101 Fundraising Ideas to Raise Money for Charity
You want to raise money to help people in need, but you’re having trouble doing so in a way that suits the amount of time you have, your budget and your people. Our guide will help you find the right fundraising ideas for your specific situation.
Whether you’re planning a quick weekend event with friends, organising a challenge at work, or kicking off a months-long campaign, there’s something here for everyone. Explore our list to get inspired and start making a real difference today.
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Getting started: Match your idea to your time, budget, group size, and audience, then set up a free JustGiving page, set a target, share it, and encourage your eligible supporters to add Gift Aid for a 25% boost.
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Solo challenges: Walks, runs, hikes, skydiving, head shaves, giving something up, or app-tracked fitness goals. Personal efforts that inspire sponsorship.
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Group and workplace events: Bake sales, quiz nights, coffee mornings, raffles, gaming tournaments, dress-down days, and team challenges, often boosted by employer-matched giving.
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Low-cost, online and seasonal ideas: Declutter sales, sponsored silence/reads, online auctions, livestreams, birthdays, school/community events, and seasonal tie-ins like Christmas.
How to choose the right fundraising idea
Choosing the best way to raise money for charity doesn’t need to feel complicated. Picking the perfect activity comes down to what works best for you and your supporters. Thinking about a few key details early on will help you narrow down your options and make the planning process much easier for you. Whether you want to run a quick solo challenge or organise a major group event, it’s important to consider the following before making a decision:
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Time: Decide how much time you can give, from a quick afternoon activity to one that takes weeks to plan.
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Budget: Pick an idea with low upfront costs if you want to start raising cash straight away.
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Group size: Choose whether you’re going solo, teaming up with a few friends, or involving your whole community.
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Audience: Think about who will be supporting you and what kind of event they’d love to join.
Sponsored challenges and events
Sponsored challenges and events are both creative fundraising ideas. When you’re taking on a tough goal, supporters will become inspired by your story and rally to support you to reach your fundraising goal. From local fun runs to epic skydiving, setting a target gives people a clear reason to give.
Exercising for a good cause
Taking on a difficult physical challenge like walking 100 km, hiking up a mountain or running 50 km can help inspire people to support your cause. Pick a distance that balances your fitness level and the need for a challenge. Check out our favourite charity walking challenges to find your next adventure today.
Skydive or abseil
Abseiling and skydiving are both fun and brave activities that are great for encouraging people to donate to your cause.
Supporters love backing a challenge that pushes you out of your comfort zone. Your story gets people talking, and every sponsor helps the cause you’re raising money for.
Head shave or leg wax
Brave the razor or wax strips for a visible personal challenge! Shaving your head or waxing your legs costs nothing to run, making it a brilliant no-cost idea. It’s easy to share online, and friends may want to donate, just to see your bold new look.
Giving something up
People generally respect and can relate to sacrificing something, whether that be alcohol, sugar, or social media. Cutting out one of your favourite treats is a great personal challenge, one that friends, family and supporters consider donation worthy. It’s also a super simple, low-cost fundraising idea.
Fitness challenge with an app
A fitness challenge is both a great fundraising idea and a way to do something positive for yourself. You get fitter, and every donation from your supporters helps a cause you care about. Set yourself a step or distance target and track your progress with a connected fitness app. Sync your app to your JustGiving page so friends and family can watch your total grow as you walk, run, or cycle. It’s a brilliant way to stay motivated and raise money.
Events you can host
Hosting events to raise money for charity is brilliant, but they can do even more than that. They can help to build and maintain a community spirit by bringing people together and encouraging them to support each other, as well as donate to your chosen cause.
Bake sale
Bake up some delicious treats to raise money for a cause you love! Set up a stall at work, at school, or in your local community. Read our complete bake sale guide for quick tips on baking, pricing, and running a successful event.
Quiz night
Gather your friends for a fun quiz night down the pub or online. Charge an entry fee per team, then split everyone into tables and let the friendly competition begin. It’s an easy, budget-friendly way to bring people together and raise money for charity.
Coffee morning
A coffee morning is one of the easiest ways to bring people together while raising money for a good cause. Add a donation bucket or fundraising page, and your morning catch-up can quickly become a brilliant fundraiser.
Raffle or auction
Ask local businesses to donate prizes, from gift vouchers to pamper hampers. Sell raffle tickets on the day, or auction the bigger prizes to the highest bidder. Take ticket money and bids in person, and share your JustGiving page for anyone who wants to donate on top. It gets your whole community involved.
Games or gaming tournament
Host a retro board game night or live-stream a video game tournament to raise cash! Charge an entry fee or ask viewers to donate during your stream. It’s a fun, simple way to bring gamers together and support a cause you love.
Online and virtual fundraising ideas
Raising money online is one of the easiest, most affordable creative fundraising ideas. You can set up your event from home with zero upfront costs and reach supporters anywhere in the world. From live-streamed gaming to virtual quizzes, online ideas are quick to share on social media and simple for friends to donate in seconds.
Birthday or celebration fundraiser
Turn your next big milestone into a moment that matters. Ask friends and family to make a donation to your favourite cause instead of buying birthday or celebration gifts. It’s a simple, meaningful way to celebrate while making a real difference.
Livestream or virtual gathering
You can also use technology such as livestreaming to raise money for charity. This can help to build a community across the world, breaking down logistical barriers in an effort to put on a fun and memorable event for a good cause. Hosting an online talent show, or a virtual workout, or a livestreamed gaming session are both great examples of this. They’re both low-cost, fun ways to bring people together over the internet.
Workplace fundraising ideas
Bringing your team together for a charity cause can be a brilliant way to bring colleagues together in the office. Whether you’re running an office bake-off, hosting a quiz, or wearing casual clothes for the day, workplace events are a great way to raise money for charity. Don’t forget to ask your employer about matched giving, as many companies will double the funds you raise.
Online auction or sale
Turn things you no longer need into donations for a cause you care about by selling unwanted items or promises online. Set up an online sale or auction, invite friends to bid, and collect payments directly. It’s an easy, low-cost way to turn pre-loved goods into extra cash for charity.
Dress-down or themed day
Ditch the usual uniform or suit for a dress-down or themed day! Pick a fun theme, wear your favourite bright clothes, and ask everyone to make a small donation to take part. It’s a simple, low-effort way to raise money at school or work.
Bake-off or cook-off
Channel your inner star baker with an office bake-off or cook-off! Colleagues pay a small entry fee to bring in their favourite signature dish, then everyone tastes and votes for the winner. It’s a delicious, simple way to raise money together.
Team challenge
Rally your colleagues behind one shared challenge. Pick a goal everyone can work towards, like a set number of steps, miles or books between you. Join your pages together on a team page and watch one total grow. It gets the whole office pulling together for a cause you care about.
Easy, no-cost fundraising ideas
You don’t need a big budget or lots of time to make a massive difference for a cause you love. There are plenty of fun, easy fundraising ideas that you don’t need to spend money on. From giving up a favourite treat to sharing a challenge online, getting started is quick and simple.
Declutter sale
Clear out your home and turn unwanted items into funds for charity. Gather up books, clothes, or household goods you’ve outgrown and host a car boot sale. It’s a simple, low-cost way to declutter your space while raising money.
Sponsored silence or read
Take on a sponsored silence or sponsored read to raise cash without spending a penny! Whether you keep quiet for a day or dive into your favourite books, asking friends for sponsorship is a fun, no-cost way to make a big difference.
Fundraising ideas for schools, kids and communities
Fundraising is even better when you do it together. Whether it’s your school, neighbourhood or local club, bringing people together can turn a simple idea into something special.
Everyone can get involved in their own way, whether that’s baking, organising, promoting or cheering people on. Kids can lead the fun while a parent, teacher or club leader sets up and runs the JustGiving page. However small their part, they’ll know they helped.
Whether you’re planning to do some school fundraising through a non-uniform day, a playground challenge, or a neighbourhood fete, there are many fun fundraising ideas for kids.
Seasonal fundraising ideas
Different times of year bring brilliant new chances to get creative with your fundraising, together with the people who champion you. From sunny summer fetes to scary Halloween treats, leaning into the calendar gives your community a fun, timely reason to rally round your cause.
Christmas is one of the biggest fundraising seasons of the year, when generosity peaks and everyone’s feeling festive. It’s the perfect moment to bring your supporters together and celebrate what you’ve achieved. Our complete Christmas fundraising ideas guide is full of ways to boost your donations this winter, with your community cheering you on.
How to start your fundraising
Ready to turn your inspiration into action? Starting your fundraising journey with JustGiving is fast, simple, and completely free. Follow these straightforward steps to set up your event, inspire your supporters, and start bringing in donations today.
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Pick your cause and idea: Choose a charity close to your heart and think of a challenge or event you’ll enjoy taking on.
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Set up your free page: Create your JustGiving page in minutes, add a personal photo, and tell people why you’re fundraising.
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Set a clear target: Give your supporters a number to aim for and watch your momentum build.
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Share your page: Send your page link to family and friends on WhatsApp, social media, and email to get your first donations rolling in.
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Encourage Gift Aid: It boosts eligible donations by 25% for UK taxpayers, at no extra cost to them.
Now you have lots of good fundraising ideas; it’s time to start a fundraising page of your own.
Fundraising ideas: your questions answered
Raising money for charity is a brilliant way to build bonds with one group of people to help another group of people. But as great as it is, you may still have some questions about how best to go about doing it. We’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions below to help you.
What is the most successful fundraising idea?
It depends on how you define success. It may sometimes be just the amount of money raised, but other times it may also be other things like:
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How much fun the supporters had
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The ease of the donation process
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The effect it had on the community
How can I raise money quickly for charity?
It depends on your circumstances. For example, if you don’t have a large social following, social media may not necessarily be the best initial idea. But if you’re part of a community, such as a run club, PTA, or book club, you may be able to raise money faster with their support than immediately going online.
What are good fundraising ideas with no money to start?
There are lots of good fundraising ideas that don’t need any money. The best ones depend on who you are. For example, if you’re a teacher trying to raise money within the school community, a non-uniform day is an easy way to raise money for charity. Or if you have supportive colleagues who love quizzes, you could set up a sponsored quiz at work.
What is the easiest way to fundraise?
There isn’t an objective, easiest way to fundraise, as it all depends on what you find easy. For example, if you’re tech savvy, livestreaming a sponsored gaming marathon might be something you could easily do. However, if you’re less tech-savvy but into fitness, then a sponsored run may be more suitable for you.
How do I start fundraising for a charity?
You can start by choosing your preferred charity and setting up your free JustGiving page so that people can easily donate to them. Add a target to motivate donors and encourage your eligible supporters to add Gift Aid. Then share your page link with friends and family to kickstart donations.
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