The Big List of Valentine’s Fundraising Ideas

Valentine’s Day is a day devoted to acts of love, kindness, and giving, which makes it an ideal holiday to plan your fundraiser around. The sweet and tender nature of Valentine’s Day presents a great opportunity to tap into your donors’ feelings of generosity. To make the most of these fundraising ideas, consider adding a silent auction or raffle to them to raise extra funds alongside any event ticket sales.

Here’s a list of Valentine’s fundraising ideas to help inspire you!

Sweets and treats

Valentine’s Day is synonymous with candy and other yummy indulgences. Take advantage of all the delicious foods tied to the holiday for some tasty Valentine’s fundraising ideas. 

Chocolate tastings

Host an event centered around the most popular Valentine’s Day treat: chocolate! You can partner with a local chocolatier to host a tasting event where chocolate lovers can sample wares and purchase their favorites, with a percentage of proceeds going to your nonprofit!  

Chocolate making class

In a similar vein, reach out to local restaurants, cooking schools, or chocolatiers to see if they’ll sponsor a chocolate making class for your donors to attend. Selling tickets to the class can be a solid source of funds, and you might be able to get the restaurant or school to volunteer their time for the class as well!  

Warm drinks from the heart

Partner with a local coffee shop to sell a special Valentine’s Day mocha, hot chocolate, or other popular drink on behalf of your nonprofit. Many people are already going to buy their daily cup, so why not give them a chance to get their coffee fix and give at the same time?  

Valentine’s Day baked goods

Do you have a local bakery you love? Ask them to create a special Valentine’s cookie, cupcake, or pie to sell with a portion of the proceeds going to your fundraiser. If the bakery has the capacity, set up a preorder on your website to encourage larger orders!  

Sweet treat fundraiser

This idea works particularly well if you can partner with a local school! Sell chocolates, cookies, or other Valentine’s themed treats through your local school, with proceeds benefiting your organization. You can offer awards for most sales to encourage a little friendly competition!  

Host a wine tasting

Wine is almost as popular as chocolate around Valentine’s Day, especially with all the romantic, candlelit dinners. Like with the chocolate tasting, you can sell tickets, offer attendees the chance to buy their favorite products, host a raffle, and more.  

Night out ideas

A huge part of Valentine’s Day is the romantic date. Candles, flowers, two people sharing a quiet dinner; you get the idea! Here are some Valentine’s fundraising ideas to create a memorable night out for your donors while raising money for your cause!  

Date night fundraiser

Partner with a local restaurant, rent a swanky ballroom, or gather at a local art gallery for a couples’ night out! You can make the event as formal or informal as you’d like based on your donor demographics.  

Romantic getaway raffle

Partner with local travel agencies, Airbnb owners, or hotels for a romantic getaway package to raffle off for a lucky couple. Sweeten the package with gift cards from restaurants, spas, and other local attractions.  

Singles night

Not everyone has a date for Valentine’s Day, so why not host a date night event for those who might be looking to meet some new people? The event can be anything from a simple cocktail hour to a cooking class—anything to get people to buy tickets and attend!  

Anti-Valentine’s Day event

Valentine’s Day may be a warm and fuzzy holiday for most, but some people just don’t like it! You can lean into that sentiment with a good-natured, anti-Valentine’s event. Host a cocktail hour where the single-and-happy crowd can mingle or sell anti-Valentine cards for people to send to their friends. It’s all in good fun, and it can be a unique way to raise funds for your cause.  

Host a dance

This could be anything from a traditional sweetheart dance to a parent-child dance to a dance-a-thon. You could host the event at a local school, or in a senior home. Events like these appeal to young and old alike, and you can raise money from ticket sales.

Tokens of appreciation

Do you remember getting Valentine’s cards when you were a little kid? Who doesn’t like getting a note from someone reminding them how much you mean to them? In that spirit, Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to use tokens of appreciation to not only spread the message of love, but also raise money for your cause!  

Write love letters to your supporters

While this isn’t exactly a fundraising idea, it’s a great way to show donors, volunteers, and all your supporters how much their support means to your organization. Whether it’s customized emails, cards, or text messages, craft a special thank you for your valued supporters to show how important they are to your cause. A little donor stewardship goes a long way!  

Sell custom Valentine’s cards

This is a great idea, especially if you have a graphic designer on your team that loves to create. Or you can work with a local print shop to create a customized Valentine’s Day card with your organizations branding for your donors to buy and send to their loved ones.  

Valentine’s telegrams

A twist on the classic singing telegram, this idea is a unique way for your organization to raise money for your cause while giving your donors a chance to say “I love you” in an unforgettable way. You can check with local school choirs or singing groups to find singers to deliver your telegrams. Or ask your volunteers if they want to spread the love this Valentine’s Day! 

Flowers for a cause

Since so many people buy flowers on Valentine’s Day, it makes for the perfect opportunity to partner with local florists for a fundraiser. Customers can opt to add extra to their purchases to support your cause, or you could buy flowers in bulk and sell your own bouquets.  

Valentine’s boxes at local shops

This can be a take on the old cardboard boxes kids would make on Valentine’s Day for their classmates to leave cards in. Create small donation boxes with your organization’s logo and branding, then ask local businesses to let you leave them at the registers for spur of the moment donations at checkout.  

Get the word out about gift matching

When a donor knows their gift will be matched, they are far more likely to want to give. Not all who give are aware of how to have their gifts matched, so take the opportunity around Valentine’s Day to get the word out about matching donations. Think of it as an easy way to share the love!

Events from the heart

With enough time to plan, you can create unforgettable Valentine’s Day fundraising events. The first few months of the year can be a rough time to get people motivated to give, especially after the major giving period of December and the first of the year. A fun, Valentine’s themed event could be just the thing to get people excited about your cause again! 

Host a heart-heathy run

Hearts are kind of a big deal on Valentine’s Day, so it’s a great chance to host a heart-healthy 5K run. Even if you aren’t a charity focused on cardiovascular health, you can use this theme to get donors, sponsors, and runners excited about an early spring fun run! Encourage people to run in pink or red, or even dress up as Cupid for the race.  

Valentine’s Day carnival

In most years, Valentine’s Day falls close to Mardi Gras and Carnival season. This year, for example, Mardi Gras is only one day before Valentine’s Day! Combine the two events and host a love-themed carnival night. This is a great way to involve all members of the community and raise money for your cause.   

Valentine’s auction

Host an auction focused on Valentine-themed items. Chocolate, candy, flowers, hearts, you name it! Think of this as a combination of the ideas already discussed in this article. Work with local businesses to provide unique, Valentine’s prizes for the highest bidders.  

Create an entire Valentine’s Day campaign

If you want to really go wild this Valentine’s Day, create a fundraising campaign focused on the holiday. You could create a unique Valentine’s Day page on your website, complete with unique branding and messaging. Create a special Valentine’s email appeal, complete with on-theme graphics. This will take a little forethought, so keep it in mind for Valentine’s Day 2025!  

Final thoughts

A holiday dedicated to love and warm, fuzzy feelings is the perfect time to host a fundraising event. With its emphasis on gifts of food, candy, and flowers, Valentine’s Day offers dozens of unique ways to get in on the loving spirit while raising money for your world-changing work. And remember, it’s also a great time to show your donors how much they mean to you!