Virtual adoption fundraisers are a great way to give lots of people a way to contribute to your adoption. Whether you always planned something virtual or a pandemic forces all your ideas online, there are tons of opportunities available. I asked the experts—adoptive families—to share their most successful online fundraisers and compiled a list of tips below.
For more ideas, be sure to get your copy of 101 Adoption Fundraising Ideas here.
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100 Squares Virtual Adoption Fundraisers
A relatively easy virtual adoption fundraiser is 100 Squares. The premise is that people choose a number between 1 and 100 and donate that amount to you. Keep track of what numbers have been chosen on a number board. If you “sell” all the squares, you will make $5,050—proof that small amounts add up quickly!
Ashley Remick told me an “Adopt a Box” has been her most successful online fundraiser. Her family listed numbers 1-200 to allow more options to participate. In the first week, they raised over $4,000!
Lisa said she asked friends and family to donate gift cards they had laying around the house to use as prizes for 25 of the squares. This made it like a game for her donors. They also allowed some of the larger amounts to be split by multiple donors at the end to get all the numbers covered. It worked because they sold all 100 squares in five days!
Using online payment platforms such as Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, or other similar apps makes collecting money easy. You can make a physical board or create a digital image as long as you have a nice visual way to keep track of everything. Some families use envelopes for each number for donors to return. That may not be helpful in a virtual setting, but you can find what works for you.
This is the Remick family’s board one week into their 100 Squares fundraiser.
Online Silent Auction
A virtual silent auction is more labor intensive than some of the other fundraisers on this list, but it can be a great moneymaker! Traditionally these are held in conjunction with in-person events but taking them online cuts out the expense of hosting and opens you up to more potential bidders. Most families I talked to set up a special Facebook group dedicated to their auction, but you can also use online platforms like 32 Auctions or Bidding Owl. Be sure to check into fees associated with any software options to see if it is worth it for you.
Emily Breezee said she private messaged every local business owner she knew from MLMs to storefronts and small businesses to get items for the auction. “We had items ranging from homemade decor, boat rentals, restaurant gift cards, Rodan & Fields, and charter fishing,” she said.
She kept the auction Facebook group closed until bidding opened, giving her time to list the items before it was visible to members. Each item was pictured with details and had a starting bid amount and shipping cost that would be added if the winner couldn’t pick up locally. People entered their bid in the comments over the four-day virtual event.
In addition to the auction, Emily also allowed people to donate to enter a giveaway for a Yeti cooler and a $100 Target gift card. Their combined profit for the auction and giveaway donations was $7,777!
Carrie Bunkowske did trivia games with prizes to make sure her Facebook online auction group had good involvement. She also encouraged members to turn on notifications on posts of items they liked to avoid missing out on something because of social media algorithms. They raised around $2,000 for their adoption.
Hannah C. told me she raised about $2,000 with a small online auction. She said it could have been much bigger. This shows there is a potential to raise a lot of money with this virtual adoption fundraiser.
The Hilderbran family also did a Facebook silent auction raising $8,600. Amanda told me she contacted local businesses through social media and email and reached out to business owners she knew to request donated items. She also asked friends for any unused gift cards they wanted to contribute.
“Our best sellers were sports tickets (one was an experience with a NASCAR reporter which made had the highest bidding amount) and gift cards to local stores, restaurants, coffee shops, and spas that people typically frequent anyway. We didn’t have many baskets, homemade products, or MLM products as those don’t sell as well around our area,” Amanda said.
Personally, I have requested donations for multiple silent auctions when working for nonprofit organizations or other fundraisers over the years. It isn’t as intimidating as it sounds, especially after you get a few yeses! Some companies will require proof of nonprofit status to donate. If you don’t have that, just move on to the next one. Local businesses tend to have less red tape.
Making related items into a gift basket it a great way to make more money in a silent auction.
Virtual “Raffle” or Giveaway
If you have a big-ticket item a “raffle” may raise more money than an auction. However, you must be very careful about the use of this word to stay in compliance with charitable gaming laws in your state. Some families chose instead to do a thank you gift for a randomly selected donor with a suggested donation amount or other creative option.
Ashley did this several times through her adoption site and raised $15,000 in about four months!
To see how my family raised $35,123.51 for our adoption without debt, read this post.
Online T-Shirt Sales
Selling t-shirts are a classic adoption fundraiser for good reason—they make money! There are lots of options out there to make this an easy virtual fundraiser. I love Bonfire because you pick your design and promote and they do the rest, but there are lots of companies who make great shirts.
Sarah Roberts told me they raised $2,000 with virtual t-shirt sales through Bonfire. Carrie Bunkowske made almost $800 with their Bonfire fundraiser. My piece of advice is not to limit yourself to adoption-themed messages. Generic or timely designs sell well if they are well-done.
Check out my post on How to Make Money with an Adoption T-Shirt Fundraiser for more tips from successful families. And click here to earn an extra $1 per shirt from Bonfire.
Photo Puzzle Virtual Adoption Fundraisers
Another popular virtual fundraiser is the puzzle piece fundraiser. Basically, you get a jigsaw puzzle and ask friends and family to “buy” a piece. Donors’ names are written on the back and you put the finished product in a double-sided frame (something like this).
There is lots of flexibility in this fundraiser for you to choose the number of pieces, price, and design that best fits your family. Some people make a personalized photo puzzle, something from the child’s birth country (like these from China, South Korea, or Colombia), or some fun art they’ll love to see on the wall (check out these from Jiggy).
Kristin told me her family allowed people to sponsor as many pieces as they wanted for $25 each. They did a video update each night thanking people for donating. She said that part was a lot of work but kept people interested. They also used a large donation as a three-day match to encourage other donors. Each night they added a little bit more of the puzzle so that the photo was revealed when they were done.
Sontera told me her family charged $20 per piece for their puzzle fundraiser and made about $10,000 in their first week! In all, they raised around $17,000. Obviously, everyone won’t have that much success, but it is nice to know that it can be done.
A puzzle fundraiser is not only a way to raise money for adoption, but also gives you a fun keepsake!
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- This family used a personalized photo puzzle.
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- Here’s the back of the puzzle filled with donor names.
Turn a Hobby or Skill into Cash
Many times you can turn a skill or hobby into a profitable adoption fundraiser. If you offer something that makes people’s lives better or easier you are likely to have success. There are individuals who would never donate directly to your adoption that may happily buy a product or service from you.
For example, the Mann family turned a hobby of roasting coffee into a business. Hao Bao Bao Coffee sells freshly roasted coffee online as well as in person through local deliveries and farmer’s markets. It was a process to get the business going, but worth it for them. Coffee connects them with customers they wouldn’t have reached otherwise, allowing the family to spread adoption awareness to a whole new audience.
Not only have they now fully funded (yay!) their adoption, but they are helping other families fundraise for theirs. For more information on how you can partner with Hao Bao Bao Coffee, click here.
The Mann family turned a hobby into a successful virtual business! Learn more about Hao Bao Bao Coffee.
Angela Kuhlman put her baking skills to work for a few themed fundraisers. At Christmas, she did cookie kits with a dozen cookies, three icings, and three sprinkles for $25 each. She sold 66 of them! People could pick up or she delivered for free on Sundays. Since it was so popular, she’s doing truffles for Valentine’s Day and may do something for Easter. If you are looking for a fun Easter fundraiser, check out my post on doing an Egg My Yard event.
Carolyne raised $2,500 with a Christmas craft fair with any items not sold in person put up for online auction. She and her friends made most of what they offered.
There are tons of ways to use skills and hobbies you have to fund your adoption. Do you like mowing the grass? Pick up a few yard jobs this summer. Like animals? Offer pet-sitting services to your neighbors. Have woodworking skills? Do some custom work for people. Crafty? Make teacher gifts, Christmas ornaments, door hangers, or whatever will sell well in your area. There are tons of possibilities for adoptive families who have a little extra time to devote to a side gig.
This Christmas cookie kit was a great virtual adoption fundraiser for the Kuhlman family.
I hope you enjoyed this list of some of the best online fundraisers! Leave a comment below with other successful virtual adoption fundraisers you have seen. Don’t forget to download your copy of 101 Adoption Fundraiser Ideas here!
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Hi! I'm Jessica! I help people fund adoptions, navigate parenting, save money, and enjoy the good things in life. 
