Fall fundraiser ideas

Get everyone into the spirit of Halloween by hosting a pumpkin carving contest. Contestants can give a donation to compete for a grand prize, and attendees can donate to watch and vote for their favorites. Make things easy by supplying carving tools. And you can go the extra mile by partnering with local farmers to supply pumpkins or have guests bring their own.

Competitions such as these are easily made virtual by providing a dedicated Zoom call. 

Ease into the back-to-school season by the light of a warm bonfire. This can be a small, intimate event to connect with fellow parents, students and school staff while building a strong sense of community. Roast marshmallows, have a scary story contest or celebrate your school's homecoming weekend.

To support your fundraiser, you can pass around a donation basket. You can also offer food to be cooked over the fire, such as hot dogs and popcorn.

Get creative by making and selling fall-themed baskets highlighting the best parts of the season. They can include a s’mores-making kit, Halloween party essentials, a football and jersey from a popular team and more.

Attendees can bid on their favorite baskets at a silent auction. This entices bidding wars and can maximize your fundraising efforts. 

Trivia is a popular way to guarantee some light-hearted fun on a budget. In-person or online through Zoom or a communication channel with poll features, a fall-themed trivia night is a great way to get everyone participating. Subjects could include Halloween, Thanksgiving, sports and food-related facts or everyone’s seasonal favorite: pumpkin spice.

Use our fundraising tools to create a registration page for teams to enter ahead of time, and award prizes to the team with the most correct answers. 

Hosting a fall festival is a great way to kick off the season and jumpstart your cause. You can hold it at a local park, garden or farm. Some fun, classic activities to include:

• Bobbing for apples stands
• Pie-eating contests
• Hayrides
• Corn mazes
• Scavenger hunts
• Autumn-themed photo booths

What’s October without Halloween costumes? A classic costume contest is a Halloween fundraising idea favorite and something the whole family can enjoy. Participants can donate and vote on the best costumes by category, like craziest, funniest, scariest and more.

Want to take it a step further? Host a costume parade to promote the mission of St. Jude around your city for greater participation. (Tip: Create a sign directing parade goers on how to donate.)

Another successful Halloween fundraiser that "screams" fall is a haunted house. Host your attraction somewhere easily accessible, such as a large garage or outside by a location with a spooky urban legend.

Ask if anyone in the community is willing to donate or lend Halloween props, or DIY some of your own. Gather volunteers to dress up and hand out candy. Request donations in exchange for entry and a good scare! 

Host a charity walk through scenic fall foliage or your region's most picturesque spots to support your cause. Ideas could include walks in the park for specific age groups or full-day hikes for adults.

Donations for your organization can be made through participant registration fees, and you may want to partner with local businesses to sponsor your event. You can offer T-shirts customized for your cause and hand out goodie bags.

When the sun goes down, it’s time to cue the projector. Partner with a local drive-in theater or DIY your own backyard theater with an inflatable screen, hay bales and blankets for lounging.

Ask for a donation, and offer cinema-style refreshments to sell, such as popcorn, hot cocoa and candy to help raise funds. You can even offer a raffle where the winner gets a free movie poster or snack at the concession stand. This event also gives you a chance to raise awareness about your organization with the crowd before the movie begins.

Turn this seasonal chore into an opportunity to grow your nonprofit and give back to your community with a leaf cleanup campaign. Set up an online fundraising page to receive donations, and monitor the lawns in need of raking.

Gather the community together to submit and taste-test signature chili recipes. Attendees can sample the entries and cast votes on their favorite chili dishes. You can include multiple categories such as best overall, best vegan/vegetarian, spiciest and more, and award a prize to the winning team.

Ask for a donation in exchange for tasting access for a delicious way to spend a fall day while raising money for a good cause. 

Apple and pumpkin pies are classic fall desserts. Have supporters bake their best pie recipes, and ask for donations in exchange for getting to sample them all. You may also want to combine this with a bake sale. Local bakeries may be willing to donate pies in exchange for being promoted at your fundraising event.

Consider hosting a tailgate party fundraiser. This is a great way to both socialize with your community and raise awareness for your cause.

Football tailgate parties can be hosted virtually too, and football fans can enjoy cheering on their team and supporting your cause as they gather to watch the games on TV. 

Make returning to school more fun by hosting a small community fair. Hosting it outside allows for more space and time to enjoy the crisp fall weather.

Set up all-ages carnival games or a stage for a talent show, rent a bouncy house, offer face painting and more. Consider working with a local restaurant to cater food or a local farm to offer pony rides, and ask for donations for entry.

Adults can relive their high school days with a homecoming-inspired dance-a-thon. Capture the magic of the 80s, 90s and 00s, and dance the night away. Include a few themed raffles throughout the evening to improve donations. 

What better way to show thanks and giving this fall than by hosting a Thanksgiving charity dinner? This could be held in a school cafeteria or gym, community center, or backyard. Partner with local restaurants to help cater the event, and see if any families want to contribute some of their own favorite dishes for Turkey Day.