Fundraising Ideas: How Adventure Activities Can Help You Raise More Money for Charity

Finding good fundraising ideas can be difficult. Whether you're raising money as an individual, organising something with a group of friends, or putting together a charity event for your workplace, there is always the same challenge: how do you encourage people to get involved and, ultimately, donate?

One approach we've seen work particularly well is to give people something genuinely challenging and memorable to get behind.

An adventurous activity can do exactly that.

From outdoor climbing and abseiling to walking challenges and other outdoor activities, taking on something a little outside your comfort zone gives your fundraising campaign a focus. It gives you something to talk about, something to photograph and, importantly, something that people can picture themselves supporting.

Why Fundraising Ideas That Involve Adventure Work So Well

There is a big difference between asking people to donate to a good cause and asking them to sponsor you for doing something challenging.

The cause is still the most important part, of course. But the activity gives people another reason to take an interest.

We've seen this with groups taking on fundraising events at Up & Under Adventures. Once people hear that someone is going to abseil 150ft down a quarry or climb outdoors for the first time, the conversation tends to become much more interesting.

"How high is it?"

"Are you nervous?"

"Have you done it before?"

"How much are you hoping to raise?"

Those conversations are useful. They give the fundraiser something around which to build their campaign rather than simply sending friends and family a link to a donation page.

Give people something worth sponsoring

Think about the difference between these two fundraising messages:

“I'm raising money for charity. Please donate if you can.”

And:

“I'm raising money for charity by abseiling 150ft down a quarry!”

The second immediately gives people something to react to. They might want to know how the abseil works, whether you're scared of heights, who else is taking part or what happens on the day.

That doesn't guarantee more donations, but it gives you a much better starting point for talking about your fundraiser And if you're comfortable sharing photographs and video, you've also got some great material to use on social media.

Create a challenge people can see

One of the advantages of an adventurous fundraiser is that the challenge is easy to understand.

You don't need to explain what completing a 150ft abseil means. A photograph from the top of the quarry probably tells the story better than several paragraphs of text.

The same applies to climbing. A picture of someone halfway up a rock face, or the moment they reach the top of a route they've been working hard on, gives supporters something tangible to follow.

For fundraising campaigns using social media, this can be particularly useful. You can share the preparation, the nerves beforehand, the activity itself and the celebrations afterwards.

Suddenly, supporters aren't just seeing a donation page. They're seeing the people behind the fundraising and what they're actually taking on.

Shared experiences encourage people to get involved

Adventure fundraising can work particularly well for groups. Friends, families, colleagues, sports clubs and community groups can all take on an activity together. For some people, the social side of the event can be just as important as the fundraising itself.

It also gives groups a reason to get involved when they might otherwise be reluctant to organise a traditional fundraising event.

Not everyone wants to organise a cake sale, sponsored run or quiz night.

Give them the opportunity to spend a day outside, try something they've never done before and raise money at the same time, and suddenly the idea can become much more appealing.

There's also something about doing something challenging together that tends to bring people closer as a group.

Make the fundraising target part of the challenge

If you're organising an adventure fundraiser, don't overlook the fundraising target itself.

The physical challenge can be one goal, while the fundraising target becomes another.

For example, you might decide that your group wants to raise £1,000 before the event takes place. You can then use your training, preparation and fundraising updates to keep people involved along the way.

You might post an update when you've reached £250, another when you've passed £500 and then make a final push towards the target as the event gets closer.

The important thing is to keep people updated.

A fundraising campaign that disappears for six weeks before suddenly reappearing with a donation link is easy to ignore. Regular updates give people a reason to remember what you're doing.

The adventure doesn't need to be extreme

The best fundraising ideas aren't necessarily the biggest or most extreme. What matters is finding something that suits the people taking part and gives them a genuine sense of achievement.

The activity needs to be appropriate for the people taking part. For some people, a long-distance walk might be a significant challenge. For others, their first outdoor climbing session could be a big step outside their comfort zone And for someone who doesn't particularly like heights, standing at the top of a 150ft quarry and preparing to abseil down it can be a pretty significant achievement!

That's one of the things we enjoy about running fundraising events at Up & Under Adventures. The challenge is different for everyone.

Our fundraising activities include the Big One Abseil, a 150ft abseil at Uphill Quarry near Weston-Super-Mare, as well as outdoor climbing experiences in and around Bristol.

We can work with groups to find an activity that suits their aims, group size and experience levels.

Turn one event into weeks of fundraising content

Another benefit of an adventure fundraiser is that you don't have to wait until the day itself to start talking about it.

Before the event

• Tell people what you're planning.

• Introduce the team, explain why you're fundraising and set your target. If you've got time, share some of the preparation as well.

• If you're nervous about the activity, there's no harm in saying so. In fact, that can make the fundraising more personal.

During the event

• Get some photographs and video.

• Show people arriving, getting ready and taking on the activity. Capture the moments that the participants are going to remember.

• You don't need professional photography. A few good photographs or short clips from a phone can be enough to show people what you've been up to.

After the event

• Share the achievement.

• Thank everyone who donated, let people know how much you've raised and show them what the group achieved.

• If you've exceeded your original target, tell people.

• And if you've still got some fundraising to do, the event itself can provide another opportunity to encourage those final donations.

Give your supporters a reason to remember you

Ultimately, people donate because they care about the cause.

An adventure activity isn't going to change that. What it can do is give your fundraising campaign something memorable around which to build.

There's a difference between seeing another request for donations on social media and seeing your friend preparing to abseil 150ft for a charity they care about.

The latter gives people something to talk about. It gives them something to share And it gives the fundraiser a story to tell. That can make a real difference when you're trying to reach people beyond your immediate circle of friends and family.

Ready to turn your fundraising into an adventure?

At Up & Under Adventures, we enjoy working with groups who want to do something a little different to raise money for a cause that's important to them.

We've supported fundraising events for organisations including Cancer Research UK, Bristol Conductive Education and Prostate Cancer UK, and we're always interested in hearing what people have in mind.

Whether you're organising something with a group of friends, putting together a workplace fundraiser or looking for an activity for a charity event, we're happy to have a conversation about what's possible.

It doesn't have to be the biggest or most extreme challenge.

It just needs to be something that gives your group a reason to get involved - and gives your supporters something worth talking about.

Find out more about fundraising events with Up & Under Adventures.

Explore Fundraising Events

Up & Under Adventures - outdoor climbing, abseiling and adventure experiences across Bristol and the South West.