Video: Top ten workplace fundraising ideas

Let’s face it, workplaces can be a little cold and loveless. So why not add some fun and entertainment into your workplace? And why not raise some money for charity while you do so?

 

Embrace the weird and wonderful world of workplace fundraising, with dodgy clothes, pointless dares, auctions and raffles, sweepstakes and swear jars. In this article, we look at the top ten fundraising ideas for the workplace, with a particular focus on the silly and the playful. 

 

 

1. Fancy dress

 

The limits of fancy dress are endless. We suggest themes – and not normal ones. Find something interesting, like ‘guess the inventor’. Or better still, choose ’characters that hide in plain sight’ so that seven of your colleagues come to work dressed as Wally of Where’s Wally? fame.

 

Or pick a theme that marries with your organisation. So, for example, if you are a publishing house, you could come as your favourite characters from books. If you are a sports clubs, come as the athletic superheroes from your childhood.

 

An important point: always ensure fancy dress remains respectful. Pick an appropriate theme and enjoy the fun. Be creative, not stupid. No one wants HR to join the party.  

 

 

2. Trivia night 

 

What’s one of the most popular fundraising ideas for the workplace?

 

That’s right, fancy dress, but we’ve already covered that. So let’s go a little tamer, a little more intellectual. Trivia nights are a great excuse to get everyone together. They are easy to organise, just requiring you to gather teams, find a host, and prep some questions that you found online – or for the more adventurous, devising your own questions.

 

Ask people to pay the price of the ticket, pick some cheap prizes for the winners, and serve drinks and food to cater to guests and raise a little extra. Encourage donations during the event – once the booze has started flowing – by popping QR codes on tables for people to scan and donate, or add a donation button to Zoom or other platforms if your fundraising is virtual.

 

And, if you are brave, combine trivia night with fancy dress. Maybe some of you could disguise yourselves as people who know some of the answers.

 

 

3. Swear or sorry jars

 

This is the long-term fundraising solution to end all long-term fundraising solutions. It goes on forever. Two of the most popular options are swear jars and sorry jars, but you can really use the fundraising device to mould behaviour in any way you like. We are not suggesting you manipulate your colleagues, but the fundraising solution provides a pretty sound incentive.

 

You could ask for a donation each time someone hums or sings a song that the office loathes. You could have a jar for each time someone leaves the lid off the coffee. It’s entirely up to you. 

 

 

4. Sponsored silence

 

Ask friends, colleagues, people on socials, family, and whoever else to sponsor you for a length of silence. You could even take part in a team-wide sponsored silence. If you do so, consider picking a day when you are not all stuck in meetings, particularly with clients. Clients tend to like talking. 

 

If there are only internal meetings, get creative and find ways around them, using tech to support the silence.

 

 

5. Sweepstake at work

 

Remember the Euros? When was football heading in our general direction? The sweepstake provides a lot of fun – and it does not need to always revolve around football. You could have sweepstakes on the number of sweets in a certain jar, the time it would take bragging Barry from Sales to run 100m, the number of mouthfuls it takes to finish an out-of-date cake, and so on. 

 

Remember to ask everyone to donate when entering the sweepstake. And, as ever, try to provide some information about your cause. Every fundraising event, however silly, however small, is an opportunity to create a lifelong donor. 

 

6. Donate your skills

 

Sell your skills. If your manager can play the piano or ukulele, sell that. Even if they play badly, perhaps especially if they play badly, you’ll surely make some money. Ask your team whether they have any hidden talents and auction each of them – sell your origami, cookery, or any other skills. 

 

 

7. Alternative facepainting

 

Pay not to have your face painted, but to paint faces.

 

Yes, auction off all (willing) colleagues’ faces and let havoc commence. Employees can bid on friends (or enemies) in the office and paint their faces however they so choose. Ask the office to supply the equipment, bid on faces for charity, and, as ever, do not be inappropriate. 

 

 

8. Christmas jumper day

 

It’s a classic. We all have that one jumper that raises eyebrows. Perhaps a family member knitted you a snowman with a creepy orange nose several years ago and you don’t have the heart not to wear it. Perhaps you have one arm stretching to the floor, while the other resembles a vest. Perhaps you have all of the above. It’s time to embrace your sartorial strangeness – for charity. 

 

Christmas Jumper Day ’tis the least wonderful time of the year, but it can raise money for people who need support. For those without cruel but well-meaning family members, any high street store will sell an odd-looking jumper that you can buy. But remember: the nicest option is the least likely to raise money. The embarrassing jumpers, the ones that look the absolute worst, are the best.  

 

 

9. Battle of the beards

 

Grow out your beard for an extended period of time and compete to see who looks the most like a Viking. Pick a time frame, perhaps a month, maybe a year for the more adventurous. If you’re working often with clients, the latter option may not be the best idea, as clients typically do not like to be surrounded by several Rasputin lookalikes. 

 

In recent years, the battle of the beards has led to popular offshoots. Movember is a good example, which has raised millions men’s mental health through the simple growth of the moustache.  

 

 

10. Duvet days

 

We end with our favourite. Host a raffle, selling hundreds of tickets internally, and offer the most exceptional prize. Yes, the lucky winner gets to have a day off work, without any repercussions, just to lounge around under the duvet, watching their favourite TV programmes. 

 

Obviously the raffle should include everyone and obviously it should be signed off by line managers and HR first. Charities could also offer other prizes in a similar vein, such as an hour extra in bed, an summer afternoon in the sun, or some extended lunch breaks.