A-Z of fundraising ideas for charity

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, and on behalf of the Catholic community in England and Wales, CAFOD reaches out to our sisters and brothers living in poverty with the practical help they need - wherever they are in the world and whatever their religion or culture.

Our A-Z of fundraising is a list of exciting ways that you can support this work because, together, we can build a better world with our neighbours - until all of use have all we need.

How to pay in your fundraising

Instructions for online, phone, Just Giving and BACS donations. Thank you!

Fundraising ideas

Fundraise in school using our free resources, tools, tips and 'how to' guides for Brighten Up and World Gifts.

Fundraise for a World Gift

World Gifts are ethical charity gifts that are perfect to fundraise for as a parish or with friends and family.

About CAFOD

CAFOD stands for the Catholic Agency For Overseas Development. We bring hope and compassion to poor communities, standing side by side with them to end poverty and injustice.

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Our A-Z of fundraising is a list of exciting ways that you can support this work because, together, we can build a better world with our neighbours - until all of use have all we need.

Sporting equipment arranged around the words Summer of Hope

Our top fundraising ideas this summer

1. Summer party - Whether it's a parish barbecue, a strawberry tea or a summer fete - the summer sunshine is your chance to come together and raise money for our neighbours in need.

2. Footie fundraiser - Have a penalty shoot-out, see who can do the most keepie-uppies or organise a World Cup sweepstake. Let your competitive streak run wild knowing it's all for a good cause.

3. Plant sale - This is a great fundraiser for children - grow plants to sell and teach them about the wonders of God's Creation and the importance of Christ's call for us to love our neighbours.

A

Art show

Are you an artist? Are any of your friends? Maybe you attend an art class or perhaps you're studying art in school or college. If so, why not put on an art show to raise money for people living in poverty overseas? You could charge an entry fee or just ask for donations. You could even sell some of your works to raise extra funds!

If you're looking for inspiration, you can check out the 'Giving in Unity' art exhibition, an art show and sale by CAFOD supporters held in 2024.

Auction

Online or in person – hold a fundraising auction! There are various sites where you can set up an online auction for charity. You could also donate a percentage (or all) of the funds raised from selling anything unwanted through a CAFOD eBay auction and de-clutter for CAFOD!

B

Bake off!

One of our most popular fundraising event ideas! You could do a stall after Mass, a stand at a school fair, or even a lunch hour in your workplace. Why not try baking something seasonal like a strawberry tart in the summer, or mince pies for Christmas. If you have any showstopper cakes you could auction them to the highest bidder!

Whatever you choose to make, share your bakes on social media, and make sure you tag @CAFOD. Get your friends, family and colleagues to make things as well – some people just love the chance to bake!

Cakes image — Sometimes the old ideas are the best!

Bingo

Search online for fun bingo squares or make your own and charge a fee per game. It couldn't be simpler!

Bring and buy sale

Sell donated goods or World Gifts on a stall. Visit our World Gifts online shop to order your FREE World Gifts catalogue, or find your own treats to sell; cakes, home-made biscuits, Fairtrade goodies or anything you like!

C

Ceilidh

Get in touch with your own Celtic roots or take this opportunity to experience another culture by putting on a Ceilidh in your community. Charge an entry fee, provide food and drink (or encourage people to bring their own) and get ready for an evening of good company, good laughs and, of course, some traditional Celtic dancing.

Celebration

Is it your birthday or anniversary this year? Why not set up a CAFOD Celebration Fund to mark your occasion? It’s a great way to reduce waste from material gifts and share your joy and gratitude with communities around the world.

Climate crisis challenges

How can you try to live greener this year? Maybe you could reduce your consumption by buying less of the things you don't need, buy local where you can or limit your food waste. Help save our beautiful planet and if focusing on simpler, cleaner and greener living saves you money, you could donate what you've saved to CAFOD to help those suffering with the damages of climate change so far.

Visit our Go Green challenges for a great place to start!

Coffee morning

Hold a coffee morning with your friends and family - catch up over a cup of tea or coffee and help communities around the world! Our downloadable guide is full of tips and ways to make your coffee morning a success - all of which can be adapted for a virtual event!

Cooking for CAFOD

Fancy yourself to be a bit of a foodie? Share your cooking know-how with others by offering cooking classes. Maybe you have a favourite food from your culture or a signature dish that's always a crowd-pleaser or maybe it's time to finally share that secret family recipe! Charge a small fee to your pupils or ask them for donations.

Feeling competitive? Turn it into a cooking competition. Challenge your friends to make the best version of your dish or something of their own and see how much money you can raise to support CAFOD's work.

Guess the weight of the cake — Games like this are a great way to turn your parish coffee morning into a fundraiser!

D

Declutter

Do that big clear out you've been putting off and, while you're at it, why not turn your spring cleaning into an opportunity to help others? Simplify your life and give back by decluttering and selling anything in reasonable condition on eBay or a similar platform, with some or all of the proceeds going to CAFOD!

Dinner party

Wine and dine your friends and family for a good cause by hosting a dinner party for CAFOD. Treat them to a night of good food, good drink and good company and see how much you can raise. During these winter months, why not cook up a comforting dish from around the world, such as Jollof Rice with its rich blend of tomatoes and spices, Chicken Adobo with its savory, tangy flavors, or an Aloo Gobi curry, packed with nutritious spices and vegetables. Discover tips and inspiration on our foodie fundraiser page to help you plan and organise your dinner party.

Dance party!

Time to put your best foot forward and throw a dance party. From salsa to line dancing, ballroom to Bollywood - celebrate the vibrant world of music and dance. You could even have a dancing competition, charging participants to enter, or for people to cast their winning vote.

If you'd prefer to dance solo, challenge yourself with a danceathon. Pick a time, get your playlist ready and keep dancing! Get sponsored, post pictures and videos online or stream the whole thing live.

E

Emergency food

This amazing World Gift can make a life-saving difference to a family in urgent need, by providing food to a family who have nothing to eat following an emergency. Buy it yourself or club together with you friends, family or classmates. Either way, you'll be making a huge difference to people in desperate need.

Exercise challenge

What's your favourite way to exercise? Whether it's running, skipping or hula-hooping you can turn your passion into a way to raise money for CAFOD's work with vulnerable communities. Test your limits and get family and friends to sponsor you per mile/skip/minute or set yourself a daily challenge and see how long you can keep it up. If you don't currently exercise then it's a great opportunity to start! Challenge a family member or friend to see who gives in first.

F

Facebook fundraising

Do you have a Facebook account? Is your birthday coming up? Instead of getting presents this year, why not ask for donations to CAFOD? You can fundraise for loads of different things through Facebook and it's simple and easy to set up.

Fancy dress

Dressing up is always fun! Pick a theme and ask your school or workplace to hold a dress-up day for CAFOD! Ask for sponsorship and see how much you could raise.

Or - how about trying it as a family, post pictures and videos online and ask people to join you and donate. You could make it an online event, competition or a challenge, and set up a JustGiving page.

Footie fundraiser

Host your very own footie fundraiser! You could set up your own tournament, have a penalty shoot out or see how many 'keepie-uppies' you can do!

If you don't fancy playing football, why not host a watch party? Invite your friends and family over to watch your team play, provide some tasty snacks and charge an entry fee per person.

Free fundraising

G

Gaming for good

Computer games can do good! If you or someone you know plays a lot of FIFA, Minecraft or some other game, why not have a look at JustGiving, to see how they can turn all that gaming into money raised for CAFOD.

Games day: Scrabble, chess, Trivial Pursuit etc

If the British weather is keeping you indoors, why not hold a marathon board game tournament? Either pay to play or get sponsored. Take pictures or a video and post to social media, tagging @CAFOD and invite donations to CAFOD on our JustGiving site.

Give it up!

Whether it's your favourite sweet treat or computer games or perhaps you're even thinking of going vegetarian, donate the money you save, set up a sponsorship page for CAFOD on JustGiving or download a sponsorship form to fill in yourself.

Download sponsorship form

H

Helpful fairies

Children, (big and small!) why not be a washing up or laundry 'fairy' for your family. You could offer to clean the house, tidy up, or cook! Charge a fee for these odd jobs and donate it to CAFOD. It's also a great way to keep in your family's good books!

Hula hoop contest

How many times can you spin the hula hoop? Organise a hula hoopathon! Don’t forget to get sponsored by the spin, or the length of time you keep the hoop going.

I

International evening

Hold a themed international night and decorate your church or school hall with flags from across the globe.

Search for recipes from around the world or encourage people to bring their own and charge an entry fee. Why not also hold a fundraising quiz and test your friends’ geographical knowledge?

Irish dancing

Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to Riverdance the night away for CAFOD. Use your experience (even if it's just a little) to run an Irish dancing class for friends or family or in your parish. If you have no experience, that's no reason not to get involved, host an Irish dancing competition with your friends and see who can put on the best (or maybe the least worst...) show. Or host a ceilidh in your parish or local community and enjoy an evening of fun that raises money for CAFOD. Abh mor ort!

J

Jamboree

Make and sell jam at a CAFOD jamboree and satisfy your sweet tooth while raising money for CAFOD.

Jollof rice lunch

Come together as a community over a plate of delicious Jollof rice. Nutritious, affordable and low on washing up (you only need one pot!), it's the perfect dish for sharing. Invite people from your parish or local community, you can charge a small fee or ask for donations and make a real difference to the lives of people living in poverty.

Jumble sale

One person's old party outfit can be another person's treasure. Hold an old-fashioned jumble sale – complete with tea, coffee, and cake - and raise money to support CAFOD's work in style!

K

Karaoke

Host a karaoke event for CAFOD and sing for hope this summer. Set up your stage or host an event online, there are numerous sites which offer online Karaoke, and you can join with others as you do it. Donate to take part or watch – or even place bets – who will be the best or worse singer? Who’ll be the first to miss their cue or to crack out a song by your favourite artist? Bonus points for a duet!

Keep clean kit

Help vulnerable families amid challenging circumstances with the Keep clean kit World Gift. You can provide a family displaced from their home with soap, washing powder and reusable, locally-made facemasks – a small way to help families keep peace of mind during unstable times.

Kite-flying competition

Let’s go fly a kite! No matter what the season, the windy weather is never too far away in Britain so challenge your family and friends to make a kite, head out to a country park and see which kite can fly the highest, fly for the longest time - or just not fly away! Charge an amount for each kite entered and let the competition begin!

Knitting for justice!

If you love to knit, crochet or stitch, there are sew many ways to turn your yarn to good. Sell your creations at a stall after Mass, or online. Or how about teaching people your skill: set up a ‘knit and natter’ group with small donations for joining to help people round the world learn skills too?

L

Lego making competition

Gather together all the Lego in your house and challenge your family to get creative. Who can make the most recognisable landmark, or biggest building? Pay to take part or get sponsored per brick or size of building!

M

Marathon or half marathon

Visit our challenge events to find an event that works for you or maybe there's an event in your local area that you want to take part in. Whether it's a marathon, half-marathon, 10k or 5k - however you choose to get involved let us know by emailing events@cafod.org.uk so we can support you on your journey.

Good luck!

Marvellous moo cow

Team up with friends and colleagues for this udderly fantastic World Gift.

At a cost of £150 – this gift can make a long-term difference to a vulnerable family facing food insecurity.

You can sell milkshakes, ice-cream or even hold a cheese and wine evening to raise funds!

N

National celebration

Does your home country have a national celebration? Whether it's the signing of the constitution, a celebration of independence or a patron saint's feast day, why not host a celebration in your local community and fundraise for CAFOD? Get out the flags, hang the bunting and celebrate your national pride with food, music and dancing. Ask attendees to make donations or charge an entry fee with all the proceeds going to supporting CAFOD's work with those in need.

No treats week

Why not try going without one of your favourite foods for a week or a month and asking your friends and family to sponsor you? Maybe chocolate is your vice, or crisps or maybe you want to give up something completely different. Could you go a week without social media? Could you go a month without meat? Choose what you're giving up carefully, if you slip-up you may have to donate too!

Nominate a teacher

Do you have a teacher, youth leader or other adult who is game for a laugh? Would they be willing to have wet sponges thrown at them for charity? Or to have a shave or wax for a good cause? Remember that they should get sponsored for CAFOD too, or charge people a fee to watch it happen.

O

Online fundraising

Almost anything you can think of can become an online fundraiser. Artists, knitters, runners, bakers, quizzers and more keep finding ways to raise money for CAFOD. Choose your activity, make it a bit of a challenge, or sell what you make. Get creative, head over to JustGiving to set up a fundraising page and let your friends and family know what you are up to!

P

Paint off!

Why not hold an art competition and see which of your friends can make the best work of art? You could have an entry fee or auction off some of your artwork at the end. Maybe you're the next Van Gogh just waiting to be discovered or perhaps you could give Frida Kahlo a run for her money. Discover your hidden artistic talents and raise money for CAFOD with your friends!

Pay it forward

Whether it's a cup of coffee from your favourite coffee shop, a sweet treat on the way back from work or a new piece of clothing for that upcoming party, turn treating yourself into a chance to treat people living with poverty overseas by matching the cost of your coffee (or whatever you treat yourself too) with a donation to CAFOD. You can donate online on your phone so you can even do it right there in the shop!

That coffee will taste even better knowing it's helped someone in need.

Pennies from Heaven!

Why not save up all your loose change and donate the total to CAFOD. Fill up an empty jar and you’ll be surprised at how much you can raise!

Pillowy balls of comfort - Nigerian Puff Puffs

Get ready to bring the flavours of Nigeria into your kitchen with this sweet treat, often enjoyed at celebrations. It's the perfect way to get people together and celebrate whilst raising money for a good cause.

We’re thrilled to have Chef Olayemi Adelekan, semi-finalist of MasterChef UK 2022, share her love for traditional Nigerian ingredients and cuisine. Watch the video below to see Olayemi share with us her delicious Puff Puff recipe.

Puzzle night

Host an evening of puzzles and games for CAFOD. Plan your own or have a look online for ideas and test your guests' problem-solving skills. If they get really stuck, they can make a donation for an extra clue to help them work it out so make them as hard as you dare! It's all for a good cause after all...

Q

Quiet!

Give your parents or carers (or maybe even your partner!) the gift of peace by keeping silent for a day with this popular fundraising activity. Get sponsored – you might find people will pay good money to see this - and if you do it in a group with siblings or friends, you can fine each other for talking!

Quizzes

They say you learn something new every day, well did you know that CAFOD has loads of online resources to help you hold your own quiz? Just ask for a donation per entrant and raise money for CAFOD while you play.

R

Raffles

Everyone loves a raffle! Get friends and family or local businesses to donate prizes, and then invite people to take part in an online raffle. Remember to give people their prizes (top tip), and look out for our CAFOD Raffle

Recipe book

Use your cooking know-how to make a difference by putting together your own recipe book and selling it online, in your parish or in your local community. Get your friends and family together to all contribute their signature dish and see how much money you can raise to help support CAFOD's work.

Reduce, re-use, recycle

With the climate crisis worsening, we all need to do our bit. Whether it's reducing your consumption and donating the money you save to CAFOD, re-using your old clothes and knick-knacks by selling them on ebay or upcycling old items to make something new to sell. urn your commitment to living more sustainably into a chance to raise money for communities living with the effects of climate change.

Get your parish, school or youth group involved and you can even apply to be a part of CAFOD's LiveSimply award to get the recognition you deserve for all your hard work.

S

Sweepstake

Set up a sweepstake with friends, family, colleagues, or your parish and let the fun begin. Draw teams, athletes, or events at random, then watch the excitement build as the competition unfolds. Not just a sports fan? Run one for your favourite TV show instead — think Bake Off, The Apprentice, or The Traitors — with each person rooting for their assigned contestant. Ask everyone to chip in a small entry fee as a donation to CAFOD.

Screen fasting

After a long day at work or school many of us like nothing more than cosying up in front of a screen with a nice hot cup of tea or a favourite snack, but if you can resist that, then maybe you can use your willpower to raise funds for good!

Ask for sponsorship for you or your family to have a break from social media, gaming online or watching your favourite TV programmes. And if you break your challenge, pay a fine to CAFOD!

Simple community lunch

Host a simple community lunch for CAFOD. Invite your friends and family to share a simple lunch of soup, stew, curry or whatever you fancy and raise vital funds for those living in poverty. Invite your guests to make their own speciality sharing dish for others to try or maybe you fancy doing the cooking yourself.

However you choose to host your simple community lunch, read this advice for holding your event and browse our tasty recipes!

T

Tennis fundraiser

There are so many ways you can have fun and get creative with your tennis fundraiser. From a tennis-themed garden party to your own tennis tournament, the possibilities are endless! Check out our tennis fundraiser page for more ideas and tips on how to organise your own event.

Talent show

Hold a contest to showcase the talents of your family or friends! Hold in person or online, set up a JustGiving page, inviting donations to CAFOD.

Treasure hunt

Create a treasure hunt around the house (or garden), with clues and challenges to see which of your family can find the treasure horde of chocolate treats. You can charge per entrant or ask guests to donate online.

U

Ultra Challenge series

Does 25km sound like a long way? How about 50km or 100? If you fancy a challenge (walking, running, cycling or swimming), there are events in different parts of the country, as well as virtually. Have a look at the full list - you can sign up for as many as you like. Just pick CAFOD as your charity and get fundraising!

Upcycling

Create sock puppets, craft key holders or cook up some candles! Go online for inspiration, get crafty, and sell your creations for a suggested donation. Post pictures and videos on social media and tag @CAFOD so we can all enjoy them.

V

Virtual fundraising

Almost anything can be a virtual fundraiser: exercise, fasting, challenges. Think of what your friends would be surprised or impressed to see you doing and set up a Virtual Fundraiser. Visit our page on JustGiving and see how easy it is to promote your activity to friends, inviting them to donate.

W

Wine tasting

Host a wine tasting event where attendees pay an entry fee to sample different wines. Complement the wine with nibbles, cheeses or chocolates. You could also include a 'bottle tombola' with some of the wines you've sampled that evening.

Workshop

Offer a skills workshop where people pay a fee to learn something new. From cooking to crafting to photography - use your best skills for good! You could host a seasonal workshop by teaching wreath-making, baking autumnal pies or making your own summer fruits jams. Sell your homemade crafts after Mass to raise even more.

World Gifts

World Gifts are CAFOD's alternative charity gifts that transform lives! You can buy gifts online or fundraise for a group gift with friends, family, your parish, or school.

Work towards buying a community water supply, or even a health clinic! There's a JustGiving page you can use to fundraise as a community: just pick a gift, ask people to donate or raise money from your events.

Find out about World Gifts

X

Xbox tournament

Xbox and other games consoles are available, and you can use any of them to host a virtual fundraising day or night or both for CAFOD. Go to JustGiving for more info.

Y

Yarn-bombing

Can you knit? If you can, why not think about yarn-bombing for CAFOD? Knit something colourful to brighten up your local area and find somewhere for your knitted creation where people will see it (making sure to ask for permission first!). Why not attach a QR code (you can order these for free from the CAFOD shop) so people can donate using their smartphone?

Or get some friends together and set up a whole trail of your knitted creations (just make sure to check on them regularly) and promote it in your parish or on local social media sites.

Yummy creations sale

Why not try your hand at baking or making some sweet treats and selling them after Mass or in your school? Sometimes the oldest ideas are the best and this classic fundraiser is certainly sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

...Fair enough, this is just the same as the 'Bake Off!' idea but 'Y' is a hard letter to come up with fundraising ideas for. The take-home message is that there really are unlimited ways to fundraise for CAFOD. One for (nearly) every letter of the alphabet and as many more as you can think up!

Z

Zzz

Still looking for fun, sponsorship ideas? You've come to the end of our list! If you've tried one of our suggestions, we'd love to hear how you got on and if you've tried more than one, you're due for a well-earned rest. Zzz

Thank you so much for your fundraising

Your fundraising makes such a difference towards building a better world free of poverty and injustice.

You can find more help and advice in our how to fundraise guide and on our health and safety pages. If you'd like a sponsorship form you can download it here.

We'd love to hear from you about your fundraising as well - tag @CAFOD in your social media posts or email events@cafod.org.uk