Soapbox Engage Blog

Food is powerful. Eating is a very social activity that brings people together, helps people make fond memories, and so much more. And, everyone has to eat. So, fundraisers that involve food are usually very popular and successful.

Whether you're into pie-eating contests or fancy dinner parties, there's a food fundraiser for every type of audience! Since the Girl Scouts seem to hold the lion's share of the cookie fundraising market, we rounded up some great food-oriented fundraising ideas that any nonprofit can host.

Table of Contents

1. Wine or beer tasting fundraising event
2. Food truck rodeo fundraising event
3. Host a cook-off for your next fundraising event
4. Eating contest fundraiser ideas
5. Host a cooking class for your next fundraiser

5 Food Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits

Just like there are countless types of foods, the options for food-related fundraising are almost limitless! The key is to find the fundraising event that resonates with your target audience. Each of these ideas can be tweaked to meet your donors' unique styles, cultures, needs, and preferences. And, with the Soapbox Engage apps, they'll be so easy to organize!

1) Wine or beer tasting fundraising event

Let's kick things off with a classy little wine or beer tasting and pairing fundraising event. This can be as classy or laid-back as you'd like it to be. These fundraising events are popular around Valentine's Day, but they really work any time of year! In fact, if you're thinking of planning some beer tasting events, consider featuring seasonal beers.

You can go smaller with a wine and cheese or chocolate pairing event or opt for a full dinner and drink pairing menu or anything in between! The Uncorked Academy partnered with the nonprofit, SENSE to host a blind food and wine dinner event. All participants were blindfolded to enhance their senses and add extra adventure and intrigue to this four-course dinner and wine pairing fundraiser.

Local wineries, breweries, and other food shops might be very eager to benefit from some great "cause marketing" by partnering with you for a great fundraising event.

One thing to note about any fundraiser where alcohol is involved: every state has different laws and regulations regarding alcohol use, service, and sale at events. Make sure you know the local and state laws before you get too far into planning your event.

A great benefit to this food fundraising option is that it's possible to transition it to a virtual event. "Guests" can pay in advance to have their wine and cheese or beer and bar snacks pairings sent to them and log into your event from the comfort of their own home!

2) Food Truck Rodeo fundraising event

Food trucks have gained popularity nationwide in recent years, and they offer a fun, festive fundraising opportunity. With food truck fundraising events, truck owners donate a percentage of the sales at your event or on a designated day.

This type of fundraiser benefits the food truck owners and nonprofits alike. It introduces new audiences to the food trucks and boosts the truck's social image and reputation.

Many local food truck owners are more than happy to participate in events that support a great cause, and they're often willing to offer bigger donations than chain or franchise-owned food trucks. But, it's best to cast your net wide and invite as many food trucks as possible to your event.

In southwest Virginia, the town of Christiansburg hosts an annual Food Truck Rodeo fundraiser that draws massive crowds year after year. With live bands, craft beer and wine, and food trucks galore, the event is free, but the nonprofit raises thousands of dollars as hungry rodeo-goers buy food and drink late into the night. The local dance studio even offers free 15-minute dance classes throughout the night for couples who want to learn a quick new dance move. Overall, it's one of the big fall events for the whole communities and a very successful food fundraising event.

3) Host a cook-off for your next fundraising event

Whether you're thinking of hosting a chili cook-off for your winter food fundraiser or a BBQ showdown for your outdoor, summer fundraiser, the variations and options are endless when it comes to cook-off ideas!

These kinds of food fundraising events are popular because they combine fun, friendly competition, community, food (of course), and a good cause. Who can say no to all that?! Plus, nonprofits and organizations of all sizes can put on a great cook-off event.

While there are many variations and ways to structure this fundraising event, one of the most popular ways to host a cook-off is for individuals or teams to pay to enter and cook large quantities of whatever food you're featuring (chili, BBQ, soups, desserts, gumbo, Irish stew, etc.). Judges choose the best entry and award prizes (and bragging rights). Attendees get to enjoy the food and festivities. Some organizations charge a small entry fee for guests to raise a little extra money.

Another way to boost the cash flow is to sell side items that go along with the competition food. For example, if you're hosting a chili-cook-off, consider selling baked potatoes, cornbread, and other "fixings" people would want to enjoy with their bowls of chili. If you're going the BBQ showdown route, offer sides of coleslaw, baked beans, cornbread, and other great sides. With the Events app or Forms app, you can even have guests pay for sides in advance so you'll know how much to prepare and avoid having to deal with loads of on-sight payments.

4) Eating contest fundraiser ideas

If you want to get really crazy with your food fundraising, you can opt for a food eating contest! If you're planning a spring or summer fundraiser, a watermelon or pie eating contest might be right up your alley. For fall or winter, consider some "heartier" foods like corn-on-the-cob or hotdogs. But really, any kind of food works!

For an added twist, you could merge food and fitness and host a Donut Dash. The American College of Education hosts an annual Donut Dash fundraiser to benefit the Teachers' Treasure, Inc. Participants run a 5K… but the twist is that daring participants attempt to eat up to a dozen donuts at the halfway point!

There are many different ways to structure this kind of fundraising event, but the most popular strategy is to charge contestants an entry fee and offer a small percentage of the total entry fees as the prize.

Another option is to turn this into a peer-to-peer fundraiser where contestants raise money to support your cause… and their food challenge endeavors. If you go this route, consider offering a small prize for the top fundraiser and a prize for the food eating winner.

Don't forget to have plenty of food to sell to the audience while they're cheering on your competitors!

The Hi-Tor Animal Shelter takes their hot dog eating contest event up another notch by having raffles, giveaways, and adoptable pets at their event. They make sure to have something for everyone to enjoy in addition to the eating contest!

5) Host a cooking class for your next fundraiser

You know the old saying, "give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for life." Well, teach some people to cook, and they'll be able to enjoy great food whenever they want!

Instead of feeding your supporters at your next food fundraiser, host a cooking class and teach people to cook something fun and amazing! An added advantage of this avenue is that it can be a great virtual fundraiser, too.

Partner with a local chef or cooking school to create a custom cooking class for your supporters and donors. All donors need to do is pay the registration fee and show up (either in person or online) ready to learn, cook, and enjoy some tasty food!

You can choose any kind of food or drink for this type of fundraiser, but be mindful of how long the entire cooking process takes. People tend to lose interest or not have time in their busy schedules for events that last more than a few hours. So, choose foods that have a reasonable prep and baking time. If you're hosting a family-friendly cooking class, choose kid-friendly foods and keep the prep and cook time even shorter (to avoid hungry meltdowns from younger participants).

Another variation of this kind of food fundraising event is to host holiday-themed cooking classes. For example, hold Christmas cookie classes or Easter Egg decorating tutorials. Host Irish stew making classes around St. Patrick's Day. Feature date night foods for a Valentines' Day fundraiser. If you're not sure what your audience will enjoy, don't be afraid to ask and see what they would be excited to learn!

These are just six food fundraiser ideas. The options really are limited only by your creativity, imagination, and willingness to try something new. The great thing about these kinds of fundraising events is that they also serve to build a sense of community around your organization and create fond memories with your supporters.

Here are three more resources to help you plan some great fundraising events.

• How to Plan a Fundraising Event: The Complete Guide: No matter the size, planning an event can be an overwhelming process. But this blog will help you walk through the entire process, from setting goals to event registration. We have all the information, resources, and tools you'll need to plan a successful event for your nonprofit!
• 5 Must-Have Features of Nonprofit Event Registration Software: Event registration can be time-consuming, frustrating, and challenging. There are far too many details to keep track of! Choosing an online event registration and fundraising software can be just as overwhelming. There are so many great options on the market, but this blog outlines the five key features of event registration software that you just can't live without!
• 8 Proven Ways to Grow Your Nonprofit Email List: Despite all the technological advances over the years, email remains one of the best-proven methods for reaching a broad audience and cultivating long-term relationships with partners and donors. This blog offers some proven tips and tricks from industry experts to help you fill your email list with current and potential donors and supporters!