A Guide to Pairing Exercise & Fundraising
If you enjoy exercising and want to give back, you will be pleased to hear that fitness and fundraising are the perfect pair. Whether you prefer to work out alone, with friends, or get the whole family involved in physical activities, there are so many fundraising ideas inspired by either sports or some form of fitness.
Ready to find out more about how you can pair exercise and fitness?
Discover some amazing fitness fundraisers for kids, fitness fundraisers for individuals, and fitness fundraisers for groups and businesses, with options to suit all abilities and ages.
Why are fundraising events so important?
Before taking a look at how you can pair exercise with fundraising, let’s first determine why fundraising events are so important for charities.
First and foremost, fundraising events can help raise awareness about a cause and lead to an increase in donations, something which many charities struggle with.
Secondly, fundraisers can help charities find new volunteers, another aspect of running a charitable organization that can be a struggle.
Lastly, fundraising events provide the perfect opportunity for charities to create content that can be used to promote their organisation throughout the year. For example, videos from a successful event can be used to engage with new donors or to encourage businesses to get involved.
How to pair exercise and fundraising
When it comes to pairing exercise and fundraising, it can be a good idea to split fundraising ideas into different demographics, so that you can find the perfect event based on your circumstances.
Fitness fundraisers for kids
If you have children or you work in a school or a playgroup and want to organize a fitness-based fundraising event, here are some fun ideas:
Dance fundraisers
Dance fundraisers are a great option for children of all ages and can be a lot of fun. Guaranteed to get their little hearts pumping, dance fundraisers are easy to organize and fairly inexpensive to set up.
Fun runs
Fun runs are ideal for children aged five and over and are one of the most profitable types of fitness fundraisers for schools. Choose to organize a traditional fun run or think outside the box and give your run a creative twist.
Walk-a-thons
Walk-a-thons are low-cost and low-effort and are suitable for children of all ages. Another fitness fundraiser, which is known for being fairly lucrative, you can ask people to sponsor their children based on a certain distance or time.
Bike-a-thons
Similar to walk-a-thons but more suited to slightly older children, a bike-a-thon is a great form of exercise and provides a simple way to raise money for your chosen charitable cause. It is worth noting that this type of event takes a little bit more logistical planning so you may need to enlist a few volunteers to help you ahead and on the day.
Fitness fundraisers for individuals
Sponsored bike ride
A sponsored bike ride is the ideal fitness fundraiser for anyone who loves to cycle. A charity bike ride can be done on your own or you could choose to take part in a pre-organized event.
In terms of exercise, cycling is a good form of cardiovascular fitness and can burn up to 300 calories in per hour.
Marathon
Marathons are hugely popular and the perfect fitness fundraiser for people who love to run. These types of events take place all over the world, throughout the year, and you can find full, half, and quarter marathons depending on your capabilities.
Sponsorship-wise, there is a lot of competition for the major marathons such as the London Marathon, and you have to commit to being able to raise a certain amount before you are accepted. Half Marathons such as the Great North Run are always popular fundraising events.
Skydiving jump
If you love to live your life to the extreme, why not book a charity skydiving jump? Ideal for adrenaline junkies, these fundraising events tend to attract a lot of attention which means lots of lovely donations.
Swimming challenge
A swimming challenge is a good choice for anyone who prefers to exercise alone and wants to take an event at their own pace. You could try many different types of swimming challenges, such as swimming the length of the English Channel or swimming continuously for a set period.
For this fitness fundraiser, you don’t have to have any spectators; you could even choose to seek donations online rather than face-to-face.
Fitness fundraisers for businesses/groups
Weight loss competition
A weight loss competition or weight loss challenge is one of the most popular fitness fundraisers for businesses, especially ones in the fitness and leisure industry. As a business or group, you can either choose to organize an internal competition or one that is also open to your customers and members of the public.
Typically, people are sponsored per pound or kilogram that they lose, although this could be done as a group number rather than each individual if this is preferable.
Obstacle course
Obstacles courses are fun and inclusive and provide a great way to get your blood pumping and burn calories. You could choose to organize your own obstacle course in the local community, although be warned, this will take a lot of planning, or you could enroll in a national obstacle course race such as Tough Mudder.
Strength competition
A fitness fundraising event guaranteed to attract the crowds, a strength competition is something that everyone can get behind. If you are a business, you could team up with another local company and pitch your toughest employees against one another.
You could lay out many different tests for contestants, such as lifting weights, doing leg lunges, and even tire flips.
Dance competition
Not just for kids, dance fitness classes are becoming increasingly popular amongst adults looking to get fit, making a dance competition a fun idea for groups of adults.
These fitness fundraisers need little promotion as they appeal to a wide audience and can be held in a local school, hall, or even outside weather permitting.
Author Bio:
Dan B. A dedicated follower of the latest scientific research and self-care strategies, Dan is also passionate about alternative medicine, education, the great outdoors and animal welfare. Past experiences include writing for medical journals on how positive thinking can impact mental health.