Introduction:

Do you have a charity place for an event and are now looking for fundraising ideas to help you smash your target? Below are some of the easiest and most popular ways to raise funds which don’t require a large amount of money to set up.

Bake Sale:

Bake sales usually go down really well, especially if done in the workplace. The idea is straight forward enough… you bake some cakes (or source them as cheap as possible and sell for a mark-up price) and sell them on to co-workers. People like to get something for their money, so this tends to be easier than asking for donations as they are getting a cake and you have invested time into making or sourcing them.

Raffle / Tombola:

For this you can ask local business to donate prizes or coupons to help build up the prize pool. Additionally, you could raffle off items that you have no need for which are still in great condition (I had a lot of unopened body wash and chocolate gift sets that had been given to me as Christmas gifts).

Guessing Games:

Popular options include guessing the name of a teddy bear or how many sweets are in the jar. You charge a pound or two to enter and the winner gets half of the pot, with the other half going towards your target. You could also do this in the form of a “predict my finishing time” game.

Number Grid:

This is another good option for the workplace as it is sort of like a lottery. You have a square grid (usually 10×10 squares but can be adapted) and you charge people per square that they want to select. Once the grid is full, you generate a number at random and the winner takes half of the pot. It’s a really straightforward idea to set up and requires to initial cost in sourcing prizes or materials. You can also mix it up and instead of just using numbers, use football clubs or whatever would make your co-workers more likely to have a go.

Quiz Nights:

This requires a bit more time and effort to set up. You would need to contact local venues, pubs are usually a good starting place, and then drum up interest for the event. For quiz questions, you can find a lot of examples online. Prices can be charged per individual or per team. Prizes can again come from local businesses, you could purchase a custom trophy, or ask the pub landlord if they can offer free drinks for the winners. You would have to come to an agreement with the landlord about costings. They may want an upfront fee, some may want a percentage of whatever is taken in entry fees on the night, and others may be happy to let you keep the full entry fee as the custom you bring into the pub will also be purchasing drinks and / or food. On the night, you could also offer a Number Grid option to drum up a little more for the fundraising pot.

Tournaments:

Depending on your local area you may be able to host a tournament of some sort. When fundraising for the London Marathon, I hosted a darts tournament. I approached my local sports bar via email and they were happy to let me use their facilities for free, as I would be bringing people into the venue who would then purchase food and drinks. I advertised the event on Facebook, as did the venue. There would be monetary prizes for those who reached the semi-finals, with the winner and runner-up also receiving a trophy each.

If you have a local Goals centre near you then you could also arrange a 5-a-side football tournament. This would be especially popular for under-16s. You charge an entry fee and then the winning team wins a percentage of the pot and a trophy.

Another good option would be a Bingo night, especially if you have a local Mecca Bingo.

Car-boots:

This is a great option if you have a lot of stuff to get rid of anyway. You can ask family and friends if they have any items that they are looking to get rid of. My nan and grandad gave me a few bags of things that they were going to donate to the charity shop and I hired a stall for £5 at a local car-boot on Bank Holiday Monday. This is a great way to clear out items that are no longer needed and raise a few pound for charity. I also took a charity collection tin and placed this on the stall next to a piece of paper which stated that I was running the London Marathon and all funds were going to Mind.

Bag Packing:

This idea is more labour intensive than the others. Firstly, you would need to contact local supermarkets and get their permission to bag pack in one of their stores. This works even better if you can coax a few family members or friends to help you bag pack on the day. You ask people at the checkouts if they need any help with their packing, if they do, you pack their shopping and they offer a donation.

Sell Your Skills:

If you are skilled in a craft then you could use that to your advantage. Do you make custom cards, paintings, or drawings? You could sell these, or offer to do commissioned images. The same goes with gardening and photography. Turn your skills to your advantage.

T-shirts:

Running in a customized t-short or vest can also boost your fundraising efforts. You could ask local businesses if they would sponsor you and have their logo printed onto your top. Remember to ensure that the charity you are running for is featured firmly on the front. This can be great exposure for businesses, especially if you are running a big event such as the London Marathon.

Matched Giving:

It’s also worth seeing if your employer offers a matched giving program where they match what you get donated. Some companies offer this, whereas others may be able to sponsor you directly. You could have a t-shirt or vest made up with your company’s logo on as part of the promotion.

Just Ask:

Don’t be afraid to ask family members and friends. Post about your training progress on social media websites. Keep the ball rolling with updates so that people don’t forget to sponsor you. I found it hard to post about my fundraising as it meant that I had to open up about my reasons for running for Mind, however people were really supportive. It can be difficult to ask people for donations, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get!

Don’t forget to add your fundraising link to your email signature. It may also be worth asking if you can include this link in your email signature at work, if applicable.

Conclusion:

Overall, there are a lot of different fundraising ideas available, and there are still hundreds of ideas which didn’t make the list. Staying motivated whilst fundraising can be tough. It is important to have a lot of different events and ideas in place to ensure that you keep momentum. If one idea doesn’t work out how you planned, then it’s straight onto the next one.

For any events which require you to invest a little beforehand, ensure that you will make enough back to cover the initial outset and still raise money towards your fundraising target.

Good luck with your fundraising efforts and feel free to post ideas that have worked for you in the comments section!