AU clubs run on thin margins and volunteer crews, so the best fundraisers are the ones that clear real money after costs. This guide stacks 50+ ideas by setup time, attaches revenue maths to each, and shows how to run every dollar through a free platform.
- Quick-wins launch in under two hours: sausage sizzle, car wash, donation drive, bake sale.
- Peer-to-peer campaigns multiply your member network without extra volunteer hours.
- Recurring formats (canteen shifts, seasonal pre-orders) compound across the year.
- An EOFY (30 June) appeal is Australia's biggest giving moment for DGR-endorsed clubs.
- Run everything on Zeffy: no platform fee, no transaction fee, no credit card fee, ever.
Most club fundraising lives or dies on margin: a handful of volunteers, parent-sized cheques, and a tournament or t-shirt run that has to clear real money after costs. This guide stacks 50+ ideas by how long they take to set up, attaches simple revenue maths to each one, and shows how to run every dollar through a platform that charges not-for-profits nothing in platform, transaction, or credit card fees.
If your club is DGR-endorsed, every donation form mentioned below can issue a compliant tax-deductible receipt automatically. Not sure whether your club has DGR status? Check on ABN Lookup before your next campaign.
In this article:
Quick-Win Fundraisers (Under 2 Hours to Set Up)
These are the ideas you reach for when the budget meeting is next week and you need cash flowing by the weekend. Each one is light on setup, low on supplies, and built for a small volunteer crew.
1. Bake Sale
What it is: Members bake at home; the club sells slices, biscuits, and loaves at a high-traffic spot (school pickup, game day, farmers market).
How to set it up: Pick a date and location, send a sign-up sheet for baked goods, set price points ($1 to $3 per item), staff a table with cash and a card reader.
Cost: Low effort tier. Most supplies are donated by member households; a typical itemised list (paper plates, napkins, signage, change float) sums to a small startup cost.
Revenue maths: 150 baked items at an average of $2 each = $300.
2. Car Wash
What it is: Set up in a car park with hoses, soap, and towels; wash cars by donation or a flat fee.
How to set it up: Secure permission from a business with a car park and water access, recruit 8 to 10 volunteers, make big roadside signs, run a 4-hour shift.
Cost: Low effort tier. Supplies (soap, sponges, towels, buckets) are largely donated by member households.
Revenue maths: 50 cars at $10 each = $500.
Pro tip: Add a "premium" $20 tier with interior vacuum or tyre shine. Accept card payments for the half of drivers who don't carry cash.
3. Donation Drive
What it is: A focused 7-day push for one-time donations from your existing list (parents, alumni, members, past supporters).
How to set it up: Set a goal amount, build a single donation page, write 3 short emails (kickoff, midweek, final-hours), post the link in every group chat.
Revenue maths: 40 donors at an average gift of $35 = $1,400.
Pro tip: Lead with a specific need ("$1,400 covers new uniforms for the junior squad"), not a generic ask. If your club is DGR-endorsed, remind donors that gifts of $2 or more are tax-deductible (ATO).
4. Coffee Cart
What it is: A pop-up coffee and pastry table at meetings, parent nights, sports tournaments, or weekend events.
How to set it up: Buy or borrow large airpots, pick 2 to 3 simple drinks (drip, hot chocolate, tea), set a $3 price.
Cost: Low effort tier. Itemised supplies: ground coffee, milk, cups, lids, stirrers, sugar packets, a small change float.
Revenue maths: 80 cups at $3 = $240 per event, repeatable every week.
5. Dog Wash
What it is: A bring-your-dog wash station in a car park or park, set up like a car wash but for pups.
How to set it up: Permission from a venue with a water source, 6 to 8 volunteers, two wash stations, towels, dog-safe shampoo, and treats.
Cost: Low effort tier. Supplies (shampoo, towels, kiddie pools, treats) can be largely donated or borrowed.
Revenue maths: 30 dogs at $15 each = $450.
6. Canteen or Concession Stand
What it is: Sell drinks, snacks, and hot food at a home game, tournament, or community event your club already attends.
How to set it up: Lock in the venue agreement, build a simple menu (sausages, chips, lollies, drinks), buy from a wholesale supplier, recruit a 4-volunteer shift.
Cost: Low effort tier. Itemised supplies: wholesale run for sausages, buns, chips, lollies, drinks, condiments, napkins, and gloves.
Revenue maths: 120 transactions at an average ticket of $5 = $600 per game.
7. Share-a-Zeffy-Link SMS Campaign
What it is: Every member texts your club's donation form link to 10 people in their phone, with a short personal ask.
How to set it up: Build the donation form, write a 2-sentence message template members can copy, set a 48-hour window, post a running tally.
Revenue maths: 20 members x 10 texts x 15% conversion x $25 average gift = $750.
Pro tip: Share the link directly via text; this is plain link sharing, not a text-to-give shortcode.
8. Lemonade Stand
What it is: Classic warm-weather setup at a high-foot-traffic spot.
How to set it up: Card table, jugs, cups, ice, a clear sign with the cause, two volunteers.
Cost: Low effort tier. Itemised supplies: lemonade mix, cups, ice, a small change float.
Revenue maths: 100 cups at $2 = $200.
Pro tip: Add biscuits for a $1 upsell; most lemonade buyers grab both.
9. Pop-Up Photo Booth
What it is: A backdrop, props, and a volunteer photographer at a school dance, festival, or sports event.
How to set it up: Pick a backdrop, gather costume props from member closets, post a volunteer with a phone or instant camera, charge $5 per photo.
Cost: Low effort tier. Backdrop fabric, tape, props, and printer film are the itemised supplies.
Revenue maths: 60 photos at $5 = $300.
Pro tip: Print on the spot if you can; printed photos earn impulse buys, digital downloads do not.
10. Recycling Drive
What it is: Collect cans, e-waste, or used clothing for cash redemption or a paying buyer.
How to set it up: Confirm what your local redemption centre pays (the Container Deposit Scheme applies in most states and territories), line up drop-off points, run a 2-week collection window, do one bulk haul.
Cost: Low effort tier. Bins, bags, and petrol money for the haul.
Revenue maths: 5,000 cans at $0.10 each (Container Deposit Scheme rate in most states) = $500.
Event-Based Fundraising Ideas
Events take more setup than quick wins, but ticket revenue plus add-on sales (silent auctions, bar tabs, canteen) can push a single night into four figures. The key is matching event size to volunteer capacity and selling tickets in advance so you know how much food to buy.
11. Trivia Night
Setup steps: Find a venue (school hall, community room, partner pub or restaurant), write 5 rounds of 10 questions, set teams of 4 to 6, sell tickets per person.
Ticket pricing: $15 to $20 per person, with a "team table" upsell at $100 for a reserved 6-top.
Revenue maths: 100 attendees at $20/ticket = $2,000, plus $300 in silent auction add-ons.
Promotion: Email lists, school announcements, partner venue social posts.
Logistics checklist: Tables, mic and speaker, scoresheets, pens, prize for the winning team, a host who can read questions clearly.
Sell tickets in advance with free event ticketing, and layer a silent auction on top for extra revenue.
12. Sports Tournament
Setup steps: Pick a sport (3-on-3 basketball, netball, soccer, touch footy), secure a field or court, set a team registration fee, run a single-elimination bracket.
Ticket pricing: $150 to $250 per team of 4 to 6, $5 spectator entry.
Revenue maths: 16 teams at $200 = $3,200, plus spectator and canteen revenue.
Promotion: Local sports leagues, parent groups, alumni email lists.
Logistics checklist: Referees, brackets, water station, first-aid kit, sound system, trophies or medals. Sell entries through free event ticketing.
13. Cook-Off Competition
Setup steps: Pick a theme (chilli, BBQ, dessert), recruit 8 to 12 cooks, sell tasting tickets to the public, charge cooks an entry fee, hand out a prize for best dish.
Ticket pricing: $10 per taster, $25 cook entry fee.
Revenue maths: 80 tasters at $10 = $800, plus 10 cooks at $25 = $250, total $1,050.
Promotion: Foodie Facebook groups, local food press, member lists.
Logistics checklist: Tables, serving spoons, tasting cups, ballots for "people's choice," handwashing station.
14. Movie Night
Setup steps: Licence a film through a public-performance service, set up a projector and screen (or use a school hall), sell tickets plus canteen items.
Ticket pricing: $5 per person or $20 family max.
Revenue maths: 80 attendees averaging $7 (ticket and popcorn) = $560.
Promotion: School announcements, neighbourhood Facebook groups, parent text chains.
15. Food Truck Festival
Setup steps: Recruit 4 to 8 local food trucks, lock a venue with parking and permits, charge entry, take a percentage of truck sales or a flat booth fee.
Ticket pricing: $5 entry, free for kids under 10.
Revenue maths: 400 attendees at $5 entry = $2,000, plus 6 trucks at a $200 booth fee = $1,200, total $3,200.
Promotion: Truck owners share with their followers, local event calendars, sponsor co-promotion.
Logistics checklist: Permits, rubbish and recycling, water access for trucks, signage, parking marshals. Sell entry tickets through free event ticketing.
16. Themed Dinner
Setup steps: Pick a theme (1920s, mystery dinner, international cuisine), partner with a restaurant or volunteer-cooked menu, sell tickets per seat or per couple.
Ticket pricing: $40 to $75 per person depending on menu.
Revenue maths: 60 seats at $50 = $3,000.
Promotion: Email, partner restaurant social, member networks.
17. Silent Auction
Setup steps: Collect 25 to 50 donated items from local businesses and member networks, run bidding for 2 to 3 hours during an event or for 7 days online, close to the highest bidder.
Revenue maths: 40 items at an average winning bid of $45 = $1,800.
Promotion: Pair with another event (trivia, gala, dinner). For an online silent auction, run it on the same week as a campaign push.
Logistics checklist: Donor solicitation letters, item display, bid sheets or bidder accounts, payment processing.
Many AU clubs run silent and live auctions side by side at gala dinners via mobile bidding platforms. GalaBid is the AU specialist used by organisations including Camp Quality, Ronald McDonald House, and Variety. Use Zeffy as the ticketing and donation-form layer for the event itself alongside a dedicated auction tool.
18. Live Art Auction
Setup steps: Partner with 6 to 12 local artists, host a gallery night, run a live auctioneer for headline pieces and a silent component for smaller works.
Ticket pricing: $15 admission with a drink ticket.
Revenue maths: 80 attendees at $15 = $1,200 entry, plus 10 live pieces averaging $200 = $2,000, total $3,200.
Promotion: Artist networks (cross-promote with their followers), local arts press.
19. Gala / Annual Dinner
Setup steps: Book a venue 6 months out, sell sponsor tables, build a program (welcome, dinner, brief speaker, ask, dessert), sell individual seats.
Ticket pricing: $100 to $150 per seat, $1,500 to $5,000 sponsor tables.
Revenue maths: 120 seats at $125 = $15,000, plus 4 sponsor tables at $2,500 = $10,000, total $25,000 gross before costs.
Promotion: Committee outreach, sponsor invitations, email, press release.
Logistics checklist: Venue, catering, AV, program printing, seating chart, photographer. Manage tickets and tables through free event ticketing.
20. Dance / Social Night
Setup steps: Book a hall, hire a DJ or build a playlist, sell tickets, run a cash bar or refreshment table.
Ticket pricing: $15 single / $25 couple.
Revenue maths: 100 attendees at $20 average = $2,000.
Promotion: Member networks, school newsletters, neighbourhood groups.
21. Comedy Night
Setup steps: Book 2 to 3 local comedians (open-mic comics often work for a small guarantee or door split), find a venue, sell tickets.
Ticket pricing: $20 per seat.
Revenue maths: 70 seats at $20 = $1,400 minus comedian guarantee.
Promotion: Comedians' followers, local comedy press, member networks.
22. Karaoke Night
Setup steps: Rent or borrow a karaoke setup, find a venue with a small stage, charge a cover, sell add-on "song bumps" (pay $5 to skip the queue).
Ticket pricing: $10 cover.
Revenue maths: 60 attendees at $10 + $200 in song bumps = $800.
23. Paint and Sip
Setup steps: Recruit a member or local artist to lead, set up tables with canvases and supplies, sell BYOB tickets.
Ticket pricing: $35 per seat (covers supplies and a small profit).
Revenue maths: 30 seats at $35 = $1,050 minus supplies.
24. Obstacle Course / Field Day
Setup steps: Build a course in a park or oval, sell team registrations, charge spectator entry, sell canteen items.
Ticket pricing: $50 per team of 4, $5 spectator entry.
Revenue maths: 25 teams at $50 = $1,250 plus 100 spectators at $5 = $500, total $1,750.
Product and Sales Fundraisers
Product fundraisers work when you can pre-sell on a deadline (no inventory risk) and when the margin per unit is high enough that selling 100 units actually moves your goal. Use Zeffy as the order-collection layer; use your supplier as the production line.
25. T-Shirt Sale
How it works: Design a club shirt, set a pre-order window, batch the order with a print-on-demand supplier, ship or distribute to buyers.
Pricing strategy: Your supplier sets wholesale; a typical retail markup is 2x.
Revenue maths: 120 shirts at $20 retail with a wholesale cost of $10 = $1,200 gross margin.
Pre-orders vs. inventory: Always pre-order for a custom shirt. Inventory ties up cash and leaves you with unsold sizes.
26. Custom Merchandise (Hats, Hoodies, Mugs)
How it works: Same model as t-shirts. Pick 2 to 3 items, open a 10-day pre-order window, batch the production order.
Pricing strategy: Your supplier sets wholesale; price each item at roughly 2x wholesale.
Revenue maths: 80 items at an average $25 retail with $12 wholesale = $1,040 gross margin.
27. Community Cookbook
How it works: Collect 40 to 60 recipes from members, design a simple PDF or print book, sell pre-orders, print on demand.
Pricing strategy: Your print-on-demand vendor sets wholesale; typical retail markup is 2x.
Revenue maths: 100 cookbooks at $25 retail with $10 print cost = $1,500 gross margin.
28. Plant Sale
How it works: Partner with a local nursery for wholesale pricing, pre-sell seasonal plants (autumn annuals, spring seedlings), distribute on a single pickup day.
Pricing strategy: Buy wholesale, mark up 2x.
Revenue maths: 150 plants at $12 retail with $6 wholesale = $900 gross margin.
29. Christmas Pudding / Mince Pie Pre-Orders
How it works: Pre-sell Christmas puddings, mince pies, or gift hampers from a wholesale supplier or volunteer-baked production in November for December pickup. Works well as an Easter hot-cross-bun pre-sale too.
Pricing strategy: Your supplier sets wholesale; typical retail markup is 2x.
Revenue maths: 80 puddings or pies at $20 retail with $10 wholesale = $800 gross margin.
30. Greenery and Wreath Sale
How it works: Pre-sell wreaths, garland, or table centrepieces from a wholesale supplier in November for December pickup.
Pricing strategy: Your supplier sets wholesale; typical retail markup is 2x.
Revenue maths: 80 wreaths at $30 retail with $15 wholesale = $1,200 gross margin.
31. Popcorn / Snack Sales
How it works: Partner with a popcorn fundraising vendor or sell branded snack bags at games and meetings.
Pricing strategy: Vendor sets wholesale; retail markup is typically 2x.
Revenue maths: 200 bags at $5 retail with $2 wholesale = $600 gross margin.
32. Discount Card / Coupon Book
How it works: Sign up 15 to 25 local businesses to offer a one-time discount, print or digitise a card, sell cards to supporters at $10 to $20.
Revenue maths: 100 cards at $15 = $1,500.
33. Candle / Soap Sale
How it works: Members make small-batch candles or soaps with kits, sell at events and online.
Pricing strategy: Itemised cost per unit (wax, wick, jar, fragrance) sets your floor; price at 2.5x cost.
Revenue maths: 80 candles at $15 retail with $6 supplies = $720 gross margin.
34. Yard Sale / Rummage Sale
How it works: Collect donated household goods over 2 to 3 weeks, hold a one-day sale at a member's yard or partner venue.
Revenue maths: A well-stocked rummage sale with 200 buyers averaging $5 spend = $1,000.
35. Book Sale
How it works: Collect used books, sort by category, sell at $1 paperback / $3 hardcover / $5 specialty.
Revenue maths: 500 books sold at an average of $2 = $1,000.
Online and Digital Fundraising Ideas
Online fundraisers scale your member network. Each member becomes a small fundraiser themselves, and the campaign runs while they sleep.
36. Crowdfunding Campaign
What it is: A single donation page with a specific goal, story, and deadline (4 to 6 weeks).
When to use it: Anchor it to a concrete need ("send 12 members to nationals," "buy new training equipment"). Generic appeals underperform.
How to promote: Email, member text chains, social posts with a progress thermometer screenshot, a midpoint update, and a final-48-hours push.
Revenue maths: 60 donors at an average $50 gift = $3,000.
37. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
What it is: Each member gets their own donation page tied to the club campaign; they fundraise their networks individually.
When to use it: Anytime you have 15 or more members willing to share. Each member only needs to raise a modest amount for the totals to add up.
How to promote: Run a leaderboard, name a top fundraiser prize, send weekly update emails.
Revenue maths: 25 members at $150 each = $3,750.
Launch a peer-to-peer fundraising page for any "-a-thon" event (read-a-thon, walk-a-thon, dance-a-thon, ride-a-thon, fitness challenge). Browse more peer-to-peer fundraising ideas for activity formats.
38. Walk-a-Thon
What it is: Members collect pledges per kilometre walked or per lap completed at an event day.
When to use it: Autumn or spring, when the weather allows a long outdoor session.
How to promote: Each walker shares their personal page; the club shares the team page.
39. Read-a-Thon
What it is: Members get pledges per book read or per hour of reading over a 2-week window.
When to use it: School-based and youth clubs. Combines well with reading goals tied to the AU school year (Years K to 12).
40. Ride-a-Thon
What it is: Cyclists collect pledges per kilometre ridden on a designated event day.
41. Dance-a-Thon
What it is: Dancers collect pledges per hour stayed on the floor; the event runs 4 to 6 hours.
Revenue maths: 35 dancers at $80 raised each = $2,800.
42. Fitness Challenge
What it is: A 30-day step challenge, kilometres-run challenge, or workout challenge with pledged donations per milestone.
43. Social Media Challenge
What it is: A short branded challenge (a 24-hour fundraising sprint, a tagged photo contest, a "match my donation") that runs entirely on Instagram, TikTok, or X.
How to promote: Member network seeds it first, then the broader club community amplifies.
Revenue maths: 80 donors at $30 average = $2,400.
44. Virtual Trivia / Game Night
What it is: Trivia or a game night hosted on Zoom with paid tickets and a donation drive during breaks.
Revenue maths: 60 attendees at $15 ticket = $900 plus $400 in donations during the show = $1,300. Sell tickets through free event ticketing.
45. Share a Zeffy Link via Text
What it is: A coordinated push where every member texts the club's donation form link to their personal network with a short ask.
When to use it: EOFY season, post-event, or a 48-hour sprint. This is plain link sharing, not a text-to-give shortcode.
Seasonal and Holiday Fundraising Ideas
Tying a fundraiser to the AU calendar gives supporters a reason to act now. These ideas slot into your annual fundraising calendar across all four Australian seasons so you don't pile every event into one month.
Autumn (March to May)
- 46. Autumn Plant Pre-Sale: Partner with a wholesale nursery, pre-sell autumn annuals and seedlings in March for May pickup. High margin if you buy wholesale and sell at 2x.
- 47. School Fete: The anchor AU school-community event (rides, cake stall, plant stall, second-hand books, sausage sizzle, silent auction). Match it to the school calendar (Term 1 or Term 2). Charge per-game tickets ($1 each, 12 for $10).
- 48. Mother's Day Luncheon or Stall (May): Sell handmade gifts, afternoon tea tickets, or run a card-making stall for Mother's Day. A gentle, community-friendly format for school P&Cs and hobby clubs.
Winter (June to August)
- 49. EOFY Appeal (30 June): Australia's biggest giving moment. Run a 30 June deadline campaign for DGR-endorsed clubs. Donors maximise their tax-deductible giving before the financial year ends, so a well-timed ask with a specific goal ("$12,000 to fund uniforms for the 2026-27 season") and a public thermometer converts strongly. Use a peer-to-peer campaign or a straight donation drive. This is the most powerful AU-specific fundraising window, bigger than Christmas for DGR-endorsed organisations. (ATO)
- 50. Indoor Gala Dinner: Book a function venue for a mid-year gala. Winter keeps the event indoors naturally and gives sponsors a mid-financial-year table to write off.
- 51. Trivia Night or Comedy Night: High-attendance indoor formats for the cooler months; ideal for pubs, RSLs, and school halls.
Spring (September to November)
- 52. Sausage Sizzle at Bunnings: The canonical AU community fundraiser. Clubs apply for a slot at their local Bunnings Warehouse, buy sausages, bread, and onions at wholesale, and sell at $3.50 to $4 each. Revenue maths: 400 sausages at $3.50 = $1,400 for a Saturday shift with a small volunteer crew. Check the current application process at your local Bunnings store before booking a slot.
- 53. Spring Fair / School Fete Season: Stalls, rides, silent auction, sausage sizzle. Spring weather makes September and October the peak AU school-fete season.
- 54. Melbourne Cup Lunch (First Tuesday of November): A sweepstake lunch (sold separately from any gaming licence requirement, as a social event with an entry fee) is a genuine AU cultural anchor for community clubs, service organisations, and workplace groups.
- 55. School-Supply Drive or Donation Match: Local business matches every dollar raised to buy classroom supplies. Run it in late January or early February (start of the AU school year, Years K to 12) while back-to-school is top of mind; or in Spring for mid-year supplies.
Summer (December to February)
- 56. Christmas Market Pre-Orders: Pre-sell holiday wreaths, gift hampers, and mince pies through November for December pickup. Christmas is a summer holiday in Australia and pre-orders work just as well. Manage orders through a free online store.
- 57. Christmas Gift Wrap Booth: Set up at a shopping centre or community centre the week before Christmas. Charge $3 to $10 per package depending on size.
- 58. Outdoor Movie Night Series: 3 films across December, January, and February with sponsor-named nights. Summer evenings and a projector on the oval are an AU summer staple.
- 59. Lemonade Stand Marathon: Coordinate multiple stands across the neighbourhood on a single Saturday and pool the proceeds. Great for primary-school-age members during the Christmas holidays.
- 60. Summer Day Camp: Run a 1-week skill camp (sports, arts, coding) with paid registration over the January school holidays.
Fundraising Ideas by Club Type
Not every idea on this list works for every club. Here's where to start based on what your club is.
Sports Clubs
Sports clubs have a built-in audience (game-day parents and supporters) and a clear use of funds (uniforms, travel, equipment). The code matters too: AFL, NRL, soccer, netball, cricket, and hockey clubs each have their own game-day culture. Best-fit ideas:
- Canteen or concession stand at home games (recurring revenue you control).
- Sports tournament in your sport's off-season.
- Team t-shirt and merch sale through a free online store.
- Peer-to-peer "play-a-thon" tied to a season opener.
Important for sports clubs: Most AU sports clubs cannot get DGR endorsement on their own, so donations are not automatically tax-deductible for donors. If your club wants donors to be able to claim a tax deduction, run donations through the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF), the DGR umbrella pathway for Australian sport. (ATO DGR endorsement eligibility)
School P&Cs and P&Fs
P&C (Parents and Citizens, NSW and QLD public schools) and P&F (Parents and Friends, VIC and SA Catholic schools) committees have parent networks, school-day access, and recurring annual cycles. Best-fit ideas:
- Trivia night for parents at a partner pub or restaurant.
- Read-a-thon tied to a literacy focus week.
- School fete or sausage sizzle as the anchor annual event.
- Membership management for P&C or P&F member dues, handled through Zeffy's free membership tools.
University Clubs
Uni clubs have engaged student networks, alumni they can re-engage, and on-campus venues. Best-fit ideas:
- Peer-to-peer campaign for a specific goal (nationals, conference travel, equipment).
- On-campus event (paint and sip, trivia, comedy night).
- Custom merch tied to an event or rivalry.
- Alumni giving day with a year-vs-year match.
Community Service Organisations
Service clubs (Rotary, Lions, Zonta) have a member-dues model, a community-event tradition, and adult professional networks. Best-fit ideas:
- Annual gala with sponsor tables from member businesses.
- Silent auction with member-donated items.
- Discount card partnership with member businesses.
- Membership dues through Zeffy's free membership management.
Hobby Clubs
Hobby clubs (book clubs, gaming groups, makers, garden clubs) work best when the fundraiser matches the hobby. Best-fit ideas:
- Themed event showcasing the hobby (gaming tournament, garden tour, maker market).
- Workshop or class taught by members for a fee.
- Product sale of member-made items through a free online store.
How to Choose the Right Fundraiser for Your Club
Before you pick from the list, run through these five questions:
- 1. What's your timeline? Two weeks? Pick from Quick-Wins. Two months? An event is on the table. Six months? You can run a gala or a multi-stage seasonal campaign.
- 2. How many volunteers do you actually have? Not how many you wish you had. A 5-person crew should not be running a 400-person food truck festival. Match scale to volunteer headcount.
- 3. Who's your audience? Parents and alumni respond differently than students. Local business owners respond differently than community members. Pick ideas that match the people who will actually show up.
- 4. What's your goal? $500 for a one-time supply purchase? Different playbook than $25,000 for an annual operating budget. Goal size determines whether you need one event or a year-round mix.
- 5. Do you need donations to be tax-deductible? Only DGR-endorsed clubs can issue tax-deductible receipts, and only donations of $2 or more qualify. Ticket purchases, auction items where the buyer receives a benefit, and sausage sizzle sales are never tax-deductible in AU. Check your club's DGR status on ABN Lookup before your next donation drive. (ACNC DGR fact sheet)
A simple decision framework: short timeline plus small crew equals Quick-Win. Medium timeline plus medium crew plus parent or community audience equals Event. Long timeline plus scattered network equals Online or peer-to-peer.
A note on raffles: Raffles are a popular AU club format but they are regulated separately from general fundraising as "minor gaming" or "community gaming" by each state or territory, the VGCCC in VIC (community and charitable gaming), NSW Fair Trading in NSW, and the OLGR ("art unions") in QLD (ACNC, Fundraising in Queensland). Run raffles through a specialist gaming or auction tool that supports your state's requirements, such as GalaBid.
How to Maximise Your Fundraising Revenue
Pick a strong idea, then squeeze every dollar out of it with the following practices.
Set a Specific, Public Goal
"Raise money for the club" underperforms "Raise $4,000 to send 12 kids to state finals" every time. Specific goals make the ask concrete, and a public thermometer creates urgency at 50% and 90% of the way there.
Promote on Three Channels Minimum
Email, social, and direct text. One channel reaches one slice of your audience. Three channels reach almost everyone. Add a fourth (a newsletter, a partner business's window sign) if you have it.
Thank Every Donor, Twice
Once automatically at the moment of donation, and once personally within 7 days. Personally-thanked donors give again at a meaningfully higher rate than auto-thanked donors. Use a handwritten note, a personal email, or a phone call from a member.
Track Results So You Know What to Repeat
Note how much each fundraiser raised, how many volunteer hours it cost, and what your dollar-per-volunteer-hour was. Next year, double down on the high-ratio formats and retire the low ones.
Run It on a Platform That Doesn't Take a Cut
This is the lever most clubs miss. A $5,000 fundraiser on a typical platform quietly bleeds real money: Humanitix at the NFP rate (2.5% + $0.50 per ticket), Raisely at a flat 4%, or Eventbrite AU at around 5.35% + $1.19 per ticket plus GST all add up fast. On Zeffy, $5,000 raised = $5,000 to your club. No platform fee, no transaction fee, no credit card fee. Ever.
Across Australia and around the world, 100,000+ not-for-profits use Zeffy to keep 100% of what they raise.
If your club is currently on Shout for Good and facing its 2026 shutdown, Zeffy is a direct free alternative for donations, ticketing, memberships, and more.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most profitable fundraiser for a club?
The most profitable club fundraisers are typically those with the highest margin per volunteer hour. Peer-to-peer campaigns scale your member network at almost zero cost. Gala dinners and themed dinners with sponsor tables can clear $10,000 or more from a single night. Recurring formats like a canteen at home games produce reliable revenue week after week. The key is matching the format to your timeline and volunteer capacity, setting a specific dollar goal, and running it on a platform that keeps 100% of what you raise.
How do I start a fundraiser with no money?
Several formats require near-zero upfront cost. A donation drive needs only a free online donation page and a few emails. A sausage sizzle at Bunnings requires a small investment in sausages and bread that you recoup quickly from the first hour of sales. A share-a-link SMS campaign costs nothing but your members' time. A bake sale is largely funded by member households donating baked goods. Start with whichever of these fits your timeline, then reinvest the proceeds into a bigger event.
How do we promote our club fundraiser?
Use at least three channels: email to your existing list, social media posts (ask every member to share), and direct text messages from individual members to their personal networks. Add a fourth channel if you have one (a local school newsletter, a partner business's window sign, or a community Facebook group). Set a specific public goal and post a running progress update at the halfway point and in the final 48 hours to drive urgency.
How do we collect donations and sell tickets online?
Use a free fundraising platform that handles online donations, event ticketing, peer-to-peer pages, and membership dues in one place. Zeffy is free for not-for-profits: no platform fee, no transaction fee, no credit card fee. If your club is DGR-endorsed, Zeffy issues compliant tax-deductible receipts automatically (as confirmed by AU club users), so you're not doing end-of-year paperwork by hand. Sign up at Zeffy.
Do platforms charge fees on club fundraising?
Most do. Humanitix charges a NFP rate of 2.5% + $0.50 per ticket. Raisely charges a flat 4% or operates on an optional donor tip model. Eventbrite AU charges around 5.35% + $1.19 per ticket plus GST. On a $5,000 fundraiser those fees add up to $125 to $270 that goes to the platform instead of your club. Zeffy charges not-for-profits nothing: $0 platform fee, $0 transaction fee, $0 credit card fee, ever.
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