Fun run fundraising ideas
Charity fun runs invite large groups of people to come together and run, jog, walk, or roll to raise awareness for good causes. Flexible, inclusive, and designed for all levels of athleticism, walks/runs are the perfect way to rally your community and raise money at the same time.
We’ve collected all of the best walk/run fundraising ideas together in one place, including themed 5ks, color runs, walkathons, and a whole lot more to get you across that fundraising finish line.
Engraved bricks
Use custom fields on your donation form to capture essential details for donors’ bricks—make sure to provide a word count so they don’t go over!
Lemonade stand
24-hour relay race
Kids vs. grownups field day
Charge entrance fees for this fundraising event, offer for-sale hydration and snacks, and don’t forget prizes for the winners!
Earth Day
Charge an entrance fee and make your fundraising event move smoothly with mobile app check-in and easy scan-to-donate payment options.
Weeknight meal cooking class
Bake sale
Supporters don’t have cash on them? No problem! With Givebutter you can accept a wide range of modern payment methods, including Venmo.
Family fun run
Use peer-to-peer fundraising to encourage participants to set a donation goal and spread the word about the cause.
Drive-in movie night
Sell tickets for your fundraising event in advance, and use engaging features like scan-to-donate and mobile app check-in to streamline your guests' experience.
Take a pie to the face
With scan-to-donate, pie throwers use your QR code to land on your donation page instantly—no waiting around.
Hot chocolate stall
Make it easy for supporters to pay for their drinks as you make them with scan-to-donate, Venmo, and other seamless payment options.
Secret supper
Movie night
Use Givebutter’s fundraising event tools like online ticket sales, mobile app check-ins, and in-person payments to make it easier for you and your supporters.
Pumpkin patch
Make transactions quick and easy with Tap to Pay and a scan-to-donate QR code posted to let donors choose their payment method—PayPal, Google Pay, Venmo, and more.
Puppy party
At the event, highlight the different mobile giving options your supporters can choose from with live display.
Ale tasting
Summer day out
Use a fundraising event page to make registration and payment easy, and add custom fields to capture important information from each participant, such as t-shirt size or dietary restrictions.
Bingo night
In the lead-up to your fundraising event, entice attendees with campaign updates featuring teasers of some of the prizes at stake.
VIP cushioned seats sale
Car smashing
Sell different kinds of tickets online for smashers and audience members and offer food and drinks to raise even more during the fun. Don’t forget the safety goggles!
Bonfire BBQ
With user-friendly fundraising event features, you can sell tickets in advance and accept donations in person, too.
Festive volunteers
Set up a donation form and use custom labels to create fun options, like a $50 donation = putting up your roof lights.
Teddy bear picnic
TikTok dance-off
For easy and simple sharing, create a custom donation form that’s optimized for mobile!
Frequently asked questions
How do you organize a fun run fundraiser?
Whether you’re looking for new 5k fundraiser ideas to liven up your big annual donation drive or you’re exploring fundraising walk ideas for the first time, coordinating this kind of event includes a few essential pieces. To start planning, you’ll need to pick a theme, recruit volunteers, and choose a fundraising platform for registration and donations.
How do you raise money for a fun run?
Changemakers can raise money for a fun run in all sorts of ways. Popular options include creating sponsorship proposals, selling merchandise like custom water bottles before or on the day of the event, collecting pledges, and charging registration fees.
Be sure to create an online donation page and encourage participants to join in peer-to-peer fundraising to help spread the word and encourage giving before the big day.
How do you promote a fun run?
One of the most important things to check off your fundraiser planning checklist is promotion. To help promote your event, you can send emails, post flyers around your community, and create social media posts for your supporters to share with their networks.
Remember to ask your sponsors to help with promotion, too, and consider reaching out to local media, especially if you have an exciting theme that will make for good visuals (like colored powder!).
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