Cash calendar fundraiser
A cash calendar fundraiser without the raffle
A cash calendar fundraiser is a month where every date has a price. On a pick-a-date cash calendar, supporters claim a date and give that amount: $1 for the 1st, $15 for the 15th, $31 for the 31st. A full 31-day month raises $496, a 30-day month $465, and nothing is drawn or won. That last part is the difference between this and the cash calendar raffle most groups have seen.
Cash calendar raffle or pick-a-date calendar? The two are not the same
Both are called cash calendars. Only one is a donation.
| Cash calendar raffle | Pick-a-date cash calendar | |
|---|---|---|
| What supporters do | Buy a ticket, usually $10 to $25 | Claim a date and give that amount, $1 to $31 |
| What they get | A chance at a daily cash prize | Their name and a message on the date |
| Prize budget | Part of the money goes back out as prizes | None; every dollar is a donation |
| Legal status | Regulated as gaming in many states; often needs a license | A donation; no drawing, no chance |
| Money handling | Cash, ticket stubs, a drawing every day | Paid online, settled to your own account |
| A full month raises | Ticket sales minus prizes | $496 for 31 days, $465 for 30, per calendar |
Raffle rules vary by state. If your group has run a cash calendar raffle before, the pick-a-date version is the same idea with the drawing removed, and it usually raises more because nothing is paid back out. The full comparison is in calendar raffle vs. pick-a-date.
How much does a cash calendar fundraiser raise?
One calendar raises the sum of its dates: $496 for a 31-day month, $465 for a 30-day month, $406 for February. Give every participant their own calendar and the total multiplies: 13 dancers raised $3,567 in 10 days, and a school PTO with one calendar per classroom raised $2,017 in 10 days. Turn on 2× date pricing and every date costs double, so a 31-day calendar is $992.
How does it work?
- Build the calendar in minutes: name it, pick the month, set a goal, connect Stripe or Square.
- Share one link. Every participant on a team calendar gets their own link and QR code by email.
- Supporters open the link, pick an open date, and give that amount. Their name and a message show on the date.
- Money settles to your own account. You keep 100% of calendar donations; donors pay a small service fee at checkout, shown before they pay.
Cash calendars, ready to run
Every calendar is themed for its occasion, with its own icons, colors, and a step-by-step guide.
Cash calendar questions
What is a cash calendar fundraiser?
The phrase covers two different things. A cash calendar raffle sells tickets and draws a cash prize for each day of the month, which many states regulate as gaming. A pick-a-date cash calendar asks supporters to claim a date and give that amount as a plain donation, so nothing is drawn or won. CalendarFundraiser runs the second kind.
How much does a cash calendar fundraiser raise?
A pick-a-date calendar raises the sum of its dates: $496 for a 31-day month, $465 for a 30-day month, $406 for February. Every participant with their own calendar adds another full calendar to the total, and 2× date pricing doubles it.
Is a cash calendar a raffle?
Only the ticket-and-drawing version. On a pick-a-date calendar no chances are sold and no prizes are drawn, so it is a donation, not a raffle. Raffle rules vary by state; if your group has run a cash calendar raffle before, check yours.
Do donors get anything back?
Their name and a message on the date they claimed, visible to everyone who opens the calendar, and a receipt by email. There is no prize, which is what keeps it a donation.
What does it cost to run?
Building and running a calendar is free. Donors pay a small service fee at checkout, shown before they pay, and your organization keeps 100% of calendar donations. The fee is described in full in our Terms of Service.
Run a cash calendar without the raffle
Free to build. Connect Stripe or Square to go live, and keep 100% of calendar donations.