Fundraising Ideas
Set up your own challenge
Challenge yourself to get fit. Do an ocean swim for the first time. Ever wanted to climb Kilimanjaro, motorbike around Australia, walk through the red centre or give up alcohol for a month? You can do something amazing and show country kids you care at the same time. The harder the challenge, the bigger the donations you’ll get.
Join Team Royal Far West in an organised race
Run, swim, walk, cycle, enter a triathlon or do a fun run with the family. There are so many different events to join.
Simply pick one you would like to do and register on the race event website. Once you’ve registered on the race site, follow the prompts to create a fundraising page and choose Royal Far West as your charity of choice. Or, if we aren’t listed you can create one here, send the link to your friends and ask them to support you.
Hold a sports day
Play your favourite sport or create a surfing challenge with your mates.
Set up your own sports day at school or get your local sporting club involved for maximum participation numbers.
Bowls, golf, football days and tennis tournaments are popular amongst Royal Far West fundraisers. But don’t let that limit you. Why not host a paintball tournament or indoor rock-climbing event?
You can turn it into a fundraiser by selling entry tickets, putting on a barbecue and charging for lunch or drinks. Sourcing prices from local businesses and selling them off is a great way to raise more funds for country kids.
Dinner party, morning tea or BBQ at home
Morning teas, BBQs, luncheons and dinner parties are popular ways to show off your cooking skills while also raising funds to show country kids you care.
Are you the culinary whiz in your group? Do you love to feed the masses? Put your chef's hat on and invite a few friends over and serve them up a feast at home. In return, ask for a donation, charge a small fee to attend or consider asking your guests to donate what they think the meal was worth, or what they would have spent at a cafe or restaurant.
You could even share the load and ask guests to bring a plate of a certain cuisine or country dish!
You can have party games and charge a gold coin donation to enter – just be sure to have some prizes for the winners.
Put on a show
Are you a musician, comedian or a fashion designer? Show your friends a good time and raise funds for country kids. Host something at your local pub or take it up a notch and book a venue. A movie or games night, dinner and a dance, trivia night, fashion show or bingo competition. The choice is yours.
All these are great ways to charge an entry fee, have a great night out, showcase your talents and show country kids you care.
Maybe your local newspaper or radio station will give your show a plug, and local businesses may donate prizes to give away at the event – there’s no harm in asking!
Movie, games or trivia night
Can’t remember the last time you watched a classic movie or joined in on a little friendly trivia competition?
Ask your local pub or community club if you can use their space for the night and invite everyone you know. Organise some trivia questions, a trivia host and tables for different teams. Or set up different areas with several card or board games, for a night of friendly rivalry. You can charge an entry fee or a “buy-in” for each game. You can ask local businesses to donate some prizes to give away or raffle off. Consider providing food and drinks for an extra fee or donation.
Or, keep it low key with a couple of nearest and dearest at a home movie or games night. Sell tickets to a simple lounge room screening with your friends or go all out and turn it into a themed dress up night with appropriate food and decorations too. Think Moroccan flare with lots of candles and cushions or a Grease Lighting dress ups?!
Do more of what you already (love to) do
Do you hold a regular Friday office drinks, monthly international food day or work morning teas? Or do you host book club, bingo nights, footy finals BBQs, mother’s group, yoga or art classes?
Why not make the next one for country kids? You could charge a small entry fee, bring in food to sell or get some prizes to raffle.
Encourage your guests or colleagues to donate at the next get together. Hold a best dressed competition or make a rule that anyone who doesn’t attend the usual gathering has to donate extra. You could even see if people will sponsor you to wear a funny outfit or wig during the event!
Got your own idea for something unique? Just tell us when and how, and we can help make it happen. Register your idea here!
Garage sale or clothes swap
What a great way to spring clean the house or update your wardrobe and raise money for country kids at the same time. You could even ask your friends and neighbours to donate clothes or items they no longer want, put some price tags on them and promote your trash or treasure sale.
Be a champion for country kids at work
This is a fantastic way to raise funds. You could get your business to donate some of its profits for a month, for example by donating $1 from every purchase or an overall percentage of takings.
Your customers will appreciate your commitment – as will your staff.
You can set up a business fundraising page here. Add the link to your website with a blurb about your idea and why helping country kids is important to you. Share the fundraising page on your social media pages and include it in your newsletters and communications. This is a great way to show that your business cares about country kids, and also invites your associates to donate and show they also care.
Depending on your idea, Royal Far West could also showcase your logo on our website as a community partner. Showcase a news article on our news page and share across our social media channels. To discuss this mutually beneficial opportunity please contact Desiree Creedon at desireec@royalfarwest.org.au or call 1800 961 001.
Pay it forward and go without gifts
Whether you love celebrating your birthday or would prefer to skip it, why not suggest that friends and family donate your age in dollars or ask them to donate what they would have spent on your birthday present.
And rather than receive another toaster for your wedding or anniversary, why not give up gifts and pay it forward. Ask your loved ones to donate on your behalf in lieu of gifts.
Simply set up your fundraising page here, send it around and your gifts will become a gift for others.
Fundraising Tips
Personalise your fundraising page
Make sure your fundraising page shows your potential supporters why you are helping country kids. Add pictures and make it personal enough that people know this is something you really care about.
Email / Facebook / LinkedIn
Email everyone you can think of to let them know that you are fundraising for country kids. Don’t forget to include the link to your online fundraising page! Send reminders, talk to people and perhaps even draft an email for friends and family to send on your behalf.
Use your social media pages to update your friends, family and colleagues on your event or activity and fundraising progress. Make sure you include a link to your page. Ask if you can promote your event in your company newsletter or ask your employer to dollar-match what you raise.
Source prizes for competitions
Ask local businesses and your networks if they can donate products or services to help you raise money. Things like accommodation, gift baskets, beauty treatment certificates, meat trays or a dinner for two are always popular prizes.
You can use prizes to put on a raffle and sell tickets to everyone you know. Or plan a silent auction and sell the prizes away to the highest bidder.
You can add excitement by booking the local community hall and having a live auction with an auctioneer. Real estate agents are great for this.
Just make sure you’re clear about the intended use of the prize when you’re asking people or businesses to support you. Always take or send your ‘Authority to Fundraise’ letter when you’re asking businesses for donations or prizes, to reassure them your fundraising event or activity is sanctioned by Royal Far West. You will receive your Authority to Fundraise letter when after you have registered your intended event or activity.
Join forces to fundraise even more
If you’re thinking ‘big’ or would like to fundraise to help country kids on a regular basis, you can consider forming a committee who can get together regularly to plan fundraising events and activities in your network or community. You can also join one of our NSW Branches or if you’re local to Manly, NSW, you might consider joining our Northern Beaches Community Fundraising Committee. Please contact us on fundraising@royalfarwest.org.au or 1800 961 001 if you’d like more information.