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When you think of Valentine’s Day, you probably don’t think of successful fundraising efforts. Valentine's Day fundraisers are a lovely way to raise money for your nonprofit and kick off a new year of giving with creative fundraising ideas.
Donors are generous, and giving to a good cause is always a more caring and romantic gesture than “giving” to a large corporation.
We’ve created 21 fresh Valentine's fundraising ideas to help your nonprofit stand out and share the love.
What to aim for with great Valentine’s Day fundraising ideas
The key to Valentine’s Day fundraising is to make your ideas memorable and personal. Whether working with a local school, middle school, or nonprofit, it's all about creating an event that resonates with your community and connects people to your cause. By focusing on fun, heartfelt activities, you can make your fundraiser a great way to raise money and unite people.
Here are a few tips to help make your Valentine’s Day fundraising ideas stand out:
Make it personal: People love to feel special! Offer personalized messages, like letting students send Valentine’s notes or small gifts to friends, teachers, or community members.
Get the community involved: Partner with local businesses to donate raffle prizes or unique gifts. This strengthens your relationship with community members while giving your fundraiser an extra boost.
Create a win-win: Think of ways to make it a win for both your nonprofit and participants. For example, you can sell raffle tickets for fun prizes or offer exciting experiences in exchange for donations.
Make donating easy: Don’t forget to make it simple for people to donate, even if they can’t attend the event. Offering an easy way to accept donations ensures everyone can enjoy the fun.
Tap into the season of love: Valentine’s Day is all about giving, so think about how you can inspire your supporters to give back. Whether it's a small act of kindness or a big donation, make it about spreading love and generosity.
By focusing on these simple but meaningful tips, you’ll be able to create a Valentine’s Day fundraiser that not only raises money but also builds stronger connections with your supporters and community.
Best Valentine fundraiser ideas for school
Regarding Valentine's Day, schools are where it’s at. From daycares to high schools, students love making cards for mom, asking their crush to dance, or working up the courage to send a candy gram.
Set up a table in the cafeteria or hallway so students, teachers, and parents can purchase candy grams and send them to their friends, teachers, or colleagues.
Get creative and include a custom-wrapped candy gift option (like Hershey’s Kisses) or part of a love song with every message.
2. Valentine’s Day dance
A Valentine's Day dance or party is the perfect Valentine's Day fundraising idea for schools. Maybe you can do a parent-child dance or daddy-daughter dance based on the age of the kids in attendance.
You can sell tickets, get volunteers to make lovey-dovey drinks and snacks, and ask a DJ to help decorate your gym or cafeteria in red and gold for a fun and memorable afternoon or evening. If you have younger kids to plan for, a pizza party or craft workshop might also work.
Teachers, students, and parents all love a suitable old-fashioned craft workshop.
Students can make their Valentine's Day cards, gifts, and crafts. You can provide the basics and ask for a donation for any of the extras you have. (Think gold paper, candies, picture frames, delivery, etc.)
4. Blind date book sale
A blind date book sale is a great Valentine's Day twist on a classic fundraising event.
Collect donated books and wrap them in some love-themed gift paper. Label them with intriguing clues rather than titles so people can purchase a book without knowing the title.
You can even set up a few comfy nooks and sell some Valentine's Day drinks and snacks so people can get to know their new books. If your students are a little older, consider holding your event in a local coffee shop. (The barista might even create a Valentine's Day drink!)
It’s easy to forget that more and more couples are dating long distances. Help them by hosting one virtual Valentine's Day fundraising event.
5. Love-themed art auction
Organizing an art auction or silent auction featuring love-themed artwork is a perfect way to celebrate Valentine's Day, raise money, support local artists, and help donors find creative and original gifts.
Contact local artists or art students willing to donate pieces for your cause and use an eCommerce site to set up your virtual art love-themed art auction.
6. Virtual speed dating at a local coffee shop
A virtual speed dating event is the perfect way for singles to mingle without the stress (or cost) of heading out to a restaurant or bar packed with couples. Valentine's day fundraising ideas like this can make the annual holiday into a fundraising campaign your students won't forget.
Plan a few ice-breakers, sell tickets, hand out a few suggested questions, and then set up break-out rooms for people to get to know each other. Every 2-5 minutes, switch!
Cooking together is an intimate and romantic way to spend an evening. But what about all those long-distance couples out there? An online dinner for two is as romantic as it gets for them.
Partner up with a local chef, kitchen store, or restaurant to offer a dinner for two. Send them the ingredients or a shopping list, have the chef walk everyone through preparing their meal, and then leave them to it.
Valentine's Day fundraiser ideas that are full of love
Okay, all of the ideas in this list are full of love. But these fundraising ideas for Valentine's Day take love to the next level.
8. Sell tickets to a date night raffle
It doesn’t get any more valentine-y than hosting a raffle for a romantic date night out. The prize could include dinner at a local restaurant, movie tickets, or even an afternoon at a spa.
Gift baskets are a great way to engage your donors with ideas like:
A romantic getaway basket
A love letters kit basket
A gift card basket of spa services
A flower delivery basket
A curation of goodies from local companies
A basket of gifts from local travel agencies
9. Romantic movie night
A movie night featuring romantic films is a lovely way to spend Valentine’s Day.
Movie theatres are great but not the most romantic places on earth. So, set up cozy and private nooks, sell drinks and love-themed snacks, and create a love-filled movie.
10. Raise funds with a couples cooking class
Cooking together is an intimate and romantic way to spend an evening—partner with local restaurants, chefs, or a kitchen store to offer a couple's cooking class. You can sell flowers, pre-made desserts, or a wine-tasting event to raise additional funds.
11. Nothing but love songs karaoke night
What better way to show your love than to serenade your partner?! And a karaoke night is the best way to do that.
Attendees can sign up to sing their favorite love songs or dedicate songs to others—all for a donation. Make a night out of it by selling drinks and snacks to raise funds.
You can even invite a local celebrity to make a guest appearance.
12. Set up a kissing booth!
This one’s pretty self-explanatory. But it works! All you need is a booth (or table) with a few hearts and some brave volunteers to provide the kisses! You can even charge different amounts for different kisses.
Oh! And remember to recruit a variety of people. Everyone has their own type!
Not all of us have the time to plan an epic romantic gesture for our Valentine's fundraiser. So, we came up with a few easy event ideas.
13. Valentine's Day pajama party
A cozy pajama party with activities like board games, movies, and a hot chocolate bar sounds perfect for spending Valentine's Day with us!
14. Chocolate tasting workshop
Partner with a local coffee shop, chocolatier, or bakery for a chocolate-tasting event. Donors and partners can pay to sample and vote on their favorite chocolates.
You can even increase your fundraising efforts by selling heart-shaped chocolates. A chocolate-making class can be both an experience and a way to create homemade Valentine's Day presents.
15. Couples photoshoot
Ask a local photographer to set up a couple's photo shoot.
Set up a booth with various backgrounds and props so participants can make their photos theirs.
You can offer different packages (digital, prints, framed, etc.), sell flowers, and even partner with a local hotel so couples can extend their romantic outing.
The fastest way to someone’s heart? Laughter. Or is it food? Maybe both…
16. Love your pets photo booth
The only thing people love more than their pets is taking pictures of their pets.
So, partner up with a local pet store or animal shelter to set up a Valentine's Day-themed photo booth for pets where pet owners can pay for a professional photo of their furry friends.
17. Puppy snuggling booth
We’ve all heard of a kissing booth, but have you heard of a puppy snuggling booth?!
It’s easier and arguably more fun than your classic kissing booth. All you have to do is set up a cozy space full of adorable puppies from a local animal shelter and ask donors to pay for a cuddle and a photo with the puppies.
18. Anti-Valentines Day party
For every person who just loves Valentine's Day, there’s one who could do without it. (They may not even think it's an official holiday.) But that doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to contribute to your cause.
Plan an "Anti-Valentine's Day" event for those who aren't fans of the holiday. Include activities like breakup piñata smashing or worst date storytelling. Make sure your decorations, drinks, and snacks are decidedly un-Valentine-y.
If you’re into tradition and classic gestures of love, these ideas are for you.
19. Valentine’s Day coupon book
A Valentine's Day coupon book is a fun way to engage your whole community.
Create a coupon book with Valentine's Day discounts or special offers from local businesses and include a QR code to your donation page—the tricky part is planning.
20. Rose sale
It might be cliché, but that doesn’t mean people don’t love it!
Sell roses individually or in bouquets (you can team up with a local florist). Consider offering different colors and packaging options and offer delivery for an additional fee.
21. Heart health awareness campaign
We often forget that Valentine's Day is about showing your loved ones that you love them.
What better way to do that than to remind them to care for their (and your) heart by coupling up with a local health organization to host an event focused on heart health?
You can raise awareness by hosting health screenings, workshops, and fitness activities, with proceeds going to your cause.
Best tips for making your Valentine’s Day fundraising successful
Now that you’ve got a few fundraising ideas for Valentine's Day, plan it. Don’t worry! We’ve got a few tips to help with that, too.
Find an online fundraising platform for nonprofits
This may sound obvious, but the sooner you find a fundraising platform, the easier your life will be. We’re partial to the free ones like Zeffy.
We know this sounds like we’re promoting ourselves, and we are. But hear us out. Choosing a platform that fits your needs while saving money is essential in organizing any event.
Choose a memorable name for your Valentine's Day fundraiser
We thought we’d add this to the list because finding a name is often left to the last minute. We’re not saying you need to spend hours coming up with the perfect name, but a little thought can go a long way to making your event more memorable.
Accept in-person payments at your events
It’s almost always worth selling drinks, snacks, tickets, etc., at your events. Zeffy’s Tap-to-Pay app is a 100% free way for your nonprofit to accept in-person debit or credit card payments. And all you need is an iPhone.
Reaching out to local businesses can be intimidating
Keeping your overhead low is essential for every nonprofit, and a good way to do that is by asking local businesses to lend a hand. We’ve created a few resources to help:
Make your Valentine’s Day fundraiser a success with Zeffy
You may be busy planning your nonprofit’s Valentine's Day fundraiser, but finding a customizable platform so you can create and host as many different events as you need and, most importantly, help keep track of sales, attendees, meals, raffle tickets, merch sales, etc. is probably a good move.
Luckily, Zeffy can do it all (or almost all).
Here are a few examples of how Zeffy can help bring your Valentine’s Day fundraising ideas to life:
Event ticketing: Manage ticket sales for half-cart purchases, individual tickets, dinner-only tickets, or simple donations.
Raffle ticket sales: Set up and manage raffle ticket sales seamlessly to increase engagement and donations.
Meal choices and dietary restrictions: Collect and manage attendees' meal preferences and nutritional needs.
Group creation and peer-to-peer fundraising: Enable supporters to create groups and raise funds for your cause.
Tax receipts: Automatically generate tax receipts for donors to simplify the process.
Valentine’s Day auctions: Host silent or live auctions with Valentine-themed items and experiences facilitated by Zeffy.
Virtual Valentine’s cards: Offer personalized e-cards for a donation, with all proceeds going to your nonprofit.
Valentine’s Day packages: Sell Valentine’s gift packages like flowers or chocolates, with e-commerce sales and donation features.
Couples challenges or competitions: Organize virtual challenges or events for couples, with registration and donations processed through Zeffy.
Themed virtual events: Host a virtual “Valentine’s Date Night” event, with Zeffy managing registration, ticketing, and donations.
Custom fundraising pages: Create personalized fundraising pages for individuals or teams to raise funds.
Matching gifts: Encourage matching donations from corporate sponsors or high-value donors tracked through Zeffy.
Unlike most ticketing platforms that charge around 7% of the ticket price, Zeffy is different. We don’t charge any fees or even cover transaction costs, so 100% of the funds you raise go directly to your nonprofit.
The fundraiser that makes the most money for schools will usually involve items or an experience that your student body resonates with. The more they want to engage, the more they’ll share the fundraiser with friends and family to increase your reach.
Popular examples of fundraisers for schools include:
Auctions & raffles: Offer exciting prizes or experiences to engage the community.
Creative sales: Sell irresistible items like cookie dough, popcorn, or school-branded merchandise.
Walk-a-thons/fun runs: Raise funds with sponsorships and participant registration.
Event-based fundraisers: Host a carnival, talent show, or movie night with ticket sales and extra activities.
Schools can use Valentine’s Day as a great time to raise awareness of fundraising needs and host creative events that get students involved in a fun way. Valentine’s Day is a great time to think about boosting donations during the gap between year-end giving and the spring event season.
Schools often host activities like classroom parties with card exchanges, candy or flower grams, dress-up days, and service projects that encourage kindness and fundraising for a good cause. These activities create a fun, positive environment and strengthen connections between students, staff, and the wider community, making it a great time to inspire support for your cause. Grab over 100 fundraising ideas to plan out your full year of giving opportunities.
Valentine’s Day fundraisers in high schools can be fun, engaging, and profitable. Consider these ideas:
Sell candy, roses, or notes that students can purchase and have delivered to their friends or crushes throughout the day.
Set up a themed photo booth where students can pay for fun pictures with their friends or significant others.
Organize a bake sale featuring heart-shaped cookies, cupcakes, and other sweet treats for a Valentine’s Day indulgence.
Host a Cupid Karaoke event where students can pay to dedicate a song to a friend or crush during lunch.
Offer a Valentine’s matchmaking quiz where students can buy their personality-based compatibility results.
Set up a cozy Valentine’s movie night in the school auditorium, selling tickets and snacks for a fun, relaxed evening.
Creative names can make your Valentine’s Day fundraiser stand out! Here are a few ideas:
