97 Fundraising Ideas That Can Really Work

It’s a small change to how they shop online, that can have a massive impact for you.

How it works
Register as a cause

Get 4 groups of 4 to compete, with everyone putting in £25. The winner from each group of 4 then plays in a grand final with the winner receiving £100 and the rest going to charity.

Participants can create a blog and give weekly updates on the competition, including photos and any kitchen disasters or triumphs!

Thanks to Laura & Gillian from the Isabel Hospice for contributing this idea

There is quite a lot of choice – although this may come down to what you can do near you. Have a look online and start fundraising!

Thanks go to Marc from The Fundraising Coach for contributing this idea!

Get some friends to join, and all fundraise for your favourite cause. It would be a great way to bond while making a big difference to causes you care about.

Bonus: Have a look at Marc Pitman’s ideas on how to fundraise for a Walkathon on his website The Fundraising Coach.

The best part of this is that the work involved is varied.

Just convince people to stay one extra hour, or to come in early and teach one special skill like cooking, baking, knitting, playing guitar, dancing, or whatever talent you can find at work.

Colleagues who wish to learn can pay a nominal fee each week, and that is the amount that goes for charity.

If you are adventurous and interested in bungee jumping, you should think about getting sponsored to bungee jump on a special occasion for your favourite charity.

Since this is not something that people do every day, sponsorships will be easy to get.

But make sure that you are adequately insured, and above all, safe.

For those who would like to push themselves out of their comfort zone, consider abseiling.

It is certainly not as dangerous as skydiving or paragliding, but will still make people weak at the knees.

Abseiling is quite common as an adventure sport, and is a good fundraising idea. You can get your friends to sponsor you or try to get sponsorship from an adventure sports store or company.

That’s right! It’s quirky enough to grab the attention of people.

It is even part of some annual fetes. Worm charming is particularly enjoyed by teenagers and young adults. A grassy area is divided into parts, on which each participant must bring out worms and collect them.

The person with the maximum number of worms wins.

Charge an entry fee. You can also create funds by selling jars and instruments for the game. The prize can even be sponsored.

This one you can do at work as well as at home. But make sure that you have supporting people around you before you do this.

Every time someone does something that is not eco-friendly (leaving the lights/computer on, leaving the taps running, printing unnecessary emails, using fresh papers for rough drafts) you could give them a small fine, which you can donate at the end of the month.

Fundraising within an organisation is an incredible idea if you can pull it off.

If you own a company, a store, or any business that involves employees, you can float a program that lets them donate via payroll.

As soon as their salaries are credited, the donations will be legally transferred for charity. The best part is that they do not have to pay taxes on it.

Fundraise via entry donations and selling movie snacks; popcorn, sweets and drinks, will go down well too.

Similar to eco-fines but with what you say.

It’s a great fundraising idea as it encourages less swearing and raises money for your cause.

Ask for a donation every time someone swears, and place it in a publicly viewable box for extra encouragement. Try it at work, or at home, any place where people regularly congregate.

All you need is a dart board, darts and some space.

You may find these at a local pub, and they might be willing to sponsor it, as its likely to help with drink sales too.

Or, if you find your own place you could raise further funds by charging for drinks.

Talk to your neighbours and see who you can help for a small donation.

As well as fundraising for your cause you would be helping your neighbours, and is a great chance to foster community relations, catch up or meet new people.

You’ll need to find a well populated area (and make sure you have a licence if needed), make a sign, and start fundraising!

Look around and you may come across some people who are willing to discard them.

Begin with yourself, spread it to your family, and then convince your friends and family, before you make it popular among the supporters of your cause.

You will be astonished to see the amount of funds you can raise by just curbing the morning tea/coffee.

It is not only a motivating way to get back in shape, but also a noble gesture for a cause.

Wait! What’s the best thing about this one?

Since so many groups of people are involved, it is easy to get more sponsorship. All you need to do is make arrangements for venue and logistics. And you are good to go. The tickets, along with donations will fetch you enough funds.

It is like a piggy bank. You can either do it on an individual, family, or community basis.

Just devote a donation box, and keep making donations every now and then when you come across an unspent pence or a pound in your pocket.

Better than shelling out some pounds on a fancy haircut is shaving your head for a cause. If you are a daring person you may like to go ahead with this one.

Get a head-shave sponsored. A rather brilliant idea is to convince people of some reputation to do it for a cause. It really works.

And, gentlemen, if you dare to go further till your threshold of pain, go for waxing a leg or an arm. Funds will definitely be higher.

Everyone likes a spectacle once in a while.

And, it can be a great fundraiser for your cause, especially if you can put together a good cast and crew for a pantomime.

Also, if you can get a sponsor, you can bear the expenses of the costumes and the stage easily.

Make sure that you send out the news and also tell people to buy a ticket. Providing refreshments for a charge will add to your funds raised.

The best part is that these also create awareness about your cause.

You can buy these at local stores for a pretty reasonable price when you buy wholesale.

This is a fundraising idea that does involve some labour, but it can be done nonetheless.

You’ll need to contact one of your local supermarkets. Preferably one that sees a lot of business, so an extra helping hand is always welcome.

A jumble sale can be done on any weekend. All you have to do is inform people about the event.

On the day of the event, you just need a few tables and a few people who can manage the money.

People are usually generous at doing this, so you can turn this fundraising idea into a regular feature.

Nothing beats this one when it comes to Christmas season.

As an annual fundraising idea, it really works. You can either get the cards online for very cheap, or let your creativity loose, and go for making them on your own.

Singing Christmas carols to raise funds for charity and spread the Christmas cheer is a long-standing tradition.

And it can work for your favourite charity too. As the saying goes: if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

So if it’s the right time of year, consider this as a great option to help your chosen charity.

Who doesn’t like a clean vicinity? So, get out on a cleaning spree, and clean up your local area.

Make sure that you have with you collection buckets that publicise the cause that you support.

Locals, as well the passers-by, are likely to donate for such a noble gesture.

You can put up a stall pre Easter, selling painted Easter eggs.

People love buying them.

You could even get sponsored from a local bakery or a restaurant.

All you need is the raw material and a creative idea.

If you like to have a little fun with water, you will certainly find this idea the easiest way to fundraise.

Along with many more volunteers like you, choose a community place, a parking lot, or a door to door option. Offer to wash cars for a reasonable charge, and you will see people flocking to get it done.

Not a very novel idea, but a lucrative one indeed.

If you wish to do something novel, something more than just painting Easter eggs, you can take orders for painting the ones filled with sweets to be delivered at clients’ doorsteps for an Easter morning surprise for their children.

It doesn’t take much more effort than painting, but does fetch more donations.

Let’s have a little fun and maybe help out some people who have two left feet. Within your social circle and beyond, there are bound to be some people who like to put their boogie shoes on. Rope them in for instructing, sell some tickets, and let the learners mingle with the dancers.

Charge a registration or a lesson free from the learners, and voila!

You can’t miss out on this one, particularly if you are supporting this type of cause.

Organise a show that brings the public, especially children, closer to these animals, and teaches them about the challenges they face. Just make sure that the animals don’t get distressed.

The tickets will help you fundraise with ease.

Well, this is just a cousin of the ever so popular fancy dress.

Not only do the children love it, the adults might find it amusing too (just don’t overdo it).

You could get sponsorships easily; the registration fee will also add to the funds.

If it is a success once, make it an annual feature.

Pet owners love to show off their furry companions. Even more so with the chance to win some accolades for their cherished pet.

Chances are, if you try approaching a local pet shop for sponsorship, the results would be positive.

Just do some brainstorming for finding unique ideas for titles – like the laziest dog, or the heftiest cat, and the show is sure to get popular as an annual fundraiser.

Dogs are by far the most popular pets in the UK and the world over.

If you support a cause that cares for dogs, consider organising a dog wash.

Do it for small charge, and dog owners will rush to you. If you could get sponsored by a pet shop, you can also add dog grooming to your service.

The end–of-season dinners are a great way not only to appreciate the efforts of your team during the season, but also to enthuse them with a renewed spirit.

Tickets, raffles and auctions can be a part of this dinner where you exhibit the awards and accolades that the team has won during the season.

It is one of those good ideas that everyone appreciates.

Arm wrestling competitions can create a fun, and sometimes competitive atmosphere. They can work well with pub goers.

Consider pitching sports teams against one another, then charge them to compete and prove their team is the best.

Buddy nights are great ways to fundraise if you’re part of a sports club. Teammates bring along a friend to a fun-oriented training session, who pay a small fee to take part.

The double bonus is that if your buddies are impressed, you might get some additional members wanting to join your club.

Jog-athons work with sponsorships.

Get each covered mile sponsored by different sponsors. That makes getting sponsorship easy.

Doing this by convincing a gym, or shoe store is a unique fundraising idea.

Races – you can craft any kind with your imagination.

If sack race and egg race are too old for you, try wheelchair races, or stiletto races, or slow races or any ingenious race that comes to your mind.

The point is that they are amusing, easy to do, take very few resources, and attract a lot of people.

Charge a registration fee, get prizes sponsored, and you are good to go.

There is all probability that local sports fan would like to hone their skills in their favourite sport or, given the chance, with a professional instructor.

So, you can give them both, and raise some funds at the same time. You can rope in professional/amateur players, or coaches, or trainers from the club that you support, and get them to train those who are willing to be trained.

You will get ample funds as registration fee as well as tuition fee, while the public will get a chance to learn from the pros.

And, do not forget to market your endeavour well before you start with the workshop.

This one has never been beaten.

Marathons for football, tennis, table tennis, badminton, or any sport that interests a lot of people can work for you.

Get sponsorships from sports related sponsors, hire a place, and get ready to raise some massive funds.

When your team’s next match comes up, try to get one of the local stores or to donate a comfy couch.

Now put up a raffle for this, the best seat in the house.

This can be a regular fundraising idea each season.

The best fundraising idea for supporting a sports club is to organize a sponsored sport-athon.

It is different than a regular match, the duration is much longer, precisely the reason why it fetches more sponsorship than usual.

You can keep a match on for hours. Apart from the sponsorship, the tickets and snacks for sale will also add to your funds raised.

In case there is big match that your team is playing in, it’s going to work very well if you hire a place and a projector to have it televised.

Charge a little fee from the audience to raise funds.

Arrange for some snacks, and sell them to those who want to enjoy the match more.

This one is much more interesting than a standard race. It is a race, but at the same time it is much more than that – a real test of talent and timing that is more exciting and rewarding.

Also, when looking for engagement from the public, it tends to be the case that the more special the task, the higher the willingness for participation.

Tickets for those who wish to see the contest will raise a lot of revenue. A bonus? The refreshments that you can sell during the event.

Fun as they already are, you can try roping in another local club apart from the one that you support.

This will add some spice.

You could also get a pub to sponsor you, and the venue could be the pub itself.

Even a small gesture like cleaning litter in public places such as local parks is a great fundraising idea to get donations.

Gather some like-minded people to volunteer and you are sure to get a sponsor or two as this one makes a visible difference.

If you can do it for your parents, you can do it for some charity cash too.

Just make some fliers to let people know that you can mow their lawn for a tiny charge which goes towards a charitable cause.

People are likely to pay generously.

This time, go for lift sharing not only to save money, but to save money for a cause – particularly if you are donating to an environmental charity.

Encourage your mates too; it only gets better with more people.

Throwing away old books is never great for the environment.

What you can do instead is collect old books for sale– literature, science, magazines, comics – and sell them. Repair the ones that have turned shabby; recycle the ones that cannot be used.

This will help you raise some good funds for your cause!

Ever discovered the nature trails in your area? Well, you could be a guide for a good reason.

Charge a nominal amount from people who wish to go for treks or nature watch.

Recycling cans is a good idea.

Most recycling units pay for the cans; just pick up the ones that are littered around in your area, and turn them in for recycling.

One more thing, it will help make your surroundings cleaner.

Make sure you do it in is a season that is ideal for planting, so spring and summer mainly.

You will have plan well ahead to sow a variety of seeds, and prepare the saplings in time for sale.

If you have an affinity for shutters and lenses, you can raise some good charity money out of it.

Make yourself useful in the holidays, click those who would like an instant photo, and raise your funds.

You can raise the funds by selling tickets and if you negotiate well, perhaps even a share of the drink sales.

By joining in and spending a night out you can fundraise and help to beat youth homelessness. Building your own cardboard shelters, trying to stay warm and secure will provide a glimpse into the very real hardships and challenges faced by vulnerable, homeless, young men and women. Are you ready for the challenge – can you find sponsorship and create greater awareness?

Thanks to Robert Purcell from the East Herts YMCA for contributing this idea

If showmanship is one of your special talents, you could very well use a movie show or a stage theatre as a fundraiser.

You can gather more enthusiasts like you, and get the show on.Try to appeal to a very wide range of audience makes it an absolute hit.

You stay fit when you run alone; you feel close when you run with company.

So, a sponsored community run could be the fundraising idea that you need to bring the community closer together.

People of all ages love karaoke. All you have to do is rent a karaoke machine, and hold a fundraising event in a local pub, or even in your backyard.

Sell tickets for people to enter the contest, and see how you can have hearty fun while fundraising.

A swap shop is a good idea for garnering donations.

You can organize a swap event, in the community hall maybe, where people come and swap things that they no longer use – clothes, books, appliances – whatever you can think of.

And in return people donate an amount for the cause.

It may be the oldest trick in the book, but it remains a good one.

You get everyone to donate a pound a month. You take out a draw every month and the winner takes home half the value of the total donated amount.

Great news – you do not need a license for it.

Involve your neighbours, friends, and family – everyone you can – and get them to donate old jewellery that they no longer wear.

You will hopefully get some stunning pieces for which you can hold a car trunk auction.

But wait, don’t just sell the jewellery as you get it. Package it well, and make it look like new before you auction it.

It might be alcohol, smoking, junk food, or whatever else you think is bad for you. Convince the people of your community to sponsor you, and the ones who are with you in this, to denounce a vice.

You could have one sponsor each day for giving it up for a certain period.

You might find a sizeable number of local kids with BMX bikes in the parks around you.

Get them around to organise a display of their bikes, and maybe show-off some tricks.

Make it a fundraising event, market it, sell tickets for people to see it, and see funds coming in

Urge your friends and neighbours to make generous donations, and market your raffle with children’s creative efforts.

Make sure you fulfil the legal requirements for selling tickets to general public. Click here to read more about raffle licenses and procedures.

You can also go for free prize draws, here you won’t need licenses since people don’t have to pay.

Yes, you read that right! There’s a reason we say, “sells like hot cakes”. Cakes definitely do sell.

With just a pinch of decoration, and some delicious homemade cakes, some good cash can flow your way.

Try to choose a festive time of the year, because people are likely to buy more at these times.

If not that, candles, crafts, etc, can also make great sales.

Just a little creative effort in marketing the competition, and participants will be swarming around you.

You can easily convince a local art and crafts store to sponsor you. You can also levy an entry fee, add in some snacks and beverages to the event, and funds are what you are going to raise.

It may be a lot to do, but when you see the amount of donations that pour in, it is certainly worth it.

Parents can bring in refreshments – and a good party is on the cards.

Clichéd as it may sound; it certainly works, and is pretty favoured by the elderly.

The reason? Most older people tend to like a game of bingo.

How can you beat that? It is a super hit idea for making people have fun, and raise funds at the same time.

If you can, try roping in a few local entrepreneurs for sponsorships.

Well, it may be a more difficult choice than raising funds with other methods, but if you have the conviction it can work out pretty well.

The pro is that you can be imaginative.

Getting sponsorship for a walkathon, a flash mob, or a silence march, whatever you think best conveys your message can work well.

One point to watch out for, you will have to be really good with selling skills so that you can get a sponsor.

Baking will forever be instilled into the hearts of the British, and so, a bake-athon is always a good idea.

It can be a great way to involve all age groups. From trying to convince the older citizens to give up their secret recipes, to letting the children get covered in flour, it’s a marvellous way to involve everyone, and raise funds with both sponsorship and sales.

It simply means substituting money, and this kind of charity fundraiser works very well for schools, non-profit organisations and religious causes as well.

It usually goes something like this – churches, schools, and other non-profit organisations buy vouchers from certain retailers at a discount. These are then passed on to supporters at a little higher price for buying services or goods from those very retailers.

As the charity bought it for a comparatively lesser price than the one it is sold for to the supporters, this can be quite a great source of funds for charities, and is almost an offline version of TheGivingMachine!

Sometimes known as smencils, these scented pencils are pretty popular as a fundraiser.

You can buy these wholesale for a cheaper price, and then sell them for a reasonable price to students.

Not only are these attractive but also eco friendly.

If you are donating to an educational charity, this one is often a favourite.

Well, children do not get tired easily, but parents do.

It might be a good idea to walk your kid to school, and encourage others to do the same.

What’s the bottom line?

All the money that is saved in this process, which would have otherwise been spent on fuel, can be donated.

Fancy dress is one event that will always be a guaranteed favourite, not only among school-going children, but for adults as well.

All you have to do is organise one, and decide a small registration fee.

Sponsorships can also come in easy from local entrepreneurs.

Try to choose a theme that is to do with the charity you are raising money for.

Ask your school, your family, your neighbour, and friends to donate books that they no longer read.These can then be sold to raise funds for education.

Want to know the best part?

It not only raises funds, but also fosters the habit of reading.

It’s a great day when a lot of people come together in one place for an event. It also makes it easier to spread awareness of your cause.

You can put up stalls, with the school’s permission of course, sell homemade items, and raise some good cash.

Get your teachers, or some other organisation to sponsor an hour or more of silence.

If you usually make a lot of noise, it could make others happy 🙂 and you will do your bit for your cause.

Festive times are good for setting up fundraising events. There’s a range of options you can go for. Really let your imagination go wild and come up with some great fundraising ideas.

You could get the local school engaged, perhaps with Easter egg painting or bonnet making.

Simply make a budget for costs, levy an entry fee that will cover the costs and contribute to your fundraising goals, and arrange a donated prize for the winner.

If you have the knack, you may as well go for a raffle as well. This might help to keep the expenses low and profits high.

If you have lots of alumni you are in good terms with, send out invitations for a happy hour. Make sure that the word is spread as far and wide as possible. Since the pub that you choose as the venue is going to see tremendous sales for the chosen evening, ask them for a sponsorship.

If the gathering is small, it is a good idea to ask for donations. But, if it is a large one, tickets and a raffle is going to be lucrative.

Bringing together a group of alumni for a dinner or luncheon gives you the opportunity to ask for donations.

Make it an interesting affair and pull in more people by inviting an interesting speaker to address the group.