Halloween Fundraiser Ideas For Animal Organizations

Need some inspiration for a Halloween fundraiser?

Looking for new ways to connect with new supporters and have fun with existing donors?

Halloween is the perfect opportunity to create a fun event that families can enjoy. Not only can it help animal rescues raise money, but it also allows supporters to come together to strengthen relationships and a sense of community! All of which are critical to an animal rescues success!

Below are some events that other animal shelters and rescues have done, I hope these inspiring ideas can help you create something amazing for your organization! Don’t forget to check out our Mother’s Day Fundraisers and Valentine’s Day Fundraisers too!

You can also see our inspiration for virtual fundraisers to see if you can be creative online for your spooktacular fundraiser!

Halloween Fundraiser Ideas For Big Wins!

The fundraising ideas below to raise funds at Halloween are bigger events that may require more planning and resources to make happen.

These are ideas that may require weeks – maybe even months to plan, but usually bring bigger rewards in terms of donations and funds raised.

Wag-O-Ween

Although a bit more planning is required, Wag-O-Ween is a great way to have a more formal fundraiser that will be filled with fun and costumes. Many organizations have done this event as a formal night event with a full night of fun and events.

Planning of a more formal option of this event can include the following:

• Hors d’ouvres or a full dinner
• Band or DJ
• Cash bar
• Silent auction
• Photo booth
• Costume contest

The Humane Society of Greenwood has been hosting this event for several years and in 2018 they raised a record of $44,000 with their Wag-O-Ween Charity ball.

Of course the best way to make the most of a formal Wag-O-Ween event is to work with your local community to get as many sponsorships and donations as possible to keep your costs as low as possible. Having it on a week night for example can result in a venue donating the space since sometimes weekdays can be available – where as weekends are usually booked and can be expensive.

You can also do a less formal option of this event and make it an afternoon get together at a local park or at your facility if you have one. This will be a shorter – less labor intensive event but will be as much fun for your supporters! You may not make as much as the more formal version – but there will be no less fun and bonding happening.

For this version you can do some of the following:

• Pet costume contest
• DJ
• Trick and Treat walk
• Food trucks
• Photo booths
• Face painting

Dog Walk of the Dead

This is one that is near and dear to our heart since it is fairly local and has a great reputation for fun and fundraising!

The Dog Walk of the Dead has a cult following with zombie lovers and the creators of this event works with a different rescue every year to donate proceeds from the event to!

Some of the great things that take place at the event include:

• Blood drive
• Live music
• Animal adoptions
• Classic car show (including a hearse)
• Trunk or treat
• Drop off of donations for their partner rescue

We have a full post about the Dog Walk of the Dead here.

Pooch Parade

This is a totally fun and family friendly fall afternoon event that everyone will love! With the flair of a carnival combined with Goblins and Ghosts, this event will be sure to be a hit with your supporters.

Some of the fun activities and events include:

• DJ
• Dog floats
• Vendors
• Dog costume contest
• Dog walk
• Pumpkin carving contest

Money can be raised from a port of sales from vendors, entrance fee to the event, money raised in a dog walk and so much more!

Related: Easter Fundraising Ideas

Haunted House Halloween Fundraiser

Haunted houses are just a must have for Halloween – so why not see if your rescue can partner up with a local haunted house for a special fundraiser experience.

A few popular haunted house fundraisers include the Montgomery Humane Society Haunted House which raised around $12,000 for their animals in need one year. The reviews on their Facebook page show it being a great – and scary production!

This is just one example of the success of a fundraiser like this. You can either find sponsors, donators and use kids from a local acting school to create your own haunted house – or see if there is one that is local to you that would be willing to donate a portion of their sales. Either way – there are a ton of options to making this work as a great fundraiser.

You can see a list of Haunted House fundraisers here to see if there is one located near you so you can support animals while have a “spooktacular” time!

Pumpkin Regatta Fundraiser

Ok – go ahead and laugh, but this is a real event that has been done – and we think it is a fantastic idea for a fundraiser! Not only is it totally different which in itself will be a draw, but it is going to be a purely fun experience for your participants.

Of course the challenge here is making sure you have a local resource to find pumpkins as large as you need! There are a lot of different ways to handle this type of event to make money with it – and we think this could be a huge hit when combined with a fall festival of some sort.

The city of Tualatin Oregon has been hosting a Pumpkin Regatta for years! Take a peak at their website and see their videos to get more inspiration.

Last Minute Halloween Fundraisers

The bigger the fundraiser – the more time you need, but what about when time is not your friend?

Well, we got you covered with a few low key fundraisers that will still have that Halloween inspired feel to keep it in season! These events still require a little bit of planning and organization on your part – but much less than the Halloween fundraising ideas above.

The ultimate amount you raise may also be a bit less, but these events are about building your relationships too – so it is still worth the effort!

Pumpkin Derby

An easy to create event that can be done in a park or in a downtown area. Doing it in a downtown area allows you to potentially get local retailers involved. This can be a game changer for fundraising and awareness!

Have entrants pay a fee and design a pumpkin racer that they think can win the derby! Have different age groups and have some vendors, snacks and other things you can sell to raise funds.

Create a board that the racers will race their pumpkins on, or see if a local slot car business can donate a track for the event!

Here is a Pumpkin Derby that was held by a local community that we love!

Orchard Walk

Partner up with a local orchard that loves animals and ask them to host a special walk for your organization.

The event can be a flat rate (like $25) and the participants can get a tour of the orchard. They can also get a bag of apples or whatever fruit the orchard offers.

You may have to give the orchard a small portion of that money, but it would still be worth it.

Pumpkin Carving Competition

A pumpkin carving contest is a traditional fundraiser but can be so much more!

Participants can pay a small fee to take part. You can see if you can have pumpkins donated in exchange for sponsorship of the event. Ask a local craft shop to supply tools and paints.

Host the event in a park or at your shelter.

Depending on where you host it you can invite vendors and offer snacks for sale. A local orchard with some spiced cider and donuts would make a perfect addition.

Offer small prizes for different age groups and allow the public to vote on the winning pumpkin.

This could be a great opportunity to bring animals for adoption too! When they are done with their pumpkins they can engage with the animals and you never know what can happen from there.

Halloween Fundraiser Event Name Ideas

Have an event in mind but are struggling to find a name for it? Below are some great Halloween fundraiser name ideas for your animal rescue to use!

• BarktoberFest
• Cat-O-Ween Event
• Dog-O-Ween Event
• DogtoberFest
• Halloweener Derby
• Happy Halloweener Fundraiser
• Howl & Growl
• Howl at the Moon
• Howl-O-ween Party
• Meowloween
• Pooch Parade
• Pumpkins & Pets
• Spooky Pooch Costume Contest
• Wag-O-Ween
• Wolftacular Halloween Event (for wolf rescues)

Halloween Fundraiser Event Marketing Inspiration

Below are some great examples of marketing materials to promote your Halloween fundraiser. From flyers to mailers, these inspiring ideas make an impact.

Please do not copy – but use these as inspiration!

All images are copyrighted to the creator of the design, so if you want to use these designs – we recommend reaching out to the rescue credited with the design to see if they will allow you to use it for your own event!

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