5 fun and unique charity fundraising ideas

 

When it comes time for your nonprofit to do some fundraising with a P2P event, it can be easy to feel stuck in an idea rut. While there’s nothing wrong with the usual standbys of selling chocolates or running team marathons, sometimes you want to just break out of the box and hold a really unique and awesome fundraiser that people will be extra excited about. 

We’ve got you covered with the following five fundraising event ideas for a truly different sort of charity fundraiser (with emphasis on the fun):

Brown Bag It

This is a fundraising idea that’s been gaining momentum, particularly since it’s easy to do, you can hold one any time of year, and it’s great for charities that focus on food donations. You simply put out the call for participants to forego their usual lunch (or morning latte) and donate the money they’d typically spend. You can even put together a project fundraising webpage so both your team and your donors can see just how much progress can be made in a single day!

Go to the Dogs

Here’s an interesting concept from Eventbrite: Make a dog show into a fundraising effort. For the cost of a donation, dog owners can enter prime pooches into the competition for a chance to win, and your team can have fun choosing some silly categories. (Eventbrite also recommends encouraging owner to get in on the fun by dressing up in costume with their dogs!) Plus, this environment is perfect for a charity raffle, and the addition of furry friends makes it irresistible to animal-loving donors.

Ultimate Dance-a-Thon

While there are plenty of bike rides and cyclethons out there - remember that cycling P2P events are super successful! - why not kick it up a notch with the fun of a dance-a-thon? Participants can raise money either through print forms or online mobile donations, and then get ready to dance for as long as they can manage. This is a fantastic example of a really fun community event that people of all ages can sign up for.

Game On

Video games remain an ultra-popular pastime, and they’re a great way to get people to raise money while also indulging in their favorite hobby. All you need to do is get a bunch of consoles together – even older systems like Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo can be a real blast of nostalgia – and have a video game tournament, with entry by donation to your charity. Whether you want to make it a 24-hour marathon or a head-to-head competition is up to you!

The Great Charity Bake-off

With the popularity of the TV show riding high, take a hint from #GBBO and put a twist on the bake sale – make it a baking competition instead. Donations can be raised through entrant fee or to be taste-testing judges, and competitors will need to make signature, technical, or show-stopping desserts to wow the crowd. You don’t even need to have access to an event kitchen – simply request that those participating bake their goods at home, and then bring them to the chosen location for judging. This is another event where a charity raffle would fit in wonderfully to help raise some extra money - or you could even sell the bake-off's results.

Sometimes all it takes is a crazy or unusual idea for a charity event to get people talking, especially during a busy fundraising season. No matter what your budget or venue may be, the right event for your charity is out there – and with a little creativity, you can come up with something that’s both memorable for your participants and beneficial for your nonprofit’s charity fundraising.

Prepping for a big P2P event? Check out our ultimate fundraising checklist to keep you on track!

 

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