One of the most challenging aspects of fundraising is coming up with an idea that gets people excited willing to attend, and ready to spend money. To do this, you need to think outside the box and create an event that gives attendees an experience in return for their donation. While you may think you need numerous resources to do this, the reality is that you can host a successful charity fundraiser no matter what your budget is or how big your staff may be.
With a touch of creativity and a lot of organization skills, you can host a memorable experience for your participants and a financially successful event for your fundraising efforts. From working with charity auction companies on big silent auctions to hosting your own bake-off, read on for five unique and fun charity fundraising ideas to try today.
1. Silent Auction
Undoubtedly one of the most effective fundraising events, a silent auction can be extremely powerful when it comes to raising money. People enjoy silent auctions because they are giving to charity while still getting something for their contribution. It’s a Win-win. Plus, a silent auction can be seamlessly combined with other activities to produce a profoundly engaging event. However, it can also be a lot of work to pull off, which is why it is highly recommended that you work with a charity auction company that can help guide you every step of the way.
In a silent auction, attendees browse the items or silent auction experiences you have on display and place bids on what they want. Generally, this is either done through writing on paper bid sheets or mobile bidding software. Then, once the silent auction is complete (usually a two- to three-hour bidding period), the highest bidder wins that item, and the donation is processed.
When organizing your auction, you want to aim to have one item per two bidders. Some of the most popular silent auction items include food and drink packages, sports and fitness auction items, travel and outdoor packages, and themed gift baskets. It’s important to know your audience going into a silent auction. You need to know what your attendees are interested in and how much money they’re willing to spend. Putting in the work beforehand will help create a smooth and successful auction at the event.
2. Baking Competition
Thanks to the popularity of the TV show The Great British Bake Off, more and more people around the world are looking to improve their baking skills. Therefore, hosing a baking competition is a fantastic way of blending charity and culture. You might as well take advantage of all the excitement and interest surrounding it!
To organize it, encourage people to enter their baked goods in different categories.
You can raise money by charging an entry fee to the public, who will then get a certain number of tokens to sample the cakes and a voting sheet. Attendees can try any cakes that they want (per the number of tokens) and then vote for their favorites. Whichever cake has the most votes will then win a trophy. Consider also selling the cakes that win to raise extra funds.
3. Pantomime
Pantomimes are the epitome of a fun time and a great way to involve the whole community in your fundraiser. As it is a type of musical comedy that is designed for family entertainment, this is a perfect production to put on around the holidays. Recruit the cast from local, amateur actors and reach out to members of the community to help build the set.
Often, pantomimes are able to get a corporate sponsor who can assist with paying for a performance space, in addition to advertising. You can raise money for charity through ticket and program sales, refreshments, and snacks. If you have local celebrities involved in the production, you can also incorporate a raffle to meet them or to have a role in the pantomime.
4. 5K Race
A 5K race is an ideal way to raise funds because it is sure to be a success. The whole family can enjoy this event and feel good about the money they are helping to raise. What is more, they are also one of the easiest fundraisers to organize because all participants need to do is to pay the registration fee and then bring their best pair of running shoes.
Aim to work with local companies who can help to make your 5K event a reality. In return for sponsorship, you can feature their firm’s name on the race-day T-shirts, because everyone loves free t-shirts, or by presenting their products or gift vouchers to participants. Also, consider hosting a shoe drive as part of the race. You can offer a discount for race registration to individuals who commit to bringing a pair of their old sneakers.
5. Game Night
If you are interested in hosting a game night, you have plenty of options to choose from. Some of the most popular ideas are a poker night, a board game tournament, or a video game tournament. All of these are great ways to organize a fun event while raising money for a good cause. Games are a great way of bringing people together for some spirited competition and camaraderie. Whichever game night option you choose, have people pay to enter the competition and then have prizes for the winners.
Have you ever hosted a charity fundraiser before? What ideas do you have? Let us know in the comments below!
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