Engaging Youth Fundraisers: 4 Ideas Younger Generations Love

When it comes to nonprofit fundraising, one size most certainly does not fit all. Younger generations bring fresh energy, creativity, and tech-savviness that can supercharge your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts, but they don’t always respond well to traditional donor appeals. Just as marketing strategies must evolve to target different audiences and demographics, fundraising strategies must also adapt to meet the unique interests and behaviors of young people. 

Engaging young people in fundraising does more than just raise dollars in the short term. It’s an investment in cultivating the next generation of lifelong donors, advocates, and leaders. Helping young people feel connected to your cause makes them more likely to stay involved as they grow, continuing to give, volunteer, and champion your work.

So how do you design campaigns that resonate with younger audiences? By focusing on creativity, inclusion, and fun! Let’s explore practical tips to make your fundraising more youth-friendly, along with four proven ideas that resonate with younger generations. 

How to Create Fundraisers That Appeal to Youth

If you want young people to enthusiastically participate in your campaigns, they need to be tailored to their world. Start with these practical tips to do just that:

• Co-create with youth. Form a small advisory committee of young people and invite them to weigh in on decisions like event theme, name, playlist, or visual branding. Involving your target audience ensures authenticity and boosts buy-in. 

• Make participation easy and low-cost. Offer registration or ticket options at $0-$10 to lower participation barriers. Use team fundraising links and QR codes to cater to youth and simplify digital participation and donations.

• Provide non-monetary ways to help. Not every young supporter has the means to give financially, so encourage them to get involved in other ways, such as sharing posts, volunteering, or bringing supplies. 

• Design campaign materials that are social and shareable. For example, you could create a short, memorable hashtag, add selfie spots or backdrops, or incorporate challenge-style activities that are easy to share online.

• Layer in friendly competition. Use leaderboards for teams, homerooms, or clubs. Offer milestone badges and lighthearted awards (like “most creative fundraiser) to spark even more engagement. 

• Make it easy for parents. If parental permission is required for youth involvement, Smartwaiver suggests providing clear waivers with a concise summary of expectations so parents feel comfortable giving their consent. 

• Recognize and celebrate participation. Spotlight young fundraisers in newsletters or social posts, give them digital badges or certificates, and consider small tokens of appreciation related to your fundraiser. For example, consider giving volunteers at your golf fundraiser the same golfer gifts provided to each participant as a token of appreciation (which, as GolfStatus suggests, could be custom-branded golf tees or event merchandise). You might also offer leadership opportunities to standout youth fundraiser to deepen their involvement. 

Top 4 Ideas for Youth Fundraisers

Let’s dive into some of the most effective types of fundraisers for younger generations. Each one is engaging, flexible, and scalable for nonprofits of all types and sizes. 

1. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaigns

How it works: Peer-to-peer fundraising empowers young people to set up personal fundraising pages and invite their peers to make donations. Friends, classmates, and family members contribute to show support. 

Why it works: Young people are highly influenced by peer credibility. When friends share fundraising links, youth are most likely to give, even in smaller amounts. Moreover, these types of campaigns utilize social media to amplify their reach. 

Tips to get started:

• Use software with a simple, intuitive user experience so first-time fundraisers don’t get overwhelmed and abandon their campaign. Tools like Spave make it even easier by enabling youth and their families to give and track donations directly from their phones—whether through spare change round-ups or small contributions that add up quickly.
• Provide ready-made shareable templates with pre-loaded images, sample text, and cause details to make it simple to get the word out.
• Encourage participants to form teams for added camaraderie. 
• Gamify the campaign with team challenges, digital badges, and leaderboards.  

2. Merchandise Campaigns

How it works: Youth design, promote, and sell merchandise like t-shirts, hoodies, stickers, hats, water bottles, or other items featuring your nonprofit’s branding or cause-related message.

Why it works: Young people love to express themselves through fashion and accessories. Merchandise campaigns give them the chance to wear their impact proudly, show their affiliation with a cause community, and showcase their creativity. 

Tips to get started:

• Run a design contest that invites youth to contribute artwork or slogans. 
• Create urgency with limited-edition merchandise drops or seasonal collections.
• Offer a variety of merchandise to cater to diverse tastes and budgets. 
• Lean into current design trends, such as minimalist logos, bold colors, or retro styles, to spark interest. 

3. Event-Based Campaigns

How it works: Organize fundraising events that allow youth to actively participate, such as walkathons, golf tournaments, talent shows, or esports tournaments. 

Why it works: Youth people thrive on social interaction. Event-based campaigns combine fun with fundraising, creating experiences that participants will remember long after the event. 

Tips to get started:

• Keep events full of energy, with formats that focus on impact rather than duration.
• Pair events with digital giving tools, such as livestream donation links or QR codes, so friends and family can give from anywhere. 
• Aim for inclusive events that work for a range of ages and abilities. For example, you might host a family-friendly golf tournament where kids and teens can participate alongside adults. 
• Include add-ons that boost fundraising and provide opportunities for participants to go home with prizes, such as a raffle or auction. 

4. Service or Volunteer-a-thons

How it works: Instead of raising money directly, these types of campaigns ask youth to collect pledges tied to service hours. Examples might include community cleanups, meal packing, tutoring sessions, or volunteering at animal shelters. 

Why it works: Not all young people have disposable income, but they often have time and a desire to help. Volunteer-a-thons let them give back in ways that align with their skills and availability and help them make a connection to your cause. Plus, for school-aged youth, it can also fulfill requirements for volunteer hours.

Tips to get started:

• Offer flexible service opportunities for different age groups, skills, and abilities. 
• Provide pledge-tracking tools so participants can easily track and share their progress with donors.
• Highlight the impact of the service work by posting photos, stories, or short videos of youth in action. 
• Host a celebratory closing event to recognize youth volunteers and share outcomes. 

Final Thoughts

Successfully engaging younger generations in fundraising requires a shift in mindset. It’s not just about asking for donations; it’s about creating inclusive, fun, and meaningful opportunities for participation. 

By working with youth, making campaigns accessible, and celebrating their contributions, nonprofits can tap into the energy and creativity of the next generation. Whether through gamified peer-to-peer campaigns, merchandise sales, events, or volunteering the key is aligning your efforts with what excites and motivates young people. Innovative platforms like Spave help make this possible by meeting youth where they are—on their phones—so that even small acts, like rounding up spare change or setting micro-gifts, nurture lifelong giving habits.

The payoff is twofold: immediate fundraising results and the long-term cultivation of future donors and advocates. By starting now, you’re not just funding today’s programs; you’re building the foundation for your nonprofit’s sustainable future.