A-Z of Fundraising Ideas

A

Abseil

Get sponsored to abseil down a tall building. Always a good moneyspinner, but not one for the fainthearted.

Aerobics

Organise a sponsored aerobathon with the help of gyms, leisure centres, and sports shops.

Afternoon Tea

Put the kettle on and get baking. Entertain guests with raffles, auctions, tombolas and live music.

Animal Quiz

Teams enter a quiz all based around animals. Teams can even name themselves after their favourite animal.

Antiques Roadshow

Dust down those priceless antiques and show them off to your friends and family, charging a small entrance fee.

Apple Bobbing

Use a plastic bowl full of water (or flour if you want to add a twist to proceedings), and add several juicy apples for people to bob for. Charge for a go, but make sure that there's enough apples so that anyone who grabs one, gets to keep it!

Art

Do you have a friend with a talent for painting or sculpture? Either persuade them to auction off one of their works, or hold an exhibition. Great publicity for the artist, too.

Auction

Is there something gathering dust in the attic? Or have you got something you need to sell? An auction can be a quick and easy way of raising money. Alternatively, agree some promises (e.g. car washing, a hair cut, ironing), and auction those, too.

B

Bad Tie Day

Be proud of that tie you never wear! Charge your colleagues £1 to come to work in the loudest tie they can find.

Ball

Put your glad rags on, and get formal with a glamorous dance. Especially popular now that "Strictly Come Dancing" has put ballroom dancing back on the map.

Balloon Race

Sell balloons filled with helium. The purchasers name and address are written on a tag fixed to the balloon. The balloon that travels the furthest wins a prize.

Barbecue

Assuming there is a nice day you can hold it on (we don't recommend having it indoors...), charge for some juicy burgers, bangers, and drinks.

Barn Dance

Take your partners by the hand and dozy-do for the Fund. Get a caller and a country band, with food and plenty of cider on tap.

Bath

Fill up a bath with baked beans, custard, or some other hideous substance, and get sponsored to sit in it.

Battle of the Bands

We know there's a lot of untapped talent out there in the Civil Service. Organise a contest and charge entry.

Beat The Goalie

Can you handle the pressure from the penalty spot? If so, shoot for goal and win a prize, or maybe a place in the England team...

Bed Push

It doesn't have to be a bed - sofas are surprisingly popular for this sort of thing - but it does have to be silly. Get another team involved and have a race!

Bicycle Ride

Ride your bike anywhere you like; whether it's an established route like London-Brighton, or round the local park if you don't fancy being the next Eddy Merckx.

Big Breakfast

Why not cook up a full English, Scottish, Irish or Welsh breakfast? Or try a continental breakfast charging for anyone that wants to eat.

Bingo

A fundraising idea you can put your "House!" on... ...or is it just the four corners? Charge entry with prizes for winners.

Board Games Evening

Invite friends to play any board game you like, charging an entrance fee or a game fee.

Boat Trips

Mess about on the river with a cruise down your local river, or canal. Include refreshments and entertainment to turn it into a party.

Book Events

You can sell any second hand books you no longer want. But if you work in an office containing more than 400 people, you can also get involved in our CSBF Enterprises initiative, where we offer new books at fantastic prices!

Bouncy Castle

Keep the kids entertained with an always-popular attraction. Charge a fee as it's the bounce that counts!

Bridge Night

If you can trump your fellow card players, and trick your way to success, this could be the fundraiser for you.

Bungee Jump

Have a head for heights? We can guarantee that those who haven't will admire your bravery... And if you can persuade your boss to have a go, even better!

Burns Night

Celebrate Scotland's greatest poet by having a dinner in his honour on 25 January. Whether you remember the "Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie", or simply know the first verse of Auld Lang Syne, it will be a great night.

C

Cabaret

Life, after all, is a cabaret according to the song. Entertain your guests with music, comedy, and magic.

Cakes

Always popular, get your friends to make a selection of the most tempting treats, and sell them to colleagues.

Calendar

Design and sell a nice, tasteful, pictoral calendar, for sale to colleagues, friends and family. Departments or suppliers might want to sponsor a month.

Canoeing

Take to the water and paddle along a river or canal. Can be as sedate, or exhilarating, as you want it to be.

Car Boot Sale

If you haven't got anything you think would go at an auction, the chances are that someone will snap up that unwanted item at a car boot sale (don't sell the car boot, though!).

Car Wash

Charge your fellow motorists to have the cars cleaned by your expert hands.

Chariot Racing

Any budding Charlton Hestons out there? Not one for the faint-hearted (or those without handy access to horses), but spectacular if it all goes right.

Christmas

Celerate the festive season with a fair, a raffle, or by selling hand-made Christmas Cards.

Clay Pigeon Shooting

Blast some frustration out of your system, harming nothing in the process. Also a great way of building team morale.

Coconut Shy

An easily arranged, but always popular, attraction. Just make sure that there's enough coconuts to go round in case there are plenty of winners.

Coffee Morning

Ideal for those moments when you have to have that cuppa, organise your office into a quick 15-minute break and charge to make them a refreshing brew.

Collecting Tin

Does what it says on the... ...ask us for one of our collecting buckets or tins, and get your colleagues to stump up their loose change.

Concert

Whether it's a carol concert at Christmas, or a recital from some talented musicians you know, organise a venue and charge for admission and refreshments in the interval.

Copper Coins

It might not seem much, but all those 1p and 2p coins can really add up if you can persuade friends and colleagues to part with them.

Craft Fair

Know anyone who is a bit handy at making jewellery, or glassware? Get them to contribute their wares to a craft fair.

Cricket

Have you got colleagues who are up for a spot of cricket (some Australians might be handy...)? Find a local team or fellow workplace to play, and charge admission.

Crosswords

Can you cryptically tease your friends with a fiendish clue? Charge participants for entry, or have a race to see who can finish the fastest.

Curry

It's Britain's most popular dish, and songs have even been named after it. Get people round to your place for a curry party, or see if a local restaurant will organise a charity night, with proceeds going to the Fund.

Custard Pie Throwing

Can you persuade your boss or colleagues to take one for the team? It's a great stress-buster too!

D

Danceathon

"I love to dance" went the classic disco number... ...but how long can you keep going for? Works either as an individual, or team, event, getting sponsored by the hour.

Darts

Hold a competition to see if there are any budding Phil "The Power" Taylors out there.

Demonstration

Have you got a particular talent, or skill, that you want to show off? Pass them on to other people - for a fee, naturally!

Diet

Get sponsored, and get your friends and colleagues to join in, so you have plenty of support on the way.

Disco

Persuade a DJ to donate their services, charge for admission and drinks, and dance the night away to some classic tracks!

Dog Show

Put on your version of Crufts, with prizes for those taking part.

Donate

Walk to work for a week and give us the bus fare you've saved; or forego one of your normal pleasures and send us the amount you would have spent. Or you could give us an hour of your salary.

Donkey Derby

Take bets on the outcome, or charge to watch the race. However, if you're organising something like this, please remember to never put the donkeys under any distress or into the way of potential harm.

Dragon Boat Racing

The sight of dragon boats powering across a lake, or down a river, is a thrilling experience. Being in one must be even better. Get a team together and get sponsored to take part.

Dress Down Day

If you normally come into the office with the suit and tie on, pay a small fee for a day dressed in jeans and T-shirt instead.

Drink

No, we're not encouraging a sponsored drink... ...Rather, that you get sponsored to give it up for a set period of time.

Duck Racing

Get a large number of people to buy a large number of numbered plastic ducks, and launch them into a river. Make sure you collect them all up afterwards.

E

Easter Egg Hunt

Celebrate the arrival of Spring with an event for the kids, or even one for the office (admit it, it's chocolate after all...).

Egg and Spoon

Recall those memories of the school sports day and organise the most traditional of Briish sporting events. Wheelbarrow races are also good for something like this. This will get very competitive though!

Eighties Night

Get those Spandau Ballet records out and theme a night based on the decade that taste forgot.

E-mail

Declare a holiday from e-mails and fine people who can't resist a sneaky peek at their Outlook.

Eyebrow Shaving

You might need to find a volunteer that's up for virtually anything to get this off the ground... You can always reassure them that they will grow back - eventually...

F

Face Painting

A real favourite with the kids, but also surprisingly popular among adults who want to be a big kid for the day.

Fancy Dress

Beneath the quiet exterior of your colleague may lurk someone willing to dress up in a silly costume... ...provided you raise enough money first.

Fashion Show

Not just a fundraiser, but a great excuse to dress up in your best outfit!

Fete

A real challenge, but a huge fundraiser if it goes right. Organise some games, stalls, and food; charge for admission, and hope the weather's nice.

Fifties Night

Re-create the birth of rock and roll by having a night devoted to the 1950s.

Film Evening

They don't make them like that anymore, do they? Get out your DVDs or VHS of classic films and musicals, and get your friends round to join in the fun. An organ coming up through the floor during the intermission is nice, but not essential!

Fish and Chips

It's as British as losing at football and cricket, or talking about the weather. Have a fish and chip night to raise money for the Fund.

Flower Show

Emulate the best that Chelsea has to offer by displaying your finest blooms. Get your friends and colleagues to join in, and organise some side stalls and advice stands.

Football

Organise a sweepstake for the major tournaments, or have a sponsored kick-a-round in your local park.

Foreign Currency

There's always some change knocking about in your wallet, or down the back of the sofa, after a foreign trip. Send it to us! A CSBF Enterprises initiative.

Foreign Currency: More information

Forty Nine Club

Using the National Lottery, get friends and colleagues to guess the bonus ball each week, for £1 a go. Send half of the proceeds to us and keep the other half as a prize fund, rolling over until it's eventually won.

G

Games

Re-live your childhood and get that Jenga set out of the cupboard! Or there's Twister, Trivial Pursuit, or Hungry Hippos...

Garden Party

Make some cucumber sandwiches and a cream tea. Can be a bit dependant on the weather though.

Go-Karting

A great way to build office morale as well (provided you don't have Lewis Hamilton working part-time). Get sponsored to win the Workplace Grand Prix.

Golf

A very popular way to get those corporate partners onside, there's a plethora of ways to persuade them to tee off and part with their cash.

Greyhound Racing

Go to the dogs for the evening - a good night out, normally at reasonable prices. Charge a bit extra on top to raise money, or if you're brave, suggest that a percentage of all winnings should be donated!

Guess the Baby

Get the office echoing to "oooh" and "aaahh", and make lots of people incredibly broody as well. Get your colleagues to bring in their cutest baby photos and see if they can recognise each other.

Guess The Number

Get loads of sweets into a jar and then stand back and watch as everyone gets the total wrong. Can be kept going for days in the office - but remember to count them first!

Guest Speaker

Invite a guest to talk about their area of expertise, or on something that really interests them.

Guided Tours

Know a fair bit of about a local attraction, or more generally, about your area? See if it's possible to act as a guide for tourists and visitors.

H

Hair

Headshaves always raise a lot of money, while persuading men to part with the hairs on their leg via the medium of waxing seems to bring out the generous side of women...

Halloween

Organise a day of activities based around 31 October, or hold a party.

Hook-a-Duck

One of the great staples of a fete or fair, charge people to have a go at snaring a plastic duck from a paddling pool, with a small prize for a successful attempt.

Hoopla

Test your throwing skills by getting a hoop over a prize. Charge for entry, and make sure that the hoops are just big enough to get over the targets.

Horse Racing

Run a sweepstake on the Grand National, or one of the other major races of the year.

Hula Hoop

Who can swivel a hula hoop round their waist for the longest time, or keep the most number of hoops going at any one time?

I

Ice Cream

How much ice cream can you eat in a minute? We should warn you that it's harder than it sounds.

Ice Skating

Budding Torvill and Deans can raise money by dancing on ice for the Fund.

Inflatables

Not just bouncy castles, these days, inflatables can include bungee runs, surfboard simulators, a fly wall, or even sumo wrestlers.

Ironing

Charge friends as you offer your services.

It's A Knockout

Bring back the iconic 1970s game show. Stuart Hall, and a gang of crazy Belgians, are not essential, but a willingness to look rather daft certainly is.

J

Jazz Festival

Bring out the George Melly, or Ella Fitzgerald, in people, by organising some bands to play some cool tunes.

Jewellery

Make some bracelets or necklaces, and sell them at a craft fair.

Joke Book

Get the rest of the office to contribute their favourite - tasteful! - gags. Sell on the book and see if it's the way you tell them...

Juggling

Clown around and demonstrate your dexterity to gasps of amazement from your friends.

Jumble Sale

Hire out a hall and get people to bring in their brac-a-brac, and other items.

K

Karaoke

Give your friends and colleagues a microphone, and tonight Matthew, they can have Stars In Their Eyes!

Key Rings

We have some excellent trolley key rings for sale at just 50p! Not only do they look great, they're also extremely useful. A CSBF Enterprises initiative.

Kite Flying

Bring out the Mary Poppins in you, and go fly a kite for charity. Dodgy Cockney accents are not required, however...

Knitting

Make some scarves and jumpers, and sell them on.

Knobbly Knees

Remember "Hi-de-Hi"? Bring back the traditional seaside holiday camp favourite (though without Ted Bovis) and get your friends to part with a bit of their dignity for charity.

L

Lent

Be very good and give up something to mark the Lent period before Easter (chocolate, for example).

M

Marathon

The ultimate running challenge - can you last 26.2 miles? Then again, a marathon might mean a 24-hour football match, or other endurance test.

Mr./Mrs. Civil Service

Not, I repeat, not, a beauty pageant! Instead get some volunteers to show off their winning personalities while being prepared not to take it too seriously.

Murder Mystery Night

Obviously, not a real murder mystery... Bring some friends together and solve the clues to a fictional crime.

Music

Whether you're in a band, sing, or play in an orchestra, put your musical talents to good use with a rendition or concert.

N

New Year's Eve

Party like it's 31 December - even if it's not. Charge for a party or get into a sponsored recital of Auld Lang Syne.

New Year's Resolutions

Lack the willpower to stick to your New Year's resolutions. See if getting sponsored for it will make a difference.

O

Obstacle Course

Whether it's something laid out in the office car park, or a genuine Army Assault Course, it's a great way to build office morale too.

Odd Jobs

Take on those little chores that your friends keep putting off - for a fee.

Office Olympics

Can you hurdle over the waste paper basket, or type more words per minute than anyone else? Get competitive with your colleagues and go for gold.

Opera Night

Get some culture into your life by arranging a trip to a show; or by arranging for a performance.

Outward Bound

Become one with nature - go climbing, hiking, or camping, and get sponsored for it.

P

Paintball

Become at one with nature and outmanoeuvre your friends with a paintball gun.

Pancake Racing

Flip your way to victory, or batter your opponents into submission (sorry, bad joke...). Don't forget to charge people to eat the tasty treats afterwards!

Pantomime

Your chance to play Prince Charming or even one of the Ugly Sisters. Oh, no it isn't! Oh, yes it is!

Parachute Jump

Are you brave enough to leap out of an aeroplane far above the ground. You can choose to jump from a static line, or free-fall, harnessed to an instructor.

Party

Find a venue, date, and a decent excuse to have a bash with your colleagues and friends!

Picnic

Get some food, a blanket, summer sunshine, and some friends to enjoy a lovely picnic in the park.

Pie Eating

Fancy tucking into a nice pie? Take part in a race to see who can scoff the most in a set period of time. You can make it harder by not allowing them to use their hands.

Pig Racing

A craze that started (surprise, surprise!) in the USA, see if you can find a friendly farmer to help you put on a porcine challenge.

Pilates

Know anyone who's a bit useful at this? Get them to put on a display and teach it to others.

Plant a Tree

Reduce your carbon footprint, and get sponsors to donate money for each new tree.

Play Your Cards Right

Become Bruce Forsyth for the night and raise money from a TV game show revival. Remember, you get nothing for a pair, not in this game...

Playstation Play-Off

It could be a Playstation, an XBox, or a Wii: organise a computer games night and compete to be the gamesmaster.

Postage Stamps

Any philatelist will tell you that some stamps are worth a considerable sum of money.

Pram Racing

Dress up in a silly outfit and see who can push an empty pram around a course in the fastest time.

Present Exchange

A secret Santa with a difference, pay a few pounds to take part, and then buy a small present which is drawn out at random by someone else.

Programmes

Persuade local shops and businesses to advertise in a programme for an event you're holding. If you number the programmes, they can also be used as raffle tickets.

Pub Crawl

We urge you to drink responsibly, however. Nonetheless, done correctly, it can be a good night out and a big fundraiser.

Pub Games

If you're one of those who remembers the Indoor League programmes from the 1970s, or if you saw them immortalised on YouTube later, challenge your mates to a game of whist, dominoes, skittles, or shove ha'penny.

Punch

No, not the boxing variety... ...instead make up a tasty fruit-based alcoholic drink, and charge people to enjoy - in moderation, of course.

Punch and Judy

That's the way to do it! Put on a show of this perennial family favourite.

Q

Quad Biking

Go off-road and get to grips with a quad bike at a local centre.

Queen for a Day

Bid for the right to be mistress (or master) of all you survey. The person who pays the most gets their every wish for a day.

Quilting

Make and sell a quilt. Perfect for cosying into on a cold winter's night.

Quiz Night

Volunteer someone to be Bamber Gascoigne, and encourage everyone else to form teams.

R

Race Night

You could always just go to your local racecourse and have a great time there, but if that's not an option, you can always hire charity race nights for your local pub or office. Charge admission and skim a percentage off each winning ticket.

Raffle

Get people to donate prizes (the Fund can help with this) and persuade friends and colleagues to part with £1 a ticket.

Raft Race

The Boat Race meets Scrapheap Challenge - challenge a nearby office to build a raft, and race it against your own. Get sponsored, or pay to compete. Lifejackets might come in useful too...

Ramble

Take to the countryside and view the best Mother Nature has to offer, raising money for the Fund along the way.

Read-a-thon

Desperate to read the entire Harry Potter series in one go? Here's a good excuse and raise money faster than you can say Expecto Patronum...

Recipe Book

Got a signature dish that you're itching to share? Persuade friends, colleagues, local restaurants, etc to part with a favourite recipe too, and sell the book.

Recycling

All sorts of items can be recycled for money which can then be donated to the Fund. But we're very keen on used mobile phones and inkjet/toner cartridges. They can be put to extremely good use indeed. A CSBF Enterprises initiative.

Recycling: More information

Refreshments

Everyone fancies a nice cup of tea or coffee at some point, or maybe a cold drink and a snack. Great to have on hand at events - but also in your own workplace, where we can help. A CSBF Enterprises initiative.

Refreshments: More information

Roll-a-Dice

The odds of getting it done are stacked against you, but it can happen. Roll 6 sixes in a row and claim your prize.

Roller Skating/Blading

Organise races, or get sponsored to roll across the office car park. Just remember that those knee pads, and the helmet, are there for a reason!

Rowing

Two options here: if you're near to water, you can always jump in a boat and see where it takes you. However, you can also get sponsored to see how far you can travel on a rowing machine, if you have a gym handy.

Running

Challenge yourself to run 10K, a half-marathon, or some other long distance (the Fund has entries in several events if you feel the need to stretch your legs).

S

Safari Supper

Travel from restaurant to restaurant, having a different course in each one.

Sailing

Get all "Howard's Way" and spend some time on the ocean waves. If you're lucky enough to own a boat, charge for hire; or alternatively get sponsored to have a go.

Santa Letters

This has been a real moneyspinner for the Fund in the last few years. For a small fee, give your children a very special message from Father Christmas himself. A CSBF Enterprises initiative.

Shoe Cleaning

Everyone likes to wear a nice shiny pair of shoes - but they're often not so keen on the polishing bit. Help them out - for a fee.

Silence

How long can you spend without uttering a single word? Much harder than it sounds (or doesn't sound).

Silent Auction

Gather together some items to be sold, and ask people to write a bid for them, which is then placed into a sealed envelope. After a deadline for bids has passed, reveal the highest bid.

Skipathon

Dust off the skipping rope and Double-Dutch your way to fundraising success.

Slippery Pole

Bring the ancient art of pillow fighting to your fundraising, as participants aim to knock their opponent off the pole. Make sure there's a soft landing.

Smoking

Again, we're not encouraging you to start! Rather, get sponsored if you feel the need to quit the 20-a-day habit.

Sponge Throwing

Persuade some people to sit in the stocks for a while and let their colleagues and friends chuck wet sponges at them. They might even enjoy it if it's a nice hot day...

Stage a Play

"The world's a stage/And all the men and women merely players" said Shakespeare. And who are we to disagree with the Bard? Enlist the help of a local Amateur Dramatics society.

Stationary Cycle

It might not have the scenery to go with it, but challenge yourself to cycle a long distance without the risk of bad weather. A local gym should have the equipment you need.

Street Entertainment

Can you get the shoppers parting with their cash before they reach the tills? Jugglers, Stilt Walking, Buskers, etc, always seem to do well with this.

Swear Box

Oh, fudge and balderdash! Fine your colleagues £1 every time they come out with something a little bit stronger.

Swimming

Get sponsored to do lengths of your local baths, or take part in an event like the Great North Swim.

T

Talent Competition

Is there a budding Leona Lewis in the office, waiting for the opportunity to shine? Or maybe there's someone who's desperate to be Simon Cowell for the day? Make their dreams come true with a talent show.

Teddy Bears' Picnic

Go down to the woods today and organise a get-together for your, and your friends', favourite cuddly toys. Or have the office echo to "Isn't he/she cute!" by having a Bring Your Bear To Work day.

Ten Pin Bowling

One of the few events where you want strikes from your colleagues...

Tin Can Alley

A classic fete game, charge colleagues to have a go at knocking a stack of tin cans clean off a table.

Tombola

The raffle with a difference - the one with an instant win! Put tickets on the prizes donated for the event. Then charge people £1 to pull a ticket out of a hat, or drum. If the numbers match, they win the prize there and then.

Toy Sale

Have any toys and games that you no longer have a use for? If so, arrange a sale to give someone else the chance to play with them.

Treasure Hunt

Either arrange for teams to drive (carefully!) around their local area, finding the answers to clues; or put a map - divided into small squares - on the noticeboard, charging people to guess the location of the "treasure".

Triathlon

Get sponsored to take on one of sport's ultimate challenges: a swim, followed by a bike ride, and then a run. If you're very brave, tackle the Iron Man: a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile ride, with a marathon to follow...

U

Unicycling

If you have an aptitude for riding them, get sponsored to ride around the office car park. Or pay to have a go and see how long you stay on for.

V

Valentines Day

Let the most romantic day of the year do the fundraising work for you. Either organise a dance, or get paid to deliver messages to your friends.

Valeting

Give your friends and colleagues's cars that bit of extra attention they deserve. Just mind out for that crisp packet down the back of the driver's seat!

Vehicle Rally

One for the Jeremy Clarksons out there... If you know anyone keen to show off their classic cars, there will always be plenty of petrolheads out there happy to gaze at some nicely-polished chrome...

W

Weight of the Cake

Bake a delicious cake and charge people for a guess at its actual weight. Winner gets to take the cake home.

Welly Wangling

Prove yourself a champion in the office by throwing a wellington boot further than your rivals!

Win A Day Off

Would your office be willing to hold a raffle in which the top prize is an extra day's annual leave? Very, very popular for some reason...

Wine

Arrange a tasting for your friends and colleagues, or enjoy a sophisticated wine and cheese party.

Wood Cutting

Become a lumberjack, and work all day cutting firewood for your friends and neighbours, or by pruning their trees.

Woodwork

Whittle yourself a wonderful creation out of some wood; and sell your wares to colleagues.

Wrong Hand Day

Not one the ambidextrous can really try - but for the rest of us, get sponsored to use the hand you don't normally use, for all your everyday office tasks.

Y

Yard of Ale

The ultimate pub challenge - who can complete their yard of ale without (a) spilling it all over themselves, and (b) feeling rather poorly afterwards. It does not have to be alcoholic - you can use orange juice.

Yoga

Raise money for the Fund - and relax after a stressful day - by getting your colleagues to try out various yoga positions.

Yo-Yo Contest

Were you a secret whizz with the yo-yo at school? Challenge your colleagues to a contest.

Z

Zapata Day

For anyone who's watched a few too many Speedy Gonzalez cartoons, this tribute to the Mexican Revolutionary leader of the early 1900s should get the men growing their moustaches in no time!

Zodiac Evening

Is your future mapped out in the stars? Find out from an astrologer. We take no responsibility, though, if the evening has to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances...