Winter Fundraising Ideas For Charities

Winter may bring colder weather, but it also warms hearts with its spirit of giving. The festive season provides excellent opportunities for charity fundraising, while January and February offer chances to capitalise on New Year’s resolutions and Valentine’s Day.

At Give as you Live Donate, we help charities make the most of seasonal fundraising with tools and platforms that simplify donations and boost engagement. Whether you're planning a festive fundraiser or looking for creative ways to inspire supporters in the new year, we’re here to support you. Here are some winter fundraising ideas to keep your supporters engaged during the chillier months.

December

• Festive Market: Host a festive market with local vendors, food, and seasonal activities. If you’re worried about resources to organise your own event, why not partner with a venue already hosting a festive market, and appeal to them to donate a portion of the proceeds? You can even use our free Tap to Donate app to take contactless donations on the go!

• Christmas Jumper Competition: Host a festive jumper contest where participants compete for titles like "Most Creative" or "Most Festive" with an entry fee donation. You can create multiple categories to encourage diverse participation. Approach local businesses to sponsor prizes for different categories.

• Santa Fun Run: Organise a 5K run where participants dress as Santa Claus. Provide hats with registration. Choose a route through populated areas to attract attention and potential spontaneous donations. Consider a shorter distance option for families with young children.

• Christmas Carolling: Arrange for groups to sing carols or festive classics door-to-door or at local shopping centres.

• Gift Wrapping Station: Set up a gift-wrapping service at a shopping centre or a market during the festive season.

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January

• New Year's Resolution Challenge: Launch a month-long challenge tied to common resolutions (fitness, learning, etc.) where participants gather sponsorships. You can create weekly check-ins to maintain momentum and engagement. Offer small prizes for milestone achievements to keep motivation high during a traditionally difficult month.

• Quiz of the Year: Host a quiz focusing on events from the previous year to test who was paying attention! If you’re not able to host the quiz yourself, why not partner with a local pub and ask them to donate a portion of the proceeds from the evening?

• Winter Warmer Event: Host a soup kitchen or hot chocolate stand to bring warmth to your community while raising funds. Partner with local cafés or restaurants to donate ingredients or expertise. Create a digital recipe book of the soups served as an additional fundraising item.

• New Year Clear-Out: Encourage supporters to declutter after Christmas and donate quality items. Supporters can donate items in person, but also get involved online by selling their items on Vinted or eBay.Provide guidelines on what can be donated and arrange collection services for larger items. Share upcycling ideas for unwanted Christmas gifts.

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February

• Valentine's Day Bake Sale: Organise a sale of heart-shaped and romance-themed treats. You could ask any baking enthusiasts in your community to help, or partner with a local bakery and ask them to donate a portion of the proceeds from Valentine’s treats.

• Random Acts of Kindness Day (17th February): Challenge supporters to perform and document random acts of kindness while collecting sponsorships. Quick and easy ideas include calling a friend, sending flowers, picking up groceries for an elderly neighbour, offering to babysit for friends and family, spending time with animals, or taking items to a charity shop.

• Winter Charity Walk: Arrange a winter walking event through scenic landscapes (weather permitting). Don’t forget, there’s a ready-made Walking Challenge campaign available to download from your Marketing Toolkit!

• Indoor Games Tournament: Host charity board game competitions, quiz nights, or indoor sports events to bring people together during the cold months.

Winter fundraising often happens in challenging weather conditions, making digital tools essential. Online ticketing simplifies management for events like the Indoor Games Tournament. For sponsorship activities like the Santa Fun Run, Fundraising Pages allow supporters to gather pledges without braving the cold. Contactless donation is particularly valuable at Festive Markets and Gift Wrapping Stations, where people may not carry cash but still wish to support your cause.

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