Six fundraising ideas for environmental charities

Climate change is arguably the biggest challenge the world is facing. It’s imperative that all charities play a part in helping to reduce our carbon footprint, and getting the UK on track to achieve Net Zero by 2050.

 

If you are an environmental charity, you have a greater responsibility to engage the public in your mission and in fighting climate change. Here are six fundraising ideas to help engage supporters, the public, and corporates to raise funds and make a positive difference to the environment at the same time.

 

Second-hand book sale

 

According to an industry report by the Publishers Association, 669 million physical books were sold in the UK in 2022. That’s roughly ten books per person in the UK.

 

We’re clearly a nation of readers so why not organise a book sale to raise funds and help the environment at the same time.

 

Organise a book sale yourself in a local community centre or church and ask your supporters to organise their own book sales at home, at work or in their own communities.

 

 

Upcycling workshops

 

Furniture such as chairs, dressers, tables, and cupboards can often find themselves on the way to the skip or recycling centre when their owners decide they’re past their prime or are not to their taste.

 

Instead of throwing out old furniture, we should be upcycling them instead. Old fashioned pieces can be transformed into more modern pieces with just a little bit of love and attention – and skill!

 

London-based social enterprise, Petit Miracles, offers upcycling workshops where you can learn how to upholster, upcycle furniture and restoration.

 

Consider starting your own upcycling workshops and charge people to attend. Not only will they leave with an item they love, but they’ll have also prevented their furniture from going to landfill.

 

 

‘Go vegan’ challenge

 

In 2021, the Climate Change Committee recommended that people need to reduce the amount of meat that they eat, both for their health and for the planet.

 

In the UK, vegans account for only 2% of the population and 6% identify as vegetarian. A recent YouGov survey found that a further 3% of people would challenge themselves to a vegan diet throughout January and that 12% of non-vegans between 18-24 said that they would take on a vegan challenge.

 

Set up a Facebook Fundraiser and Group and challenge your supporters to go vegan for a month. You can also run paid ads to target a colder audience who would be interested in taking on the challenge. In 2023, Veganuary broke records with over 700,000 people taking part, so the appetite for this challenge is there.

 

 

Partner with an eco-friendly brand

 

There are so many brands, big and small, who are producing eco-friendly products and looking for CSR (corporate social responsibility) opportunities. For example, wildlife charity WWF has partnered with skincare brand Liz Earle.

 

Together they are working towards restoring and protecting seagrass meadows along the Isle of Wight coastline (which is the home of Liz Earle) and across the UK.

 

If you’re a small environmental charity, research small eco brands to partner with. A top tip is to search Instagram and TikTok using search terms or hashtags such as #SmallBusiness #EcoBusiness #EcoFriendlyProducts etc.

 

Once you’ve identified an eco-brand you’d like to approach about a partnership, be sure to do your due diligence. You may also want to seek legal advice in terms of licensing your brand.

 

 

Clean up fundraiser

 

Organise a clean-up fundraiser in a designated part of your community. This could be a beach, canal, river, or even a park. On the day, volunteers are given gloves, a rubbish bag, and a litter pick to help them clean up the area. They could also wear branded charity t-shirts to help raise awareness of your cause.

 

Ask volunteers to get sponsored for taking part in the clean-up. You could also approach local businesses to sponsor the event or donate prizes to whoever picks up the most litter.

 

 

Pre-loved clothes swap party

 

We’re living in an age of ‘fast fashion’, where an item worn by a celebrity can be reproduced and on sale online in just ten days. Research shows that people wear an item of clothing an average of ten times and that one in three young women consider an item worn just once or twice to ‘be old.’

 

According to Clothes Aid, 350,000 tonnes of usable clothing end up in landfill each year in the UK. Why not encourage your supporters to get their friends together to organise a pre-loved clothes swap, where a donation is made to take part. 

 

This can also work in an office environment. Not only will it raise funds, but it will also help stop perfectly good clothing ending up in landfill.