A-Z fundraising ideas

Raising money to start new cancer cures is as easy as ABC! Spark ideas for your own event with this A-Z of fundraising ideas. 

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You can't spell CURES without U, and we can't start cures without you either. 

Looking to raise money for Worldwide Cancer Research and become a Curestarter, but not sure where to start? From sporty challenges to social events, spark your imagination with our A-Z of fundraising ideas. 

Organise your own event

A-I

A

Abseil: take your fundraising to new heights with a sponsored abseil.

Afternoon tea: tea, scones, finger sandwiches, and raising money for charity - who could ask for more?

Arts and crafts: sell what you make or host a ticketed workshop.

Art exhibition: showcase local artists (or your own creative efforts!) and charge a small amount for entry.

Auction: source exciting items or experiences to be auctioned off - either online or at an event. 

B

Bake Sale: from pound cakes to pound coins, sell some delicious homemade treats to raise crucial funds. 

Bingo: you've got to be in it to win it, who will check off all their numbers first?

BBQ: whether it's with friends and family or colleagues and your local community, fire up the grill for a charity BBQ. 

Burns Night: enjoy Scottish traditions and raise money for a Scottish charity.

Black Tie Event: get your glad rags on and host an evening extravaganza.

Birthday: no ideas for your birthday list this year? ask your loved ones to donate to your favourite charity instead. 

Bowling: lace up those bowling shoes and enjoy a little competition for charity.

C

Coffee Morning: What could be better than starting the day with a chat, a coffee, and some charity fundraising?

Cycling Challenge: Feel the burn with a sponsored cycle.

Comedy Night: Practice your stand up routine and trade belly laughs for big donations. 

Car Wash: Pick a sunny day to shine up local cars - for a fee of course.

Car Boot Sale: Declutter your house and raise funds for charity - it's a win win!

D

Dinner Party: channel your inner Come Dine With Me competitor and cook your socks off for charity.

Dance Competition: whether you're competing over skill or stamina, hit the dance floor and strut your stuff. 

Darts Tournament: take aim to hit your fundraising target with a fun darts tournament.

Decade-Theme Party: platform shoes or padded shoulders? Dig out your best retro outfit for a decade-theme party.

E

Eurovision Party: celebrate this world-famous song contest with a world-themed party.

Extreme Challenge: get your adrenaline pumping and tick an item off your bucket list.

Ebay or Etsy: whether you're selling your creations or decluttering your cupboards, selling online can raise plenty of cash.

F

Fancy Dress: who doesn't love an excuse to dress up? Perfect for fundraising at school or work. 

Football Match: score a winning goal for game-changing research.

Fashion Show: reach out to your local boutiques and suggest a fabulously fashionable fundraiser. 

G

Golf Day: from mini golf to the longest day golf challenge, pick up your clubs for a great cause.

Games Night: board games, video games or even just a round of charades - all you need are people to play with.

Give It Up: got a habit you want to kick? motivate yourself with a plan to raise money with your efforts. 

H

Hiking Challenge: whether by yourself or with a group, a hiking challenge is a great way to get fundraising in the great outdoors.

Head Shave: a bold move for bold research - a sponsored head shave is a phenomenal way to raise funds.

I

Iron Man Challenge: not for the faint-hearted, but we believe in you! Can you tough it out?

Its a Knockout: the ultimate activity day - perfect for schools, colleges, workplaces and community groups.

Successfully completing our first long-distance hike gave us the idea that we should push ourselves further and raise some cash for a worthwhile cause in the process. In the end we raised more than £8000 to help fund new cancer cures!

Lynne and Tim our incredible Curestarters

J-R

J

Jumble Sale: have you got a pile of unwanted or unloved items that could have a new lease of life in a new home?

Jazz Night: smooth tunes and good company - a winning fundraising combination. 

K

Karaoke Night: who has got the X Factor? Host a charity karaoke night and find out if you put the star in Curestarter.

Kayaking: take to the water and cruise your way to victory.

Kilt Walk: get into your stride at a family-friendly Kilt Walk event. 

L

Learn a New Skill: get sponsored to skill up, and share important milestones with your sponsors to keep up your motivation.

Live Streaming: fundraise your way - and reach a global audience - with charity streaming!

Loony Dook: take the plunge for vital cancer research - and feel the 'brrrr'. 

M

Murder Mystery: Whodunnit? Find out with your very own murder mystery party.

Matched Funding: Many workplaces offer matched funding to support employee fundraising - why not check with yours?

N

Name the Teddy: a fantastic family-friendly fundraiser - whoever guesses Ted's name, gets to take him home!

No Makeup Selfie: go bare-faced to boost your fundraising - and challenge your friends to join in!

Nature Walk: whether in a group or going it alone, why not go fundraising in the fresh air?

O

Open Mic Night: know any budding comedians, musicians or poets? Anyone can take to the stage on an open mic night.

Office Fundraising: want to raise money at work but not sure how? Why not send round a survey asking for suggestions?

Open Garden: are you a green-thumbed gardener? Show off your outdoor oasis with an open garden - just charge for entry!

P

Poker Night: poker with a twist - all money won gets donated to charity.

Press Up Challenge: who has the strength to hold out the longest? Find out with a press up challenge.

Q

Quiet Hour: Shh! During a quiet hour event, there's a donation for every noise made. 

Quiz Night: Test your team's trivia knowledge with a fun quiz night to raise money for charity. 

R

Raffle: Reach out to local businesses to ask for raffle donations - great prizes often spark great donations!

Rowing: No rivers in sight? The good news is, a rowing challenge can be completed just as easily at your local gym!

It's a real highlight to our week when we have a Scrabble session. I feel very happy to be called a Curestarter, and I really would like to feel responsible for saving people's lives. I'm no nurse or medic so this is my way of helping. 

Carol our incredible Curestarter

S-Z

S

Skydive: Reach new heights and brave a tandem skydive for charity.

Sports Event or Challenge: challenge yourself and help us challenge cancer. 

Sports Day: Reminisce about your childhood with a school sports day themed event. 

Street Party: Invite all of your neighbours to join you for a local street party for charity. 

T

Treasure Hunt: a brilliant fundraising activity to get the kids (and kids at heart involved)!

24 Hour Challenge: test your endurance and think about something you could challenge yourself to do for a full day and night!

Talent Show: Show off your best talents and then show off about how much money you've raised!

U

Unplug from Tech: could you give up technology completely? How long could you manage? Get sponsored to switch off. 

Uniform Free Day: whether at school or at work, skip the uniform for the day in exchange for a small donation.

V

Variety Show: host a variety show in your local community and enjoy an evening of entertainment (and fundraising!)

Virtual Challenge: thanks to modern technology, you don't even need to leave the comfort of your own home to take on a new challenge - and the possibilities are endless!

W

Walking Challenge: take more steps to stop cancer with a walking challenge - where will you do it, how will you do it, how far will you walk? There are no shortage of options to suit every fundraiser. 

World Record Attempt: by yourself or in a group, why not try and break a world record to raise money?

Wear Yellow Day: bring some sunshine and encourage people to wear Worldwide Cancer Research yellow for the day and make a small donation. 

X

X-Box/Playstation/Video Game Tournament: Get comfy and play to win (and raise money) with a video game tournament. And why not think about reaching an even bigger audience by choosing to livestream it?

Y

Yoga Marathon: why not run, or take, a yoga class and ask the attendees to contribute a small fee to donate to charity?

Year Long Challenge: be in it for the long haul and ask for sponsorship for a 365 day challenge (or 366 days if you pick a leap year!)

Z

Zipslide the Clyde: be a daredevil and experience Glasgow from new heights by gliding over the river Clyde!

Zumba: set up a class or find some videos online and host a fun physical challenge for you and your friends. 

Organise your own event

Have fun and raise crucial funds

From the tried and tested to the unique and unexpected, organise your own fundraising event and support pioneering research. When it comes to starting new cures, every penny makes a difference.

Get in touch

Tell us your fundraising plans

We'd love to hear more about how you'll be raising funds for more crucial cancer research

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