Plenty of ideas to inspire you and get your imagination going!
Auctions: Host a traditional or silent auction with donated goods, experiences, or services.
Auction of promises: Contact your friends and see what they can offer up; Auction offers such as babysitting, gardening, decorating, dog walking, photography, baking, or driving someone to the airport.
Bag packing: Arrange a bag-packing day at your local supermarket.
Board games evening: Charge an entry fee for an evening of friendly competition.
Change for change: You can’t exchange foreign coins or low denomination notes at banks so it ends up sitting around in drawers. Do an appeal with friends and colleagues asking them for old British currency or any foreign coins or notes that they have. These can be sent off to leftovercurrency.com, who will convert your currency, add on an extra 5% and send the funds directly to us.
Cake sales: Always popular at schools, workplaces, churches, and community events.
Car boot sale: Sell unwanted items or organise a community sale and charge for pitches.
Car wash: A simple fundraiser that works well for youth groups, schools, and sports teams.
Criket: Organise a match, entry fee is donation to Open Arms. Holding a raffle is a great way to boost fundraising at the event too!
Charity of the year: Encourage businesses, schools, or organisations to support Open Arms Malawi throughout the year. Your company may also do match funding for part or all of the total you raise.
Dinner party: Invite friends to enjoy a meal in exchange for a donation.
Dress down day at work or school: Wear casual clothes at work or school for a contribution. Or why not make it fancy dress with a theme!
Duck race: A classic family-friendly event that attracts all ages.
Easter Egg Hunt: Organise an Easter trail, hunt, or family fun day with entry fees.
Exercise Challenge: Participants gain sponsorship for completing a fitness challenge or exercise target.
£5 draw: Each person writes his or her name on a £5 note. The winner gets 25% of the total and the runner-up gets their £5 back. With 40 participants, that's £50 to the winner and £145 for Open Arms. (It doesn’t have to be a £5 note it can be £10 or £20, it’s up to you).
Football match: Host a charity match between local businesses, teams, or community groups.
Five-a-Side Tournament: Invite multiple teams to compete with an entry fee.
Giving Up Challenge: Give up chocolate, coffee, takeaways, social media, or another favourite treat and donate the savings.
Gift: Suggest that contributions to gifts for special occasions e.g. birthdays, wedding, leaving a job, are collected for donation.
Games Night: Go traditional with bingo, cards or family games, or take it digital and organise a gaming night.
Giving Tree: Create a Giving Tree for people to buy gifts from – use in workplaces, community events.
Head Shave: Brave volunteers can raise sponsorship for shaving their heads.
Holiday Hamper Raffle: Create a themed hamper filled with holiday treats and raffle it.
Hike for Hope: Organise a sponsored walk in your local area.
International Food Evening: Celebrate cuisine from around the world through a ticketed dining event.
Indoor Sports Tournament: Table tennis, badminton, darts, or indoor bowls can all raise funds.
Jumble Sale: A traditional community fundraiser that remains highly effective.
Jazz or Music Evening: Invite local musicians to perform and charge for tickets.
Karaoke Night: A fun evening that works well in pubs, clubs, and village halls.
Knit and Natter Fundraiser: Sell knitted goods or hold a sponsored knitting challenge.
Ladies' or Gentlemen's Lunch: Bring supporters together for food, fellowship, and fundraising.
Lucky Squares: Participants buy squares on a numbered grid for a chance to win a prize.
Messy events: Think sponge throws, baked bean baths, dunk tanks, or pie-in-the-face challenges.
Murder mystery evening: A hugely entertaining fundraiser with ticket sales and refreshments. Boxes containing all you need to host an evening are readily available from many retailers.
Market Stall: Sell crafts, plants, second-hand books, cakes, or donated items at local markets. If you say it is for charity you may even get the stall for free (or discounted). Village shows are also great places to hold a stall.
Non-Uniform Day: Perfect for schools and youth organisations.
Name the Baby: Collect baby photos and charge people to identify them.
Name the Teddy: A simple competition that works especially well at fairs and family events.
Open Garden: Open a beautiful garden to visitors for a donation.
Open Mic Night: Invite singers, poets, comedians, and musicians to perform.
Pop up restaurant: Create a unique dining experience and sell tickets.
Plant Sale: Ask supporters to donate home-grown plants, seedlings, and cuttings.
Pamper Evening: Beauty treatments, refreshments, and shopping stalls can combine for a successful event.
Queens and Kings Afternoon Tea: Invite guests for tea, cakes, and conversation.
Quiz night: Organise a one-off quiz in your local pub. Charge to enter and hold a raffle too. Contact us if you would like a copy of our quiz questions. Some pubs hold regular quizzes and are willing to donate half the takings to charity - always worth an ask!
Raffles: Ask local businesses if they will donate any goods that can be used as prizes. Avoid selling tickets to the general public as it needs to be registered with the Local Authority, but a raffle held at a workplace or event does not have to be registered.
Raffle your services: A day’s ironing, cleaning, cooking, dog walking.
Running Challenge Take part in a local race or organise your own sponsored run. Check out our Open Arms challenges as well!
Sales Event: Organise a shopping evening or day. Invite small businesses and craft makers to sell their products and ask them to donate 10% of their sales on the day or charge per stall. You can also add a raffle and offer refreshments to boost sales.
Sponsored event: Walking, cycling, swimming, silence challenges and more.
Sports day: Organise a 5-a-side, netball, cricket or sports match, charge a team entry fee, sell refreshments and run a sweepstake at the same time.
Spot the baby: Embarrassment guaranteed when you collect everyone's baby photos. Charge people £1 to guess the identities.
Swishing party/clothes swap: People bring unwanted items and swap them for other pre-loved things. Charge an entry fee and for refreshments.
Themed evenings: Mexican, Indian, Italian, or Malawian-themed food and entertainment.
Treasure Hunt: Organise a family-friendly hunt around your community.
Tuck Shop: Sell snacks and drinks at schools, workplaces, or events.
Unwanted Gifts Sale: Ask people to donate unwanted gifts for resale.
Uphill Challenge: A sponsored hill climb, stair climb, or hiking challenge.
Virtual Challenge: Complete a virtual marathon, cycle ride, or distance challenge and gain sponsorship.
Variety Show Bring together singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and musicians for a charity performance.
Wine Tasting Evening: Partner with a local wine merchant or enthusiast. A call my bluff style wine evening can be great fun.
Walk for Malawi: A sponsored community walk is simple to organise and suitable for all ages.
Washathon: Car washing, dog washing, or even window washing.
X Marks the Spot Treasure Hunt: A themed treasure hunt with clues and prizes.
Xtra Mile Challenge: Encourage participants to walk, run, cycle, or swim an extra mile each day for sponsorship.
Yoga Challenge: A sponsored yoga session or wellness day.
Yellow Day: Ask everyone to wear yellow and donate £1 or more.
Zip Wire Challenge: Take on a local zip wire experience and seek sponsorship.
Zumbathon: A sponsored Zumba or dance fitness event suitable for all ages.
Your donation will help children in Malawi grow up healthy with the love of a family
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