Fundraising is a fantastic way to support your chosen charity whilst having fun at the same time. It can be as straightforward or as challenging as you decide, and will have a positive impact on whatever cause you raise money for.
At Simon On The Streets, we love to see the inventive ways people get involved with our charity. However, we understand that it can be intimidating to decide how to begin.
Whether you decide to fundraise with friends, family, colleagues or even by yourself, we’ve got some ideas to get you started.
Gather your team
When deciding on your team, it’s important to think about who you’ll work well with. You’ll want to be with individuals who are as passionate and dedicated as yourself, and who’ll help keep you motivated if you encounter any challenges along the way.
On the other hand, you might find it easier to fundraise by yourself. Take Andrew, one of our most dedicated fundraisers, who managed to raise a fantastic total of £2100 in support of Simon On The Streets.
Decide on your cause
Who do you want to support and why? Think about what causes are most important to you, and where you’d like to see your money go.
With local charities such as Simon On The Streets, you can be assured that your donations will be having an impact on people in your community. As a non-commissioned and independent homeless charity, we provide ongoing and longer-term support for vulnerable individuals. All donations go directly towards our work.
Set a target
You don’t have to stick 100% to your fundraising goal, but having a target to aim towards can help keep you on track.
It might be a good idea to start small, rather than aiming towards an impossible high goal. If you find the experience enjoyable, you can always do another fundraiser in the future!
Play to your strengths
If you or your team have hobbies or interests that you could use for fundraising, such as crafts, sporting or musical abilities, this could be a great way to fundraise. Some ideas include:
- A bake sale or coffee morning
- A craft stall
- A sponsored walk or run
- A charity concert/performance
What hidden talents do you have? It might be worthwhile making a list of your strengths to see if you can use any of them for fundraising.
Promote your fundraiser
Whether through social media or word of mouth, it’s important to gather awareness for your fundraiser. For instance, if you’re doing a bake sale, you’ll want enough people to come for it to be worthwhile. If you’re doing a sponsored fitness challenge, you’ll need enough people to see your JustGiving page to reach your fundraising goal.
If you’re still in need of inspiration for your next fundraiser, take a look at our fundraising pack.
You can also join one of our upcoming fundraising events, such as Simon’s Starlight Trek or our Accumulator Challenge, where you’ll be supported every step of the way by Team Simon. Our events are a fantastic way to help people facing homelessness whilst having fun and working towards an achievable goal.