Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas: 6 Product Programs That Work

By Clay Boggess on Oct 2, 2021

Product fundraising gives nonprofits something that donation campaigns alone cannot provide: a reason for supporters to give that does not rely on altruism. When a donor purchases a lollipop for a dollar, a discount card for ten dollars, or a Popcornopolis catalog order for twenty-five dollars, the transaction results in a tangible item the buyer wanted. The mission is secondary. The result is that product fundraising reaches donors who would not respond to a pure donation request. It does so in a way that creates a positive association with the organization rather than a sense of obligation. Used alongside donation campaigns and grants, product fundraising provides a repeatable, participant-driven revenue source that scales with the size of the seller network.

The most successful nonprofit product fundraisers keep the audience in mind from the start. Some communities support causes most readily through in-person interactions: a neighbor at the door, a colleague at the office, a church member after service. Others convert better through online channels. Some buyers respond to practical products with a clear utility; others want something seasonal or sentimental. Choosing the program that fits the organization's seller network and buyer community is what separates a productive campaign from a mediocre one.

Big Fundraising Ideas has provided nonprofit fundraising programs since 1999. The six programs below cover a range of formats (direct sale, brochure, online store, and event-ready), so organizations can match their approach to their specific audience and campaign window.

1. Discount Card Fundraisers

Discount cards are among the most effective nonprofit product fundraisers because the $20 price point is accessible to virtually every buyer, the product provides immediate value through local business savings, and the personalized card design reinforces the organization's brand at every use. A donor who purchases a discount card is not only supporting the mission. They are carrying the organization's name in their wallet for the next twelve months.

The discount card fundraiser through Big Fundraising Ideas is personalized with the organization's name, colors, and logo on the front and a set of local business savings on the back. Cards sell for $20, and buyers receive savings on local restaurant meals, retail purchases, and services. This is a return on investment that many buyers experience within the first day of use. The format works at any event where sellers can interact directly with potential buyers: concession stands, community gatherings, sporting events, or office environments.

$20 Price Point: Accessible to the broadest buyer demographic and easy to purchase on the spot without deliberation.
Personalized Branding: The organization's name and logo appear on every card carried by every buyer for twelve months. This is ongoing brand presence at no additional cost.
Local Business Savings: The buyer's return on investment makes the purchase feel practical rather than purely charitable.
Event Portable: The $20 card fits in a pocket and can be presented at any in-person interaction without a table or display setup.

2. Fall and Spring Flower Fundraisers

Flower fundraisers naturally align with a nonprofit's mission messaging in a way most product fundraisers cannot. Flowers carry universal associations with hope, renewal, and community: attributes that resonate with almost any nonprofit's purpose. A well-timed seasonal flower campaign positioned around spring planting season or fall gifting creates an emotional context for the purchase that a candle or snack program does not automatically provide. Buyers are purchasing something they already want for a reason they already have, and the purchase supports the organization as a secondary benefit.

Big Fundraising Ideas offers fall flower fundraisers, spring flower fundraisers, and Holiday Flowers as brochure programs with online store options. Buyers order from the catalog, and flowers are delivered for spring planting or fall display. The American Cancer Society's annual Daffodil Day campaign is a well-known example of a nonprofit using flowers as mission messaging. The product becomes a symbol of the cause rather than simply merchandise.

Fall Program: Seasonal bulbs and plants timed to fall planting windows, which is strong for October and November campaigns.
Spring Program: Flower bulbs and plants for spring planting are one of the strongest seasonal windows for gift-motivated purchases.
Mission Alignment: Flowers carry inherent symbolic weight that other product categories don't. Organizations can authentically connect the product to their message.
Brochure and Online: An online flower store allows supporters nationwide to order without requiring a physical catalog

3. Lollipop Fundraisers

Lollipop fundraisers are the fastest direct-sale format available to nonprofit organizations that engage a large number of supporters across their events and activities. At $1 per unit, the transaction is fast, requires no payment processing infrastructure beyond a box and a cash envelope, and creates a positive moment at the point of sale. For nonprofits that work with children or youth programs, lollipops are particularly effective because they are a product the buyer segment actively wants.

Yummy Lix lollipop lineup is the core product available through Big Fundraising Ideas. Multiple flavors and styles are available (Color Xploder (color-changing novelty), Sour Yummy Lips, Hot Pops, and seasonal varieties), giving seller organizations a conversation starter with buyers rather than a single-option ask. The variety is what converts reluctant buyers.

$1 per unit: Fastest-converting price point in direct-sale fundraising.
No Order Form: Direct-sale format means sellers carry product and complete transactions immediately.
Youth Nonprofit Alignment: Particularly effective for nonprofits whose programs involve children, where the product buyer and the program beneficiary overlap.
Variety Creates Conversation: Showing a buyer Color Xploder or Hot Pops converts where a generic lollipop sale would not.

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4. Harvest Sunset Candle Fundraisers

Candle fundraisers reach a distinct buyer segment that snack and outdoor product programs do not: adults purchasing home goods products for themselves or as gifts. Harvest Sunset candles are a premium brochure item that performs well with parent and adult community networks, particularly during the fall and holiday season when buyers are actively purchasing home fragrance products for their households and as gifts. The brochure format means supporters choose from a catalog rather than purchasing a single product, which raises average order values above those typically generated by direct-sale programs.

The Harvest Sunset Candles Fundraiser is available as a brochure program through Big Fundraising Ideas. The catalog includes a range of scents and styles that appeal to adult buyers purchasing home fragrance products. Running the candle brochure in October through December, when buyers are actively seeking holiday gifts and home decor, consistently produces higher average order values than off-season campaigns.

Adult Buyer Audience: Home goods products reach adult supporters who are less motivated by snack-and-treat programs.
Holiday Window: Candles are strong from October through December, when buyers purchase seasonal home fragrance and gift items.
Higher Average Order: Brochure format with multiple items and price points raises average order value above direct-sale formats.
Gift Purchase Motivation: Buyers purchase candles as gifts as readily as for their own households, which doubles the effective buyer motivation.

5. Popcorn Fundraisers

Popcorn has a built-in selling advantage that most fundraising products don't: the buyer already knows they like it. A nonprofit selling gourmet popcorn is offering a product the buyer has a lifelong positive association with. According to a Fox News survey, 92 percent of Americans say they enjoy eating popcorn. That is not a category of buyers a seller has to convince, but one that needs only to be shown the flavor that fits them.

Big Fundraising Ideas offers Popcornopolis and Sweet Chaos Popcorn, two premium gourmet popcorn brands, as brochure and online store fundraisers. The catalog features a range of flavors, from classic butter and white cheddar to specialty combinations such as cinnamon sugar, caramel, and jalapeño cheddar. Popcorn checks all the boxes for reliable revenue: universal appeal, a healthy snack profile, a long shelf life, and variety. By running a physical brochure campaign in tandem with a custom online store, non-profits can sell to local community members while expanding their reach to friends and family nationwide.

High Demographic Appeal: Loved across all age groups, income levels, and dietary preferences.
Flavor-Led Pitch: Leading with specific flavor choices ("Caramel or White Cheddar?") dramatically improves conversion rates.
Extended Shelf Life: Stays fresh for months, giving buyers the confidence to order multiple bags.
Combined Selling Channels: Printed catalogs capture in-person sales, while web links reach out-of-state donors.

6. Scratch Card Fundraisers

Scratch card fundraisers are the strongest format for nonprofits that interact with a large number of supporters at regular events, because the interactive format gives each supporter a reason to participate beyond the simple donation ask. Supporters scratch a dot on the card to reveal a donation amount and contribute it directly. The scratch mechanic makes the transaction feel different from writing a check or clicking a donate button. It is an activity the supporter participates in rather than a passive transaction they complete.

The scratch card fundraiser from Big Fundraising Ideas is personalized with the organization's school name and photo. Each card contains 50 dots. Supporters scratch a dot to reveal a donation amount between $0.50 and $3.00 and contribute it to the organization. Each completed card collects $100 gross from one seller's personal community network, with no product to carry, no order form, and no delivery day required.

Interactive Format: Supporters participate in the transaction rather than simply donating, so the scratch mechanic creates engagement.
No Product Logistics: No inventory to carry, no order forms, no delivery. The seller distributes a card and collects it completed
$100 per Completed Card: Each card represents one seller's one-week community outreach campaign.
Event-Compatible: Scratch card nonprofit benefits are high, as they work at community events, church gatherings, and any high-traffic supporter interaction point.

EXPERT INSIGHT: Product Fundraising and Donation Campaigns Serve Different Donor Segments

Many nonprofit boards treat product fundraising and donation campaigns as competing for the same donor attention. They are not. A donor who gives $100 to the annual fund at the gala is motivated by the mission, public recognition, and the event's social context. A neighbor who buys a discount card for ten dollars is motivated by the local savings the card provides and the low-friction nature of a familiar product transaction. These are different buyers making different decisions for different reasons. Running a product fundraiser does not cannibalize the annual fund any more than a church bake sale competes with a capital campaign. Product fundraising adds a revenue channel that reaches community members who would not respond to a donation ask, without reducing the effectiveness of donation campaigns that reach the existing donor base.

Choosing the Right Nonprofit Fundraising Product

Matching the product to the audience is the decision that determines whether a nonprofit product fundraiser succeeds or falls flat. Each of the six programs above serves a distinct buyer type and selling environment. Organizations that run the wrong product for their community — a brochure program for a group whose supporters prefer quick transactions, for example — will always underperform relative to what the same effort would produce with the right format.

Program	Best Audience	Best Setting	Campaign Window
Discount Cards	Adult community, parent networks	Sporting events, community gatherings, in-person	Year-round
Flower Brochure	Adult home and gift buyers	In-person and online store	Spring / Fall seasonal
Lollipops	Youth programs, schools, event crowds	Any event with high foot traffic	Year-round
Harvest Sunset Candles	Adult home goods buyers	In-person and brochure	Fall / Holiday Oct–Dec
Popcorn	Broad demographic, snack lovers	In-person brochures & online links	Year-round (Peak in Fall/Winter)
Scratch Cards	Community-facing orgs, event hosts	Events, in-person community outreach	Year-round

All products available through bigfundraisingideas.com. No upfront cost. Free shipping.

Frequently Asked Questions About Nonprofit Fundraising Products

What are the best product fundraising ideas for nonprofits?

Discount cards ($20, local business savings, personalizable), scratch cards (donation-based, $100 per completed card, no product logistics), Harvest Sunset Candles (adult holiday buyers), lollipops (youth programs, fast direct-sale), spring and fall flowers, popcorn.

Can nonprofits run product fundraisers alongside donation campaigns?

Yes. Product fundraisers and donation campaigns reach different donor segments. Product buyers are motivated by the item, and donation campaign donors by the mission. Running both simultaneously does not cannibalize either channel. Product fundraising adds community reach that pure donation campaigns cannot access.

What is the best nonprofit fundraiser for online selling?

Scratch cards (supporters participate via the card interaction), online flower stores (ships nationwide), and online store programs that run alongside the brochure.

How do discount card fundraisers work for nonprofits?

The discount card sells for $20. It is personalized with the nonprofit's name, colors, and logo. Supporters purchase the card for local business savings on the back. Cards are sold in person at events, through community outreach, and by sellers carrying them in their pockets.

What nonprofit fundraiser works for a youth-serving organization?

Lollipop fundraisers ($1, fast, kids love them), candy bars (peanut-free options), and scratch cards for community events. The youth audience is also the strongest buying audience for direct-sale lollipop formats.

When is the best time to run a nonprofit flower fundraiser?

Spring (March-May) for spring flower programs when buyers are planting and gifting flowers. Fall (September-October) for fall flower programs when buyers are decorating for the season. Both windows have elevated buyer motivation for the product category.

Why are popcorn fundraisers so popular?

With over 90% of Americans consuming popcorn, it has near-universal appeal. Offering distinct gourmet flavors like Caramel, Dark Chocolate, and White Cheddar turns quick interactions into easy sales.

What product fundraiser works best for a nonprofit with limited volunteer capacity?

Scratch cards: no product to carry, no orders to process, no delivery to coordinate. Each seller distributes one card and collects it completely. Total coordinator time is minimal compared to brochure programs that require order processing and delivery management.

Are there online nonprofit fundraising products available through Big Fundraising Ideas?

Yes. Online store programs include flowers, popcorn, candles, gift items, and more. Supporters order from a personal link students share via text and social media. Products ship to buyers nationwide. Online stores run alongside brochure programs to maximize total revenue from the same campaign window.

How much can a nonprofit raise with a product fundraiser?

Revenue depends on the number of sellers, participation rate, and the chosen product format. Scratch cards generate $100 gross per completed card from one seller's network. Discount card revenue scales with seller count at $20 per card. Brochure programs generate the highest gross totals for larger organizations because higher-priced items raise average order values above what direct-sale formats can reach.

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Author Bio
Clay Boggess has been designing fundraising programs for schools and various nonprofit organizations throughout the US since 1999. He’s helped administrators, teachers, and outside support entities such as PTAs and PTOs raise millions of dollars. Clay is an owner and partner at Big Fundraising Ideas.

Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas: 6 Product Programs That Build Reliable Revenue

1. Discount Card Fundraisers

2. Fall and Spring Flower Fundraisers

3. Lollipop Fundraisers

4. Harvest Sunset Candle Fundraisers

5. Popcorn Fundraisers

6. Scratch Card Fundraisers

Choosing the Right Nonprofit Fundraising Product

Frequently Asked Questions About Nonprofit Fundraising Products

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Tags

Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas: 6 Product Programs That Build Reliable Revenue

1. Discount Card Fundraisers

2. Fall and Spring Flower Fundraisers

3. Lollipop Fundraisers

4. Harvest Sunset Candle Fundraisers

5. Popcorn Fundraisers

6. Scratch Card Fundraisers

Choosing the Right Nonprofit Fundraising Product

Frequently Asked Questions About Nonprofit Fundraising Products

Categories

Tags

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