Fundraising is the process of gathering voluntary contributions of money or other resources carried out by non-profit making organisations — NGOs, foundations, associations, collectives, etc. — in order to be able to implement their projects.

Different types of resources can be gathered depending on the situation and the organisation: food and water, medicines, toys, clothing — but primarily money (even the recruitment of volunteers can be considered as fundraising).

This topic has undergone a process of professionalisation. When it started out, this activity was very closely linked with the larger NGOs, but during the economic downturn many organisations began thinking about planning and the gathering of private funds as part of their strategy.