10 Fun Fall Fundraising Ideas

What’s better than New England in the fall?

We’re blessed with the most beautiful foliage, which creates unbelievable backdrops – even in urban areas. The country’s favorite flavors, such as pumpkin spice are back – yay! – apple picking season is here, and we can look forward to bringing out our comfy sweaters.

While most of us are enjoying the thrills of the season, it’s also important to consider those who are affected differently by the cold weather: our friends living on the streets. Turning on the heat or snuggling with a blanket while having a cozy movie night isn’t an option for the homeless – the colder weather brings many additional problems.

However, there is a lot that can be done to help the homeless population by giving small donations or getting involved with volunteering programs.

Here are our top 10 favorite fundraising ideas for the fall and Halloween…

Potluck Harvest Meal

A potluck is a great way of getting together with friends and family or even co-workers, and it doesn’t cost a lot of money since buying the food doesn’t fall on one person or organization.

How about making a delicious pie or getting creative with seasonal squash?

Sponsored Fall Foliage Run/Walk

As we mentioned at the start, living in or around Massachusetts during autumn is simply the best! There are many scenic walks to explore both in and out of the State as well as in our neighboring states of Maine and New Hampshire.

Set up a funding page and try stepping out of your comfort zone, challenging yourself either with the distance you go or route you take.

November 19th is also “National Take a Hike Day” – why not coordinate your hike with this holiday?

Halloween bake sale

Don’t forget this fundraising classic; bake-sales have stuck around for a reason, and that’s because everybody loves them! Who can turn down a delicious apple cider donut at this time of year?

Set up your table at your church, workplace, or community group, making sure you incorporate a fall or Halloween theme, of course, and watch everything sell like hotcakes!

Costume contest

If you’re among a fun and adventurous team who enjoy some peer to peer fundraising, this is another classic choice that will never fail.

Whether you want a theme, such as “Lady Gaga” or “Disney Bad Guys,” set an entry fee to raise funds and prepare a prize along the lines of a gift basket.

Food collection

This is one of the more simplistic ideas, but it still has a huge impact. Participants can dig through their pantry at home, buy extras when they’re food shopping, or even speak with local restaurants and supermarkets to see if they can make a donation.

Trunk-or-treat

For those who are wondering “what is trunk-or-treating,” it’s a safe alternative to trick-or-treating. Instead of going from door to door, children go from [car] trunk to trunk, and it’s so much fun!

If you have a safe parking lot on your premises or one to borrow, get cars to line up with their trunk open. Each car should decorate their vehicle with a different theme, such as a hayride (find brilliant examples here).

Pumpkin carving competition

Just as with the costume contest, you can establish a theme for your pumpkin carving. This is a great activity for all ages that can be kept light and breezy or made into a real battle of the arts!

Pie eating contest

Pumpkin pie, pecan pie, chicken pot pie…You name the flavor and participants just have to race to eat it! Whether you want to buy the pies or have someone bake them, they all go down the same way and don’t need to be fancy – it’s a guaranteed laugh.

Front yard decorating contest

With the colors that make an appearance during the fall and decorations we see over the Halloween period, this is the perfect time of year for people to decorate their front yards, and let’s take it up a notch by making it a competition.

This idea would work well with neighbors, a community group, or coworkers.

Amazon Smile

Our final fall fundraising idea is the easiest of them all and can be done year ‘round. Next time you shop with Amazon, go via this link and use Amazon Smile. You’ll still shop products from Amazon, however, a portion of the money you spend will go to Lifebridge at no extra cost to you!

More fun for your fundraiser

Why not add some extra enjoyment by throwing in the likes of board games, raffle tickets, or snack stands?

Good luck, and happy fundraising!

See how else you can support Lifebridge North Shore and check out our volunteer opportunities.

Categorised in: Donating, Grace Center, Lifebridge Thrift Shop, River House, Seeds of Hope