A few fun ways to fundraise

We have so many brilliant volunteers and supporters who help so many people by raising money for us. If you’re interested in raising money for the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind, but you’re not quite sure how to then please read on! This blog lists some of our favourite, most fun and rewarding ways to fundraise...

Get your bake on!

The old fashioned bake-sale is a fantastic way to raise money and have fun while you do it! We love baking cakes. It’s cheap, relaxing and, in the end, yummy! You can set aside one Sunday afternoon to bake a few cakes or bathes of cupcakes with very small expenses and they sell them to your friends, family, neighbour or work colleagues. You will enjoy yourself, make others happy, and raise lots of money for a great charity!

Dress down, or up!

If you work in an office environment this works particularly well. Ask your boss/manager if it would be possible to have a dress down day, or a fancy dress day at work! Everyone get enjoy dressing up in fancy dress, or lounging in their comfy clothes, and can donate a small fee for the pleasure. It’s great for work morale and a really simple was to raise money!

Don’t bin it, sell it!

How does that saying go - one man’s trash is another man's treasure? A great way to kill two birds with one stone is by holding a garage sale! You get to clear some space in your home while selling your unwanted belongings and raising some money!

Shut up for money!

A great one for the chattier among us is a sponsored silence. Suitable for work, home or at schools, (we’re sure bosses, mums and teachers will love this one!), get your friends, family and work colleagues to sponsor you to remain silent for the entire day. A free, effective and simple way to fundraise!

Charity Film Night!

We love a Saturday night in watching films! Instead of going to the movies, out to eat, or out for a few drinks on a Saturday night, why not invite all you friends over to your house for a film night. All of the money that they would have spent on going out can be donated to charity instead!

These are just a few easy ways to fundraise we enjoy, but there are literally 100’s of ways you can raise money for charity. Why not share your favourite methods in the comments section below!

Raise money with your New Year’s Resolutions

Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions this year?

People make all sorts of New Year’s Resolutions but some are more popular than others. You might have promised yourself to find a new job, lose weight, give up alcohol, get fitter, or any number of things.

Alongside these popular resolutions, many of us promise to do something charitable and “make a difference”. So how can you achieve these goals all at once?

Getting fit

After multiple Christmas dinners, indulging on chocolate, snacking on mince pies, and consuming lots of alcohol we tend to feel somewhat worse for wear which is why getting fit is one of the most popular Resolutions made. Charity runs are a great way to raise money while achieving your NYR: whether it is a national event or a track that you set yourself, ask friends, colleagues, and family to sponsor you for completing a challenging run.

Quitting smoking

According to the NHS, “around 7 million of us will make a New Year’s resolution to improve an aspect of our health”[i], and a classic example of this is to quit smoking. While there is lots of help available to you, ultimately it is up to you to motivate yourself. Ask people to sponsor you to quit smoking or simply give the weekly money that you would usually spend on cigarettes to charity.

Swearing fund

A simple but fun way to raise funds is to provide a swear jar that people add 50p-£1 to each time they curse; this is good for large households or for pubs / restaurants that want to raise a little extra money. While it is a release, swearing often leaves us with a little guilt so quitting swearing can feel good while raising money.

Lose weight for charity

The number one resolution made each year, losing weight, can easily be combined with raising money. If you ask people to sponsor you for every pound you lose, or to sponsor you if you meet a target weight you could make a lot of money and feel good in the process!

Improve cooking skills

Another popular Resolution is to learn how to cook. A bake sale is a great way to raise money for charity, and particularly if you work in a school or a busy environment then you can have sales throughout the year to raise funds.

Charity work

Finally, charity work is something that many of us make a commitment to at the start of the New Year. One of those things that we always mean to do but many of us never get round to doing; volunteering is a great way to give back to the community and feel that you are truly making a difference.

If you are hoping to raise money for a great charity this year, have a look at the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind who help people with blindness to live life to the full and achieve any ambition that they have. We appreciate every penny raised for our course.

Raise money this Christmas

Christmas is the season of goodwill and generosity. As a charity, we understand how important it is for people to dedicate time to others and we hope that this month there will be more people than ever trying to raise money for good causes.

For those of you who don’t know, SRSB is the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind and our mission is to provide opportunities, support, and friendship to people who are blind or are partially sighted in Sheffield. We believe that blindness should not prevent anybody from achieving anything and dedicate every penny donated to enabling people with blindness to live their life to the full.

If you are hoping to raise money for charity this Christmas, here are some ideas to get you started:

• Host a charity Christmas dinner party: getting everybody together for a festive Christmas dinner is a lot of fun and if you sell tickets to the event it can also raise a lot of money. You could even ask everybody to bring along their best dish so that guests share the cooking as well as the eating.
• Organise a charity run: when raising money for charity it does not matter how fast or slow the contributors are – it is all about enjoying yourself and making money for a great cause. Get a group of friends together to raise cash through a charity fun run or alternatively set up a Facebook fundraising page to help with your own individual effort. The Santa fun Run has become really famous in recent years so you might want to take part.
• Karaoke Carols: pretty self-explanatory, everybody comes along for some karaoke (and a few drinks!) and takes it in turns to sing their favourite Christmas songs.
• Secret Santa: if your limit is £10, you can ask employees to spend £8 on their gifts and donate the extra £2 to charity.
• Carol Singing: a classic one, but carol singing can raise quite a lot of money in one evening alone. Get the village together for a sing song!

To find out more about SRSB, the work that we do, and how you can help, please visit our website.

Raise Money for Charity in 5 Simple Steps

At the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind (SRSB) we understand the significance of donations and how much they are relied upon. Our charity provide information, support, and friendship to partially-sighted individuals and people living with complete blindness. Just £10 helps to buy special equipment that allows people with blindness to pour themselves hot drinks without risk of injury. £1000 funds the children’s Christmas party and £35,000 would buy a new minibus for our trips. We appreciate every penny that is raised for SRSB but understand that sometimes raising money for a good cause is tricky. We have broken the process down into 5 simple steps to help you:

1) Pick a Great Cause

The first step is to decide which cause you are fundraising for. SRSB is a charity that helps adults and children living with blindness. Our mission is: to provide opportunity, support, friendship and services to blind and partially sighted people in Sheffield, helping them to achieve whatever they wish to do and whatever they aspire to be. Smaller charities such as ours always need help because we do not receive much publicity but any charity that is close to your heart is a worthwhile cause.

Blind and Partially Sighted Children with Parents

2) Think of an activity

You might be really fit and decide to push yourself to the limit; or you could be very unfit but doing something completely out of character to raise money. A charity run is a great idea because there are several national runs throughout the year that you can join, or you can design your own route. A more adventurous activity such as a charity skydive is likely to create a lot of interest and enthusiasm from friends and family. Choose a date well in advance (3-12 months) and book it as soon as possible. Booking far in advance prevents the charity skydive from being overbooked and will give you a solid time frame in which you need to raise the money.

3) Gain as Much Support as Possible

Don’t be afraid to ask colleagues for support. Some people find this awkward but if you don’t ask then you don’t get. If you would rather not ask people directly then leave a charity box at the reception (or anywhere where everybody passes) and leave it up to people’s discretion. Ask neighbours, family, friends, colleagues, your boss, members of your local sports team (or any hobbies you have), and more.

4) Use Social Media

From the very beginning you should set up a Facebook charity page. This a really easy way to raise funds quickly. You might not have spoken to half of your Facebook friends for years but you will be surprised by some of the people who choose to sponsor you. After setting up the page you can also link it to a blog. If you are training for the event then keep the blog updated with what you have done each day in preparation; this keeps people interested and they will respect your hard work.

5) Raise Additional Funds through Cake Sales, Auctions, and Raffles

There are lots of additional activities that you can do to raise those extra funds. A cake sale is an easy way to raise profits because making them is very cheap and you can easily sell them for a good profit. Auctions, bingo, themed parties, and raffles are also a good alternative and can raise a lot of money.