October 14, 2026
Fundraising usually starts with the same question: what can we sell?
Cookie dough. Candy bars. Wrapping paper. Raffle tickets. There is nothing wrong with the classics, but some of the best ideas for raising money do not ask your supporters to buy a single thing. What if they could help just by cleaning out a closet?
Whether you are raising money for team uniforms, a school program, a church group or a nonprofit, a donation-based fundraiser can turn things people no longer need into real support for a cause they care about. And with Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona, the process is simpler than you might expect.
Selling products comes with baggage. Someone takes the orders, someone collects the money, and eventually you are asking the same friends and family to buy from yet another fundraiser.
A fundraiser flips that; it’s never been easier. Your group collects gently used clothing, home goods and more from your community, then drops everything off at a Goodwill store on your chosen date and time. Goodwill weighs the donations and pays your organization by the pound. The more you collect, the more you raise. No catalog, no product boxes taking over a garage, just things people already have and are ready to pass along.
Those donations also support Goodwill’s mission, including no-cost career and education programs for people across the community, so your fundraiser does good well beyond your own goal.
The setup is refreshingly straightforward, and a Goodwill coordinator helps you through it.
Set up. Pick your date, time and store, then fill out the Fundraiser Interest Form. A member of the fundraising team reaches out to schedule your event and answer questions.
Promote. Goodwill provides customized marketing materials like flyers and social media templates. Share your fundraiser through email, social media and word of mouth, and start collecting items early to build momentum.
Donate. On your event day, supporters drop items at the pre-selected Goodwill store and will simply, drive up and drop off their donations.
Get Paid. Goodwill will pay you for every pound of donations! On the day of your event, make sure to hand the donation attendant your fundraiser flyer so they can count your donations toward your final total of pounds collected. More pounds collected = more money raised.
For a full walkthrough, the Fundraising 101 guide covers each step in detail.
Schools rarely run short on things worth funding: field trips, classroom supplies, clubs, arts programs, band equipment and more. A fundraiser gives families an easy way to pitch in without another purchase.
Turn it into a grade-level challenge to see which classroom collects the most, or invite families to spend a Saturday morning clearing out closets together. Send flyers home in backpacks and loop in the PTA, and the whole school community can rally behind a single weekend. The drive becomes something everyone can join, not just another ask for cash.
New uniforms, equipment, tournament fees, travel costs. Youth and community sports add up fast, so teams are always after fundraising ideas that actually work without swallowing the whole season.
Make collecting part of the team effort. Give each athlete a goal for how many bags to gather from family and neighbors, and ask team families to spread the word through their own networks. Weekend games and tournaments can be good opportunities to remind families to bring collected items together before your scheduled drop-off. Not everyone can write a check, but almost everyone has a closet they have been meaning to clean out.
Churches and nonprofits often have something schools and teams do not: a large network of people already connected by a shared purpose. Put it to work.
Promote the drive during services, in newsletters, over email and across social media. Volunteers can even collect items from supporters who have donations but cannot easily drop them off. The key is clarity: tell people what you are raising money for, when the drive happens and exactly how to give.
Because these groups often run on a yearly rhythm, a fundraiser can grow into a repeatable tradition. Once your community knows how it works, it can become an easy fundraiser to bring back year after year.
Even the simplest fundraiser needs a little promotion. Start talking about it early, repeat the message often and make giving easy with clear instructions.
Set a clear goal, both the dollars you want to raise and a rough sense of how many pounds it will take to get there. A specific ask helps too. Instead of “help us raise money,” try “help us get to the tournament” or “help fund this year’s student activities.” One handy tip from Goodwill: ask each person for something concrete, like two grocery bags full or one banker’s box, so no one has to guess how much to bring.
The smartest alternative is often the simplest: ask people for what they already have. If your school, church, team or nonprofit is looking for ways to raise money, consider hosting a fundraiser with Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona. Gather gently used donations, rally your community and turn a round of decluttering into dollars for your cause while helping keep usable items in circulation longer and reducing what goes to the landfill.
Sometimes raising money does not start with selling more. It starts with giving something a second chance.
February 27, 2018
At Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona, we see plenty of unique sterling silver pieces come through our stores. Most shoppers walk by them because they look old and worn down, but little do they know you can polish them back to their original shine and luster in no time. Whether it’s jewelry, utensils or serving platters, all it takes is a little patience and elbow grease to get your old thrift store finds looking brand new again.
November 15, 2023
WHY WE GIVE “My wife Tiffany won an auction item at a Goodwill gala many years ago,” Jeff Bucher said when asked how he became involved with Goodwill. That auction […]
March 10, 2026
Layered clothing isn’t just practical. It’s personal. It’s how you turn a simple outfit into a statement. It’s how you stretch your wardrobe from winter to spring without buying an […]