Missing hyphen in 'fund raise'

Is fundraise one word, hyphenated, or two words? Short rule: use fundraise (verb) and fundraising (noun). Below are clear rules, ready-to-copy examples, six wrong→right fixes, workplace/school/casual samples, and quick rewrites you can paste into your text.

Short answer

Use fundraise (one word) for the verb and fundraising (one word) for the activity. Reserve fund-raise only for a specific house style; fund raise (two words) is usually incorrect unless 'fund' is clearly a noun.

Most modern dictionaries and style guides list fundraise and fundraising as standard.
Prefer the closed forms for clarity; if uncertain, rewrite as raise funds or hold a fundraising event.
Be consistent across a document-choose closed, hyphenated, or split and stick to it.

Core rule: decide by part of speech

Ask whether the word is an action, a thing, or an adjective. That decision fixes the form.

Verb (action): fundraise - We will fundraise next week.
Noun/gerund (activity): fundraising - Fundraising is scheduled for May.
Adjective (before a noun): fundraising - a fundraising event.

If you want to avoid the choice, rewrite: raise funds or hold a fundraising event.

Hyphenation and spacing: fundraise vs fund-raise vs fund raise

Hyphens are mainly for clarity or style. The trend favors closing common compounds: fundraise and fundraising. Two-word forms for the verb often read awkwardly.

Default: fundraise (verb) and fundraising (noun).
House style: fund-raise is acceptable only if your editorial rules require hyphens.
Avoid fund raise as a verb-use fundraise or raise funds.

Wrong: The charity will fund-raise next month (unless your house style mandates hyphens).
Right: The charity will fundraise next month.

Grammar matters: verb, noun, and adjective forms

Match form to function: verb = fundraise, activity = fundraising, adjective = fundraising (before a noun). Older style guides sometimes hyphenated compounds before nouns, but modern usage usually closes them.

Verb: We must fundraise before the product launch.
Noun: Fundraising took longer than planned.
Adjective: a fundraising drive (preferred now over fund-raising drive).

Usage: Wrong: We attended a fund-raising. →
Right: We attended a fundraising event.

Real usage and tone: work, school, and casual examples

Formal writing (business, academic) favors closed forms for readability. Casual writing sometimes varies, but fundraise still reads best.

Work: We will fundraise $75,000 for the pilot program next quarter.
Work: The fundraising committee sent the donor report this morning.
Work: In formal proposals, write raise funds instead of fund raise.
School: Our club will fundraise during orientation to buy lab supplies.
School: The fundraising project counts toward community service hours.
School: For the paper, write raise funds to avoid compound verbs.
Casual: Let's fundraise for Mia's recovery fund this weekend.
Casual: They're hosting a fundraising bake sale on Saturday.
Casual: Text suggestion: "Can we raise funds for the gift?" instead of "fund raise."

Examples you can copy: wrong → right pairs (6 fast fixes)

Use the right-hand sentence in emails, memos, and assignments.

Work - Wrong: The team will fund raise to meet the quarterly target.Work -
Right: The team will fundraise to meet the quarterly target.
Work - Wrong: We organized a fund-raising meeting for sponsors.Work -
Right: We organized a fundraising meeting for sponsors.
School - Wrong: Our club plans to fund raise during orientation week.School -
Right: Our club plans to fundraise during orientation week.
School - Wrong: The fund-raising drive provided new lab equipment.School -
Right: The fundraising drive provided new lab equipment.
Casual - Wrong: Let's do a quick fund raise for Mark's moving costs.Casual -
Right: Let's fundraise for Mark's moving costs.
Casual - Wrong: They posted a fund-raising link on Instagram.Casual -
Right: They posted a fundraising link on Instagram.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence instead of the phrase by itself. Context usually shows the correct form.

Quick rewrites: three fast fixes you can paste

Swap uncertain forms for these always-correct alternatives to avoid hyphenation decisions.

Use raise funds for formal writing: "We will raise funds next month."
Use hold a fundraising event when naming an activity: "We will hold a fundraising event in May."
Use fundraising for committees and activities: "The fundraising committee met yesterday."

Rewrite:
Original: We will fund raise next month. → We will raise funds next month.
Rewrite:
Original: The fund-raising committee met yesterday. → The fundraising committee met yesterday.
Rewrite:
Original: She wants to fund raise for the trip. → She plans to fundraise for the trip.

Memory trick: one-line mnemonic

Verb = one word. Activity/name = -ing. If unsure, say raise funds.

Action? One word (verb) → fundraise.
Activity/thing? -ing noun → fundraising.
Still unsure? Use raise funds or hold a fundraising event.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Many two-word verbs evolve into hyphenated or closed forms. The same verb vs. noun test applies.

log in (verb) → login (noun)
sign up (verb) → signup (noun); keep sign up as the verb
clean up (verb) → cleanup (noun)
follow up (verb) → follow-up (noun/adjective)
When in doubt, ask whether it's an action or a thing, or rewrite the sentence.

Usage: Wrong: We will sign-up new volunteers. →
Right: We will sign up new volunteers.
Usage: Wrong: Please cleanup the bench. →
Right: Please clean up the bench.

Fix your own sentence: short diagnostic checklist

Paste your sentence and answer these three questions, then read the result aloud to check tone.

1) Is the word an action? If yes → use fundraise.
2) Is it naming an activity? If yes → use fundraising.
3) If still unsure or if you need formality → rewrite as raise funds or hold a fundraising event.

Usage: User sentence: The nonprofit will fund raise. Fix: The nonprofit will fundraise.
Usage: User sentence: We did a fund raise last year. Fix: We held a fundraising drive last year.

FAQ

Is fundraise one word or two?

Most modern usage treats fundraise as one word when used as a verb. Use fund-raise only if your publisher or house style requires hyphens. The two-word form fund raise is rarely correct for the verb.

Should I write fundraising or fund-raising?

Fundraising (closed form) is standard for the noun and gerund. Use fund-raising only to match an older style guide or a specific editorial policy.

Can I say raise funds instead of fundraise?

Yes. Raise funds is a safe, formal alternative that avoids hyphenation questions and often reads clearer in proposals and reports.

Do British and American styles differ for fundraise?

Differences are minor. Both varieties accept fundraise; British publications sometimes retain hyphens longer. Always follow the style guide you must use.

How do I fix a sentence that uses fund raise awkwardly?

Decide whether it's a verb or a noun, then switch to fundraise (verb), use fundraising (noun), or rewrite to raise funds. Read the sentence aloud to confirm clarity.

Need a quick check?

If you're unsure, use the three-question checklist above and paste one of the rewrites. For consistency, adopt a single rule across your documents: prefer fundraise (verb) and fundraising (noun).