For event organisers like you, the Halloween season offers candy, costumes, and …tons of opportunity for fun Halloween fundraising ideas! Leverage your events this fall to raise funds for your cause like never before. From ideas like monster chilli mash to witch’s brew tasting, we have our top 15 spooky ideas that are sure to help you raise more donations! 

Why your nonprofit should host a Halloween fundraiser

Putting on a spooky-themed event does more than get people excited for Halloween! A Halloween fundraiser presents unique opportunities to connect with your community, boost visibility, and secure vital funds for your nonprofit's mission. 

Community engagement

Halloween events can captivate attendees of all ages! Not only do they bring people together over a shared love for all things Halloween, they also help connect your organisation with those in your community who might not have otherwise heard about you. Fun activities such as costume contests, haunted houses, trunk-or-treat fundraisers, and themed games can help draw in people from all walks of life, setting the stage for an inclusive atmosphere.

Increased visibility

Halloween fundraiser ideas can really make your nonprofit stand out and get noticed in a crowded market! Seasonal events are super shareable on social media, boosting your organisation's online presence and drawing in new supporters who may not have known about your cause before. 

Effective fundraising

The festive nature of Halloween-themed fundraisers makes it easier to incorporate creative fundraising activities such as raffles or auctions. They’re also a great reason to sell tickets to haunt-related events like pumpkin patches. These can significantly amp up your fundraising efforts, allowing you to raise more money to support your nonprofit organisation.

Halloween-themed fundraiser ideas for inspiration:

1. Spooky-themed bake sale

Win over your community with a classic bake sale! For this fundraising idea, homemade baked goods are sold to raise money for your cause. This idea works particularly well because it’s simple and appeals to anyone with a sweet tooth (which is a lot of people!). To put a spooky spin on your goodies, add designs like ghosts, witches, pumpkins, or bats with icing and fondant. Go the extra mile by incorporating inspired flavours like pumpkin spice, caramel apple, or themed sweets! When you’re ready to spread the word, post about your bake sale on social media and share it with groups that are known to support your cause. Post flyers promoting your bake sale on local community boards to draw in more people.

2. Haunted house tour

A haunted house fundraiser can be a super creative way to sell tickets and fundraise for your cause. Start by selecting a suitable location with ample space for different scenes and props. Once your venue is secured, design a layout that guides visitors through a series of themed rooms filled with eerie lighting, spooky sound effects, and creepy decorations. Utilise your volunteers to add interactive elements like jump scares and hidden surprises. Lastly, it’s extremely important to ensure that your haunted house venue meets necessary safety standards and that your volunteers are trained on emergency procedures to ensure a fun, safe haunted house event!

3. Pumpkin carving contest

If you’re looking for attendees to participate and get creative, then a pumpkin carving contest is the Halloween fundraiser for you! Participants can purchase an event ticket to enter the contest and those ticket proceeds can be used to fundraise for your cause. Pumpkin carving attracts participants of all ages, from students to large families. To get this fundraiser up and running, set clear contest rules and categories like the scariest, funniest, and most creative. To take your contest a step further, give out prizes like gift cards donated by local businesses or sponsors that support your charity!

4. Pumpkin patch

Similar to our pumpkin contest theme, consider putting together a pumpkin patch! You can easily buy pumpkins in bulk from a local wholesale farmer and sell them at a more premium price to raise money for your nonprofit. Decorate your pumpkin patch with an awesome backdrop for the perfect photo op! Think bales of hay, scarecrows, and aesthetic pumpkin arrangements. Add to your fundraiser by selling pumpkin decorating supplies! To make your pumpkin patch even more worthwhile, invite local businesses to sell snacks and beverages like apple cider, hot chocolate, and pumpkin treats!

5. Trick-or-treat trail

Trick-or-treat fundraiser ideas are some fun ones to try! Consider a trick-or-treat trail where you plan a route with designated stops so participants can collect treats or play mini-games like cornhole or apple bobbing. Utilize all the spooky props you can think of on your trail like fog machines, cool lighting, and sound effects to create the perfect eerie atmosphere. To ensure your trail is followed as planned, create maps or provide signage to guide participants along the path and indicate crossing points. You can use the proceeds from your event ticket sales to support your selected charity.

6. Costume parade

Bring the spirit of a good ol’ Halloween party to the streets with a costume parade! A costume parade allows your participants to show off their personalities and design skills. You can work with your city to plan a route through a central location like a city area or community park. To add an extra level of fun, turn it into a costume contest with categories for different age groups or themes, like best group or most original costume. To boost ticket sales, collaborate with community organisations and schools to sponsor your upcoming Halloween fundraiser and offer prizes to the winners of your contest!

7. Horror movie screening

For these Halloween charity events, choose popular horror films or classic Halloween movies to show and sell a ticket to enter. You can even show them back-to-back as a movie marathon event and section them off in themes such as slasher, supernatural, or family-friendly. Be sure to schedule breaks in between films for the restroom, concessions, and a good ol’ stretch. To set the mood, offer themed snacks such as vampire-themed cocktails (or mocktails) and caramel popcorn. Your screening area could even be decorated with cobwebs and jack-o’-lanterns!

8. DIY Halloween craft fair

Calling all creatives! Invite your local artisans, crafters, and DIY enthusiasts to showcase and sell their Halloween-themed items. Set up booth spaces for vendors to share their artwork with your community. Then, to promote your craft fair, contact local media outlets, share it on community calendars, and blast it across your social media platforms. Put together a raffle where attendees can pay to enter and win a basket of sponsored items from local artists. To spice things up, provide opportunities for attendees to participate in hands-on crafting workshops to create their own Halloween-inspired decorations.

9. Ghostly gala dinner

A gala dinner is a super popular charity event idea, so why not make it Halloween-themed? Design a themed menu featuring dishes inspired by Halloween folklore, ghost stories, and other aspects of fall. Offer appetisers like deviled eggs with spider web designs, main courses like pumpkin risotto, and desserts like graveyard-themed cakes. Make your gala interactive by having volunteers read ghost stories, or set up fortune-telling stations with tarot card readings for after dinner. To benefit your nonprofit, set up a silent auction to raise funds for your cause while providing an unforgettable night.

10. Zombie fun run

Who would’ve thought you could purposely invite zombies to run for a good cause! For this fundraising event, host a charity run but with a twist – everyone dresses up like zombies. Choose a scenic route or park for your zombie fun run, and even consider featuring different distances and difficulty levels depending on your runners’ experience. To build your event’s momentum, encourage early sign-ups using early-bird discounts and reward runners for hitting fundraising goals through pledges. Want to take your run up a notch? Consider seeking sponsorships for support and offer cool merchandise like T-shirts and hats to elevate your charity event's appeal!

11. Witch's brew tasting

Collaborate with local breweries or distilleries to offer tasting flights! Then, either have the brewery donate a percentage of the proceeds to your selected cause or donate the drinks they share with attendees in exchange for promotional opportunities at your event. Work with your sponsor to brainstorm names that’ll witch-ify your drink selections to match your theme.

12. Monster mash chilli bash

Host a Halloween-themed chilli contest! Invite your local community to purchase a ticket to your chilli-tasting event. For your contestants, start by setting Halloween-themed categories like “Spiciest Hellfire” (spiciest chilli), “Best Overall Cauldron” (best overall chilli), “Wickedly Vegetarian” (best vegetarian), “Phantom’s Favorite” (people’s choice), and so on. Decorate your contestants' booths in different Halloween-themed ways to add to the spooky atmosphere and encourage them to bring their own themed cookware! As for your tasting attendees, create engaging activities like a “chilli passport” and offer a prize to the attendees who have received a stamp for tasting every booth's chilli!

13. Jack-o'-lantern auction

Light up the night with a Jack-o’-Lantern auction! Engage local artists, influencers, and community members to create pumpkins out of wood, glass, or any material they choose and put their artistic spin on them. Then, showcase your decked-out pumpkins at a public spot or online gallery for auction for your cause. Provide clear guidance on pumpkin size, carving techniques, and submission deadlines. Lastly, throw a lively auction event with a skilled auctioneer or emcee to spark spirited bidding and attract competitive offers!

14. Spooky scavenger hunt

Engage your community with a spooky scavenger hunt! Craft a set of clues and riddles leading participants to different spots in your area. Hunt down unique sites with history or cool landmarks to include on the scavenger hunt path. Add a spooky touch with ghost stories, urban legends, or historical trivia tied to the spots. Toss in rewards like gift cards, event tickets, or Halloween-themed goodies for those who complete the hunt successfully! All participants can purchase a ticket to your spooky scavenger hunt, and you can donate the proceeds to your selected nonprofit.

15. Creepy carnival 

Food and games? Yes, please! Create carnival booths and classic attractions with a twist using Halloween themes! This could include a haunted house corn maze, pumpkin bowling, or a witch's hat ring toss. Have your staff or volunteers run the booths for a range of games for all ages so everyone can enjoy the fun. To benefit your fundraising efforts, sell tickets for carnival entry and game access. You can mix free and paid activities, as well as offer tickets or tokens for games. Have local vendors offer concession stands with snacks, drinks, and Halloween treats for additional funds!

And that’s a wrap! 

We hope these ideas have you antsy to get your own Halloween-themed fundraiser off the ground! From connecting with your community to raising more money, there’s no reason to wait! Ready to put your fundraiser’s tickets on sale? Let an intuitive event ticketing system like TicketLeap help facilitate your event ticket sales. We’ve helped numerous nonprofit organisations, as well as other types of events, and are eager to work with you too! Sign up for free with TicketLeap today!