The Best Summer Fundraising Ideas in the UK

It’s time to start brainstorming your summer fundraising ideas now that the government’s lockdown strategy is finally easing up. Be responsible, have fun, raise money, and bring people together again for a good cause. Take a look at our top summer fundraising ideas in the UK to get you started.

Game, Set, Match

Wimbledon is synonymous with the British summer. Leading up to the event and during the first two weeks of July, people are talking about nothing other than the famous British tennis tournament. So why not throw a summer fundraising Wimbledon-themed garden party? Everyone can donate to dress-up as their favourite tennis icon and purchase strawberries and cream, which will optimise your charitable contributions. Don’t forget about a glass of refreshing Pimm’s to get your supporters into the spirit! You could even organise a mini tennis tournament with your guests. Ask everyone to make a donation to participate and raise more money for your charity.

The Grand Tour

Another celebrated summer event on the other side of the pond is great to incorporate into your summer fundraising ideas. The Tour de France is a great excuse to get a group of friends, colleagues, and even kids cycling during the long summer days. Why not add a list of famous monuments to visit on your cycling route and get sponsored for visiting each one? Post photos of the landmarks online so your sponsors feel like they’re accompanying you on your journey. Already on a cycling team? How about setting up your own fundraising cycling tournament with our crowdfunding software?

Check out our guide on organizing a bike-a-thon.

Boules Rule!

Sticking to our French-themed summer fundraising ideas, what better than setting up a Boules tournament and sweepstake? With the long summer days, a fun outdoor competition could be a great way for all ages to raise money for charity. Organise teams ahead of time and ask teams to make a charitable donation, as well as receive contributions from the sweepstake to predict the winning team. Host a live stream for those who cannot attend to show your sponsors the action. After the tournament, why not invite your sponsors to make a charitable donation to take part in a cheese and wine tasting evening to continue the French-themed event – Vive la France!

Summer Clean

We’ve all heard of a Spring Clean but what about a Summer Clean? Declutter your house and turn your unwanted stuff into a great summer fundraising idea. You could either hold a car boot sale to raise funds for your chosen charity or set up a free online store and sell everything online. Why not get a group of friends together to all do a Summer Clean, making it an even larger summer fundraising campaign with even more things to sell, whilst being the envy of everyone else with your new tidy house.

Summer Fetes and Fairs

Looking for summer fete fundraising ideas? Welcome the warm weather with a classic summer fete to raise funds for a good cause and reignite the sense of community fundraising again. Raise money on every ticket purchased, drink sipped, food munched, charity raffle chanced, face painted, and jump on the bouncy castle, all in the heart of British summer.

Don’t forget to make customized merchandise for your chosen charity to sell to maximise donations.

Hole in One for Summer Fundraising

Plan your charity golf day and have fun in the sun while raising vital funds for your chosen charity. See you at the nineteenth hole for the after-party!

Start a golf tournament fundraiser

Make a Splash

Dive into the summer and grab your trunks with a summer swimming fundraiser. From swim-a-thons to penny dives to long-distance challenges, swimming events for charity are a great way to raise money for a good cause while also testing your skills and endurance in the water. Why not ask your favorite swim instructors to volunteer some of their free time and auction off swimming lessons as a prize?

Summer BBQ’s

As soon as the first rays of the sunshine are spotted, Brits are barbecuing! So why not turn this treasured pastime into a summer fundraising idea? Invite friends, family, and colleagues to a local park for a picnic or BBQ and sell tickets to eat and drink. Plan some park activities like rounders, a five-aside football match or even an egg and spoon race and ask for a small donation to participate to get everyone involved in the fun.

A Night to Remember

Organising a charity night is a great idea for a summer fundraiser and a perfect opportunity to get friends, family and colleagues together for an evening to remember. Why not plan a charity auction with our easy-to-use auction websites? Remember if you’re selling tickets, make sure your price covers all of your costs and a small donation. The auction and sponsorships are where the real money comes in.

A Sponsored Dog Walk

Take to your local park this summertime and organise a sponsored dog walk with dog lovers in your community.

You could even run a dog show or doggie costume contest and raffle off some dog products and a local grooming session as prizes. Use our raffle prize donation letter template to ask for prizes from local businesses.

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Environmental Fundraising Ideas for Summertime

Environmental consciousness is on the rise, and what better way to make a lasting impact, than setting up a charity campaign for World Environment Day on 5th June? This helps to clean the community and conserve natural resources.

Eco-friendly summer fundraising ideas can include:

Customizing and selling reusable shopping bags
Planting trees in environmentally sensitive areas
Hosting an outdoor organic fair with support from local businesses and individuals
Hosting a raffle of eco-friendly gifts
A rubbish clean-up in your area, where collected waste products can be bagged and taken to the local recycling center

Get Running

Say goodbye to the rain this summer and get your trainers on. Whether organizing a marathon or a walk-a-thon fundraiser, exercising outdoors is a great summer fundraising idea for all ages and abilities. Have fun and arrange a themed run where people dress up or even a Color Run. To raise more funds, don’t hesitate to set up a crowdfunding campaign and ask for your community’s support.

Chocoholics Beware

Chocolate events work for Summer Fundraising Ideas

Who doesn’t like chocolate? If you have a sweet tooth, a chocolate fundraiser for World Chocolate Day on 7^th July could be perfect. Why not host a chocolate-themed party with games and activities or a bake sale to sell your products as a creative summer fundraising idea? You could even ask local chocolate businesses to sponsor your summer fundraising campaign by donating prizes and raffling them off. The opposite of this (and a summer fundraising idea to test your willpower) would be to set up a fundraiser to give up chocolate and treats for the month of July. Create a customized P2P campaign page and get sponsors to donate to your sweet-fasting challenge and raise money for a good cause.