A Guide To Charity Events

Charity events are a wonderful way to come together and support a cause that you care about. 

As a nonprofit organization, hosting charity fundraising events helps to raise awareness of your nonprofit and raise funds to support your work in the community. Charity events are also beneficial to individuals and members of the public who can participate in important community work and learn about the role of nonprofits in their local area through events.

Whether you are part of a nonprofit organization or not, putting together fundraising events for charity is a fun and very rewarding thing to do. Bringing people together and seeing your hard work pay off with real benefit to your community is very fulfilling. 

If you’re looking to host charity fundraiser events then read on for some great charity event ideas! This post will help you get started planning a fantastic fundraiser to support the causes you care about.

Organizing charity fundraiser events

Charity fundraiser events come in all shapes and sizes. From the traditional raffles and donation pages, to a full-blown charity gala or fundraiser concert, there is opportunity for groups of any type to organize the perfect event suited to their needs and resources.

Photo by Julia M Cameron on Pexels.

If you’re thinking of putting together a fundraising event for charity, there are a few key considerations you need to keep in mind before you choose and plan your event.

Audience:

What is the main demographic of your group’s supporters? Knowing this will help you choose charity events that suit the interests of your audience.

Budget:

Depending on the size of the nonprofit, you may have a smaller budget to play with for your event. This doesn’t mean you can’t still host an incredible fundraiser though! There are many great, affordable charity fundraiser options to choose from, but it’s always a good idea to keep your budget in mind when planning.

Resources:

A smaller group with fewer resources may need to rely on the help of other organizations, community members, or companies to host an event. If you have a good network of supporters, you can call on these people to donate time or resources for your fundraiser.

Aim + Goal:

What is the main aim of your charity event? Are you trying to raise a specific amount of funds? Or are you also trying to raise awareness of a cause and encourage more people to get involved with an organization? Charity events almost always achieve both aims at the same time, but it’s always good to be clear on the main purpose of your event!

With these considerations in mind, you will have a better idea of the scope and type of charity fundraiser events that are best suited to your supporters and group and be ready to start planning. 

Ideas for charity events

There are thousands of ideas for charity events to choose from, like traditional raffle fundraisers, virtual charity events, sponsored challenges and donation drives. It all depends on what kind of event you want to take part in and how inventive you can be with your time and resources!

You can find a huge list of all our top charity event ideas here on the GroupRaise blog, which includes a rundown of budget, resources, and ease of organizing too. We’ve selected the best ideas for charity events for this article below, that are great for nonprofits of all sizes and individuals too!

Top Charity event examples

Donor Drive

A donor drive is one of the most popular charity event ideas. It is very easy and simple to organize, and can be adapted to nearly any charity! Donation drives include food drives, clothing drives, collecting old toys, games, books, and even furniture! 

For a great holiday charity event, you could organize a festive donation drive such as gifts for the homeless or the popular gift shoe boxes.

Check out this article for more ideas for Donation Drives for charity.

Restaurant Fundraiser

Restaurant fundraisers are fantastic charity events that are perfect for any season and any charity! With GroupRaise, you can choose from hundreds of restaurants that will donate a percentage of all sales made through your event back to your cause. It’s an easy charity event idea that also doubles as a great way to socialise and enjoy some delicious food.

Even better, a restaurant fundraiser can double as a Thanksgiving charity event or as one of your organization’s virtual charity events with the option to order takeout, drive-thru, or curb side pick up instead of dining in.

Photo by Edward Eyer on Pexels.

Fall Fundraiser Events 

If you’re looking for some more seasonal charity events, you could choose a Movie night, pot luck dinner, or a games night. These charity event ideas are definitely fall favourites – curling up with friends and your favourite movie, or enjoying delicious seasonal dishes (hello Pumpkin Pie!). Bring your friends and supporters together for an evening of seasonal fun and raise for your cause with donations and ticket prices!

Find more fall fundraiser events here.

Gala Event 

A Gala Event is one of the more elaborate ideas for charity events, but can be hugely successful and raise a lot of funds. Gala Events typically involve a nice meal, music, and other activities such as a raffle or auction. They are great holiday events too as this is a season of giving and parties!

To host a Gala Event, you will need a large space and a lot of volunteers to help out with organizing everything. As a charity event, nonprofits can secure discounts or even services for free, as it’s all for a good cause, so be sure to ask around with caterers, bands, rental services, and volunteers to secure the best deal for your group. Raise funds through ticket sales and donations from raffles, auctions, or games on the night!

Charity Golf Event

Charity golf events are a fun and creative way to fundraise! They are great for individuals, couples, or teams because you can adapt the game for all. With a golf event, each player or team buys their entry in a tournament. People can compete in teams or pairs, or by themselves, and you can add various awards for the competition, such as ‘Best Ball’ or ‘Best Shot’, as well as the overall winner!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.

Holiday Fundraiser Events

Holiday events for charity are great fundraisers. It’s a time of giving and many traditional holiday activities work really well as fundraiser activities! 

Organize a Secret Santa at work for your charity where everyone who wants to take part pays a small donation. Or challenge your friends and family to a festive fun run for a cause! Host a Christmas movie night with your favourite holiday movie with ticket sales going to your cause.

Three Cheers for Charity!

As you can see, there certainly isn’t a shortage of ideas for charity events if you’re looking for a way to start fundraising for a cause you care about!

We hope this article helps you find the perfect charity event idea, whether that be for organizing fall charity events or starting a regular monthly fundraiser for your chosen cause. 

Don’t forget to explore the GroupRaise blog for more helpful tips, success stories, and charity event ideas, and to find a restaurant for your fundraiser meal!