Virtual fundraising ideas: 16 fundraisers for remote and hybrid teams

16 virtual fundraising ideas for work

Pick one main event and one challenge that runs around it. Every gift goes to the charity's own page.

Auctions and sales

Things and time that colleagues donate, sold for gifts to the cause.

11. Online silent auction. List donated experiences, such as a mentoring hour with a VP or a homemade dinner delivered by the team's best cook, and close bidding at a set time.
12. Skills auction. Colleagues offer an hour of what they're good at, from résumé reviews to beginner guitar, and the highest gift wins each slot.
13. Team recipe book. Collect one recipe and a photo from each person, lay it out as a PDF and send it to everyone who gives.
14. Send-a-treat bake sale. Bakers post a photo and a price, office staff pick up at the front desk, and remote staff pay to send a treat to a coworker on site.

How to run a virtual trivia night fundraiser

Trivia is the easiest fundraiser to fill: teams form on their own and everyone plays from their own desk.

1. Set the ticket. A suggested gift per person or per team, plus a free way in for anyone who can't give. Nobody should miss the event over money.
2. Collect before the night. Send every ticket to the charity's own donation or team page. No cash, no payment apps, no coworker holding the money.
3. Book a host or write the rounds. An hour holds five or six short rounds. A host keeps score, so the organizer can watch the total instead.
4. Sell a few extras. Small add-ons raise more during the game. Price each one as a gift, keep them optional, and cap them so the richest team can't buy the win.
5. Read the total between rounds. Say the running number out loud each round, and say what the next milestone pays for.
6. End on the number. Announce the final total, thank the winning team, and post it in the company channel the same day.

Fundraising games for trivia nights

Four paid extras that raise more without changing who wins on knowledge.

• Buy a hint. A small gift gets the host to read one clue on a question of the team's choice.
• Mulligan. Swap one wrong answer for a do-over, once per team per game.
• Double-down token. Doubles a team's points on one round they pick before it starts.
• Name the last category. The team that gives most before the final round chooses its topic.

For rounds, scoring and timing, see how to host a trivia night.

Matching gifts, payroll giving and other ways to give

The event brings people in. These decide how far each gift goes.

• A company match. The company adds a set amount for every dollar employees give, usually up to a cap per person. Announce the match on day one so people give while it counts.
• Payroll giving. Employees choose an amount per paycheck and payroll sends it to the charity. It suits a year-round program better than a one-night event.
• Challenge gift. A leader or the company pledges a lump sum that pays out only when the team reaches a target, which gives the campaign a finish line.
• One team fundraising page. Many charities offer a page where a team sets a goal and every gift lands with the charity directly. One link to share, and the total updates by itself.

Building a longer program? Our corporate social responsibility examples show how companies combine giving with volunteering.

Fundraising goal calculator

Tap your numbers. The goal rounds to something easy to announce and copies as one line for the kickoff post.

GivingTuesday 2026 and other good times to fundraise

GivingTuesday 2026 is Tuesday, December 1, 2026, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It started in 2012 at the 92nd Street Y in New York, with the United Nations Foundation as a founding partner.

It is a big day to ask: GivingTuesday estimates $4.0 billion was donated in the US alone on GivingTuesday 2025. Launch your campaign the week before, so the event lands on the day.

• Year end. December is when people expect to be asked, so a short campaign fits alongside the holiday party.
• A month that fits the cause. Line up with the awareness month of the cause your team chose, so the charity's own posts help yours.
• A company milestone. An anniversary, a big launch or a record quarter gives people a reason to give together.
• After a disaster. Move quickly, but give through established relief organizations and say exactly where the money goes.

Sources: GivingTuesday and its 2025 results.

How to run a workplace fundraiser in four steps

Pick a cause, set a goal, track it and thank people. The rest is the event.

1. Pick a cause. Shortlist three charities and let the team vote. Confirm each one is a registered charity with the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search before the vote.
2. Set a goal. Use the calculator above, round to a number people remember, and say what it buys: meals, books, hours of care.
3. Track it in one place. One fundraising page, one link, one progress bar posted in the main channel every few days.
4. Thank people. Within two days, share the total and a note from the charity. Thank the team as a whole and name givers only if they agree.

Keep it fair

• Giving is optional and private. Managers never see who gave or how much, and joining the event never depends on a gift.
• The money goes straight to the charity. Never collect gifts into a personal or company account to pass on later.
• Check the law before a raffle. Raffles count as gambling under many state laws, and some states allow them only for licensed nonprofits. Skill contests and pledges avoid the question.
• Ask finance first. Receipts, matching rules, payroll setup and taxes vary, so check with your finance team before you announce anything.

The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search confirms a US charity’s status. Want to give time as well as money? Plan a volunteer day around Make a Difference Day, or pick from our virtual volunteer opportunities.

Run the main event with a host

We host the game and keep score; your people give on the charity’s own page, and we never collect donations. Virtual trivia and game shows run about an hour on Zoom by default (Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request). Book about 2 weeks ahead.

Send us your date and headcount to get a free quote within 24 hours.