Quirky fundraising ideas that people will actually pay for

Most lists of quirky fundraising ideas are judged on how funny they sound. I judge them on the total. A quirky fundraising idea earns its place when somebody pays to watch it, pays to make it happen, or pays to make it stop, and ideally all three.

I’m Kevin Durham, a charity auctioneer and event host with a past in TV and comedy, so I’m all for a laugh. But a laugh that raises £40 is a nice afternoon, not a fundraiser. Here are the oddball ideas that bring in real money.

What makes a quirky fundraising idea worth doing?

A quirky fundraising idea is worth doing when the laugh turns straight into money without costing much to stage. Novelty gets people to look. A clear way to pay gets them to give. I ask four questions first:

• Who pays, and how often? Paying to vote, then again to change the result, beats one entry fee.
• What does it cost? Hiring kit to raise £200 is hard work for very little.
• Has everyone agreed? Quirky never means embarrassing someone who didn’t sign up.
• Does it suit the room? An office isn’t a black-tie gala.

Gentler options are on my easy fundraising list. This post is for the odd ones.

Which quirky fundraising ideas raise the most money?

The quirky fundraising ideas that raise the most are the ones where people tap their own networks, or bid against each other in the room.

Hilarious fundraising ideas for a gala dinner

A gala suits quirky ideas: the generous people are all in one room.

Shave or save

A willing volunteer with a beard stands at the front. Half the room pays to see it shaved off. The other half pays to save it. Whichever side has given more by the deadline wins, and every pound goes to the charity.

Nobody wants to lose, so each bid gives the other side a reason to go again. That is where my auction banter earns its keep: “Sir, you could be the hero. They’d sing songs about you around the campfire. Is that not worth another hundred pounds?”

The volunteer must be genuinely happy with either outcome. I’m playful with people in the room, but never at the expense of someone who hasn’t agreed. The same goes for a bachelor auction, where consent matters even more.

Oddball auction lots

The best unique fundraiser lots cost nothing and can’t be bought anywhere else. In April 2020, Jeffrey Archer offered to name a character in his next book after the highest bidder, to raise money for Addenbrooke’s Hospital. In 2014, authors including Margaret Atwood gave character names to an Immortality Auction for Freedom from Torture.

You don’t need a famous author. Ask what your supporters own that money can’t usually buy:

• The CEO’s parking space for a month.
• Choosing the band’s next song, and the one they’re banned from playing.
• A day as head teacher, or a job swap with the boss.

I like one between two serious lots: it resets the room. For lots built from people’s time and skills, an auction of promises takes the idea further.

Jail and bail

Jail and bail starts weeks before the event. Volunteers are “arrested” for made-up crimes and stay locked up until they raise their bail. Children’s Hospice South West releases its jailbirds only once they raise £999 bail from friends, family and colleagues.

At one Midlands Air Ambulance Charity event, 22 “inmates” from 16 companies each had a £600 target and raised more than £30,000 together. Read out the released prisoners at your gala for a laugh and a total in one go.

What are fun fundraising ideas for the office or school?

The best fun fundraising ideas for an office or school let everyone join in for a pound or two, while the people in charge are the ones who look silly.

• Gunge the boss. Teenage Cancer Trust suggests an old-school quiz where the losers get dunked in slime, and pupils voting for the teacher to slime. Charge per vote.
• Beat the teacher. JustGiving suggests a penalty shootout where pupils pay to shoot at teachers in goal.
• Guess the baby photo. Colleagues pay to match baby photos to faces. A guessing game decided by knowledge is a prize competition, not a lottery, if it is hard enough to stop some people winning.

Which quirky sponsored challenges raise real money?

The sponsored challenges that raise real money are short, visual and slightly ridiculous. People sponsor what they want to see.

• Sit in a bath of baked beans or cold custard for a set time, as Teenage Cancer Trust suggests.
• Shave your head. On 18 October 2026, Macmillan’s Brave the Shave page showed £761,318 raised by its shavers that year.

Do the stunt live at your event once the sponsorship is in, and give the room a chance to add to it. Sponsors can also Gift Aid their own donations with a Gift Aid declaration.

Is a duck race a good quirky fundraising idea in the UK?

A duck race is a good quirky fundraising idea in the UK for a community fun day, but it is a lottery in law. Dorset Council, for example, lists duck races alongside raffles as a lottery.

As part of a bigger event, it can run as an incidental lottery with no licence. The rules, as they stood in October 2026:

• It can’t be the main reason for the event.
• Tickets must be physical and sold only at the event, while it runs.
• Up to £500 of takings can go on prizes and £100 on costs. Donated prizes have no limit.

Selling ducks in the weeks before usually means registering a small society lottery with your council: £40, buyers aged 16 and over, every ticket the same price. There’s no Gift Aid on duck tickets, because HMRC treats a lottery ticket as a payment, not a gift. I’m an auctioneer, not a lawyer, so check anything unusual with your council.

Quirky ideas I would leave off the list

Big hire items, like inflatable courses, can cost more than they raise unless a sponsor pays. Any forfeit that makes someone uncomfortable is out, however funny it sounded in the planning meeting. And a charity football match or a boxing night is a whole event, not a slot in somebody else’s evening.

Where quirky fundraising ideas fit on the night

At a gala, quirky ideas work best in the gaps: at the arrival reception, or once plates are cleared. My rule: never approach someone with food going into their mouth.

First, command the room. Whoever holds the room holds the total. I open with Heads or Tails, which gets every guest on their feet in minutes. Then the live auction, with an oddball lot to keep it lively.

The live pledge is different. That is the heartfelt moment, and it should never feel like a stunt. At the Jigsaw Trust’s event, the team expected £14,000 from the auction. It made £27,000, and a live pledge they hadn’t planned raised another £30,600. A powerful team behind a powerful charity, and not a bucket of gunge in sight. The pledge is where the real money lives.

For quirky ideas built into a night that also raises serious money, see the fundraising games I run, then call me on 07596 851647.