Art Refuge UK's A - Z of Fundraising Ideas
Every fundraiser has individual talents, skills and abilities, so make the most of them! Unusual events are often the best for attracting both sponsors and publicity, so be creative! However, don't forget all the old favourites too.
Here's Art Refuge UK's list of fun fundraising ideas to get you started.
AOrganize a mass aerobics session at a local school, church hall or community centre. Participants could be sponsored and/or be charged to enter (advice from a trained aerobics instructor is advisable).
Art competition
charge a small fee to view the displayed work and then hold an auction.
Art exhibition
host one of the Art Refuge UK's travelling exhibitions and charge a small entry fee.
Auction of dreams
Get lots of exciting things to auction, and find someone who is willing to be an auctioneer. Explain what the money will be used for, if there is a good atmosphere then people will bid generously.
charge £1 to participate, and fine those that don't £2! Give a prize for the worst hair.
Barn dance
organise an evening of dancing and charge an entrance fee.
Beard trim
If you have a beard or moustache, get friends and colleagues to sponsor you to have it shaved off.
Beetle drive
fun for old and young alike. £1.00 a beetle!
Bike ride
Work out a safe scenic route and arrange a sponsored bike ride.
Bridge evening
pay to play.
Book sale
sell your old books and let Art Refuge UK benefit from the proceeds.
everything for £1.
Celebrity walk
Persuade a celebrity (a local one is fine) to walk a set distance and get people to sponsor them.
Chocoholic challenge
Give up chocolate for a set period of time and get friends and colleagues to sponsor you for every day you go without.
Coffee morning
sell coffee and cake and ask people to donate.
Computer-games tournament
organise a computer-games tournament, charging individuals/teams to enter, with a (donated) prize.
Cook book
write a class/school/workplace cookbook that can then be sold.
Copper mine
Have a collecting box in your own home and at the end of the day put loose change in it e.g. all coins below a certain value go in the collecting box. Alternatively, plan to save one or two pound coins each week. When the box is full, donate it.
Crafts
If you are good at needlework, knitting, painting, woodwork etc. make craft items to sell at any suitable event.
sponsored diet, £1.00 for every 1lb lost (or gained if you're underweight).
Disco
charge for entry.
Dog walk
Organize an interesting route for dogs and their owners to walk around, with all participants sponsored.
E-bay all that stuff in the attic
donate the profit and enjoy the space.
Face-painting
tigers, lions, cats and dogs? Fancy faces for a fee.
Fancy dress party
dress up and donate.
Fete
with entry charge.
Fireworks party
with proceeds in aid of Art Refuge UK.
Football Match
Bend it like Beckham and organize a friendly soccer match or tournament with companies, local villages, schools etc. Charge spectators an entry fee and ask the teams to get sponsored per goal.
Garden party
ticketed event with sandwiches, cake and tea.
Gift-Aid
make a donation through Gift Aid.
Guessing games
guess the number of sweets in a tin or marbles in a jar, 50p a guess.
Head shave
have you or a friend be sponsored to shave their head.
International music event
ask local groups to perform and charge a ticket price.
Jams and preserves
sell home-made goodies for a good cause.
Job swap
get sponsored to swap jobs for the day.
Jumble sale
a good chance to 'dejunk' and raise funds.
Karaoke evening
charge an entry fee - or pay extra to enjoy the sound of silence.
Keep fit-athon
get sponsored by the hour for a day of exercise!
Letter day/party
base your activities, dress code and food around a specific letter from the alphabet.
Matched giving
How about asking your company to match the money raised - they could 'match give' a particular activity or an event, such as a sponsored bike ride. If a company is not happy to match every penny then suggest that they match every donation to a certain level, say £500 or £1000. Alternatively invite them to give you a large donation.
Murder mystery fundraising evening
elementary my dear!
Name the teddy
Ask people to guess the name of a teddy bear (50p a guess); the winner gets the bear.
Non-uniform day
charge £1 to participate.
Odd clothes day
dress up in the silliest clothes you have, make it sponsored.
Open garden
for a small entry fee, let others see how your garden grows.
Pancake race
Shrove Tuesday is the traditional day for this, but you could hold a race at any time of year. You require some frying pans, some pancakes and competitors/teams who can be charged an entry fee. Hold the race in several heats, noting the team's times and keeping a league table. Teams can pay another fee to have another go and get a better time. This could be held as a relay race or even over some obstacles.
Pantomime
Organize a pantomime for family and friends, charging for tickets and refreshments. A great fundraising idea (oh yes it is, oh no it isn't!!).
Plant sale
pot up your spare plants and make pots of cash.
Portrait/Caricature painting
If you know an artist, get them to agree to draw or paint members of the public at a fundraising fair.
Pyjama day
Students pay 50p to £1 on a designated day and get to wear their pyjamas to school.
Quiz night
charge each team to enter.
Raffle
a fundraising classic!
Scrabble/Monopoly/Chess tournament
charge an admission fee for individuals and/or teams.
Singing Christmas card delivery
This fund raiser is fun because everyone can sing Christmas carols. Sell the 'cards', delivering them by using singing teams of three or more. Assign each team a particular night to deliver the singing cards. Have them dress in unique costumes and take along mince pies to hand out.
Sponsored silence
see how long you can keep quiet with this sponsored activity.
Stroll-athon
enjoy the great outdoors and raise money at the same time.
Talent contest
X-factor? Idols? Opportunity Knocks?
Tombola
roll up, roll up, 50p a ticket.
Tub of icky stuff
Find a willing, or hapless, volunteer to sit in an old bath outdoors (a child's wading pool is best - it is easily cleaned) full of icky stuff. They should be wearing swimming costume/trunks or shorts and t-shirt. Get sponsorship for the number of minutes or hours they stay in it. Suitable icky stuff: cold custard, cold porridge, baked beans (a store may be able to provide damaged cans of these).
Unwanted gift sale
your unwanted gifts could be somebody else's treasure.
Variety show
charge an entry fee to see friends and colleagues show their true talents.
Virtual tea party
Send an invitation to a 'virtual tea party' to your friends, neighbours and colleagues. Send a tea bag in an envelope along with a catchy, invitation explaining that they are invited to a virtual tea party on a certain day at a certain time. Explain that on that date and time, you will all enjoy a cup of tea (using the tea bag provided) in support of your cause. Ask each 'guest' for a donation in return for 'attending' this tea party. Provide a SAE for their convenience. The tea bag is theirs to keep whether they make a donation or not, but the hope is that your efforts will encourage them to send you a donation.
Wages donation
Contribute one day's wages to Art Refuge UK and encourage others in your company to do the same.
World food night
prepare a selection of dishes from around the world and charge a fee to enjoy them.
Worst holiday snapshots competition
Invite friends or colleagues to submit their worst holiday photos or videos. Charge a small entry fee per photo/video and get a panel of judges to decide on the very worst (you may need several categories). The worst ones can be displayed or shown to all entrants and a prize given to the winners.
Xmas ball / bazaar / card sale
festive fun.
Yacht race
if you haven't got the real thing, what about paper boats?
Yearly collection
Keep a collection box or piggy bank at home for the whole year and encourage family and friends to contribute to it. If you or your family/friends are generous donate the contents every time the box is full and get a receipt showing the amount collected. Keep a running total.
Yo-yo challenge
Get sponsored for the number of minutes you can keep a yoyo going or for the number of tricks you can perform in a certain time
Zany hat or tie day
charge £1 to participate, and fine those that don't £2! Give a prize for the wackiest hat/tie.