Fundraising ideas

We've got lots of fundraising ideas to help you raise funds and sponsorship, and it doesn't always mean putting your hand in your pocket. We've come up with some alternative ideas, many of which cost very little to get started and some that won't even cost you a penny but can still be great fun.

We hope our fundraising ideas inspire you but our first fundraising tip is to plan your fundraising! This way you'll make the most of all the opportunities and networks open to you. Have a think of all the different groups of people you could approach for support. Good luck and please get in touch if you need any support.

Top ten fundraising ideas - raise funds for free!

  1. Have a 'mobile phone sin box' in your office - anyone whose ring tone is heard in your office or in a meeting pays £1 donation.
  2. Donations instead of cards - instead of sending cards at work, ask all your colleagues to make a donation to Action instead. Put a big poster on the wall for people to write their greetings. Not only will you raise funds but you are also being environmentally friendly by not wasting all those cards that get thrown away!
  3. Ask a local school to hold a fancy dress or non-uniform day with pupils donating £1 to take part.
  4. Sign up to receive our next raffle. We have raffles three times a year, with prizes of up to £7,000! Email us at supportercare@actionforblindpeople.org.uk with your name and address saying you'd like to receive our next raffle.
  5. Organise your own raffle.
  6. Belong to a club or association? Put up sponsorship forms on their notice boards.
  7. Hold a quiz night. We can provide a quiz if you don’t already run one. Sell tickets or ask people to make a donation. You could even sell raffle tickets on the night!
  8. Do a sponsored slim – ask friends or family to donate £1 for every pound in weight you lose.
  9. Open houses or gardens – have an open house or garden weekend in your village or town.
  10. Bag packing/ collection at your local supermarket - ask your friends to help. You will need to get permission from the supermarket. They do book up well in advance so you will need to plan for this and contact them early. This can raise over £300.

Fundraising ideas for under £5

  • Sell cakes and biscuits. Leave a tin by the tray saying 'All donations welcome'.
  • Donate 15 mins of your salary. Every 15 minutes, someone in the UK begins to lose their sight - 15 minutes can change someone’s life forever.
  • Sponsored swim. If you're feeling brave, why not try sponsored swim at your local lido or ppol ? Check with your GP first. You can hand out flyers to your neighbours, friends, family and colleagues directing them to a make a donation on a JustGiving page.
  • Run a raffle and ask local companies/contacts to donate prizes.
  • Are you a sporty type? Why not organise an event? A mini tournament against your club's rivals, a pitch collection at a match or a quiz night in the club bar.
  • Hold a snooker or darts competition – participants pay to enter and there is a prize for the winner.
  • Have a BBQ or party – charge people who attend £10 with proceeds going to your sponsorship target.
  • Hold a fashion show – ask local designers to donate their clothes for free and charge people £10 to attend.

More fun ways to help raise funds

  • If you're an employer, you could donate 15 mins of the combined salaries of your employees. Have a party – with snacks and drinks, if you have five friends over and each gives £5, that’s enough to give three children an hour of fun and freedom at one of our Actionnaires sports clubs.
  • Sponsor fancy dress. Pick three outfit ideas e.g. Superheroes, film stars or fairy tales and arrange a vote in the office. Charge £1 or more per vote. You go in dressed as whichever outfit wins! Alternatively set up a fundraising page on justgiving.com and ask people to add their choice of outfit to your sponsorship page. This way, donations from anyone who’s eligible for the Gift Aid scheme will be worth an extra 28% without costing them a penny more!
  • Lucky dip. Buy some sweets, and a couple of little gifts - no need to go overboard! Wrap each item in newspaper, and fill a bucket with these and some torn up paper, (shredder paper is good for this). Charge £1 donation for one dip and £2 for three dips.
  • Feeling artistic? Try face painting at a local fair. Have a few simple designs, (star, butterfly) and charge £1 donation per design.
  • Car-boot sales or Ebay – take your old junk to a car boot sale or put it on an online auction site like Ebay. Have a clear out and raise money towards your sponsorship at the same time!
  • Cheese and wine tasting – with the proceeds going towards your sponsorship target.

Fundraising at work

The workplace is a great place to start fundraising and instantly widens your network of people to approach or to get involved with your fundraising ideas. Plus your company may have a 'matching' scheme which could double what you raise! Find our more below.

  • Email all your colleagues and ask them to sponsor you.
  • Put information on your company intranet.
  • Get a feature in your company's newsletter.
  • Ask your company if they will 'match' what you raise - many companies support charities in this way and will match what you raise £ for £, potentially doubling your fundraising efforts.
  • See if your employer will make a donation from their charity budget.
  • Ask your clients and suppliers if they will make a contribution to your target.

Support Action by spreading the word

  • Join our Facebook group.
  • Download a fuchsia dot card (96 KB) with eye care advice and forward to your friends.
  • If you know someone who needs free and impartial information and support on any aspect of sight loss you can contact us through the RNIB Helpline by calling 0303 123 9999.

Good luck! Send any donations you collect to Action for Blind People. No stamp needed. Please don't send cash.

Please don't forget to take photos. We'd love to see how you get on.