Introduction
If you think fundraising events are a fantastic way to support causes close to your heart, engage your community, and have fun while making a difference, then why is it that so many hosts cringe at the idea of hosting another?
It’s effort versus reward.
Aside from hosting a fun event, the key is to raise as much money as possible with the least amount of effort. Whether you’re raising money for a local school, a charity, or a community project, you’ll want to evaluate effort versus reward, and feel appreciated at the end of it. In this article, we’ll explore seven common fundraising ideas that you can implement in Australia.
Not only will you get inspired with fresh ideas, but we’ll also provide step-by-step instructions for creating and hosting these events successfully. To help you plan effectively, we’ve included a difficulty scale from 1 to 10 for each idea, so you can choose the best fit for your resources and experience level. Whether you’re a seasoned fundraiser or a first-time organizer, these ideas will help you make a significant impact with your efforts. Let’s dive in and start planning your next successful fundraising event!
#1 Community Sausage Sizzles
Hosting a sausage sizzle is a classic Australian fundraising event. There’s nothing like the smell of snags on the barbie mid-morning while you’re walking through Bunnings. But here’s the thing. You need lots of foot traffic, a donor of cheap sausages and someone to chop the onions who won’t cry about it.
Other than that, it’s relatively easy to organize and a sure-fire way to draw a crowd. Here’s how to get started:
1. Plan Your Event
- Set a Date and Time: Choose a date and time that works well for your community. Weekends or public holidays are often ideal ,and think about the ideal time for when people will be hungry. Mid morning is always a winner.
- Location: Find a suitable location, such as a local park, community center, school, or a spot outside a busy shopping center but make sure you have the necessary permissions and permits from local authorities.
2. Organise Supplies and Equipment
- BBQ Grill: Ensure you have a reliable BBQ grill. If you don’t own one, consider renting or borrowing from a friend.
- Snags and Bread: Purchase a sufficient quantity of sausages (snags) and bread rolls. Plan for around 2-3 snags per person. Ideally, you can find a local butcher that will wholesale or donate them to you, supporting your cause.
- Condiments: Get a variety of sauces such as tomato sauce, mustard, BBQ sauce, and onions (fried or raw) as toppings. Again, contact sauce manufacturers requesting their support. You might be surprised how they’ll help.
- Drinks: An easy upsell is a can of fizzy. Make sure you have an esky full of cold drinks, and you have someone able to restock if need be.
- Utensils and Equipment: Stock up on tongs, spatulas, napkins, plates, and serving trays. Don’t forget a cooler to keep snags fresh and a trash bin for waste.
- Signage: As if the smell of deliciousness isn’t enough, it’s not a bad idea to create signs to promote your sausage sizzle. Use social media, local bulletin boards, and community newsletters to spread the word.
3. Prepare the Site
- Set Up the Grill: Arrive early to set up your BBQ grill and prep the cooking area. Ensure you have a backup supply of gas, just in case.
- Organise the Serving Area: Set up tables for serving snags, condiments, and drinks. Arrange the area to facilitate a smooth flow of customers. Have one person taking the orders and collecting the money, one person making the saussies, and one person preparing each snag with bread, onions, mustard and sauce. It might seem simple, but if you’re in a high traffic area, you’ll need all three people. Especially if you’re anticipating a toilet break.
- Safety Measures: Have a fire extinguisher on hand and ensure food safety by maintaining clean cooking and serving areas. It’s often overlooked but blimin important. Use gloves and hand sanitizers.
- Your Cause: Raising money is one thing, but if your punters are standing around for a few minutes eager for a feed, they’ve got nothing to do other than stare at their phones, or look at your promotional material. Promote your cause. Don’t let that opportunity slip by.
4. Cook and Serve
- Cooking Snags: Buy precooked so you don’t poison anyone, and start cooking snags as soon as your grill is ready. Cook them thoroughly, ensuring they are browned and cooked through.
- Serving Customers: Serve snags in bread rolls, or white fresh bread, because let’s face it. Fancy bread has it’s place, but not here. Health conscious people won’t be lining up either. So get the tastiest selection of condiments and be proud of it, no matter how unhealthy. Keep the line moving efficiently to reduce waiting times, waiting for food its the worst.
5. Engage with the Community
- Volunteers: Have a team of friendly volunteers to help with cooking, serving, and managing the crowd.
- Interact: Engage with your customers. Share information about the cause you are supporting and how the funds will be used.
6. Clean Up
- Dispose of Waste: Ensure all waste is properly disposed of, and recycle where possible.
- Clean Equipment: Clean the BBQ grill and all utensils used.
- Leave the Area Tidy: Make sure the location is left as clean as you found it, if not cleaner.
7. Thank Your Supporters
- Show Gratitude: Thank everyone who attended and supported your event. Use social media and other channels to express your gratitude and share the success of the event.
- Feedback: Gather feedback from volunteers and attendees to improve future events.
Difficulty Scale: 4/10
A sausage sizzle is relatively easy to organize and run, making it an excellent choice for first-time fundraisers or community groups with limited resources. But, you are probably dedicating around 1 days labour, and you’re unlikely to make more than $1000.
Worth it? Everything counts, but it’s a lot of effort from at least 3 people. Revenue of less than $1000, and then you need to subtract your costs too.
Our rating – 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
#2 Hosting a Colour Fun Run
A fun run is a fantastic way to raise funds, providing you do almost nothing, and there’s an event host to take care of everything. Colour runs and fun runs and promote health and fitness, and brings the community together with smiles and laughter.
Here’s how to organize a successful fun run:
1. Plan Your Event
- Set a Date and Time: Choose a date and time well in advance to allow ample time for promotion and preparation. Consider the weather and other local events that might conflict. There’s many horror stories of organisers going to huge amounts of effort, only to find out the cricket is on the same day, and no-one attends.
- Location and Route: Select a suitable location and map out a safe and scenic route. Popular options include parks, school grounds. Ensure you have necessary permissions and permits from local authorities and that if you’re hit by wet weather the location doesn’t immediately become a swamp. Google maps is a great place to start in looking for locations.
- Distance: Decide on the distance of the run. Common distances are 5K, 10K, or even a 1K for kids and beginners. This can be completed in laps of your circuit.
2. Organise Supplies and Equipment
- Registration: Set up an online registration system online to save time on the day. You’ll need the details to track participants. Doing this online save you time, and allows you to collect money in advance. Presales are always nice, giving you a sense of security. Offer early bird discounts to encourage early sign-ups and payments. When people arrive they go to a registration tent. Here they’ll show their receipt and you’lll give them a fun run pack of colour powder and other items to make it a more memorable experience.
- Promotional Materials: Create promotional materials such as flyers, posters, and social media posts and paid advertising on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram. Remember, you’re often advertising to parents, not kids. Make sure you sell family passess, teeshirts, and fun run kits too.
- Race Bibs and Timing: Order race bibs and consider using timing chips or apps for tracking runners’ times.
- Water Stations: Plan for water stations along the route to keep runners hydrated.
- First Aid: Arrange for first aid stations and have qualified personnel on hand in case of emergencies. This is essential.
- Volunteers: Recruit volunteers to help with registration, guiding runners along the route, manning water stations, and handing out medals or refreshments at the finish line.
3. Prepare the Site
- Course Marking: Clearly mark the route with signs, cones, and volunteers to guide participants.
- Start and Finish Line: Set up a clear start and finish line with banners, timing mats, and any necessary equipment.
- Sound System: Arrange for a sound system to make announcements and play motivating music. It’s even better if you can organise an MC to get the crowd excited.
- Restrooms: Ensure there are adequate restroom facilities for participants and spectators.
4. Race Day Operations
- Registration and Check-In: Set up a registration area for check-in and bib distribution. Ensure it’s well-organized to handle a large number of participants efficiently.
- Warm-Up: Offer a pre-race warm-up session led by a local fitness instructor to get participants ready.
- Starting the Race: Have a clear plan for starting the race, whether it’s a staggered start or a mass start. Make announcements to inform participants of any last-minute details.
- Monitor the Race: Ensure volunteers and officials are positioned along the route to guide runners and monitor their safety.
5. Post-Race Activities
- Finish Line: Welcome runners as they finish, handing out medals, water, and snacks. Have a designated area for post-race recovery and relaxation.
- Awards Ceremony: Host an awards ceremony to recognise top finishers and other notable achievements. Make sure you have prizes and finisher medals.
- Photographs: Picture paint a thousand words and memories last a lifetime. Hire a professional photographer. Remember, you’ll get all types attending and people will want to bring their pets. So a dog-friendly policy on friendly dogs is always a fun photo opportunity. Capture the event with photographs and share them on social media and with participants.
6. Clean Up
- Course Clean-Up: Ensure all course-markers, trash, and equipment are removed, and the area is left clean.
- Equipment Return: Return any rented or borrowed equipment.
7. Thank Your Supporters
- Appreciation: Thank all participants, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters. Use social media, emails, and your event website to express gratitude and share the success of the event.
- Feedback: Gather feedback to improve future events.
Difficulty Scale: 9/10
Organizing a fun run requires more planning and coordination than simpler events, making it moderately challenging. However, with a dedicated team and thorough preparation, it can be a highly rewarding and impactful fundraiser.
But, you’re likely to raise around $3,000 – $12,000 Australian dollars for one of these events, but this all depends on the size of your crowd. If you’re not in a largely populated area, and you’re not willing to sink thousands into your marketing campaigns, it can be a low return.
It’s best to have a professional colour run or fun run host handle and organise the whole thing for you.
Our rating – 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
#3 Hosting a Trivia Night
A trivia night is an engaging and fun way to raise funds while bringing people together for a lively evening. Here’s a step-by-step guide to organising a successful trivia night:
1. Plan Your Event
- Set a Date and Time: Choose a date and time that works well for your target audience. Weekends or weekday evenings are often ideal.
- Venue: Select a venue that can comfortably accommodate your expected number of participants. Options include local pubs, community centers, or school halls. Ensure you have the necessary permissions and bookings.
2. Organize Supplies and Equipment
- Trivia Questions: Prepare a variety of trivia questions covering different categories. Aim for a mix of easy, medium, and hard questions. Plan for multiple rounds, each with its own theme.
- Quizmaster: Find a charismatic and confident person to be the quizmaster. They will read the questions, keep the event lively, and manage the flow of the night.
- Answer Sheets: Print answer sheets for teams to write their responses. Ensure you have enough for each team for all rounds.
- Sound System: Arrange a sound system with microphones so everyone can hear the questions and announcements clearly.
- Prizes: Organize prizes for the winning team(s) and possibly for runners-up or for the best team name. Prizes can be donated items, gift vouchers, or trophies.
- Scorekeepers: Recruit volunteers to keep track of scores and ensure fair play.
3. Prepare the Venue
- Seating Arrangement: Set up tables and chairs in a way that teams can sit together comfortably. Label tables with team numbers or names.
- Decorations: Decorate the venue to create a fun and inviting atmosphere. Consider a theme that matches the trivia categories or the cause you’re supporting.
- Registration Desk: Set up a registration desk at the entrance to check in teams, collect entry fees, and distribute answer sheets and pens.
4. Promote Your Event
- Advertising: Create promotional materials such as flyers, posters, and social media posts to spread the word. Highlight the date, time, venue, entry fee, and any special features like themes or prizes.
- Ticket Sales: Sell tickets in advance to gauge attendance and secure funds. Offer discounts for early bird purchases or group bookings.
5. Running the Event
- Registration and Check-In: Welcome participants as they arrive, confirm their registration, and direct them to their tables.
- Opening Announcements: Start the night with a brief introduction, explaining the rules, the format of the trivia rounds, and any house rules (e.g., no mobile phones).
- Conducting the Trivia: The quizmaster will read out questions for each round, allowing teams time to discuss and write down their answers. Collect answer sheets after each round for scoring.
- Breaks: Include short breaks between rounds for socializing, refreshments, and restroom visits.
6. Post-Trivia Activities
- Score Announcements: After tallying scores, announce the winning team(s) and distribute prizes. Recognize and thank all participants, volunteers, and sponsors.
- Raffles and Auctions: If you have additional fundraising activities like raffles or silent auctions, conduct these after the trivia rounds.
7. Clean Up
- Venue Clean-Up: Ensure the venue is left clean and tidy. Remove all decorations, equipment, and trash.
- Thank Volunteers: Express gratitude to volunteers who helped with the event.
8. Follow-Up
- Thank You Messages: Send thank-you messages to all participants, sponsors, and supporters. Use social media, email, or your event website.
- Feedback: Gather feedback from attendees to improve future trivia nights.
Difficulty Scale: 5/10
Organizing a trivia night requires careful planning and coordination, but is manageable with a good team and clear preparation. It’s a moderately challenging event, suitable for groups looking to engage their community in a fun and interactive way. The challenge here is to raise a significant amount of money.
Our rating – 2/5 ⭐⭐
#4 ClubDraws Automated Fundraising with Weekly Raffles
An automated fundraising option using weekly raffles is a hassle-free way to raise funds for your cause. With “ClubDraws Australia” handling the advertising and organisation, you can focus on what you do best, improving our community. Here’s how to get started:
1. Set Up Your Fundraising Campaign
- Register with ClubDraws: Sign up for your cause with ClubDraws. It’s free, it’s easy and won’t cost you large amounts of time. Provide necessary details about your cause and complete any required documentation. Just visit this link to connect with a ClubDraws expert – https://clubdraws.com.au/contact-us/
- Create a Profile: you’ll then be asked for your details to set up a profile for your cause on the ClubDraws platform. Include a compelling description, images, and any relevant information to attract potential participants. They’ll do all the hard work for you.
2. Leverage Your Social Media Following
- Announce the Raffle: ClubDraws will involve your social media following to announce the fundraiser and the start of your weekly raffles. Your following is eager to support you,it works every time.
- Regular Updates: Regular updates will be posted and reminders about the raffle. Shared information about the prizes, winners, and how the funds raised are being used will also be provided.
- Engage Your Audience: Your followers will be encouraged to share the raffle posts, tag friends, and engage with your content in proven methods to maximise reach.
3. Promote the Raffle
- Content Creation: You as the charity, school, or sports club, won’t need to lift a finger. All content and campaign construction is handled by ClubDraws. You’ll be shown everything before it begins.
- Email Campaigns: If you have an email list, send out newsletters and email campaigns to inform your supporters about the raffle and encourage participation.
- Collaborate with Influencers: Partner with local influencers or community leaders who support your cause to promote the raffle on their platforms.
4. Monitor and Support
- Track Progress: Monitor the progress of the raffle through the ClubDraws platform, or sit back and just receive payments each weel. Track the number of participants and the funds raised.
- Support Participants: Questions or comments from your supporters about the raffle come through from time to time, and ClubDraws handles all correspondence.
5. Receive Funds and Report Impact
- Weekly Payments: ClubDraws will handle all collections and provide payments to your cause with the funds raised on a weekly basis. Ensure you have the correct banking information set up to receive the payments.
- Transparency: Share updates with your supporters about the funds raised and how they are being used. Transparency helps build trust and encourages continued participation.
6. Thank Your Supporters
- Express Gratitude: Use your social media platforms to thank everyone who participated in the raffle. Highlight the winners and the impact their contributions are making.
- Showcase Success: Share success stories and testimonials to demonstrate the positive effects of the funds raised through the raffle.
7. Plan for Future Campaigns
- Feedback: Gather feedback from your supporters about their experience with the raffle. Use this information to improve future fundraising efforts.
- Continuous Engagement: Keep your audience engaged with regular updates about your cause and upcoming raffles or fundraising events.
Difficulty Scale: 1/10
An automated fundraising option with weekly raffles is very easy to set up and manage, making it an excellent choice for causes with limited time and resources. With ClubDraw’s fundraising platform, they’re handling the heavy lifting, all you need is a dedicated social media following to drive participation and support.
Our rating – 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#4 Charitable Golf Day Fundraisers
If you’re a NGO and you want to raise thousands, then a gold day could be a good option. The first thing to do is identify your major sponsor. This could be a financial institution, a legal firm, accountancy or any business that has a significant impact on the community and other businesses that might supply it.
1. Identify Your Sponsors.
You’ll need to call a company that needs to be seen as doing good in the community. Legal firms, banks, loan companies all tick the box here. You, in combination with the major sponsor, markets the fundraising day to their database of clients and suppliers. Suppliers will feel they have to attend, and there’s a cost to do so. Their customers will be invited, and your major sponsor pays for them to attend.
2. Sell The Holes
Golf has 18 holes on the course, and each hole can be assigned naming rights for your fundraiser day. Your major sponsor will have suppliers, so it’s best that they’re asked to sponsor a hole for $1000, or an appropriate fee. They get branding opportunities and can host a pop-up stand there, serving drinks, food, or games.
They’ll want to do so if other guests are their within target audience. Let’s assume a law firm is hosting a gold day charity event, and their print supplier is a guest. That print supplier will get a great opportunity to put their brand in front of other business owners, for the cost of approximately $1000, while supporting their client.
3. Invite The Guests
Guests can also choose to become hole sponsors. Many guests, the law firm’s clients, will own businesses too. Perhaps their client owns an accounting firm, and again, they’d get great benefit from the advertising to the law firms’ other guests by sponsoring a hole.
Don’t forget to ask if they’d like to sponsor a hole! This is often a missed opportunity. If they don’t, they might like to donate a prize that get’s auctioned at the end of day.
4. Plan The Auction
Call the hosts’ suppliers and local businesses to find people that will donate their services or products for an auction to support the charity you’re raising money for. These prizes could range from a customised, tailored business suit from a high end fashion shop, to a golf club membership to $1000 worth of grocery vouchers. The trick here is to auction items that the business owners can’t usually deduct for tax purposes. Through this auction, they can deduct whatever the prizes are, because in fact, it’s just a charitable donation which is 100% deductible.
Send out a list of the auction prizes available, prior to the gold day. It will get people thinking in advance.
The auction is to be held after prize giving. You will have collected a few donated, awards for the winning teams, and a range of different achievements. If you have each team sit at their designated tables in the clubrooms, enjoying a few post-course drinks, the atmosphere brews, and you start awarding prizes. After the prizes, let the crowd enjoy themselves, maybe have a few nibbles that you’re passing around, and 10 minutes later, start the auction. It’s important that the guests hang around for this, so if you’re serving food, do the suction before the food and after the drinks have started flowing.
