Fundraising ideas
Fundraising is a brilliant way to involve everyone in raising money for Mission Together. There are more ways to fundraise than we can possibly count, but here are some of our favourite ways to get involved throughout the year. Please share your fundraising events with us @missioUK adding the hashtag #missiontogether
Just Giving
As schools become increasingly cashless, we’ve introduced a Just Giving campaign page. There you will find photos, text, and a film to support your fundraising efforts. Please contact us if you need additional material for your Just Giving campaign.
Ideas for Spring Term and Easter
Valentines biscuits: showcase your bake-off skills! Bake heart shaped cookies and sell them in pretty bags around valentines day. You could even ice on the names of the recipient and deliver them anonymously for a delivery fee!
Pancake races: hold a Pancake Day event with races and flipping competitions. Everyone gets to enjoy their pancakes after the fun – as long as they didn’t drop them!
Sponsored give something up: encourage pupils to give something up for Lent and either donate the money they save or get sponsored to do it. Alternatively, children can offer to take on extra chores or responsibilities in Lent for a donation to Mission Together.
Springtime Scavenger hunt: this is a great outdoor activity. Print off some sheets with springtime things to spot e.g. Snowdrops or crocus, tree buds, birdsong and birds nesting, cherry blossom. You can tailor the items to whatever suits your space and environment. Charge pupils to enter. Either get pupils to tick the items off or take pictures to prove they’ve found them. Every complete scavenger sheet is placed in a hat, with the pulled out winner receiving a prize.
Egg hunt: hide small chocolate eggs around your school or playground. Charge pupils to join in for a massive Easter egg hunt! To maximise your fundraising, why not ask all pupils to donate some eggs so you don’t need to spend money to buy them?
Spring flower sale: everyone loves the first signs of spring after winter! Why not pot some spring bulbs – snowdrops, mini daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths to sell to parents or as Easter gifts?
Lent through a Lens: challenge pupils to capture images of springtime. Charge for entry and provide a prize for the winner(s). You could introduce different categories e.g. wildlife, nature, people. You could even have a category for grown up competitors!
Easter bonnet competition: charge pupils to enter a competition for the best Easter bonnet. Prizes for the most fabulous fashionista creations! Alternatively you could get everyone involved in egg painting or Easter cake designs, and sell them after for extra fundraising!
Ideas for Summer term
Weeding Week: while the days are sunny and warm, why not raise money by weeding gardens? Ask for a suggested donation, or sponsorship per bag of weeds. Children can work alone, with friends, or siblings. Maybe green fingered children could also offer to plant and prune too. Who knows if your Weeding Week might inspire the next Monty Don!
Open air cinema: a big sheet, a projector and some fairy lights and you can host a magical movie night under the stars! Charge people entry to come and see movies on your outdoor screen. Invite whole families and make a big picnic of it.
Sports day fun: host a football tournament, sports day or outdoor activity day. Charge people to attend and sell refreshments. Prize for the tournament winners!
Sponsored swim, walk or cycle: get everyone involved in some outdoor fun once the weather’s better. Could you get sponsored to walk a certain distance, or hold a sponsored swim?
Scavenger hunt: this is a great team activity! Print off some sheets with things to spot on them. You can tailor the items to be outdoors, indoors or whatever suits your space and environment. Either get teams to tick the items off or take pictures to prove they’ve found them! Charge teams to enter and give prizes for the fastest finishers.
Big summer BBQ: hold a family barbecue, street party or big picnic at your school. Serve up food and treats, hold stalls with tombolas and raffle prizes, even set up some games like hook a duck or skittles and quoits. The great thing about these events is that they can be as simple or involved as you like. Sell tickets to attend.
Ideas for Autumn term and Christmas
Rake-a-Thon: With autumn leaves falling, children can ask family members or caregivers for suggested donations to clear up the garden, yard or driveway. Challenge pupils to clear as many of these spaces as possible. Make sure children have strong gloves and bags if they take up the Rake-a-Thon challenge.
Christmas crafts: get the whole school involved in making and selling ornaments, wreaths, biscuits, and any other Christmassy gifts and treats you can think of. Donate the proceeds to Mission Together
Manger on a Mission: This is a great way to remind people of the true meaning of Christmas and a novel way to raise funds. Ask pupils to dress as characters from the nativity (remember that the scriptures don’t mention just how many shepherds and magi were present). Aim to create a complete crib set. Then take your manger on a mission tour around your school grounds, town or city. Remember to take a Mission Together Red Box to collect donations on the way.
Card posting service: set up a card posting delivery service. create a big mail box in your entrance hall or school hall and charge students and teachers to have their Christmas cards delivered by helpful ‘elves’!
A really green Christmas Tree: Inspired by an idea from a mission partner in Malaysia, why not work together as parish or school to create ‘a really green’ tree from recycled plastic bottles? Donate the money saved on buying a real spruce to help more Missio partners to invest in parish tree planting schemes.
Winter disco: why not donate the proceeds from your school disco to Mission Together this year? Or if that’s not possible, hold a sweetie stall or prize stall at the event to raise money for children around the world.
Family fun evenings: in colder weather and darker evenings, indoor events rule! Why not host a beetle drive, bingo night or race night at your school? You can use old horse race videos for people to place bets on, or even use wind up toys or counters and dice to create races. You could also host a board game evening. Sell snacks and drinks to boost your fundraising.
Winter walks: get sponsored to brave the elements and hold a torch-lit hike or winter walk to raise money. Make sure you have plenty of adults to supervise and assist when organising outdoor events with children. Better still, get the whole family involved!
Ideas that work all year round
Some ideas work any time! Here are some firm favourites:
Bake sale: you know what to do!
Coin trail: ask all the pupils to bring in their small change. Challenge each class to make a line of coins stretching across the school hall or playground. How far can each class make their money go?
Mufti day or fancy dress: charge pupils to wear their own clothes or come in themed costumes. Around the Day of Many Colours you can make this themed around the colours of the mission rosary.
Promise auction: pupils promise a helpful act: A car wash; an hour’s cleaning or gardening, dog walking. Then parents and family members can bid to win a bit of extra help!
Helping angels: encourage children to take on extra chores at home, for a donation to Mission Together or contribution to the Red Box.
Table top and jumble sales: bring your unwanted bits and bobs and watch them become someone else’s treasure! Jumble sales have to be one of the oldest and most reliable fundraising events!
Silly Sponsored events: would you sit in a bath of baked beans or risk a custard pie to raise money for Mission Together? Or better yet, nominate a good sport parent or teacher to get a leg wax, get dunked in a paddling pool or some similar torture for sponsorship money!