A list of easy fundraising ideas which includes some of our favourite ways to raise money for charity
These ideas can be adapted to use in schools, with teenagers, churches, individuals or at work.
Every penny you raise helps our mission to bring the good news to the next generation. SU works across England and Wales in schools, youth clubs, churches, and at special holidays and missions. We aim to meet children and young people where they are and show them the difference Jesus can make to the challenges and adventures of life.
A
Apple bobbing
Fill a bucket full of apples and water and charge for the thrill of getting that apple.
Arts and crafts fair
Put your creative talents into action and sell your works of art at a craft fair.
Auction
Organise your own fundraising auction. Why not auction off your talents for the day or donate a percentage of funds raised through an Ebay auction?
B
Bake off!
One of our most popular fundraising event ideas! Get your friends, colleagues, parish or group to bake cakes, pies and biscuits, and see who can produce the tastiest sponge. Sell what's left after the judges have done their tasting. You could even auction the winning bakes.
Bad tie day
Look in your dad’s wardrobe for those outdated ties and dazzle your friends. Pay to display the outrageous tie. Your friends could pay to have the offending tie removed!
Bag packing at local supermarket
Ask your local supermarket if you can hold a bag packing day for SU. It’s a great way to provide a service to the local community while supporting us too. Get in touch with us to order SU fundraising collection tins and T-shirts.
Battle of the bands
Challenge those budding musicians to a battle of the bands and put on a concert to raise money. You could also raise money with a 'pay to leave' policy.
Beat the goalie
Challenge your friends to a beat the goalie competition. Pay to play.
Bring and buy sale
Sell donated goods on a stall. Cakes, books, homemade jam, bric-a-brac and Fairtrade goods are firm favourites.
Bike ride
Organise a sponsored bike ride in your local area or raise money for SU by taking part in an existing cycling event.
Bingo
Organise a bingo event – devise your own calls for the numbers. Charge a fee per game.
C
Carol service
Have a rousing carol singing fundraiser! Bring people together to raise their voices whilst also raising funds to make Jesus known to the next generation.
SU Christmas cards
Design your own SU Christmas cards to sell to your friends and family or use a poster to send Christmas messages as an alternative to buying cards. Remember to donate the funds you save!
Colour theme days
Bring a bit of colour into your day and raise money at the same time! Get your friends to dress in their favourite colours for a donation. Set a football, season or country theme.
Coppers for SU
Collect all those unwanted coppers that weigh down your pockets – small change can make a big difference. You can also collect your foreign coins to raise money for SU.
Collections
A really easy fundraising activity is to put those empty jam jars to good use and turn small change into a big difference.
Competitions
Devise your own competition, or use tried and tested ideas such as ‘guess who the baby in the picture is’ to entertain the guests at any kind of fundraising event.
Cricket match
Challenge your peers or teachers to a cricket match. Each team pays a fee.
Car wash
Charge your teachers, friends and family to wash their cars.
Chocolate ban
Give up chocolate for a day, a week or a month and give the cash you save to SU.
D
Dancing
Put on those dancing shoes and disco the night away. Remember to charge an entry fee. Or go further and dance all day in a sponsored danceathon. Set up a sponsorship page for SU on JustGiving or download your sponsorship form.
Dress down day
It’s not the most unique way to fundraise for charity but the tried and tested dress down day, own clothes day or mufti day is always a hit with school students. It can work in your workplace too!
Doughnut sale
Delight all your friends with a delicious doughnut sale. Shops like Krispy Kreme let you buy their doughnuts at special low prices so that you can sell them on for a fundraising profit!
- We would love to hear about your fundraising activities. Take photos of what you do and send them into us at [email protected] so we can celebrate your success by sharing them on our website.
E
Eco day
This is one of the best fundraising ideas for charity because you get to help the environment and raise money! Dress in green and do good deeds for the day, like litter picking and recycling your rubbish. Remember to get sponsored for all the activities you do. Set up a sponsorship page on JustGiving or download your SU sponsorship form.
Eating baked beans with a cocktail stick
Challenge your friends to a baked bean eating competition – how many can you eat in a minute using only a cocktail stick?
Egg and spoon race
Are you up for an egg and spoon challenge? Race your friends and family. No cheating now!
Egg painting competition
Don’t waste those eggs after the race – turn them into works of art. Sell them to raise money for us.
F
Fancy dress
Go crazy with the fashion ideas and create a zany masterpiece to wear for the day. Prizes for the most outrageous and colourful costumes.
Five-a-side football
Challenge your mates or your teachers to a five-a-side tournament as part of a football fundraiser. Each team pays to play.
Film night
Create your own cinema and hold a film night for family and friends. Sell popcorn and drinks and charge an entry fee. Theme the night on your favourite type of film!
Fashion show
Put your creative talents to the test and organise a fashion show – why not use recycled clothes and make it an eco-show? Invite the wider community to see your fabulous designs, and don’t forget to charge an entry fee.
Face painting competition
Put your artistic talents to good use and paint people’s faces. You could have a themed face painting day such as animals or characters from a book. Remember to charge for your works of face painting art.
Fun run
A really popular fundraising idea – dust off your running shoes, add a tutu and run for fun. Organise your own fun run or join a sponsored event for SU.
G
Guess who the baby is (from photos)
Do a twist on the classic baby photo game by collecting some baby photos of famous celebrities and charging your friends to guess who they are.
Give it up!
Get sponsored to go without something. Give up speaking for a day, computer games for a week, chocolate for a month, or give up magazines for the whole of Lent! Donate the money you save, set up a sponsorship page for SU on JustGiving or download a sponsorship form.
Guess the number of… (balloons in a car, sweets in a jar)
Have a lot of fun challenging your friends to guess the quantity in the jar or car.
Guess the weight or name of…
Quiz your friends on the weight of the cake or the name of a teddy bear – 50p a guess.
Games: scrabble, chess, trivial pursuits etc
For all those who love the challenge of a board game – why not have a marathon board game tournament? Either pay to play or get sponsored.
H
Hula hoop contest
How many times can you spin the hula hoop? Organise a hula hoop-athon. Don’t forget to get sponsored by the spin, or the length of time you keep the hoop going. Set up a sponsorship page on JustGiving or download your SU sponsorship form.
Hair beading, braiding and plaiting
Put your creative talents to good use. Make your friends look cool and raise money for SU.
I
International evening
Hold a themed international night and decorate your hall with flags from across the globe for an interesting fundraising event. Why not also hold a fundraising quiz and test your friends’ geographical knowledge? Charge an entry fee.
It’s a knockout
Organise an 'It’s a Knockout' competition – fun for all the family. Either make it a sponsored event or pay to play. Set up a sponsorship page for SU on JustGiving or download your sponsorship form.
J
Jumble sales
Reduce, reuse and recycle – the perfect opportunity to hold a fundraiser jumble sale
Jewellery making/selling
Put your creative jewellery making skills to good use and hold a sale with what you make. Share your skills with others and teach your friends how to make that perfect accessory.
Joke-athon
Have your friends in stitches with a joke-athon. How long can you keep your friends laughing? If the jokes are really bad, make them pay a fee to leave.
K
Kite flying
When the wind is right, get those kites into the air. The kite that stays up the longest wins. Why not design your own kites and get sponsored too? Set up a sponsorship page on JustGiving or download your SU sponsorship form.
Karaoke
Impress your friends with your singing ability – try out your favourite tunes. Pay per tune.
Knitting competition
How long is that scarf? Challenge your friends to a knit-off. You could sell or auction your work of art too.
L
Line dancing
Friends and family can have hours of fun with a line dancing event. You could even organise a line dance-athon. Charge a fee to take part.
Line of coins
A simple fundraiser that everyone can join in with – set yourselves a challenge to see how long you can make your coin collection before you donate it.
Litter picking
Get yourselves sponsored on a mass litter pick afternoon and look after the local environment too. Set up a sponsorship page for SU on JustGiving or download your sponsorship form.
Loud tie day
Look to make a difference amongst your friends: see who can wear the most outrageous tie. You could even design your own tie. Only those who have paid to display can take part.
M
Mile of coins
Set yourself the mile challenge – what is the longest distance you can reach with a line of coins? (Bronze, silver and gold categories.)
N
Nominate a teacher – to have their legs, beard or head shaved
Challenge a teacher/youth leader to have a shave or wax for a good cause. Remember that they should get sponsored for SU too, or charge people a fee to watch it happen.
Nearly new sale
Outgrown those jeans? Only worn something once? Why not sell or swap your unwanted things with your friends? Pay £2 for each item you take.
Name the teddy
Does your mascot need a name? Charge your mates to come up with the most interesting suggestion. You could raffle the teddy at the end too.
Netball tournament
Challenge your friends, teachers or church to a netball tournament. To add to the fun, why not play your matches in fancy dress too?
O
Obstacle course
Have fun with an obstacle course and get sponsored too. Set up a sponsorship page on JustGiving or download your SU sponsorship form.
Odd clothes day
Turn your non-uniform day into an odd clothes day by mixing up those socks and clash for cash.
Odd job day
Charge a fee for all those odd jobs around the house that need doing.
P
Penalty shoot-out
Show off your skills in a sponsored shoot-out as part of a football fundraiser.
Photo competitions
If you’re a budding photographer, hold a competition for interesting snaps. All entrants to pay a fee.
Pancake race
Hold your own pancake race – challenge your friends and family.
Pin the tail on the donkey
Challenge your friends to a pin the tail on the donkey. Remember to blindfold them – and no cheating! Pay to play.
Pantomime
Putting on a pantomime? Why not take a collection for us as people leave? Get in touch and we can send you collection tins and T-shirts.
Poetry reading
Organise a poetry recital and invite your friends and family. Why not hold a themed poetry event, or use poems from your favourite poet? Set yourself the challenge of reciting your poem from memory. £1 per line – the longer the poem the more you raise.
PTA coffee morning
Get the mums and dads to organise a coffee morning – and why not make it a Fairtrade event too? You could combine it with a ‘bring and buy’ sale.
Q
Quiet in the classroom – sponsored silence
Make your teacher or parents happy by remaining quiet for a few hours, or even a whole day, with this popular fundraising activity. Remember to get sponsored too! Set up a sponsorship page for SU on JustGiving or download your sponsorship form.
R
Raffles
Get friends and family or local businesses to donate prizes and raffle them off to raise funds. Great on its own but this also works well as an extra idea at any fundraising event.
Read-athon
How many books can you read over a short period of time? Get sponsored per page or, for fast readers, per book. Set up a sponsorship page for SU on JustGiving or download your sponsorship form.
Relays
Organise a sponsored relay race. Add a bit of variety into the race and create an obstacle relay. Set up a sponsorship page for SU on JustGiving or download your sponsorship form.
Rounders tournament
Challenge your friends and teachers to a fundraiser rounders match. Remember it is pay to
S
Samba or salsa dancing
Put on those dancing shoes and find a partner! Collect donations to take part.
Soak the teacher
See if you can convince your teachers or youth leaders to get in the stocks and get wet! Get people to pay per sponge.
Students vs staff tug of war
A fun way to compete with staff at school – challenge them to a tug of war. Each team pays a fee.
Stalls
Set up a variety of stalls, from plants or cakes to recycled goods, and create your own mini £1 bazaar.
Swim-athon
Swim the distance for SU. Get sponsored per length… or per mile! Set up a sponsorship page for SU on JustGiving or download your sponsorship form.
T
Talent contest
Hold a contest to showcase the talents of your friends and family! Organise a collection or charge at the door for entry.
24 hour fast
How long do you usually go without eating? Why not give up something you really enjoy for 24 hours? Set up a sponsorship page for SU on JustGiving or download your sponsorship form.
Tombola
Get friends and family to donate gifts and organise a tombola. Only numbers ending in 0 or 5 will win a prize! Like a raffle, adding a tombola to your fundraising event is a really easy way to make money for charity.
Treasure hunt
Create a treasure hunt and challenge your friends to find what you have hidden. Pay to play.
Three-legged race
Team up with a friend and challenge other pairs to a three-legged race. To make it more fun, why not do it in fancy dress too? Each team pays to play.
U
Uniform free day
Ditch the uniform for a fee.
Ugly face-pulling competition
A prize for the most outrageous face – make sure you get photographic evidence! Each entrant pays to play.
W
Walk for SU
Get active with your fundraising and organise a sponsored walk. Set up a sponsorship page for SU on JustGiving or download your sponsorship form.
Welly throwing competition
Put your shot put skills to the test and see how far those wellies will go.
Word search
Create a themed word search and challenge your friends and family. Remember to charge a fee.
Y
Yo-yo competition
Have you got a talent for yo-yoing? Then put your skill to good use and get sponsored for SU.
Yodelling competition
If yodelling is your thing, then either get friends to pay you not to do it, or get sponsored instead!
Z
Zany clothes day
Instead of a dress down day, dress up! Charge a fee and wear a zany costume that will brighten up everyone’s day!