Fundraising games
Heads or tails, and the moments that lift the total
I open almost every gala with heads or tails, because it gets every guest in the room on their feet inside four minutes. That, the envelope game and a handful of others, timed to keep the room smiling and the donations climbing between the bigger moments.
Interactive, quick, and profitable
Fundraising games do two jobs at once: they raise money in their own right, and they keep energy high so the auction and pledge land harder. I pick and pace them for your audience, so they feel like fun rather than another ask.
- Heads or tails, a fast whole-room game with a single winner
- The envelope game and mystery prizes
- A raffle run so it actually sells, and complies with UK rules
- Table-versus-table challenges that get strangers talking
- Games chosen to suit your crowd and your cause
Heads or tails: the whole room, on its feet, in four minutes.
Everyone buys in for a fiver or a tenner. Hands on head or hands on tails, I flip the coin, and half the room sits down. Three or four flips later there is one person standing and the room is roaring at them.
- Every single guest plays, including the ones who will never bid on a lot
- It takes about four minutes and needs nothing but a coin and a microphone
- It breaks the ice early, so the room is warm before the auction starts
- One prize, one winner, and the whole thing is profit
See it working
Heads or tails, on the night
The line-up
The games I run, and what each one is for
These are short, self-contained money-raisers that sit between the bigger moments. If you want the full show, with TV-style formats running through the evening, that is entertainment packages.
Heads or tails
The opener. Whole room, one buy-in, one winner, about four minutes. The fastest way I know to turn a polite dinner into a room that is up for the night.
The envelope game
A wall of sealed envelopes, one big prize, every other envelope worth something small. Guests buy blind. It rewards curiosity and it sells out fast.
Mystery boxes and prize draws
A visible prize and a sealed box. Low ticket price, high take-up, and it works just as well at a school hall as it does at a black-tie gala.
Table versus table challenges
Tables competing against each other for a prize or bragging rights. It gets people talking to the strangers they were sat next to, which pays off later in the pledge.
Ring toss and lawn games
For drinks receptions and daytime events. Guests pay per go, it keeps a slow arrivals hour moving, and it gives people something to do while the room fills up.
Raffle, run properly
Handled so it complies with UK raffle rules and actually sells, rather than a book of tickets nobody remembers to buy. See the software for selling tickets before the night.
Where the games sit in the running order
Games are not filler. Placed properly they do a specific job at a specific point in the evening, and placed badly they flatten the room right before you need it at its warmest.
Here is roughly how I use them. Heads or tails goes early, usually straight after the welcome or between the starter and the main, because it gets every guest involved before anybody has been asked for real money. The envelope game or a mystery box goes in the gap while plates are cleared, when a room would otherwise drift into private conversation. Table challenges sit just before the live auction, because a room that has just competed together bids harder than a room that has been sitting quietly.
What I never do is run a game immediately after the pledge. The pledge is the emotional peak of the night and it deserves to be the last serious thing anyone is asked to do.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What fundraising games work best at a charity event?
Heads or tails is a reliable whole-room game with a single winner and works almost anywhere. The envelope game, mystery boxes, table challenges and a properly run raffle also lift donations. I pick the games that suit your crowd and your cause.
Do fundraising games actually raise much money?
They do two jobs: they raise money directly, and they keep energy high so the auction and pledge land harder. Heads or tails alone can raise a meaningful sum in a few minutes with almost no cost.
How much time do games take on the night?
Each game is quick, usually a few minutes, and I slot them between the bigger moments to keep the room lively without slowing the programme.
How does heads or tails actually work?
Every guest buys in, usually for five or ten pounds. They stand up and either put their hands on their head or on their tail. I flip a coin, and everyone who guessed wrong sits down. A few flips later there is one person left standing and they take the prize. It takes about four minutes.
What prize do I need for heads or tails?
One decent prize is enough, and it does not need to be expensive. A donated bottle of champagne, a hotel night or a signed shirt all work. The game sells on the fun of playing, not the size of the prize.
Will games work with a smaller or more formal audience?
Yes. I pitch them to the room. A black-tie corporate table of ten plays a quieter, sharper version than a rugby club dinner, but both play. The games that need the room shouting are the ones I leave out when the audience is not up for it.
What is the difference between fundraising games and your entertainment packages?
Games are short money-raising moments slotted between the bigger parts of the night. Entertainment packages are the full show, including TV-style game show formats built around your organisation and run across the whole evening. Plenty of clients book both.
Let’s talk
Tell me about your event
A free initial consultation to talk through your goals, your room and your target. Available for events across the UK, Europe and the US.