Fundraising Ideas

A classic fundraising idea! Host a bake-off, cake/treat walk or sweet treat raffle.

Challenge your school to host dance marathon to raise money for Lurie Children’s! Learn more about hosting your own dance marathon.

Spelling bees are fun and educational for students! Sell tickets to fundraise for Lurie Children’s.

Designate a week or a month for students to bring in coins for Lurie Children’s! Challenge each classroom with a donation goal.

Host a school field day and challenge each classroom with a fundraising goal.

Host an art show for students to show off their talents! Sell tickets for donations to Lurie Children’s.

Collect donated items and host a virtual auction so donors can make bids online.

Design a unique t-shirt and sell them to friends and family! Donate the proceeds to Lurie Children’s.

Host a virtual game night so friends and family from across the country to get together! Charge an entry fee and designate an additional amount for the winning or losing team to donate to Lurie Children’s!

Gather your friends on Zoom for a virtual cooking class! Charge a fee for friends to join and teach them to make your favorite food or that dessert people are always asking for the recipe for!

Video games can bring people together from all over the world to support a worthy cause. Create a fundraising page that you can share with viewers during a Twitch or YouTube event. Promote your stream and encourage friends, family, and fellow gamers to tune in to support your efforts. Check out our Extra Life program for more information about gaming fundraisers!

Set up an online donation page and ask friends and family to make a gift to Lurie Children’s instead of giving physical gifts!

Get an outdoor projector or set up a movie party area inside and host a neighborhood movie night! Charge an admission fee and sell popcorn, candy and drinks and donate the proceeds to Lurie Children’s.

Invite your friends, family or neighbors to dress up their pets! Have participants create online fundraising pages and encourage friends and family to vote by donating.

Is there something you think would change the future for the kids at Lurie Children’s? Work with our team to come up with a specific fundraising idea and then create an online fundraising page for family and friends to donate and help make your dream a reality!

Encourage kids to set up lemonade stands in their neighborhoods, parks, or at local events. They can donate the proceeds to Lurie Children’s. It’s a great way to introduce them to business basics and the concept of giving back.

Have kids go through their toys and clothes and make a “giveaway” pile of things they no longer play with or need. Host a garage/yard sale and let them take charge of pricing items and handling transactions. Donate the money raised to Lurie Children’s.

Kids are naturally creative, so organizing an art and craft auction can be a fantastic fundraising idea. Encourage them to create artwork or craft items to auction off, with all the funds raised going Lurie Children’s. Set up an online fundraising page so friends and family can purchase items online by making a donation.

Are you overwhelmed by the thought of bringing home more toys after an upcoming birthday? Encourage children to request donations to Lurie Children’s in lieu of birthday presents. This helps them understand the concept of giving on special occasions.

Set up a table outside and sell refreshing lemonade to the community. You can host multiple stands throughout the summer and include popsicles at an additional fee.

As summer sports leagues begin, opportunities for team building are endless. Having a car wash is a fun and easy way to get the team together and raise money for programs at Lurie Children’s. You can charge additional fees for services like vacuuming, tire cleaning, and window washing.

While friends and family gather for block parties and BBQs, use this day as an opportunity to support our patients. You can host a BBQ and provide food, drinks, or snacks in exchange for donations.

Hosting a cook-off is a fun way to enjoy food while raising money. The whole community can be involved. Select a theme (e.g., pasta, brisket, chili, or pastries) and anyone participating will pay an entry fee.

Hosting a haunted house is a fun way to get friends, family, and neighbors together. You can charge an entrance fee or place a sign in your yard with a QR code linked to your personal fundraising page.

Fun for all ages! Host a fall-themed party where guests can purchase a pumpkin to carve or decorate. Lay out all of the pumpkins on a table and participants can choose their favorites. Ask for donations from friends and families who attend or charge a fee to vote!

Root for your favorite team while fundraising for the patients at Lurie Children’s! Play football squares with your friends or host a BBQ. Donate back the suggested donation to play the game or attend the BBQ!

As the leaves start to fall, offer leaf cleanup to your neighborhood. Ask for donations in exchange for your work or set a price for your service.

No tricks just treat! Host a Halloween costume contest and charge per participant. Get everyone involved by voting for the best costumes! The top three winners will receive a treat.

Get donors involved from all over the world with a virtual fitness challenge. Invite people to hit a daily step goal, complete a running challenge, tackle an indoor cycling course, or enjoy an independent hike. Participants can track their exercise using an Apple Watch or the Strava app, then submit their results to see how they stack up on the leaderboard. Ask donors to sponsor miles or have an entry fee to compete in the challenge!

Invite your whole neighborhood to join in on a day of fun! For a registration fee, contestants can participate in competitions organized by age, style of jump or creative use of a jump rope in a workout.

Set up an obstacle course at a local park or in your yard or neighborhood. Charge an entry fee to participate in the obstacle course and give the person to complete it in the shortest time a prize!

Are you thinking about competing in a 5K or other upcoming race? Run for the kids at Lurie Children’s! Set up an online fundraising page and make your miles matter by having donors sponsor each mile of your run for our patients.

Take a break from work with a cup of coffee. Set a date, spread the word and when the day arrives bring a coffee cart around to your team. Charge fees for coffee, tea and pastries and donate the proceeds to Lurie Children’s. Add a QR code to your online fundraising page so anyone can donate additional funds.

If you and your colleagues love a round of golf, organize a golf day and turn it into a fundraiser for Lurie Children’s! Our team can help you organize a charity golf outing that is fun for your team and life changing for our patients.

When the clocks turn back during daylight savings time in autumn, ask everyone to donate one hour’s pay to Lurie Children’s.

Who will take the gold in synchronized chair swivel or paper airplane building? There’s plenty of fun by hosting an Office Olympics competition. Set up an online fundraising page for each team or department and give extra points to the highest fundraising team.