Skip to main content

11 Unique Fundraising Ideas

If you’re sick of bake sales, check out our guide to some of the most unique fundraising ideas to help you raise even more for your event!

Stuck for fundraising ideas? Never fear! We’ve locked all of our fundraising experts in a room at Give as you Live HQ and told them they can’t come out until they come up with some totally unique ideas to help you out! Read on for their best efforts…

  • Treasure Hunt

Drag your fundraising efforts into the 21st Century with a combination of real-life experience and augmented reality. Don’t worry – it’s really easy, thanks to handy apps like ‘Actionbound’ or ‘GooseChase’. Simply set up and have some fun while the donations roll in.

  • Big Night in

Whether you host a film night for the office or swap your Saturday night out for a comfy dress code and games night, this is the easiest idea to execute with your closest friends and family. They’ll want to support you, so don’t feel cheeky by charging them what you’d normally spend on a night out or cinema trip!

  • Silent Disco

With this fundraising idea, you’ll only need to supply the party-goers with headphones and a good playlist, as opposed to hiring out a DJ for the night. Even better – you could do it in the office at lunchtime!

  • Jumble Sale

A simple jumble sale can be just as effective as any other form of fundraising. Get your friends/family/neighbours to donate any unwanted items to your sale with all proceeds going to your charity. No need to stand out in the rain either – take it digital by using free selling sites like Vinted! Just make sure you add that the listing is for charity to the description to justify your price.

  • 5k race

A classic fundraising idea that never fails to deliver. However, make yours stand out - this could be by holding it in a strange location, or make it a rule that you need to wear a funny costume.

  • Poker Tournament

Obviously, the proceeds all go to charity, but the winner could get a special prize just to make it that bit more competitive. Why not write to local businesses in your area to ask them to donate a prize in exchange for being featured in your advertising?

  • Bowling

This is one you can’t go wrong with as most people enjoy bowling, and because it can’t be rained off! Reach out to your local alley for a discounted rate, and then charge your participants more directly. You could also hold raffles, and other paid competitions on the night to boost your total.

  • Dare Fundraising

With this idea, participants agree to do peculiar things as long as sponsors contribute a certain amount of funds. If you’ve got some friends who are up for anything, this could be perfect!

  • Baby Photo Contest

A great one for the office: have participants email you their photos of them as babies, and then let the office vote on certain categories. For example, ‘chubbiest’, ‘cutest’, or ‘most improved’. Charge a small entry fee for individual contests and donate proceeds to your charity. 

Bonus fundraising idea ...

  • Shared Photos

For any of the above events, you can use this idea to raise that bit extra. Take lots of photos of the event, upload them with a watermark and charge a small fee for anyone who wants to buy them for themselves!


Offers, donation rates and participating stores are correct at the time of writing and are subject to change. Please visit the Give as you Live Online website for the most up to date information.

Share post:

You may also be interested in...

Ready to get started?

Start shopping today - just choose a charity, enter a few details and you can be raising in minutes.