Fundraising event trends charities need to know

Fundraising events are booming in 2022, having mostly recovered from the struggles that arose amid the pandemic and the restrictions that came with it. 

Many charities during that time managed to hold events in a virtual capacity, pivoting their fundraising from in-person activities to challenges that could be participated in remotely. With lockdown restrictions limiting the number of people who could gather, and fundraisers themselves uncomfortable with crowds, the ability to go virtual was a boon for some charities.  

Many of the challenges that arose during COVID-19 are still here, even as the world opens up. In fact, many of them pre-existed the pandemic. The demand for virtual and hybrid events has been there for many years, with people unable to join due to physical and geographical constraints, as well as other issues of accessibility. 

While COVID-19 may not have been the cause, it certainly was the catalyst for many charities embracing virtual and, later, hybrid events. Adding a virtual element to all physical events is now not only recommended, it’s required for all charities who want their fundraising events to be inclusive for everyone, wherever they join from.  

With more than half of charities saying that fundraising events will grow in 2022 – and with the new financial year just starting – there has never been a better time to get inspiration for your own events and start planning.  

In this article, we will outline the key event trends that are on the rise in 2022 and talk about two charities who held successful hybrid fundraising events with a difference.

What’s trending in events in 2022? 

Public appetite for events 

Event trends, like everything else in the charity sector, shift all the time, but change  has been particularly rapid over the last two to three years. In 2020, the desire to get involved in public events predictably waned because of the pandemic and associated restrictions, though the appetite for charitable giving remained high.  

Still, in Spring 2021, 29% of people in the UK said they were likely or quite likely to take part in a fundraising event over the next six months, according to Enthuse’s Donor Pulse Report. In Spring 2022, that number has risen 19 percentage points to 48%, meaning nearly half of the public feel confident in taking part in fundraising events as before.  

However, while confidence is growing, there are still many people feeling more cautious. When asked about planning major commitments for 2022, more than two in five say they are getting on with it and hoping for the best, while a third are making some plans but not as many as they used to. Most interestingly, a fifth are avoiding making any major plans at all.  

This split shows, once again, the importance of giving supporters the option of how they participate in your upcoming events. While more than half of Gen Z and millennials are willing to continue with events as before the pandemic, older age groups are less keen to risk a hasty return to normality. Without a hybrid approach, charities risk excluding large parts of their audience either way.  

The cost of living 

The report also revealed that the increased cost of living could have an impact on how people choose to participate in fundraising events. The costs of travel and training, added to sign-up fees and other costs, means that some younger supporters may feel financially unable to participate in your event.  

This was cited as a concern for 64% of Gen Z respondents. Charities should consider how they can best remove these barriers, just as they did during COVID-19 – making it easier to join from where they live is one solution.  

However, despite these concerns, Enthuse’s Donor Pulse report shows us that millennials and Gen Z are still leading the way in likelihood to take part in a fundraising event. Nearly two thirds (65%) of under-40s expect to take part in a charity event, while 37% of over-40s say the same. The report concludes that this trend is “encouraging and provides an opportunity to communicate with all supporters about participation”. 

The rise of wellbeing events 

For mass participation events, the report shows that over half of the public are happy to take part now – more than twice the number of those who are not (26%). In Spring 2021, only 27% said they would get involved in mass participation events. 

But this increase does not affect the appetite for virtual events. Nearly three in five people say they are interested in virtual events where you take part in your own time, while 63% report interest in virtual activities that take place at the same time as a physical event. When building events, then, charities should consider how they can extend their reach by adding a virtual element. Supporters want the choice.  

The Donor Pulse report also shows that the public is interested primarily in fundraising events that help their personal wellbeing as well as a good cause. Smaller activities with friends and colleagues have the widest popularity among respondents overall, though they proved more popular with women than men.   

Exercise challenges, which also contribute to health goals, were the second most popular events, with 44% interested in taking part, while more than a third want to get involved in large group events such as fun runs and walks.  

More intense events such as marathons and half marathons proved less popular, likely due to the commitment needed to take part. These were more popular among men and supporters under 40.  

You can find lots of different and innovative event ideas on the Charity Digital website, from workplace fundraising to sports-based fundraising and virtual events, but for some inspiration in action, here are two charities who made their fundraising events a huge success by embracing digital.

What types of events are charities holding? 

Dig Deep’s story 

Every year, Dig Deep (Africa), a small UK-based charity that helps people in Kenya get access to clean water and sanitation, runs challenge activities for its fundraisers, including one big flagship event where fundraisers climb Mount Kilimanjaro and visit the communities that their donations will be helping. 

In 2020, these events had to be postponed and the charity had to create alternatives for its supporters and donors.   

From a desire to create an event that was innovative, inclusive, and flexible, Dig Deep came up with the concept of Kilometres for Kenya, in which supporters were asked to walk 100km in a month to raise funds, from wherever they live.  

With the help of fundraising platform Enthuse and its Virtual Journeys solution, Dig Deep created a dynamic map, taking fundraisers on a virtual interactive tour around the rural locations where the charity’s volunteers work. 

The charity was able to bring its work to life by telling supporters about its beneficiaries at each milestone and allowing them to see the importance of their fundraising. 

The event was a success. Setting the fundraising target at a challenging but achievable £100 per person, nearly half of participants exceeded that target, with the top fundraiser raising more than £1,300.  

In total, the event raised more than £10,000 including Gift Aid and Dig Deep were able to engage people of all ages, from all over the country, including old, lapsed and new donors. The event was such a success that participants can sign up for the next one here.  

Education Support’s story 

Education Support, a charity which provides mental health and wellbeing support services to education staff and organisations, found itself in a predicament when it came to its main supporter base. 

Being a charity with a long history, its supporter profile mostly consisted of over-75s who donated through their pensions. The charity needed to widen its support among other demographics so it could reach more people and improve how it fundraised.  

As we’ve seen above, challenge events which have a wellbeing element are very popular among younger audiences. With this in mind, Education Support chose to host a virtual event to attract new donors, called Strides Against Stress.

The event, which coincided with Stress Awareness Month, challenged participants to walk or run at least 30 miles – a mile a day – throughout the month. 

The way the event worked, headteachers were able to sign up and then invite their staff, so schools could participate as teams. The ability to share and promote the event online and through social media also helped the charity widen its reach.  

In the end, the event attracted fundraisers from all over the UK, many of whom had not previously heard of Education Support. The majority of participants were aged between 30 and 50, bringing their average supporter age down by more than 25 years. More than four in five said they were looking forward to taking part in the challenge again next year.