10 unique fundraising ideas you'll love

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.

In a hurry?

Click on the idea that interests you the most:

1. TURN YOUR TRASH INTO CASH, ONLINE
2. KONMARI YOUR WAY TO FUNDRAISING SUCCESS
3. SACRIFICE YOUR SPENDING AND TEST YOUR RESOLVE
4. HOST A NEIGHBOURHOOD STREET PARTY
5. HOST A PHYSICAL CHALLENGE EVENT IN THE OUTDOORS
6. GET THE CREATIVE TYPES INVOLVED BY GETTING CRAFTY
7. ORGANISE A COMMUNITY ART PROJECT
8. ORGANISE A SPORTS TEAM DRESS-UP DAY
9. RUN A SPECIAL CLASS AT YOUR LOCAL FITNESS CENTRE
10. ASK FOR THE GIFT OF DONATION

1. Turn your trash into cash, online

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.

Good home wanted for pre-loved clothes

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:

Not only will you get more room in your walk-in, someone else will gain a stylish new outfit, and more importantly, someone might get their sight back because of the money you’ll raise.

Trinkets, treasures and tools galore

Do you have stacks of books, knick-knacks, costume jewellery or kitchenware that never get used?

We’ve all received a Christmas present that hasn’t seen the light of day, or gone through a hobby phase that has dwindled to a stop.

Instead of letting these things gather dust in your garage, you can sell them on sites like:

Source: Sarah Brown | Unsplash

2. KonMari your way to fundraising success

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:

Clothing (including shoes and accessories)
Paper (any loose paper accumulated over the years)
Books (novels, kids’ storybooks, recipe books, encyclopedia collections, textbooks)
Sentimental items (Photos, greeting cards, clothing you’re nostalgically hanging on it)
Komono (anything that doesn’t fit into any of the other categories)

You can knock out a few categories on weeknights and do the rest over the weekend. Or you can take your time and do one category each weekend over five weeks; it all depends on how much stuff you own!

The KonMari method involves giving some serious thought to whether the things you own are of use or value to you, and whether they spark joy.

What will you do with all the items that don’t spark joy, you ask? We suggest having a garage sale.

The great thing about a garage sale is the number of people you’ll get to chat to. You can tell them about the worthy cause you’re raising money for – this might stop people from haggling to bring the price down. They might even give a little extra if they think your wares are worth more!

This method of decluttering will make a difference in the lives of those who’d otherwise lose their sight needlessly. Just think of the joy being able to see clearly will spark!

Not sure how to get started hosting a garage sale?

You can get lots of tips and advice on the Garage Sale Trail website. The Garage Sale Trail is a green initiative that encourages Australians to resell their items rather than sending it to landfill. Their motto is: choose to reuse.

The Garage Sale Trail is now an annual event that happens right across Australia over two days. Find out when the next event is and register to take part.

Source: The Garage Sale Trail

3. Sacrifice your spending and test your resolve

Challenge yourself to go without something for a month and donate the money you’ll save to charity.

You can tell your friends and family about the sacrifice you’re making and encourage everyone to match your donation!

To do this, either have a jar sitting at your desk, or better yet, set up a your personal fundraising page to track your fundraising goals.

Here’s a list of things you can give up in order to raise money for a worthy cause:

coffee
chocolate
cigarettes
alcohol
meat
buying
lunch
daily takeaway dinners
eating out every weekend
expensive sport or hobby
make-up

After the month is over and you’ve made your donation, firstly, pat yourself on the back for your superb generosity of spirit. And secondly, give yourself another pat on the back for your strong resolve.

Thirdly, you now know that you have what it takes to conquer the cravings!

Think of all the savings you’ll make, should you choose to make this a lifestyle change. Did someone say an end-of-year overseas holiday?

4. Host a neighbourhood street party

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:

Taste – some good vegetarian options (and there’s plenty for meat lovers too)
Kidspot Kitchen – bright and colourful creations that kids will love
Vegan Heaven – as the name suggests, lots of heavenly vegan recipes
Healthy Nibbles and Bites – both sweet and savoury gluten-free recipes
Good Food – includes the difficulty level and prep time for each recipe
Australia’s Best Recipes – great variety, including salads, slices, pasta and party pies

You’ll definitely find a few gems in there that will make your street party fundraiser a super hit.

Consider hosting your party in a local park

Remember, if you can’t get your local council to close off your street for the duration of your party, you can host it in a local park.

Ask the council to provide extra bins and mow the lawn in your local park before your fundraising event.

You can also borrow seating from your local church, school or community leisure centre. Remind everyone to clean up after themselves and organise volunteers ready to help tidy up beforehand.

Need help organising your fundraising budget?

DOWNLOAD OUR FUNDRAISING EVENT BUDGET TEMPLATE

5. Host a physical challenge event in the outdoors

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:

Hiking – there’s lots of great national parks to explore in Australia or 18 amazing short walks to consider
Trail running – here’s a list of some of Australia’s best running trails
Kayaking – 10 great kayaking day trips listed by Australian Geographic
Ocean swimming – here’s a list of 10 of the best swimming beaches Australia-wide, or you could enter an ocean swimming event.
Bouldering and rock climbing – visit this popular rock climbing website for climbing location ideas

Ask your friends to share the page on their social media platforms and encourage their friends to join the fundraiser. The more the merrier (and the more money you’ll raise)!

We also have a series of fitness-based events you can get involved in – check them out!

Give a shoutout on social media

Give a shoutout on social media to people when they give you their entry fee/donation. Not only will the donors feel great seeing their name up in lights, but this will also help to recruit more entrants as those who haven’t ‘entered’ yet.

Coastrek 2015

6. Get the creative types involved by getting crafty

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:

If you have lots of leftover supplies, you can share these with your friends and charge them a ‘fee’ for the lesson that you can add to your fundraising total.
If you already have a circle of friends that are into the same craft as you and have their own supplies, you can charge them an ‘entry fee’ and donate that!

If you’re not into any particular craft but have always wanted to learn a new skill, such as origami, crocheting, paper flower making, embroidery or calligraphy, there are loads of free, cheap or mid-range workshops you can take part in.

Check out these craft workshops happening around the major cities:

Invite your friends along and at the end of the workshop, get everyone to vote for their favourite creation with a donation amount.

7. Organise a community art project

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.

Remember to contact your local council

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.

How to raise funds by creating community art

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.

8. Organise a sports team dress-up day

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.

Magic mile charity ramp run | Photographer: Fanny Lee, The Fred Hollows Foundation

9. Run a special class at your local fitness centre

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?

The inaugural Bowling for Fred Barefoot Bowls Challenge at Merthyr Bowls Club | Photo: Sue Larson, The Fred Hollows Foundation (2004)

10. Ask for the gift of donation

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.

Ready to get fundraising?

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.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1800 672 892

Want more fundraising ideas? Check out these:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Latika Mani - The Fred Hollows Foundation

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!