Religious Holidays
Fundraising event ideas for religious groups and organizations should take advantage of religious holidays in getting their messages out to their donors and to raise more funds. Some of the most common religious holidays celebrated in North America are listed here.

• All Saints’ Day – November 1st
• Hanukkah Begins – December 2nd
• Christmas Day – December 25th
• Kwanzaa Begins– December 26th
• Ash Wednesday – February 17th
• Palm Sunday – March 28th
• Passover Starts – March 30th
• Good Friday – April 2nd
• Easter Sunday – April 4th
• Easter Monday – April 5th
• Rosh Hashanah – September 9th
• Yom Kippur – September 18th

Multicultural Holidays
Multicultural holidays have great fundraising event ideas for all charities. We live in a country that celebrates our heritage and diversity. Be inspired by the events below to embrace and celebrate all of your donors.

• Groundhog Day – February 2nd
• Family Day – February 15th
• Chinese New Year – February 14th
• International Women’s Day – March 8th
• St. Patrick’s Day – March 17th
• Earth Day – April 22nd
• Mother’s Day – May 9th
• Father’s Day – June 20th
• UN International Day of Peace – September 21st
• Halloween – October 31st

Historical/People Holidays
These holidays celebrate milestones in our history and celebrate great men and women who have made a difference in our lives. Fundraising event ideas on these days are great at involving your donors and remembering and honouring those that fought for the freedom we enjoy today.

• Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday – January 15
• President’s Day – February 15th 
• Valentine’s Day – February 14th
• Holocaust Remembrance Day – March 11th
• Victoria Day – May 24th
• Memorial Day – May 30th
• Canada Day – July 1st
• Independence Day – July 4th
• Civic Holiday – August 2nd
• Labour Day – September 6th
• Columbus Day / Thanksgiving – October 11th
• Veterans Day / Remembrance Day – November 11th
• Thanksgiving – November 25th

For more fundraising ideas, click here.

Staff
With any charity fundraising idea you need to ensure that you have enough staff to implement the idea. Does the fundraiser require planning and preparation? How many staff members will be responsible for overseeing the fundraiser? Will you need to hire an outside company to plan and manage the event? Where will your support come from? Your staff plays a vital role in the success of your event. Remember to keep them motivated throughout the planning, preparation and day of the event to ensure they are just as passionate about your cause as you are.

Volunteers
Is your charity fundraising idea solely run by volunteers or donors? If it is, you will need to be able to provide them with support including materials for advertising, ways of collecting donations and any guidelines that your organization has regarding third party run events. If your organization is running the event, you may need volunteers on the day of to help out. Always remember to include a thank you gift or host an appreciation night for your volunteers. They are not getting paid for their time and you want them to continue to be passionate about your cause and volunteer again in the future.

Timing & Location
The timing and location of your charity fundraising idea is important. Is the event outside? If so, do you have a backup plan in case the weather does not cooperate? Are there other events going on that day? This includes charitable events but also entertainment and sporting events. What time of day is your event?  The timing could impact how many attendees show up. Research similar events and see what time and day of the week that they used. Events involving children may not be good to begin at 6am or 9 at night. Keep your donors and target demographic in mind when choosing the location, day and time of your event.

Fundraising Goals
All charity fundraising ideas need a goal. Monetary goals are a must for all ideas even the local school bake sale. By giving your volunteers a goal, pushes them to work that much harder. If you are running a walk or event where participants need to raise a goal, make sure their goals are realistic and reasonable. Other goals to keep in mind include building up your brand awareness, marketing and promotions. If your events will be run in subsequent years or times, increase your initial goals to push everyone further.

Brainstorm with your staff and come up with your own list of charity fundraising ideas. If you need a start, please click here to read our list of Fundraising Ideas.

Community and donor involvement is huge. These fundraising ideas will help you involve them more and maintain your relationships with them.

School fundraisers aren’t just for little kids. Our fundraising ideas include all levels of education.

Social networking is huge. These fundraising ideas will ensure that you target this younger technological savvy generation.

These fundraising ideas don’t fit into the above categories but they are a great way to get your donors involved.