Community fundraising ideas at a glance

Compare these popular options to find an activity that suits your supporters, available volunteers, budget and fundraising goal.

Community fundraising idea	Best for	Upfront cost	Effort
Online shopping donations	Year-round fundraising	Free	Low
Crowdfunding campaign	A specific community project	Very low	Medium
Coffee morning	A simple social event	Low	Medium
Car boot or jumble sale	Donated and second-hand goods	Low	Medium
Sponsored walk	Active community participation	Low	Medium
Community fair	Larger fundraising targets	Medium	High

Why community fundraising matters

Community fundraising can support shared facilities, local services, neighbourhood projects and community organisations while bringing people together. The strongest activities have a clear purpose and offer inclusive ways for people of different ages, abilities and circumstances to participate.

How to plan a community fundraiser

Set a goal and budget

Decide what you are raising money for, how much is needed and when it is needed. A specific goal, such as a community garden, playground improvement or local activity, helps supporters understand what their contributions could achieve.

Record likely costs before committing to an activity. Consider venue hire, equipment, insurance, licences, refreshments, payment fees and promotional materials, then compare the expected income with the amount you need to spend.

Who should help organise the fundraiser?

You do not need a large or formal team. Assign clear responsibilities according to the size of the activity and the skills available. One person may cover more than one role.

Coordinator: Keeps the plan, timetable and volunteers organised.
Finance lead: Records costs, income and collected money.
Communications lead: Promotes the fundraiser and updates supporters.
Event volunteers: Help with set-up, activities, payments and clearing away.

Make each task and time commitment clear when recruiting volunteers. Ask people to contribute practical skills, local knowledge, equipment or short shifts rather than assuming everyone can join a committee.

Choose an achievable activity

Match the idea to your target, audience, venue, available volunteers and budget. A coffee morning, sponsored walk or online shopping campaign can be relatively simple. A fair, concert or large sports event will require more time, permissions and coordination.

How far ahead should you plan?

Work backwards from the event date or fundraising deadline. Record when you need to confirm the venue, permissions, suppliers, volunteers, promotion and payment arrangements. Build in time to resolve delays and review progress regularly.

How can you promote a community fundraiser?

Explain what you are raising money for, how the community will benefit, when and where the activity will happen, and exactly how people can help. Use the channels your supporters already follow, such as:

Community WhatsApp and social media groups
Local newsletters and mailing lists
Posters in shops, libraries and community centres
Community noticeboards and relevant websites
Local newspapers, radio stations and blogs

Give supporters enough notice, provide one clear payment or registration link and share useful progress updates. After the fundraiser, thank participants and report the amount raised and what happens next.

Top tip: Local businesses may be able to provide sponsorship, prizes, a venue, equipment or promotional support. Explain how the fundraiser benefits the community and agree in advance how the business will be acknowledged.

Online fundraising ideas for communities

Online fundraising can involve people beyond the immediate neighbourhood and gives supporters ways to help throughout the year.

Raise free community donations through online shopping

Best for: free, year-round fundraising. Register your community group with easyfundraising, then invite members, volunteers and local supporters to join. When they start eligible online purchases through easyfundraising, participating retailers provide a donation to your cause at no extra cost to the shopper.

More than 8,000 retailers take part, covering everyday purchases such as groceries, fashion, insurance, travel and supplies. More than £57 million has been raised for community organisations through easyfundraising to date. Find out how easyfundraising works.

Top tip: Use the ready-made social media and WhatsApp materials in Promote my cause to explain how local supporters can help.

Crowdfunding campaign

Best for: a defined project with a clear target and deadline. Create a fundraising page that explains the need, the people who will benefit, the amount required and how the money will be used. Choose a suitable platform, check its fees and payment arrangements, and share progress throughout the campaign.

Virtual charity concert

Best for: showcasing local performers to a wider audience. Invite performers to contribute to a live or recorded online event and raise money through tickets or voluntary contributions. Confirm performer permissions, music rights, safeguarding and technical requirements before promotion begins.

Online auction

Best for: donated prizes that appeal to local supporters. Ask businesses and community members to donate useful items or experiences, then use a suitable auction platform. Publish clear bidding, closing, payment, collection and delivery instructions.

Social media challenge

Best for: a simple activity supporters can complete and share. Choose a challenge connected to your cause, make the instructions easy to understand and provide one clear donation or participation link. Keep the activity safe, inclusive and realistic rather than relying on it becoming viral.

Webinar or online course

Best for: organisations with useful knowledge or specialist skills. Offer an online talk, demonstration or short course related to your group's work. Raise money through tickets or voluntary contributions and use the session to explain the impact of the organisation.

Local community fundraising ideas

Local events can bring residents, volunteers, organisations and businesses together around a shared community goal.

Community fair

Best for: larger fundraising targets and broad community involvement. Combine activities for different age groups with food stalls, games, performances, raffles and local traders. Businesses and community organisations could sponsor the event or pay for a stall.

Sponsored run or walk

Best for: active and inclusive community participation. Choose a suitable route and allow participants to collect sponsorship or pay an entry fee. Confirm permission, accessibility, supervision, first aid and how sponsorship money will be collected.

Community cook-off

Best for: a social activity centred on local food and talent. Raise money through entry fees, tasting tickets, dish sales or business sponsorship. Set clear judging rules and follow the venue's food hygiene and allergy requirements.

Coffee morning

Best for: a simple, low-cost social fundraiser. Serve drinks and donated cakes at a community venue in exchange for a fixed price or voluntary contribution. Add a raffle, craft stall or second-hand sale where appropriate.

Car boot or jumble sale

Best for: turning unwanted items into community funds. Ask for good-quality donated goods or invite local sellers to book a pitch. Raise money through pitch fees, a cause-run stall or an agreed contribution from sales, and provide clear payment and unsold-item arrangements.

Local art auction

Best for: supporting local artists while raising money. Invite artists to contribute work and agree in writing what proportion of each sale will go to the cause. Explain the arrangement to bidders and provide clear payment and collection information.

Local concert or festival

Best for: a larger event showcasing community talent. Invite local performers, food traders and community groups to take part. Income can come from tickets, vendor fees, sponsorship and suitable additional activities. Confirm permissions, rights, insurance, accessibility and volunteer requirements early.

Community sports event

Best for: involving participants of different ages and abilities. Organise a tournament, bike ride, charity run or fitness challenge and raise money through entry fees or sponsorship. Provide suitable activity options and confirm the venue, supervision, safety and first-aid arrangements.

Sponsored neighbourhood tidy-up

Best for: combining fundraising with a visible local improvement. Ask participants to collect sponsorship or make a contribution to join. Obtain permission where needed and provide supervision, high-visibility clothing, gloves, litter grabbers and clear instructions about items participants must not handle.

Before running an activity: Check venue or public-space permission, insurance, accessibility, safeguarding, food hygiene, raffle requirements and safe handling of money. Use appropriate safety equipment and follow current guidance relevant to the activity.

Frequently asked questions about community fundraising

What are the easiest community fundraising ideas?

Simple options include online shopping donations, coffee mornings, sponsored walks, bake sales, jumble sales and small raffles. They use familiar community venues and communication channels and can often be organised without specialist equipment.

How can a community group raise money with no upfront cost?

Choose activities based on retailer-funded donations, sponsorship or donated goods. Online shopping donations, sponsored challenges, donated-prize raffles and jumble sales can all begin with little or no expenditure by the group.

Which community fundraisers need the fewest volunteers?

Online shopping donations, crowdfunding campaigns, sponsored individual challenges and small online auctions generally require fewer volunteers than fairs, concerts or sports events. The workload still depends on the number of participants and how the money will be handled.

How can local businesses support a community fundraiser?

Businesses may be able to provide a financial contribution, matched giving, prizes, equipment, a venue, volunteer time or promotion. Explain the community benefit clearly and agree how the support and any public acknowledgement will work.

How do you promote a community fundraising event?

State the goal, community benefit, date, location and way to participate. Share the same clear information through local social groups, mailing lists, posters, community venues, business networks and local media.

What should organisers check before running an event?

Confirm venue permission, insurance, accessibility, safeguarding, supervision and safe handling of money. Depending on the activity, organisers may also need to check licences, raffle requirements, food hygiene, first aid, supplier documents and permission for photographs.

Start raising money for your community group

Combine inclusive local activities with year-round online shopping donations to give supporters more than one way to help. Register your cause with easyfundraising and invite members, volunteers, friends and neighbours to support it when they shop online.

Register your community group with easyfundraising

Community Fundraising Ideasfor Local Groups

Community Fundraising Ideas
for Local Groups