Step 'n Stride Fundraising Tools for Individuals & at the Workplace
INDIVIDUAL FUNDRAISING IDEAS:
Company Matching How it raises money:
Matching donations Cost: Free Difficulty: Easy
Did you know that many employers will match charitable donations? Ask your company to match your fundraising dollars and double the amount of money you raise!
Social Media Blitz How it raises money:
General Donations Cost: Free Difficulty: Easy
Reach out to your social media followers and ask them for donations. You would be surprised who comes forward to support you!
Give it Up Fundraiser How it raises money:
General Donations Cost: Free Difficulty: Easy
In the ‘Give it Up’ fundraiser, participants agree to give up an indulgence for a certain amount of time and put the money towards your fundraising. Have your friends and family give up smoking, coffee, alcohol, buying meals, etc. and have them give the money they would have spent on these things to you as a donation instead.
Garage Sale How it raises money:
Proceeds from sales Cost: Free Difficulty: Easy
Clean out your house and host a garage sale in your community. Put up posters before the event to make sure everyone knows when and where the event is taking place
Exercise Classes How it raises money:
Entry Fee Cost: Free Difficulty: Easy
Approach a local gym or fitness studio to donate a class for charity. This could be yoga, spin, Pilates, aerobics class or any other kind of class and advertise that all proceeds will be going to the walk. Reach out to your networks and encourage them to attend.
Dog Walking How it raises money:
General donations Cost: Free Difficulty: Easy
Advertise your dog walking services in your community. Offer to walk dogs or do pet visits for your neighbours in exchange for a donation.
AT THE WORKPLACE – FUNDRAISING IDEAS:
Coffee Donation How it raises money:
General Donations Cost: Free Difficulty: Easy
Contact your local coffee shop and ask them to make a coffee donation for your fundraising campaign. Arrange a day with them in advance and advertise to your colleagues to buy their morning coffee from you rather than on the way to work. Asking for a donation rather than a set amount encourages people to give more!
Snack Cart How it raises money:
Profits from snack sales Cost: Medium Difficulty: Easy
Organize a snack cart in your workplace and visit your colleagues office to office every day for a week to sell them as an afternoon treat. Costco is a great place to get large packages of chips, granola bars, candy, chocolate etc. Include some fruit and veggies too!
Thermometer Fundraising How it raises money:
General Donations Cost: Low – Medium Difficulty: Easy
Let your colleagues know how you’re doing by putting up a large thermometer in your office. Having a visual representation encourages your colleagues to donate and help you hit your fundraising goal. Have milestones along the way with tasks that you complete (ie. when you raise $100, you will clean out the office fridge, or when you raise $500 you will organize someone’s office). Getting creative lets your donors have fun too!
Baby Photo Contest How it raises money:
Entry Fee Cost: Free Difficulty: Easy
Have your coworkers bring in baby photos of themselves and pin them up in your staff room or meeting room. Charge an entry fee for your coworkers to guess who is who. The person with the most correct answers wins a prize.
Lunch and Learn How it raises money:
Entry Fee Cost: Low Difficulty: Easy
Find out what your coworkers are experts in (knitting, Excel, history, makeup, etc.) and host weekly lunch and learns where others in your office can buy tickets and get an hour long class in different topics. Approach local businesses about getting the lunch donated.
The Great Office Bake-off How it raises money:
Proceeds from sales Cost: Low Difficulty: Easy
Send out an office-wide email calling for all bakers to enter the bake-off challenge and have each entrant bake a treat. Advertise it to all colleagues and have them attend, charging a dollar for each treat they would like to try. Have them rate each treat on a scale of 1-10 then choose a winner!
Packed Lunch Day How it raises money:
General donations Cost: Free Difficulty: Easy
Encourage your coworkers to make their own lunches at home for a day and bring a packed lunch. Ask them to donate what they would have paid for lunch to the walk instead.
Email Signatures How it raises money:
General donations Cost: Free Difficulty: Easy
Register online for the walk and include the link in your email signatures. It is a good way to remind your colleagues why you are fundraising. You may also get donations from some generous external contacts!
