Unique Fundraising Ideas

Unique Fundraising Ideas

Have you signed up to one of our charity challenges? Exciting! It’s now time to get in your training and fundraising. Whether you’re taking on a sledding, cycling or trekking challenge with us – and have signed up with a charity in mind, then you’ll have a sponsorship target to reach.

To help you on your way to fundraising success, here are a few unique fundraising ideas!

Bake Sale – The classic bake sale! Get your friends and family involved, bake range of tasty treats and then sell them at a local event or even in your workplace!

Silent Auction – Organise a silent auction and ask local businesses to donate prizes such as a free haircut, massage or flowers.

The Big Night In – Host a night in with your friends - watch movies, eat snacks and drink hot chocolate (Or maybe a glass of wine or two!) Ask your friends to donate what they would normally spend on a night out.

Games Night – Get your mates to bring around their retro consoles and a spare T.V, and enjoy an evening of gaming! Ask for a small donation to attend.

Fashion Show – All you need is some space, some clothes and a group of friends who are up for a laugh! Take it in turns walking down the catwalk, then auction off donated clothes at the end of the fashion show.

Give Something Up – Get your friends and family to join you and give something up that you love! This could be chocolate, your daily latte or going to the cinema – whatever you’d find challenging! And instead of spending money on these indulgences, put the money towards your fundraising target.

Swear Jars – Keep a swear jar in your home or office – and every time someone swears, they have to put 50p in the jar!

Create and Sell Calendars – Create a themed calendar. This could be photos of your local area, pictures of animals or motivational quotes. Get promoting your calendars early before the new year starts. Any profit made can then be added to your fundraising pot.

Hold a Golf Tournament – Ask a local Golf Course to donate a couple of off-peak hours, get your teams together and enjoy a round of golf!

Pub Quiz – Host a pub quiz at your local bar and have participants pay to play.

Organise A Charity Dip! – Grab your friends and enjoy a Boxing Day swim – make it interesting and dress up in fancy dress and ask people to sponsor you.

Zumbathon! – Find a local gym or personal trainer, who’s willing to donate a couple of hours of their time, and hold your own workout fundraiser. Ask people to pay to take part.

Beard Challenge – Get the men in your life to grow their beards over a particular month, and get sponsored to do so!

Host a Battle of The Bands – Find a suitable venue and ask local bands to take part in a Battle of The Bands challenge. Sell tickets to your local community and enjoy an evening of entertainment!

Treasure Hunt / Easter Egg Hunt – Create your own treasure map and get people to pay a small fee to enter a treasure hunt - X marks the spot! This also works perfectly around Easter, with a classic Easter Egg hunt!

Casino Night – Hold your own casino night! Get people to pay to enter and then play with chips / fake money. You can offer prizes as incentives to the winners on the night.

Book Sale – Ask people in your community to donate books they no longer want and then sell them at a book sale. All proceeds go towards your fundraising target.

Beer Pong Tournament! – Everyone loves a bit of beer pong. Bring out your friends’ competitive sides and get them to pay a small entrance fee to take part in the tournament. If you want to keep it alcohol free, then this can easily be made into a ping pong tournament at your local leisure centre!

Karaoke Contest – Ask a local bar or pub to host a Karaoke Contest! People pay to enter and then get judged by a judging panel. The winners could win a bottle of fizz or another prize kindly donated by the venue.

Guided Walk – Ask a local expert to lead a guided walk around your local community.

Car Wash – Get your work colleagues or your local community together washing cars, whilst raising funds for your cause. 

Sponsored Silence – Ask a group of mates or work colleagues to join you in a sponsored silence and enjoy a few days of peace and quiet!

Sell products online. Is your wardrobe full of things you’ve only worn once – or not at all? Then why not sell them up on websites such as eBay or Vinted – and any money you make can be added to your fundraising total.

A Night at The Movies – Host a movie night (or even create an outdoor cinema), with popcorn and snacks. Get your friends and family to pay a small fee to join in.

Hold Your Own Olympics – Split into teams, representing different countries and host your own Olympics! Charge a small entry fee and watch your friends and family fight it out during the egg and spoon race, wheelbarrow race and much more!

How to Plan A Successful Fundraising Event.

  1. Choose your charity event idea and be as unique as possible! Look at what other people have done in the past and ask friends whether they have had success in certain fundraising ideas. It’s also just as important to find out what hasn’t worked in the past.
  2. Once you’ve decided on your fundraising event, set a date, location and time for your event to take place.  
  3. Now it’s time to market you event! Get the word out in as many ways as possible – create posters or fliers, spread the word on social media and get the local press involved!
  4. Get Donations. The whole point of your event is to raise funds and reach your overall fundraising target! Make sure it’s easy for people to donate – set up an online fundraising page such as JustGiving and share this on social media and via email! It’s also worth asking local businesses to get involved - they may want to match your fundraising or donate venue space or prizes.

We hope this helps you on your way to fundraising success! Remember to let your chosen charity know when you are putting on an event – and they’ll be able to support you and provide you with fundraising materials. For more information on fundraising, check out our Top 5 Fundraising Tips and Ideas.

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