How to raise money for a good cause from a charity walk?

Charity walk events are a great fundraising tool for any (non-profit) organization, but many organizations may struggle to implement them as part of their arsenal of fundraising events. To make sure your next charity walk brings in the donations you need, I provide you with this list of simple fundraising ideas, tips, and examples to guide your (nonprofit) organization. Don't let the fact that you don't know these types of events hold you back - walks don't have to be complicated and any organization can conduct them using this simple guide.

Proven fundraising walk ideas

Start working with your organisation by compiling a list of fundraising walk ideas that you can run and that your supporters will be happy about. Limit your list to ideas that they will actually be interested in, otherwise you may not get the activity you want. In addition, try to choose walk ideas that can be easily implemented, which is especially important if your organization is small. You don't want to organize a walk that will require permits or cause logistical planning problems, so be sure to choose something that is relatively easy to implement. Listed below are just a few ideas for charity walks for you to consider. Of course, if you need inspiration, look for other online resources for support and check out what other similar organizations have done.

1. Costume Walks

Costume walks are a great way to attract participants. This turns the walk into a light-hearted event that is perfect for almost any cause. In some cases, you may want to avoid costumes if you're fundraising for a very sensitive issue, but in general, dressing people up in silly costumes is a great endeavor.

2. Dog walking

Walk dogs and ask participants to bring their pets. This type of walk is especially appropriate for organizations that support animal causes, but it doesn't have to be limited to them. People love their pets, so including them in the fundraising event will likely generate more support and excitement.

3. T-shirts for the charity walk

At your next walk, try including a T-shirt sale. Sell t-shirts before the start so people can wear them during the event. Depending on the cost, your organization may create custom t-shirts for the walk itself or choose to sell a standard t-shirt with your organization's logo. Whichever option you choose, make sure you always offer them. T-shirts are free advertising for your organization and are a great way to raise funds.

4. Child-friendly costs

Charity walk ideas should always be hassle-free for participants, and one way to ensure this is by making the event child-friendly. Many of your supporters are likely to have children, so including them will ensure that more people will be able to take part in your next walk. Make it clear in your marketing materials that the event is suitable for children, and be sure to encourage parents to bring along pushchairs for longer walks. You can also provide snacks or other items for children to enjoy.

5. Make it a feeding event

Make your walk a feeding event as well. Ask supporters and volunteers to bring food to the walk. After the walk, participants can enjoy a meal for a fee or you can offer it for free.
You will need to plan accordingly to ensure you have enough food, but the effort is worth it as it encourages even more participation.

Take inspiration from other charities' successful events

If your organisation is still unsure where to start, look to other organisations who have held successful charity walks for inspiration. Here are some examples to help you get your ideas flowing:

Download everything

Of all the ways to raise awareness for a cause, few are as appealing as Cupid's Underwear Run. Runners raise funds and awareness for the genetic disease neurofibromatosis by running in their underpants. It's a great way to draw attention to your cause in a dramatic way.

A similar campaign is Spartans For A Brighter Future. This campaign brings together enthusiasts to take part in a 10km Spartan race in France for a better future for people facing a serious diagnosis.

Help others give thanks

Thanksgiving is a day for giving thanks and overeating, but for many people it's just another day without enough food. YMCA Turkey Trot participants donate canned food while burning off Thanksgiving calories. Americans have been holding turkey trots since 1896. It's a cause that seems to resonate with many people because it's still the most popular race in America.

Event checklist - walk

Once you have a checklist of walk fundraising ideas, you can move on to starting your own. We've created this simple checklist you can use to get your organization on the right track. Like any fundraising event, charity walks require organisation and planning.

Take a look at our charity and cause campaigns for holidays and events.

Get the word out

Choose a fundraising platform that allows you to easily spread the word about your event. Choosing the right fundraising software is critical to getting the word out about your event to your supporters and raising awareness for your cause. Sharing features that include social networking and easily shareable fundraising links can play an important role in the overall success of your event. You can also consider getting the word out by relying on offline outreach tactics, such as local bulletin boards or flyers.

Check out our articles related to social media:

• 5 ways to spread the word about your fundraising campaign and reach more people
• How to use social media smartly to run a successful fundraising campaign
• 10 ideas on how to promote a donation campaign on Facebook
• How to create a fundraising hashtag that inspires donations

Develop teams

Create teams for your walk to develop competition between them. Teams can compete to see who can raise the most money for your charity event. Creating friendly competition creates excitement and genuine interest in your fundraising campaign. Although not required, creating teams can be a great addition to planning walk events.

Finding corporate sponsors

If you're not sure how to raise money for charity walks, focus on a compelling story for your campaign. This may attract the interest of corporate sponsors willing to offer matching donations. Sponsors may be willing to help fund activities that will make the event more fun. For example, they could provide in-kind donations such as t-shirts, food or photos of the finish.

Keep in touch and share results

When planning your event, be sure to include how you will share the progress you've made in your fundraising. If you don't want to plan ahead and create a schedule for making email or social media contacts, you can use informal contacts. One way to do this is to contact them when you reach a new milestone. For example, if you register participants for your walk and reach or exceed your goal, post an update or email your supporters about reaching this milestone. The same can be done for reaching 50% of your goal or for other milestones. The key here is to make sure you include communication as part of the planning process.

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Start your next fundraising campaign with PavelAndreev.ORG

Once you've explored the ideas and planned your next walking event, you'll be ready to get started on the path of good. If your organization is still unsure how to raise money, you can contact me to discuss and get your campaign started right now.