HOME > BLOG 15 OCT 2019 By Latika Mani, The Fred Hollows Foundation
Are you thinking of hosting a fundraising event but don’t want to ask for money outright? Or maybe you’ve exhausted the usual fundraising options and are looking for new and exciting ideas that are a little outside the box? We put our thinking caps on and came up with 10 fresh fundraising ideas that you’re going to love. We’ve identified a great mix of unique fundraising activities that you can use to raise money for a worthy cause. If you can, try to get your friends, family, co-workers, or even your neighbours involved to lighten the load and make sure your event achieves everything it sets out to! *COVER PHOTO: One of our first supporters, John Stewart, pictured fundraising for The Fred Hollows Foundation in September 1992.
Click on the idea that interests you the most:
One person’s trash being another person’s treasure couldn’t ring truer in the current climate of conscious consumerism. They aren’t kind to our environment, and they don’t do our wallets any favours in the long run either. As well as looking for more sustainable ways to live, people are turning to op-shops and online outlets to score a bargain on good quality pre-used items.
Are you a fashion fiend who has to clear their closet for the new season’s must-have dress, blouse or pantsuit every few months? Maybe you’re a capsule closet devotee who’s ready to part with a jacket that’s done its duty? Or is there something in your wardrobe that you’ve never worn but are just too much of a closet hoarder to get rid of? Whatever the case may be, it’s time to say goodbye to your pre-loved clothing and sell them on sites like:
You can contribute to The Fred Hollows Foundation in a variety of ways, not only through incredibly generous donations.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of clutter in your life? Are you thinking of embracing a minimalist way of life? Then you’ll love Marie Kondo – she is a Japanese organising consultant and bestselling author with her own Netflix show where she helps people tidy their homes. Marie has gained popularity for creating the KonMari method of organising a home by simplifying the process. So, rather than room by room, you clean by category:
Who doesn’t love a reason to party? There’s good food, great company and gorgeous weather! Having a street party in your local area would be the perfect way to involve the entire neighbourhood in your fundraiser. The best way to cater for this party is to get everyone to bring a plate or two – one sweet and one savoury. Be sure to include a few vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. You can set all the food out on a table, with a label describing the dish, including allergy warnings, such as: contains dairy, eggs, nuts, meat, soy, etc. Make sure you charge a door fee. You can ask for an exact amount or you can leave it open-ended so people have the option to give whatever amount they’re able to. If your neighbour can’t attend, ask them to donate on your fundraising page instead of attending! You could also place donation jars next to each dish and get people to vote for their favourite dish with their dollar. The winner will get bragging rights and this could encourage everyone to level up their cooking game the next time you host a street party fundraiser! Check out some of these recipe websites for 'bring-a-plate' recipe ideas that you can share with your neighbours:
People love to get outdoors on the weekend and stretch their legs. Why not combine your weekend activities with fundraising by hosting an outdoors event? Your event doesn't have to be a race, nor does it need to be overly "coordinated". Simply organise a trip outdoors and charge your friends an ‘entry fee’ that you can donate to your fundraising page. Here’s a list of outdoor activities to get you started:
We can provide you with a 'Letter of Authority' to fundraise for The Fred Hollows Foundation, just get in touch with us! Download our 2018 Annual Report for loads of key facts about our work that you can share to demonstrate our impact and legitimacy.
Are you a bit of a craft fiend? Do you enjoy knitting, woodworking, jewellery-making or pottery? This is your opportunity to share skills with your friends and host a ‘crafts in the park’ session. There’s something very soothing about sitting down with a circle of friends, getting tactile and creating something fun. There are two ways to go about it:
Imagine the effect of a collaborative community art project, creating an art installation or a giant mural. People from all walks of life can get involved in this – families with kids, young people, local leaders, and community elders. Contact your local school’s art teachers for creative ideas and assistance. They might even have budding art students in their classes who’d love the opportunity to flex their paintbrush-wielding skills.
Be sure to talk to your local council before getting started, as most councils run projects to help curb graffiti by encouraging young people to take part in legal aerosol mural creations.
Once your local council has approved a public area to dedicate to an art project, you can divide the space into different sections. Get everyone to form teams, whether it’s with their friends, family, co-workers, schools, sports clubs, etc. Each team can pitch an idea and the ones that get the most votes can paint a section each. Once the mural is completed, have the entire community vote for their favourite section. Everytime your community walks or drives past the mural, they’ll be reminded of the money they helped raise, potentially improving someone’s quality of life and making memories in the process.
Do you live in a town or suburb that is a little sports crazy? Maybe it’s cricket, footy, rugby or soccer that everyone supports? Or maybe they all rally behind netball, hockey, basketball or baseball? Whichever sports will bring the punters out in droves is the one you should be focusing your time and energy on. Not sure which teams to contact? Look through your local council’s sporting clubs directory on their website to get started. Once you’ve found the sport that’s popular in your area, ask your local teams to participate. You could ask them to help you raise money for charity by taking part in a dress-up day and competing against each other in their respective code, while dressed in a funny costume. They can be as silly as they like and dress up as clowns, ballet dancers, mime artists or even as storybook or movie characters, such as characters from Harry Potter or Peter Pan, or any of the Roald Dahl or Dr. Seuss books. You can charge an entrance fee and let everyone attending know that the proceeds will go towards a worthy cause. To raise even more funds, run a raffle and give out lucky door prizes. You can also have a bake sale or a sausage sizzle to boost your earnings.
Do you take part regularly in fitness classes? Yoga, gym and swim squad sessions can be a great opportunity to raise funds for your favourite charity. Connect with the class trainer or instructor to see whether they’d be willing to run a special class that is dedicated to your fundraiser, where a percentage of the class fees are donated to your cause. This will be great exposure for the business, and it will also be great for you – no need to spend money hiring equipment or renting studio space. Plus, you won’t have to break a sweat looking for donors – the fitness centre’s regular customers will most likely be happy to take part in a fundraising activity (while staying active!). Not sure which class to choose? How about something fun like goat yoga, aerial fitness or zumba?
Do you have a big birthday bash coming up? Is it a major milestone? Are you expecting loads of presents? Maybe drop hints to your friends and family that a donation to your fundraising page would be better than a standard gift voucher that’s probably going to sit in your wallet until it eventually expires. When sending out the birthday invites, you can make this request, or you can make a speech at your birthday party to tell everyone why you believe in this cause so strongly. You could also do a shout-out to everyone who donated and thank them for making your birthday extra special. Give them an extra piece of cake as the icing on top! If you’re getting married, celebrating your anniversary or getting engaged then instead of setting up a gift registry, why not set up a fundraising page? Christmas is also a good time of the year to forgo a present. In the true spirit of the season, ask your family to donate to a not-for-profit organisation instead.
Set up your fundraising page and share the link with all your friends and family. Be sure to share it on social media and encourage people to share with their network as well. Feel free to contact us with any questions.
Latika is a passionate digital content writer for The Fred Hollows Foundation with over 15 years of professional writing and message amplification experience. With a penchant for making lists, Latika loves sharing ideas and step-by-step guides to help readers get organised and geared for their own fundraising success – especially if it's baking-related!
Watch this video to learn more about The Fred Hollows Foundation and check out our YouTube channel for more.
