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Virtual fundraising means raising money for your nonprofit online instead of in person. It costs less than in-person events, reaches donors anywhere in the world, and works for organizations of any size.
But you need to plan the right event program to make it successful. A live-streamed gala suits an organization with a polished brand and a strong donor base. A peer-to-peer challenge fits a community-driven cause with supporters ready to rally their networks. Picking the right format for your audience and capacity is what separates a campaign that hits its target from one that quietly fizzles.
Below you’ll find 24 virtual fundraising ideas organized by category, with tips on how to run each one, what platforms to use, and how to collect donations.
Campaigns and drives are the backbone of virtual fundraising. They tend to run over a set period, build momentum through promotion and updates, and are easy to share across email and social media. If you’re new to virtual fundraising, this is a good place to start.
A crowdfunding campaign lets you raise money from a large number of people through a dedicated online page, each contributing whatever they can toward a shared goal.
The key to making it work is specificity. Donors respond far better to “help us buy 200 backpacks for students in need” than to a general donation ask.
Set up your page on GoFundMe Charity, Mightycause, or Fundly, and set a clear dollar target with a deadline. Post regular progress updates to keep momentum going. Most platforms charge a small processing fee per donation, so factor that into your goal from the start.
Peer-to-peer fundraising turns your existing supporters into fundraisers for your cause. You give each participant their own personal fundraising page, and they reach out to their own networks to collect donations on your behalf.
Platforms like Classy and Givebutter are built specifically for this, letting you set up a campaign, distribute individual pages, and track each fundraiser’s progress from one dashboard. This works particularly well paired with a challenge or athletic event, where participants have a natural story to share with their network.
A matching gift drive gives donors a concrete reason to act now rather than later. You secure a commitment from a major donor or corporate sponsor to match every dollar raised up to a set amount, then promote that window aggressively across email and social media.
The campaign can run entirely through your existing donation page with a simple deadline and matching counter attached. Be transparent about the match cap and end date so donors feel the urgency without feeling misled.
An eCard campaign invites donors to send a digital card to someone they care about, for a birthday, holiday, or just because, with a small donation attached in their honor. It ties giving to a personal moment that already has emotional weight, which makes it easier for donors to share with their own networks.
You can set this up using tools like Charity Greeting Cards, or build a simple custom landing page through your existing event platform with suggested giving amounts of $10, $25, or $50 per card. Promote it around natural gifting moments like the holiday season or Mother’s Day for the best results.
An email campaign is one of the most cost-effective ways to raise money because you’re reaching people who already know and trust your organization. The goal is to send a series of targeted emails over a set period, each one telling a piece of your story and ending with a clear, single call to action to donate.
A good sequence typically runs three to five emails, opening with an emotional story, building with impact data, and closing with urgency around a deadline or matching window.
Giving Tuesday, held every year on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is one of the biggest fundraising days in the nonprofit calendar. A well-prepared campaign can bring in a significant chunk of your annual revenue in a single day.
The key is to start promoting at least two weeks in advance, set a specific and visible fundraising goal, and create a sense of urgency and community around the day itself. Many nonprofits pair their Giving Tuesday campaign with a matching gift pledge to amplify donations further.
If you’re already hosting virtual events or running regular online programming, opening those up to sponsors is a natural way to layer in additional revenue. A well-structured virtual sponsorship package can include logo placement on event pages and emails, branded segments within a live event, shoutouts from the host, and a virtual booth in an online exhibition hall.
Tiered packages work well here, with a naming-level sponsor at the top and smaller visibility packages available at lower price points, so you can bring in multiple sponsors at once.
Here’s an example of how you can tier your sponsorship packages.
Platforms like vFairs let you build out a full virtual exhibition experience where sponsors can set up booths, display content, and interact directly with attendees.
Most virtual events can and should be ticketed, but pricing works differently online. Without the overhead of a venue, catering, and staffing, you can afford to charge less per ticket than an in-person event while still taking home more in net revenue.
Lower ticket prices also reduce the barrier to entry, which typically brings in a larger audience and more total donations on the night.
Platforms like vFairs handle ticketing, registration, and donation collection in one place, so the whole experience stays seamless for attendees from sign-up to the final giving moment.
Virtual events create a shared experience that deepens the connection between your donors and your cause. A well-run virtual event can replicate much of the energy of an in-person gathering, often at a fraction of the cost, and with an audience that would never have fit in the same room.
A virtual gala brings the vibrancy of your signature fundraising event online, with a live-streamed program, keynote speakers, donor recognition, and real-time giving built into the experience.
The key difference from an in-person gala is that you need to work harder to create atmosphere. So invest in good production quality, a confident host, and a clear run-of-show that keeps things moving.
Platforms like vFairs or Zoom Events can handle ticketing, live streaming, and donation collection in one place.
Competitive bidding naturally drives up donation amounts beyond what a fixed-price ask would achieve.
The first step is procuring items worth bidding on, like experience packages, restaurant vouchers, signed memorabilia, or services donated by local businesses.
Platforms like vFairs let you list items, set starting bids and increments, and allow participants to bid in real time from their phones.
Promote your item list in the weeks leading up to the auction to build anticipation, and keep the bidding window short enough to maintain urgency.
A virtual trivia night is a fun, low-barrier event that works well for donors who might not engage with a formal gala or a giving campaign.
Participants can pay an entry fee to join, typically between $10 and $25 per person, and compete in teams across a few rounds of themed questions. You can host it through vFairs, where a live leaderboard keeps the competitive energy up between rounds while the built-in pledge wall gives you a natural donation moment as scores update. Layer in a raffle at the end to maximize revenue beyond just ticket sales.
An online cooking class is a ticketed virtual event where a chef or passionate home cook guides participants through preparing a dish together in real time. It works particularly well for food-focused nonprofits or organizations with a strong community feel.
You can promote it through your email list and social channels, partnering with a local restaurant or culinary school to add credibility and widen your reach. Throw in a live Q&A with the chef at the end to give it a personal touch that keeps attendees talking about it afterward.
A virtual talent show invites members of your community to perform and compete online, with supporters tuning in to watch and vote for their favorites.
Entry fees from performers and ticket sales from the audience both contribute to your total raised, and you can add a donate-to-vote mechanic where viewers cast votes by making a small donation, which drives giving while keeping the energy high.
A virtual dance party or concert lets you bring your community together around music and entertainment while raising money through ticket sales, live donations, and shoutout sponsorships.
You can partner with a local DJ or musician to perform live, or curate a themed playlist experience with a host keeping the energy up between sets. Ticket prices in the $10 to $20 range tend to work well for this format since the low barrier to entry brings in a larger audience.
An online gaming tournament taps into a highly engaged and often younger donor base that traditional fundraising formats rarely reach. Participants pay an entry fee to compete in a popular game like FIFA, Fortnite, or a retro classic, with prize packages donated by local sponsors going to the top finishers.
Platforms like Tiltify are purpose-built for gaming fundraisers and let you embed donation goals and real-time leaderboards directly into the stream. Pair it with a live stream on Twitch or YouTube so non-participants can watch, donate, and cheer along from the sidelines.
A virtual escape room is a team-based event where groups pay to solve puzzles and challenges together online, with your nonprofit as the beneficiary. It works well as a corporate fundraiser since companies are always looking for team-building activities, which means you can charge a higher per-team fee, typically $50 to $150, depending on the experience.
You can either partner with an existing virtual escape room company that offers charity pricing or build a simpler version using a tool like Google Slides or Breakout EDU Digital. Promote it to local businesses directly and offer a leaderboard or trophy for the fastest-solving team to add a competitive edge.
A virtual paint and sip is a ticketed event where participants follow along with an instructor to paint a guided piece, with a drink of their choice in hand at home.
It’s a relaxed, social format that tends to draw well among adult donors who might not engage with more formal fundraising events. You can sell supply kits in advance for an additional revenue stream. Partnering with a local art studio or instructor adds credibility and helps with promotion since they’ll share it with their own audience, too.
A virtual movie night brings your donor community together around a shared screening experience, with proceeds going directly to your cause. Participants pay a ticket fee to access a licensed stream through the platform Teleparty, while your team hosts a live watch party with commentary, trivia, and a donation ask at intermission.
A virtual athletic event lets participants complete a run, walk, or cycle on their own time and in their own location, then submit their results online.
Entry fees and peer-to-peer fundraising pages run alongside each other, so participants are both paying to join and collecting pledges from their networks. Platforms like RunSignup or Strava can track submissions. You can also add a live finish-line celebration stream on the final day to bring the community together and drive any last-minute giving.
An online workshop or webinar lets you monetize your organization’s expertise while giving attendees something genuinely useful in return.
Charge a ticket fee for access depending on the topic and speaker, and structure it around a subject your audience actually wants to learn about rather than a straightforward fundraising ask. Close the session with a clear donation moment and a link to your giving page while attendees are still engaged.
A social media challenge turns your donor community into your marketing team. You create a simple, shareable action tied to your cause, participants complete it, post it with your campaign hashtag, and nominate others to do the same.
Donations can be collected through a linked giving page that you include in every prompt and post. The format works best when the challenge is visual, easy to do at home, and emotionally connected to your mission rather than just a generic act.
A corporate partnership brings in revenue through a formal relationship with a business that wants to align with your cause. This can take the form of a percentage of sales donated during a set period, a sponsored event or campaign, or a matching gift arrangement where the company matches employee donations.
Reach out to businesses whose values and audience overlap with your mission, and come prepared with a simple one-pager outlining what the partnership looks like and what visibility the company gets in return.
These are fundraising formats that don’t depend on a single event or campaign window. They can run quietly in the background, be activated whenever your organization needs a boost, or become a consistent revenue stream over time.
Selling your own merch is one of the most impactful virtual fundraising ideas. Not only do you increase potential revenue, but branded merch also helps to build brand visibility.
Start with items that connect naturally to your mission: a tote bag for an environmental nonprofit, a water bottle for a health organization. Keep the range small at first so you’re not sitting on unsold inventory. You can embed your store directly into your website or link to it from your donation page and email campaigns.
A virtual contest, draw, or raffle gives donors a reason to engage beyond just writing a check, and the competitive or chance-based element naturally drives more participation and sharing. The format is flexible depending on your audience and capacity.
Whichever format you choose, promote the deadline consistently across email and social media to keep momentum going throughout the campaign.
The difference between a virtual fundraiser that hits its goal and one that falls flat usually comes down to execution, not the idea itself. These practices apply regardless of which format you choose.
A specific goal like “Help us raise $10,000 to fund 50 after-school programs” performs better than a general donation ask every time. Concrete numbers give donors a sense of progress and make them feel like their contribution is part of something bigger. Display your goal prominently on your event page and update it in real time as donations come in.
A large portion of your donors will click through from a social media post or email on their phone. If your donation page is slow to load or hard to navigate on a small screen, you’ll lose them before they give. Test it on mobile before you launch, and design the form to collect relevant information only.
A small nonprofit with a tight-knit local community will get more mileage from a virtual trivia night or a raffle than a large-scale gaming tournament. Choose a format your team can actually execute well, rather than stretching for something that looks impressive on paper.
A single announcement post won’t move the needle. Build a simple promotion calendar that starts at least two weeks before your event or campaign launch, with regular reminders, behind-the-scenes content, and countdown posts as the deadline approaches.
A thank-you email sent within 24 hours of your fundraiser closing makes a bigger impression than most people expect. Share how much was raised, what it will fund, and when donors can expect the next update. That follow-up is often what turns a one-time giver into a long-term supporter.
If your organization runs in-person events, look for ways to add a virtual participation option rather than treating the two as separate strategies. A hybrid approach widens your audience.
For nonprofits of all sizes, virtual fundraising is one of the most reliable ways to grow a donor base, reduce overhead, and build a community that extends far beyond your local area.
The best virtual fundraiser for your organization is the one that fits your mission, plays to your team’s strengths, and gives your donors a genuine reason to show up and give.
Start with one format, execute it well, and let the data guide what you build next. The nonprofits that raise the most online are the ones that stay consistent, keep their donors in the loop, and make giving feel like it matters.
Significantly less than an in-person event. Without venue, catering, and staffing costs, most of your budget goes toward platform fees and promotion. Many formats, like email campaigns, peer-to-peer fundraising, and social media challenges, can be run with little to no upfront spend.
It depends on the format. For full virtual events with ticketing, live streaming, auctions, and sponsor management, vFairs is a strong all-in-one option. For crowdfunding and peer-to-peer campaigns, Classy and Givebutter work well. For email-driven campaigns, Mailchimp or HubSpot handle segmentation and scheduling effectively.
Start at least two weeks before your launch date. Use email to reach existing donors and social media to expand your reach, and post consistently rather than relying on a single announcement. A countdown to your deadline, progress updates toward your goal, and donor shoutouts all help maintain momentum.
Build interactivity from the start. Live Q&A sessions, polls, leaderboards, and real-time donation counters give attendees something to respond to rather than just watch. A confident host who keeps energy up makes a bigger difference than production value alone.
Start with total funds raised, number of donors, and average donation size. Then look at donation page conversion rate, email open and click-through rates, and attendance versus registration numbers. Over time these metrics show you which formats and messages resonate most, making each campaign easier to plan than the last.
Fiza Fatima
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