Whether this is your first fundraiser or you're a seasoned pro looking for inspiration, we've got you covered with our complete guide to fundraising ideas for charity.
The key thing? Choose something you're passionate about. If you're a baker, why not share the joy with a bake sale? Fitness fanatic? Turn your regular running routine into a sponsored challenge. Love dancing? Host a dance-off with friends. You're doing what you already do - just with an added dose of motivation and meaning.
Haven't got a clue what to do? This page is the place to start. We’ve already done a lot of the heavy lifting, dividing the different types of fundraising action into Active, Creative, Personal and Community Challenges – so you’re bound to find something just right for you.
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Active Challenges
From the London Marathon to a Tough Mudder, from a family stroll to a dance-off with friends - getting active is one of the most popular ways to raise money for charity.
Organised Charity Runs
The Great North Run, London Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, Paris Marathon - if the big races are your thing, get in touch and we'll help secure you a charity place.
Sponsored Walks
Whether you're going solo or walking with family and friends, sponsored strolls, rambles or hikes are simple, sociable and enjoyable. Running fanatic Becky McCann took on the London Marathon in 2025 and raised £3,580 for children in the UK and around the world.
Bike Rides
Take part in cycling events like London to Paris or organize your own route. Nine-year-old Ishaan cycled 80km and smashed his £200 target- raising £575. The Heavy Metal Truants unite metalheads for an annual sponsored bike ride from London to UK metal festivals, raising over £200,000 for Save the Children.
Have a look at our page helping you prepare for a long cycle
Obstacle Courses
Find a local course like Tough Mudder and get sponsored to take part. You could even set up your own ultimate obstacle course for others to tackle, charging donations to enter.
Triathlons
Take part in a local triathlon - you can find events and dates online - and ask for sponsorship to conquer the swim, cycle and run in one go. Nine-year-old Lily completed a gruelling 100-mile triathlon over ten weeks after learning about the war in Ukraine, covering at least 23km every week.
Swimathons
Ask for sponsorship for your chosen number of lengths, or get people to donate for every length you complete.
Mountain Climbs
Set yourself an epic challenge. Student paediatrician Charlotte climbed Mount Kilimanjaro while working in Tanzania and raised £3,000 for Save the Children.
Mini-marathons and child-friendly races
There are lots of events now for kids to enter – they’re a great way to get them active and support other less fortunate children at the same time.
Fundraising tip
With any of these challenges, you could ask people to sponsor a mile or another specific distance. TEAM SAVE marathon runners have asked people to donate for a mile in memory of a loved one - "memory miles."
Frank, aged 8, set himself the challenge of reading 20 books and raising £500 for Save the Children. Frank exceeded his readathon challenge goals, reading 22 books in total and raising an incredible £700.
Creative Challenges
Maybe you're more arty than active. Express your creative talents to build a better world for children.
Bake Sales
Grab your apron, fire up the oven and get baking! Sell your tasty treats at work or host a coffee morning with friends. Everything you need - bar the cakes themselves - is in our bake sale page.
Get Crafty
Turn your hand to making something arty - from painting your own masterpiece to trying pottery. Either sell what you create to friends, family or co-workers, or set up a free prize draw on JustGiving. Thirteen-year-old Gabriel made a wooden bowl and held a raffle to win it, raising an unbelievable £250,000+ and winning JustGiving's "Teen Fundraiser of the Year."
Read-a-thons
Turn your passion for reading into a money-spinner. Devour as many books as you can in a set time and ask for donations per book completed. Eight-year-old Frank successfully completed his readathon challenge by reading 22 books and raising £700.
Auctions
Have collectables gathering dust or rare skills worth hiring out? An auction brings people together for a fun evening while raising vital funds. Ask local businesses to donate prizes in exchange for publicity.
Gaming and Streaming
Show gaming can be a force for good by turning your regular sessions into a fundraising marathon. Host a multiplayer tournament with friends and followers or stream yourself playing the latest game releases.
Find out more on our Stream for Save page.
Clothes and Jewellery Sales
Having a clear-out? Sell your former favorite clothes or accessories for Save the Children. From Vinted to Thrift+, there's no shortage of sites that make reselling easy. Ask friends and family to donate theirs for you to sell too.
Personal challenges
This is about the stuff that matters to you personally - from your birthday to your New Year's resolutions.
Birthday Fundraising
Set up an online fundraising page and ask for donations instead of presents this year. It might save you from getting the usual hideous pair of socks from grandma too.
Learn more on our Birthdays - Fundraising In Celebration page.
Anniversary and Milestone Events
Whether it's a wedding, anniversary, new baby or retirement, your big or little event could raise money to transform children's lives.
Find out more on our Fundraising in Celebration page.
New Year's Resolutions
On 1 January, set yourself a year-long personal challenge and get sponsored along the way.
Give Something Up
Need to break an unhealthy habit - vaping, alcohol, sweet treats or your six coffees a day? Get sponsored for giving something up or donate the money you're saving by not indulging.
Head Shaves
Could you brave the shave to raise money for children? Chris shaved off his facial hair for Save the Children and raised £2,110 through his JustGiving page, donations at his wife's salon, and contributions at his workplace. His employer then match-funded his efforts, bringing his grand total to £4,220.
Learn Something New
Get sponsored to try something new. It could be taking up a fresh physical challenge like tai chi or samba, or something creative like learning an instrument or starting dancing lessons.
Chris took the radical step of shaving off his facial hair for Save the Children. After setting his target at £100, his JustGiving page, donations at his wife’s salon, and contributions at his workplace raised an incredible £2,110. Chris’ work then match-funded his efforts, bringing his grand total to £4,220.
Primary school takes part in Christmas Jumper Day 2024
Fundraising tip
Matched giving is a great way to boost what you raise. Ask your employer if they have a Matched Giving scheme and you could double what you raise from your fundraising activity.
Community and Workplace Challenges
Bring together friends, family, colleagues or an entire community to raise money for children's futures.
Christmas Jumper Day
Sign up your workplace, school, community or friend group for Save the Children's annual Christmas Jumper Day and join millions of people getting silly for a seriously good cause.
Coffee Mornings
Invite friends, bake some treats, and spend a lovely morning together while raising money. Six-year-old Olivia and three-year-old Millie organized a coffee morning complete with raffle, tombola and scrumptious homemade cakes - bringing in £450.
Quiz Nights
Everyone loves a quiz night. Host one for friends, family or the community at a pub, church hall, your home, or online. Make people donate to enter and maybe hold a raffle on the night to raise even more.
Head to our Guide to Organising a Charity Fundraising Quiz.
School Fundraising
There are loads of ways for your school to fundraise - like a non-uniform day where pupils bring in £1 to take part. We could even become your school's charity of the year.
Head to our School Fundraising page to find out more.
Raffles
You can upgrade lots of these fundraising challenges with a raffle. Ask local businesses to donate a prize in exchange for publicity. Note: There are extra rules for raffles - check out these need-to-knows.
Beach and Community Cleanups
Motivated by seeing news stories from Gaza, five amazing kids - brothers Zac (12), Abel (10), Todd (8) and their cousins Koah (11) and Phoenix (8) - cleaned their local beach to raise funds for children. They beat their £500 target by almost tenfold, raising over £4,738.
Talent Shows and Performances
Whether it's a talent contest, karaoke night or film screening, get your friends, colleagues and family involved and put on the show of your life. Ask people to donate to take part and see if you can get a prize donated for the winners.
Yoga Classes
If you're a yoga teacher or know one, you could hold a not-for-profit class to raise money. Alternatively, challenge yourself or your yoga class to get sponsored to perform a certain number of Sun Salutations.
Golf Events
Sign your golf club up to a fundraising event and you'll be on course for a day you'll never FORE-get.
Head to our Golf Fundraising Ideas to find out more.
Name the...
Ask friends or colleagues to donate to guess the name of the teddy - or whatever you like really. Or get everyone's baby photos together and guess who's who.
Work Sweepstakes
Hold a sweepstake on anything from who'll win the next World Cup to who'll triumph on Traitors, to what your marathon finishing time will be, or the number of sweets in a jar.
Group Challenges
To mark their 500th anniversary, Sedbergh School brought together over 100 students, teachers, parents and alumni to take part in the 2025 Great North Run. They pounded the streets of Newcastle and South Shields, raising more than £48,000 to build a better world for children.
Our fundraising hall of fame
Ready to Start Fundraising?
We are TEAM SAVE—Save the Children's formidable fundraising community. Because childhood is worth fighting for.
Whether you choose an active challenge, creative project, personal milestone or community event, every pound you raise transforms children's lives in the UK and around the world.
Email us at [email protected] to get started with your personal Coach today.
