

29. Hybrid event. Sell in-person tickets and lower-priced online tickets to the same event, and stream the program for people at home. You reach a bigger audience without a bigger venue. Sell both ticket types on one Zeffy event and check guests in at the door with the Zeffy app or a web check-in page.

For a small group, start with one idea from the donation or peer-to-peer groups. They take the least setup and get money moving fastest.

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Tips for a successful online fundraising campaign

• Set one clear goal, in dollars, and show it on the page.

• Give it a deadline so people act now.

• Tell a story with a face: one person, their need and what a gift makes possible.

• Make sure your form works well on a phone.

• Send a thank-you within 48 hours of every gift.

• Post a progress update halfway through to bring back people who meant to give.

• Ask first-time donors to give monthly.

For small teams, the thank-you and the halfway update matter most. They take minutes and bring in a second wave of gifts.

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Online fundraising FAQs

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