Fundraising Ideas

Once you sign up for any fundraising event, #TeamVision is here to support you all the way. Whether you get stuck dreaming up fundraising ideas or feel the need to spice things up a bit, we are more than happy to help.

For more information, please email Olivia on Fundraising@visionfoundation.org.uk or call our office on 020 7620 4994.

1. The fail-safe and delicious way to raise money – a good old-fashioned bake sale.
2. Regular quizzer? Ask the quiz host if they’ll help you organise a special evening with profits going to your fundraising total.
3. Host a video game tournament to attract gamers worldwide! Highlight the charity cause throughout the tournament and donate a percentage of the proceedings you get.
4. Football tournament – round up your mates and see who should be given the golden boot.
5. Organise a virtual gala by incorporating a livestream into the event.
6. Upcycle pre-loved items and sell them on.
7. Usually hitting Pret at lunch? Make lunch at home and donate your savings.
8. Host a fancy-dress day at your office for Halloween.
9. Set up a birthday fund on Facebook instead of getting another pair of socks.
10. Stuck for what to do for favours at your wedding? Let your guests know that by attending they’re also helping to change lives and save sight.
11. Get your friends and family together to do a walk-athon and discover some of the UK’s hidden gems.
12. Leftover Euros from your last trip or found a secret stash of old pound coins? Donate these to the Vision Foundation.
13. Offer to babysit for your friends to help raise money for your cause.
14. Know friends with some useful skills? Organise an auction of promises.
15. Host a Dungeons and Dragons tournament over a weekend.
16. Organise a non-uniform day at school.
17. Supply the doughnuts for an epic ‘Fat Thursday’ in true Polish tradition and ask colleagues to donate in return for a tasty treat. If you cannot find authentic Polish doughnuts Krispy Kreme do a fundraiser’s rate!
18. Save all your coins and change for a year and see how it mounts up.
19. Taking on Dry January, Stoptober or Veganuary? Up the stakes by getting everyone to sponsor you.
20. Turn your living room into a pop-up cinema and ask guests to make a donation as their entry fee.
21. Turn junk into cash at a local car boot sale.
22. Host an Iftar meal during Ramadan.
23. Trying to cut out caffeine? Save the money from your morning coffee on the way to work and donate it to your fundraising pot. Why not encourage friends and family to join you in solidarity?
24. Glitter beards are so 2018, go clean-shaven for a good cause.
25. Organise a “No Talent Show” at work as a fundraising event and perform your absolute worst to raise money for the Vision Foundation.
26. Ask local businesses to donate items to a raffle.
27. Keen cyclist or not touched a saddle in years? Sign up to a cycle challenge and get your friends to sponsor you per mile.
28. Take on social media favours – 50p per like or £1 to compliment someone’s post.
29. Organise a community book sale fundraiser and persuade the community around you to donate unwanted books to your collection. You can then have a garage sale or just sell them online.
30. Abseil down ArcelorMittal’s Orbit in Stratford.
31. Hope for a lucky seven and host a bingo night, charge for entry and ask local businesses to help with prizes.
32. Or bingo but not like you know it, host your own music or rebel bingo night with some fun surprises!
33. Donate your pay for a day.
34. Round up some friends and help shoppers with their bag packing at your local supermarket in return for a donation.
35. Take on a sponsored bungee jump.
36. Get your relatives, neighbours and friends for a 24-hour bird-a-thon spotting UK’s most famous birds. The biggest number of bird spotter is the winner!
37. Not a fan of snail mail? Instead of sending Christmas cards tell your loved ones you are donating the amount saved to your fundraising efforts.
38. Host a karaoke night and ask people to donate to perform their favourite song.
39. Easy-peasy, add a donation link to your email signature.
40. Sponsored Cleaning: Clean up your local area and have your family, friends and neighbours sponsor you as an incentive.
41. If you’re a budding gardener, sell the produce from your garden.
42. Dye your hair a crazy colour and ask people to sponsor you.
43. Organise a sweepstake for a big sporting event.
44. If your colleagues are notorious for being late to meetings, set up a fine box and change £1 every time they are late.
45. Organise a Friday afternoon drinks/treats trolley and donate the profits.
46. Guess the baby – everyone brings a picture of themselves as a baby and people pay to guess who’s who.
47. Organise a 24hr spin-a-thon and get donations per hour!
48. Keen baker? Offer your services to make celebration cakes for friends and family. Ask them to cover the cost of ingredients and make a donation for all your hard work!
49. Organise a sports day and donate the entry fee.
50. Does your school or community organise a yearly fete? Ask if you can host a stall where the proceeds can add to your fundraising target.
51. Put that ugly jumper and go on a fundraising livestream with your friends and family.
52. Sun looking like it will make an appearance? Host a BBQ and ask for a small donation in return.
53. Everyone loves a cuppa, invite your friends around for a coffee morning.
54. Why not organise a ceilidh and get everyone dancing, charge an entry fee and sell refreshments?
55. Fancy yourself as the next Jamie Oliver? Host a dinner party and ask everyone to pay what they would for a restaurant meal.
56. Organise a Throwback Thursday party for your favourite era.
57. Strut your stuff on the catwalk. Host a fashion show with local designers or showcase fashion students’ work.
58. If Pancake Day is approaching, host a party and ask for a donation for all you can eat pancakes!
59. Host a board game night with penalty fines for taking too long on your go or distracting another player.
60. Accessorise your friends with Vision Foundation tote bags, in return for a donation. Not only will you be raising much needed funds but also protecting the environment by reducing your plastic use.
61. Virtually row the Channel from the comfort of your gym, you could even do it as a relay with friends and colleagues.
62. Host a Eurovision party and get everyone to dress up, and of course play a little Eurovision bingo!
63. Always envied your co-workers’ wardrobe? Organise a clothing swap and ask people for a donation to take part.
64. If you are known as the chatter-box in your group, why not take on a sponsored silence for a day or even a week?
65. If you are a dab hand at doing your own nails, why not offer your services to your colleagues over a lunchtime in return for a donation?
66. Host a tennis tournament and give some of the proceeds to the Vision Foundation. Think of a big prize for your winner!
67. Organise a scavenger hunt around London and ask for a donation as an entry fee.
68. Some banks offer a matched funding scheme for community fundraising events, see if your local bank might be willing to support your event.
69. If you are getting married soon and already have all the cutlery and casserole dishes you need. Ask your guests to make a difference to the lives of blind and partially sighted Londoners and make a donation to the Vision Foundation in your name.
70. Could you stay in the lotus position for 24hrs? If you are a yoga or Pilates’ enthusiast, see if you can sign up your friends to a 24hr yoga-thon. Take up our swimming challenge – Swim Serpentine and see the sponsorship donations come flooding in.
71. No one really likes washing their car, ask your neighbours for a donation in return for a sparkling clean car.
72. Love your pies? Organise a food eating contest with your local pub or bakery.
73. Have a small change amnesty at your office and offer to put those odd pennies to good use.
74. Fancy yourself as a wine connoisseur? Host a wine tasting evening for friends and family.
75. See if your company offers matched giving which could give a hefty bump to your fundraising total.
76. Take on a fire walk in aid of the Vision Foundation and ask for sponsorship.
77. If you know lots of great local bands, organise a Battle of the Bands night to help your fundraising.
78. See if your local pub would support and sponsor you to host a darts competition.
79. Get sponsored to wear only blue and orange clothing for a month.
80. Offer your services as a dog walker or sitter in exchange for donations to your fundraising total.
81. Cut down those carbon emissions with an eco-fine system in your office. Leaving the lights/computer on, leaving the taps running, printing unnecessary emails or not printing doubled sided could all incur a small fine which in turn helps with your fundraising.
82. If it’s coming up to BBQ season offer your services as a lawnmower in exchange for a small donation.
83. Host your own New Year’s Eve party and ask people to donate what they would pay for a club entry fee.
84. Save the money on your daily commute by lift sharing, cycling or even running to work. The amount you save each week can be added to your fundraising total.
85. If you and your colleagues need a caffeine fix each afternoon rather than head to Starbucks, offer to make a proper coffee using a cafetière and some good quality coffee for a week (or tea in teapot!) in return for a donation of what they would spend in a café.
86. Often an unofficial chauffeur? Ask for a donation to be the designated driver for the night or for doing an airport run.
87. Host a throwback game night by renting arcade machines or old Nintendo games with an entry fee – SuperMario is everybody’s favourite!
88. See who can last longest in a bath of baked beans.
89. Do some good in London and organise a sponsored litter pick.
90. Go into work in fancy dress for an entire week – the crazier the outfit the better.
91. Organise a chilli chomp-a-thon at your local pub and see who’s taste buds are the strongest.
92. See who can make the fastest omelette and get people to bet on their favourite to win.
93. Ask a local gallery if you could organise a pop-up one evening for local artists or students with a suggested donation price as an entry fee.
94. Organise a choir concert – Pitch Perfect style.
95. If you have green fingers, open your garden and ask for donations in return for some Pimms in the sun.
96. Promote the idea of “meatless Monday” to your family, friends and colleagues and host a tasty all vegan dinner to impress.
97. If you fancy yourself as a style queen, offer makeovers in exchange for a donation.
98. Design your own obstacle race and ask for a donation to enter.
99. Grow your beard and have people sponsor you for it.
100. Organise a team-based cook-off to support your cause. This fundraiser works great in workplaces!

The easiest way of all to increase those pounds is to ask everyone to Gift Aid their donation. Reach out to, Olivia on Fundraising@visionfoundation.org.uk or call our office on 020 7620 4994 for more information.