Autumn Fundraising Ideas For Charities

As the leaves change colour and temperatures cool, autumn provides a cosy backdrop for community-focused fundraising activities. This season of harvest and tradition offers numerous opportunities to bring people together for your cause.

At Give as you Live Donate, we help charities make the most of seasonal fundraising with easy-to-use tools and platforms that boost donations. Whether you're planning an Autumn event or looking for creative ways to engage supporters, we're here to support you. Here are some Autumn fundraising ideas to inspire your charity’s efforts.

September

Back-to-School Supplies Collection: Collect essential school supplies and donations to support children in need at the start of the school year. Create specific "shopping lists" of needed items at different price points. Partner with local schools to identify genuine needs in your community.

World Book Day Alternative: Host a book swap and reading event to coincide with the start of the school year, encouraging literacy and recycling. Sort books by age group and genre to make browsing easier. Create themed reading corners with volunteers doing storytelling sessions.

Harvest Festival: Host a harvest-themed event with local produce, crafts, and seasonal activities. Incorporate apple bobbing, pumpkin carving, and other traditional harvest activities. Invite local food producers to showcase their Autumn offerings.

Autumn Charity Auction: Host an auction featuring donated items, experiences, or services as families prepare for the new season. You could do this in person or as a virtual event!

October

Halloween Party: Throw a spooky celebration with costumes, games, and themed refreshments. You could host a costume competition with various categories to encourage participation from all ages. Consider a family-friendly early session and an evening event for older children/ adults.

Seasonal Webinars: Create an Autumn-themed educational webinar on topics like seasonal cooking, getting the house ready for winter, or craft projects. You could even do a whole series!

Pumpkin Carving Contest: Run a competition for the best-carved pumpkins with entry fees and prizes. Display entries in a public space to attract attention to your charity. Offer templates for beginners and hold short workshops for children.

Combined Sponsored Walk: Organise a community-wide sponsored walk where participants collectively aim to walk the equivalent of a significant distance. This event could be hosted in person, or as a virtual challenge – check out the free Walking Challenge campaign in your Marketing Toolkit for inspiration and ready-made assets!

Charity Haunted House: Create a spooky experience in a suitable venue and charge admission. If there’s a local venue already hosting a Haunted House event, you could appeal to them to donate a portion of their ticket sales.

November

Bonfire Night Event (5th November): Host a Bonfire Night celebration with food stalls, games, and supervised fireworks. Like the Haunted House idea back in October, this idea could work even with limited resources - try partnering with a local venue already hosting a fireworks event and ask them to donate a portion of their ticket sales to your cause.

Autumn Craft Fair: Host an early Christmas market with local artisans selling handmade items.Offer gift-wrapping services for an additional donation. Provide artisans with charity information to share with customers.

Winter Preparation Challenge: Challenge supporters to prepare for winter (home insulation, garden winterising, etc.) while raising sponsorship money for those who can't afford winter preparations.

Autumn events often require more complex administration, so having free tools and resources in one place is essential. Online Campaign Pages can effectively tell seasonal stories for Back-to-School collections or Winter Preparation challenges. Fundraising Pages work well for sponsor-based activities. For larger events like Harvest Festivals or Autumn Craft Fairs, combining ticket sales with contactless donations maximises revenue opportunities while providing a smooth experience for attendees who increasingly prefer cashless payments.