Wanting to start small for your first time fundraising? Organising a fundraising event, but want to incorporate another aspect to boost the total? You’re in the right place! Welcome to our guide of mini fundraisers that all make a big impact.
A raffle is a fun and easy way to raise money while giving your supporters the chance to win great prizes in return for their donations. Supporters can take part with just a simple ticket purchase, and the more tickets you sell, the more funds you raise!
Ask local businesses, friends, or family to donate prizes, making sure they appeal to your audience. We can provide letters of authorisation for you to prove that you’re fundraising for us, so remember to get in touch and ask for one!
Promote the raffle through social media, local events, and word of mouth.
Host a live draw either online or in person and announce the winners.
Ensure winners receive their prizes promptly and thank everyone who participated.
We have a guide on paying in donations to help you get your funds to us safely.
Important: When organising a raffle, please make sure that you are acting within the rules set out by the Gambling Commission.
By selling clothes, books, or household items you no longer need, you can raise funds for neurological research while also creating a tidier home. It’s a win-win!
Identify clothes, books, electronics, and other unwanted but usable items.
Use platforms like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Vinted, or go to a car boot sale!
Post your items to their new owner, and donate any profits to us. We have a guide on paying in donations to help you get your funds to us safely.
A quick and easy fundraising game! Participants pay to guess the correct answer –whether it’s the name of a teddy bear or the number of sweets in a jar. The closest guess wins the prize!
Pick a fun and engaging object to guess (e.g., name of a teddy bear, number of sweets in a jar). Charge a small fee per guess and provide a list of possible names/numbers.
Display it at events, workplaces, or online to maximise participation.
Announce the winner through social media or at an event.
We have a guide on paying in donations to help you get your funds to us safely.
This easy fundraiser encourages donations of different amounts by using labelled envelopes. Supporters pick an envelope of a donation size that’s accessible to them, donate the suggested amount, and help contribute to neurological research in a simple, but effective way.
Label envelopes with different donation amounts from £1, all the way up to a set maximum (e.g. £50, £100, £150 etc). We recommend having duplicate envelopes for popular donation amounts like £5, £10, and £20. Place them at an event, in a workplace, or mail them to potential donors.
Ask supporters to take an envelope and return it with the donation inside (or to return the envelope with their name enclosed – they can donate the desired amount to your fundraising page, if you’d prefer it to be cashless!)
We have a guide on paying in donations to help you get your funds to us safely.
Could you go a week without chocolate? A month without social media? The Give It Up Challenge is a great way to test your willpower while raising money for neurological research.
Pick something to give up that suits your audience. It could be talking, chocolate, or even social media! Then decide how long you want to give it up for: 24 hours? 48 hours? A week? A month?
Ask friends, family, and colleagues to sponsor you for completing the challenge.
We can send you sponsorship forms to help with this bit!
Use social media, posters, and word of mouth to spread the word.
Carry out the task and share updates along the way.
We have a guide on paying in donations to help you get your funds to us safely.
When deciding on a location for your fundraiser, you’ll want to consider the following:
a) Size: How many people are you expecting to come to your event? Make sure to find a space that will fit all of your supporters if organising an in-person fundraiser
b) Permission: You must get permission to run your quiz night from the person in charge of the location.
c) Weather: If you are holding your event outside, make sure that you have a back-up ‘rain site’ either indoors or under a shelter in case the weather turns.
When choosing a date for your fundraiser, try and think if you can coincide your event with a relevant National Month:
Once you have your time, date, and location – it’s time to get in touch with our events team be email to events@brainresearchuk.org.uk. We can send you materials to help make your event stand out, including:
You want to make sure that you’re telling people about your event in enough time for them to make sure they can come, but not too far away from the date that you’re having it that people forget! We recommend 3-4 weeks before your event to give you lots of time to shout about what you’re up to.
Social media can be a great tool to help you spread the word about your bake sale. You could post on your Instagram story, your Facebook Page, and even your LinkedIn with a date, time, and location, as well as some graphics and charity logos (which you can find here). This is also the perfect opportunity to share why you are wanting to fundraise for Brain Research UK, so don’t forget to share your why.
