A fundraiser is an event or activity organized to collect money for a specific cause or organization. Schools hold fundraisers to buy new playground equipment or fund field trips. Sports teams organize fundraisers to purchase uniforms. Charities run fundraisers to support their missions, whether helping families in need, protecting endangered animals, or funding medical research.

Fundraisers take many forms. A bake sale is a fundraiser where people sell cookies and brownies, donating the proceeds to their cause. A car wash fundraiser involves washing cars for donations. Some fundraisers are fancy dinners where guests pay to attend, while others might be fun runs where participants collect pledges for every mile they complete.

The word can also refer to the person whose job is organizing these events. A professional fundraiser works to convince people and companies to donate money, often for hospitals, universities, or nonprofit organizations.

What makes something a fundraiser rather than just selling things? The key difference is purpose: the money raised goes toward a cause beyond personal profit. When your class sells wrapping paper to fund a science lab, that's a fundraiser. When you sell lemonade to save up for a video game, that's entrepreneurship, not fundraising.