Fundraising Ideas
With the blessed month of Ramadan 2018 now behind us, it is important to remember to continue those good acts and deeds to maximise our reward potential whilst caring for others around the world who have very little in comparison to us.
We often forget that those in need don’t only need help during the month of Ramadan; they still need our ongoing help and support because their situation does not miraculously change. These fellow brothers and sisters are still struggling on a daily basis in a bid to survive.
There are many ways of helping those less fortunate than us, be it by way of volunteering our time, participating in charity events or contributing towards a good cause. Similarly, there are plenty of ways in which we can combine both effort and donations in the form of fundraising.
And, to get you started, here are some great fundraising tips and ideas.
Child’s Play
Turn your backyard into a playground for the children. Hire a bouncy castle, throw in some board games and activities and tell all the parents that you are setting up a kid’s playground for charity. Set up a small admission fee for every child that comes to play and donate all proceedings to a resonating cause – such as sponsoring a child or an orphan.
Bake Sale
Having a bake sale is always a good way to raise funds for the needy, especially after an entire month of fasting! Get a bunch of friends together, arrange to bake a few different varieties of cakes and treats and invite everyone you know to come over and pay to try a slice.
Why stop at cakes? Incorporate other foods and drinks into the sale if you wish; you could even have a mocktail inventing contest (which will, no doubt, be welcomed during the sunny months ahead).
Clear Out
It’s always good to have a clear out once a year (at the very least) as we tend to overlook and hoard many things we buy over the course of the year. You could decide to donate all your unwanted warm clothing towards a charity winter appeal or hold a jumble sale where people can pay you for your unwanted items. If you don’t fancy holding a physical sale, how about selling your unwanted goods on sites like eBay instead and sending all proceeds to charity? Sometimes it doesn’t occur to us that we hold unused items such as handbags, jewellery, clothing and other paraphernalia that could actually potentially feed an entire family for a whole year… really puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?
Car Wash
Something most people who drive will pay for on a weekly basis (or daily, in some cases) – a charity car wash! Grab some volunteers, put up some posters, announce your charity drive on social media and get washing those cars! Most people would prefer to have their car washed knowing that their money will be going towards someone in need. Two birds, one stone. Enough said.
Take Part in a Challenge
One of the most popular ways in which to fundraise; do something daring and get as many people to sponsor you as you can. Whether it is something you have a fear of or purely something you wish to tick off your bucket list, taking part in a challenge is always a great way to do something you always wanted to do whilst raising funds for a good cause. If you’re not feeling quite that daring, arrange a charity walk or run for your local community instead.
Do a Group Charity Drive (Mosque/Work/School)
Quite often, it isn’t what you know, it’s who you know. We are all members of a community in some way or another - whether it is part of a workforce, a Mosque community, a local community, a school, a sports academy, or even if you are just a part of a very large group of friends. Word can spread so easily if you have a bigger network in place to reach out to. Spread the word and get people involved.
Social Media Appeals
We all know that in this day and age social media is the way to go. With the vast majority of people becoming increasingly tech-savvy by the day and joining social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and so on, it is far easier to reach out for help than we may think.
Arrange a Charity Dinner
Another common initiative for fundraising – hold a charity dinner. Go as local or as national as you wish; utilise social media to get the word out, hold a theme or dress code, ask some well-known or celebrity speakers to come along and host and you’ll be well on your way to merging funds towards a good cause.
Annual Charity Tin
If you are fortunate enough to own your own business, set up a charity collection tin in reception or on the front desk. Have a weekly hour where a portion of everything sold goes towards a good cause.
For those of you who don’t have your own business but have a place of work, ask those in charge if you can set up a charity tin in the kitchen and leave it there over the course of a year. By the end of the year, you will have raised (hopefully) a good amount to put towards your chosen charity campaign. Use this tin for things like dress-down days, forfeits and other workplace events you may have going on.
Tip: Placing the tin near a vending machine is always a great idea, too!
Fundraising with Islamic Help
Your raised funds could go towards so many great causes, such as providing an education for a child, providing sufficient, clean drinking water for a community, helping those in need overcome the tragedy and effects of world disasters and emergencies, helping to build schools, orphanages and Mosques for children, helping the elderly, supporting the impoverished and so much more. So many of these campaigns are a great source of sadaqah jaariyah, too!
Volunteer Time
Remember, it isn’t always monetary contributions that necessitate giving to someone in need. Donating your time towards arranging any of the above charity events or fundraising ideas is a great way to get involved and also do something worthwhile and rewarding such as visiting the sick or elderly.
Last of all, well done for dedicating your time to help those in need and being an inspiration for others to do the same – may Allah SWT reward you for all your efforts. Ameen.
