Passive fundraising is a low-effort way to raise money without intensive event planning, major time commitments, or heavy administrative work.
It doesn't require constant reinvention. Instead of testing new fundraising ideas and hoping they gain traction, passive fundraising transforms existing habits or infrastructure into a steady, ongoing revenue stream.
Inspired to try passive fundraising? No sweat—here are 10 easy-to-manage passive fundraising ideas that actually live up to the name:
Shopping-based fundraisers are an effortless way to raise funds for your cause, and programs like RaiseRight make it simple, stress-free, and convenient.
With RaiseRight, supporters earn money back every time they buy gift cards, shop online, dine at participating restaurants, or book travel. Fundraising happens through purchases they're already making, so there's no extra selling or added pressure.
Your organization earns up to 20% back on gift card and online purchases, and up to 30% back on travel bookings. Earnings come directly from the brands (not from supporters' pockets), and shoppers always receive the full value of their gift cards.
With hundreds of popular brands available like Amazon, DoorDash, Kohl's, CVS, Walmart, and Home Depot, supporters can easily turn everyday spending into fundraising dollars for your group.
A RaiseRight program means no more knocking on your neighbor’s door asking for money or taking time out of your schedule to plan an event.
Managing a RaiseRight program requires little time—no more than a couple of hours per week. It also integrates well into your daily, weekly, or monthly to-do list.
You can choose your level of involvement, whether minimal or extensive. Just take a look at these insights about the personal experience of RaiseRight coordinators*:
*Based on survey data from December 2023
Ready to get started? RaiseRight is FREE to join. See how much you can passively earn—just by doing what you're already doing.
Want more bang for your fundraising buck? Consider corporate gift matching. With this type of passive fundraising, corporations match donations made by employees or campaign participants.
Each corporation's giving program is unique to its core values. To double down on the impact of this passive fundraiser, prioritize companies and corporations that share an affinity for your cause.
Broaden your network and uplift your reputation by partnering with local businesses.
Even if businesses can't make or match a donation, they can offer a donation-in-kind of their goods or services to make a difference. For instance, if you're hosting a bake sale, ask your local bakery to provide a plate or two of a new treat they're testing for their menu.
Imagine turning a regular dinner date or family outing into a donation. By partnering with local establishments or chains for restaurant night fundraising, you can set a date and time for you and your supporters to do just that.
Most restaurants contribute anywhere from 10–30% of proceeds to your fundraiser. Some restaurants might even be willing to work with you regularly, minimizing your effort. Simply invite friends, family, co-workers, and community members and promote your restaurant night on social media.
According to former CEOs and current nonprofit planners on Quora, incentive-based giving is a powerful passive fundraiser for community organizations.
With this strategy, you can ask supporters to make a small donation to participate in a raffle, for example. In exchange for their support, they'll have the chance to receive prizes and perks.
However, knowing what motivates your target audience is key to this campaign's success. Popular goodies that entice supporters typically include:
Selling branded merchandise through an online storefront can be a smart passive fundraising strategy, especially if you have a passionate, tight-knit community of supporters.
While you'll need to manage a digital store and oversee some inventory, the ongoing time commitment is relatively minimal compared to traditional fundraising events.
Several online services offer quick and low-cost logo printing on anything from stickers to koozies. Here are a few suggestions:
A bonus? When supporters wear or carry merchandise that displays your logo, they automatically boost curiosity and community awareness for your organization.
If you have access to a parking lot, this real estate can become a reliable, low-effort source of fundraising.
Schools can sell annual parking spots that families or students can reserve, personalize, or even paint for the school year—a fun way to build school spirit while raising money.
Churches and community groups can raise money by charging for parking at their facilities during high-traffic times, such as festivals or other local events.
If your organization's location doesn't have a parking lot, consider partnering with a nearby business or church to share profits during sports games, concerts, or community gatherings.
There are endless ways to get creative with this passive fundraising idea. And once a system is in place, there's minimal ongoing work—just fill in the spaces and collect the funds.
With this type of passive fundraising, your donors and supporters can opt into groups or clubs with corresponding benefits based on their annual giving level. Think free admissions to events, facility tours, or first looks at new products or services.
Building mutually beneficial relationships with donors can also foster lifetime loyalty to your cause.
Alternatively, if giving societies aren't a fit for your group, you can keep it simple by setting up a recurring donation system. By getting donors to schedule a monthly, quarterly, or annual gift, you create a steady, predictable revenue stream that can add up over time.
Recurring giving also lowers friction for supporters, as they only need to set up their donation once. Highlight the convenience and power of an ongoing contribution to keep supporters engaged for the long haul.
Set up a text-to-donate campaign to make giving as easy as sending a message. Your supporters can text a keyword to a designated mobile number and receive a secure link to donate in seconds.
This passive fundraising idea is ideal for live events and community gatherings, or for reaching busy people and younger, mobile-first audiences. You can also trigger SMS-based donation appeals during peak giving moments (think Giving Tuesday or the start of your sports season, for example).
Consider partnering with popular local businesses to establish a change round-up program, or add a change donation box at their registers.
Customers can round their totals to the nearest dollar, and the spare change will be donated to your organization. Or, customers can drop their extra change in a secure box on their way out.
While individual contributions are small, they can add up quickly. For businesses, this passive fundraising technique can illustrate their commitment to the community while your group benefits from a stream of micro-donations.
Passive fundraising is an effective way to generate continual support for your cause with little effort. But with so many options, how do you choose the right one for your organization?
RaiseRight is free to join and makes fundraising appealing and simple for everyone. Unlike other fundraisers, RaiseRight fits seamlessly into anyone’s lifestyle, no matter how they shop or spend their money.
Plus, you can earn year-round with no limits or caps. Top-earning families earn $1,000+ annually, just by using RaiseRight wherever they shop or dine!
Wondering how much you could earn with RaiseRight? Try our free calculator to estimate your household’s annual earnings, and imagine the impact when more families join in.