Special Events
24-Hour Activity-a-Thon
Participants pledge to do a chose activity (dance, read, bake, etc.) for 24 hours, or as long as they can, in order to raise money and win prizes.
Benefit Concert
Enlist the help of local artists and bands to determine the line-up. Set a date and time, sell tickets at the door, offer concessions for a small price, and set up a donation table to accept contributions throughout the night.
Car Wash
Plan this event for a warm and sunny day and advertise by hanging up flyers and posting on social media. Charge a fee, but also put out a donation jar to encourage more donations.
Creative Workshop
Host a workshop that teaches a skill (cooking, painting, etc.) and charge an entrance fee. You can also turn this into a virtual event by hosting your class over Zoom.
Fitness Class
Partner with a local gym to dedicate a class to your fundraiser. Charge a small fee to participate.
Karaoke/Lip Sync Battle
Partner with a local bar to donate the venue and charge admission to the participants, as well as friends and family who attend.
Parents Night Out
Offer to take care of the kids for the evening. Gather a group of responsible volunteers and secure a location for this event. You'll also need to provide snacks and activities/games to entertain the kids. Charge per hour of choose a flat rate donation.
Pot Luck Dinner
Invite your friends and family for a fun-raising potluck. Attendees can bring along tasty dishes and a donation to your fundraiser.
Themed Party
Charge addmission at the door. Attendees that dress in the themed costume pay a small fee while those in “normal” clothes can pay a little bit more.
Bake Sale
Get creative with the confections you create. Place a tip or donation jar on the table for customers who feel extra generous.
Bingo Night
Fundraise by selling admission tickets, concessions, products (if you have them), and encouraging additional contributions during the event.
Comedy Night
Partner with a local comedy venue to put on a charity comedy night featuring local comedians. Raise funds through ticket sales, merchandise, and encouraging additional contributions throughout the evening.
Cutest Pet Contest
Host a virtual pet contest and let your audience decide who's pet is cutest! Supporters submit their best photos with a brief description (pet name, age, breed, favorite activities, etc.) and you feature them on your social media page for voting purposes. You can either charge a small fee for submitting a photo.
Fun Run/Walk-a-Thon
Charge an admission fee and sell merchandise such as t-shirts, water bottles, and hats along the walkathon route.
Movie Night
Organize a movie viewing at an outdoor location or team up with your local cinema to get a special rate for supporters to attend a new release.
Pet Care Classes
Partner with your local vetrinarian to offer a community class for pet owners (Basic Dog Care, Pet First Aid & CPR, etc.). Raise money by charging a small fee of $10 or $20. Promote the event online and drop off flyers at local pet stores, shelters, and vet clinics.
Restaurant Night
Partner with a national chain or local restaurant that will donate a portion of their sales during the event to your fundraiser.
Yard Sale
Make it a community event by inviting your friends and family to join in selling their stuff to benefit your fundraiser, too.
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Check out Good Dog's Yard Sale Toolkit to get started with done-for-you templates and planning checklist.
BBQ
Host a backyard barbecue.You can charge a fee for your barbecue or simply set up a donation table with a jar for change.
Breakfast with ...
Ask a local celebrity (Mayor, Police Chief, Firefighters, actor, school principal, etc.) to host a pancake breakfast. Sell tickets for admission.
Cooking Competition
Determine your theme dish (ie: chili) and charge participants a fee to enter their best dish. Event guests can judge entries by making a donation.
Dog Wash
Just like a car wash, but for dogs. Make sure that you explain where the funds are going during the event to encourage more donations.
Giving Day
These 24-hour fundraising campaigns are effective because they leverage a sense of urgency that makes donors more likely to donate, doing social good for a united goal. Giving Days can be centered around birthdays, holidays, awareness months, etc. Check out Good Dog's giving day done-for-you campaigns to get started.
Paint & Sip
Partner with a local sip and paint company willing to donate a percentage of the proceeds to your fundraiser. Or create it yourself by securing a location and asking a local artist or volunteer to teach the class.
Pet Picture Day
Ask a photographer to donate their time and location. Charge a fee, or sell packages and/or merchandise with the pet pictures on them.
Scavenger Hunt
Teams sign up and pay a registration fee. Then, create a course and hide items around your community. The winners can even receive a small prize.
Yappy Hour
Partner with a bar or restaurant for a pet-friendly event. Charge an admission price and ask attendees to make donations during the event.
FUNDRAISERS
Non-Event
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Sometimes, supporters would just rather stay home in their comfy pajamas, instead of dressing up to go to a fancy gala fundraising event. If you need a low-cost fundraiser for these introverted donors, host a non-event!
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Basically, you send out “invitations” to an event that isn’t going to take place. Tell people that “nothing will happen on Tuesday at 7:00 pm” and let them know that they can stay home and not worry about socializing. Then, ask for donations for your cause (either via self-addressed stamped envelope or through your online fundraising website).
Your supporters will be grateful for a no social obligation night, and you’ll raise some extra money.
FUNDRAISER
Auction & Raffle
Auction and raffles are great add-ons to live events to maximize your fundraising potentional. Additionally, through the use of tech platforms, you can also conduct them online as standalone virtual fundraisers.
50/50 Raffle
For this kind of raffle, the prize is half of the money raised from the ticket sales. The more tickets people buy, the more they might win.
Kids Art Auction
Put your kids' art skills on display for a good cause! Charge a few dollars for admission and set up a donation table or booth for general contributions.
Balloon Pop Raffle
Place raffle tickets inside balloons and sell them to participants for a dollar each. The winning ticket gets a small prize at the end of the raffle.
Silent Auction
Ask local businesses and individuals to donate items to your silent auction. More desirable auction items will increase your fundraising potential.
Guessing Games
Fill a jar with candy or small dog biscuits and charge $1 per guess. The person who guesses correctly gets a prize.
FUNDRAISERS
Raffles are a form of gambling. You are responsible for complying with all applicable laws to ensure your raffle is legal.
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In general, raffles need to be registered with the appropriate state and local government office and may require the purchase of a permit, depending on the jurisdiction. Raffles should also have a clear set of rules and guidelines, which may include details such as eligibility requirements, entry fees, prizes, drawing dates, and any other related information. It is important to ensure these rules are clearly stated and accessible to potential participants. Additionally, keep accurate records of ticket purchases and entries, as this will help ensure the integrity of your raffle and make it easier to report earnings to the government agency responsible for overseeing raffles. Please speak to a lawyer specializing in gaming law for more detailed information about the regulations that may apply to your raffle. Please contact Good Dog! prior to arranging a raffle to ensure you are in compliance with all applicable laws. With proper planning and preparation, your raffle can be an enjoyable and successful experience for everyone involved! Good luck!
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Disclaimer: Using the Good Dog! name, logo, or any other trademarks is strictly prohibited when doing a raffle without proper state approval. Good Dog! and its affiliates are not responsible for any damages resulting from the misuse of this information. The information provided on this webpage is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, financial advice, or any other form of advice. Each individual is responsible for their own compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Product Sales
Calendars
Start creating your calendars in the middle of summer. That way, you’ll have plenty of time to advertise and sell them to your supporters before the new year starts.
Food
Sell gourmet food items to your supporters and community members. There are a number of vendors and wholesale providers who offer this type of fundraiser and many have online ordering options.
Crafts
Use your creativity to make one-of-a-kind pieces that you can then advertise and sell online. You can also sell your crafts by renting a booth at local fairs or partnering with a local store.
Merchandise
From t-shirts to pet goods to bracelets, there are a variety of products you can and sell to raise money for your fundraiser. There are many online wholesalers that offer these products, or you can also work with a local manufacturer.
Cookbooks
Compile and sell a cookbook that contains your favorite recipes. You can also have community members contribute their own.
FUNDRAISERS
Winter
Holiday Gift Wrapping
Breakfast with Santa
Letters from Santa Paws
Caroling for a Cause
Puppy Bowl Party
Valentine's Day Grams
Spring
St. Paddy's Bar Crawl
Easter Egg Hunts
Mother's Day Tulip Delivery
Tea Parties
Autism Awareness
Spring Cleaning Garage Sale
Summer
July 4th Cook-Off
Lemonade Stand
Block Party
Summer Solstice Clam Bake
Cornhole Tournament
Farmer's Market Booth
Autumn
Pumpkin Carving Contest
Haunted House
Costume Paw-ty
Orchard Walk
Rake-a-Thon
Friendsgiving Dinner
Miscellaneous
Appreciation Grams
Charge a small fee to send out customized notes to the donor's recipient of choice. Get creative by including a small item like a pencil, piece of candy, or hand-drawn picture by your child.
Envelope Fundraiser
Buy a pack of 100 envelopes and number each one. Hang them on a cork board. Donors choose an envelope and give that amount.
Viral Video Challenge
Pick a challenge or task that can be easily accomplished, is related to your cause, and enjoyable to watch. Have a few of your friends record themselves completing the challenge and share their videos online with a link to your fundraising website, and then encourage others to do the same!
Chain of Paws
Partner with a local business to “sell” paper dog paws and post them on their wall. Donors can add their messages of support.
Give It Up Challenge
Participants agree to give up an indulgence (like their daily latte) for a certain amount of time, putting the money they would normally spend on it towards your fundraiser instead.
Dog Walking Services
Offer dog walking services to your community dog owners. Raise money by charging per walk.
Penny Drive
Ask your local shops if they will showcase your donation jars with info about your fundraiser. You can also turn it into a competition to see who raises the most money.
FUNDRAISERS