A-Z fundraising ideas

Abseil - Find a local organised abseil event and get sponsored to go over the edge for Christian Aid.

Adventure trail – Find a local or international trek or hike and get sponsored.

Afternoon tea - Invite friends, family or colleagues around for some tea and cake, in exchange for donations to support the fight to end poverty.

Antiques Roadshow - Find experts to donate their time. Charge for entrance and valuations. Maybe you could link up with an antiques fair and charge stallholders for their pitches.

Art exhibition - Ask local artists or photographers to donate their work. Stage an exhibition or auction and charge an entrance fee and commission.

Auction - Set up a table for things that people make – for example, cakes, knitting and glasswork – and also auction off services, such as a cookery class, gardening or music tutoring.

Childhood party - Invite all your grown-up friends to play the old favourites: musical chairs, pass the parcel or pin the tail on the donkey. Charge for entry and sell childhood refreshments too.

Children’s fun day - Parents pay for children to take part. Arrange entertainment, face painting, races, etc.

Christmas cards - Instead of sending printed cards this year, why not send your friends, family and colleagues Christmas card emails – and ask them to do the same. Donate the money you would have spent on cards to Christian Aid.

Cocktail/Mocktail evening - Sell tickets for a cocktail evening in your own home. Include one cocktail in the price; additional glasses for a donation. Be as creative as you like with your cocktail concoctions and invent some delicious mocktails too.

Coffee morning - Organise a coffee morning and catch up with friends, family or colleagues. Invite your guests, drink coffee and eat cake, all while raising money to support the fight to end poverty.

Come Dine with Me – Compete for the title of ultimate dinner host with your group of friends, all whilst raising money.

Concerts - Getting publicity and selling tickets is vital! Bands, orchestras and choirs are often on the lookout for opportunities to perform for good causes and in good venues, on an expenses-only basis. You just need to ask!

Curry club - Make a big curry and bring it into work once a week. Charge people £5/€5 for a portion. Take orders on a Monday and bring the curry in on a Friday.

Dance-off - Organise a dancing competition – create your own theme

Darts match - Charge an entry fee and offer refreshments and a few added extras. Make it fun – women versus men, left-handed throws only, etc

Disco - Book a local venue and DJ, and invite people to enjoy some dancing. You could do a themed night, such as ‘80s music or Abba.

Dog walking - Charge your neighbours and friends for the service. Or organise a sponsored dog walk.

Drawing competition - Get local artists involved, or a local school. Pick a Christian Aid theme.

Dress down day/Dress up day - A fundraising idea for work, school, church or youth group. Have a themed day (for example black tie, wellie Wednesday or T’ai Chi Tuesday).

Face painting - Great to do alongside another event, such as a gala or fête.

Fashion show - Organise your own, or invite a local dress shop to loan/donate clothes. You could make it an ethical fashion show, featuring only ethically made clothes.

Fete – Hold a public function outdoors to raise funds through refreshments, stalls and entertainment. Contact your local council for support and permission to hold the event and invite your local MP/MSP to draw crowds.

Football match – Organise a local game and collect at half time or charge a spectator fee.

Hair-raising challenge - Shave your head or beard, or dye your hair bright red. Get sponsored for ruining your treasured locks.

Hat sale - Invite everyone to donate their old hats and then come and buy a new one

Jam sale - Make and sell homemade jam.

Jelly Walk – Go for an autumnal sponsored walk in your jazziest wellies! Encourage splashing in the puddles.

Jewellery recycling - Collect old jewellery from friends, family and church congregations and recycle it, with proceeds going to Christian Aid. Visit recyclingforgoodcauses.org for more information.

Jumble sale - Clear out all your old clothes, toys, furniture and much more with a jumble sale.

LEGO buildathon – Why not plan a LEGO race of who can complete the build fastest or the most pieces in a set time.

Lent lunch – Organise a social lunch over Lent at your local church.

Marathon – Get sponsored to run. Dress up in something silly to raise a little bit more.

Market stall - Book a pitch at your local market. Sell fruit and vegetables from your garden or unwanted items from your home.

Masterclass - Is there something you’re good at? Dressmaking? Scone baking? Changing a tyre? Why not organise a small class to show other people how to do it? Charge them a fee.

Memory meal - Transport yourself back to the ‘60s, ‘50s or ‘40s. Dress in the style of the day, put on the right music and cook some dishes of the decade.

Murder-mystery night - Dress the part to make it more fun! Charge for taking part, and find out who dunnit. Music and drinks evening Organise a recital at your local stately home or in someone’s summer garden.

Open garden - Hold a party or an open garden event. Choose your own or other local gardens that people would like to visit. Have stalls, games, refreshments and any other added extras.

Outgrown exchange - A sale of children’s clothes, books or toys.

Quiz - Organise a quiz and hold it at work, school or in the local community.

Saints Day – Have a celebration or party themed around a Saints Day such as St David, George, Andrew or Patrick!

Santa Dash - Find a local Christmas fun run and run for Christian Aid. Scrabble competition - Dust off your old board game and charge people to enter.

Skydiving - Jump out of a plane for Christian Aid and ask friends and family to sponsor you.

Solidarity sleepout - Invite a group from your church, youth group or family to spend a night sleeping out, raising sponsorship for people who have no place to call home.

Soup lunch - Hold a soup lunch at work, home, church or school. Serve bowlfuls of a simple soup and ask your guests for donations.

Sponsored swim - Kids and adults can swim sponsored distances. The swim can be done in a day or choose a more challenging distance like 5 miles to swim in a month

Step Challenge – Challenge yourself to a target number of steps a day. Consider taking the stairs to get more steps in!

Supermarket collection - Arrange a date to fundraise at your local supermarket.

Teddy bears’ picnic - Charge for entry and organise some fun children’s activities like a clown, face painting, etc.

Ten pin bowling - Hire lanes at your local bowling alley, and charge teams to fill them. Your local venue might even offer special charity rates. Sell refreshments and even ask the bowlers to raise sponsorship – the more pins they knock over, the more they raise.

Theatre preview - If you belong to a local theatre or amateur dramatics society, could they be persuaded to do a preview or after show collection to support Christian Aid?

Tour guide – If you live near key landmarks or city, hold a guided tour of the key sites, and share your knowledge whilst raising money.

Treasure hunt - Organise a treasure hunt around your town. Walk or cycle from clue to clue in search of hidden treasure. Charge people to enter and ask a local business to donate a prize to the winning team.

Triathlon - Register for a local triathlon and ask friends to sponsor you. Unwanted gifts - Ask friends to donate items and have a sale.

Variety show - Organise a show night with comedians, magicians, singers, dancers and musicians all under one roof.

Veganuary – Follow the vegan lifestyle during the month of January, raising money as well as spreading awareness of the benefits to the environment and the links to our climate action work.

Vintage sale – Hold a vintage sale in your town, local community hall or online.

Virtual live streaming – Plan a live online event such as a quiz, service or gaming marathon.

X Factor - Run a singing competition and have a panel of judges, as on the famous TV show. Charge people to enter and for tickets to watch.

Yoga marathon - For the very supple! Be sponsored for doing yoga over a long session or hold a massive class and charge entry.

Youthful dress down day - Come to work dressed in what you wore when you were 16. Everyone will be getting out those platforms, tank tops, shoulder pads and leg warmers to have a laugh at those youth fashion fads.