You've picked a cause, or it has picked you. Maybe a friend is ill, your club needs new kit, or you just want to do something for a charity you care about. Now you need to turn that into money in the bank.

This guide goes through it in order, from choosing a target to telling people what you raised. Most fundraisers need every step, but some steps take five minutes. If you're still deciding what to actually do, easy fundraising ideas for charity has a list sorted by how much work each idea is.

1. Pick your cause and a specific target

"Raising money for the hospice" is a good start. "Raising £500 for the hospice's family support team" is better. A specific amount and a specific use give people a reason to give now rather than later, and they let supporters watch you get closer.

Choose a number you can reach. Work it out from the people you'll ask. If you can think of 40 people who might give £10 each, £400 is a sensible target. Going past a modest target feels good for everyone. Falling short of a big one doesn't.

Talk to the charity first. If you're raising money for a charity rather than your own group, get in touch before you start. Most charities have a community fundraising team that's glad to hear from you. They can often send you posters, collection boxes or a fundraising pack, and they can tell you how they'd like to receive the money. You'll also need their permission before you use their name or logo on anything you make.

2. Choose a format

There are three broad ways to raise money, and many fundraisers use more than one.

  • Ask for donations. You do something, like a run, a sponsored silence or a birthday without presents, and people give because of it. This suits one person or a small group.
  • Run an event. People pay to take part in something: a quiz night, a bake sale or a duck race. This suits a group, because the fun of the event does a lot of the asking for you.
  • Sell something. Cakes, crafts, unwanted things or donated items. This suits people who'd rather make or collect something than ask for money directly.

Choose based on who you'll be asking. If your supporters are spread out across the country, an online format reaches them. If they're all at one school, workplace or club, an event in person is easier to fill.

A virtual duck race is a mix of the first two. Supporters pay to adopt a duck, dress it up and watch it race on a screen, either from home or together in a hall. How to run a virtual duck race walks through it if you want to see what's involved.

3. Decide how to take the money

How the money reaches the charity affects how much arrives, and how much work it is for you.

A donation page. JustGiving, GoFundMe, Enthuse and similar sites let you set up a page in a few minutes. Donors pay by card, and the money goes to the charity or to you, depending on the type of page. Pages for registered charities usually collect Gift Aid for you too. The trade-off is fees: most platforms take card processing costs, and some add a platform fee or ask donors for an optional tip. Fees vary and change, so check the current ones before you choose.

Your event's own payments. Tickets for an event can be sold through a ticketing site or taken on the door. For a duck race, entries are paid on the race page itself. Whichever you use, check where the money lands and when.

Cash. Still the easiest option at a bake sale or a coffee morning. Count it with a second person, write down the total and both sign it, then pay it in as soon as you can. Many charities will let you pay in at a bank using their paying-in details, or will send you a form.

You don't have to choose just one. Plenty of fundraisers run an event for the people who want to join in, and keep a donation page open for those who just want to give.

4. Claim Gift Aid where you can

Gift Aid lets a charity claim an extra 25p from the government for every £1 a UK taxpayer donates. On £400 of donations, that's another £100.

It has a few conditions:

  • Only charities can claim it. That means registered charities and community amateur sports clubs that are registered with HMRC. If you're raising money for a group that isn't one, like an informal club, Gift Aid won't apply.
  • The donor has to make a declaration. They confirm they're a UK taxpayer and are happy for the charity to claim. Donation pages ask this at checkout, and charities have paper forms for cash donations.
  • It's for gifts, not purchases. If the donor gets something back, like a ticket, a cake, a raffle ticket or a duck in a race, it isn't a donation and Gift Aid doesn't apply. A separate donation made on the same night still counts.

Charities can also claim a top-up on small cash and contactless donations without a declaration, through the Gift Aid small donations scheme. Ask the charity whether it uses this before you count up the collection boxes.

5. Ask, and keep asking

Most fundraising money comes from asking people, not from the setup. Plan to ask more than once.

  • Launch with a clear message. Say who it's for, what the money will do and how much you're aiming for. Include a link or the date, and nothing else people have to look up.
  • Ask your closest supporters first. A page or event that already has a few donations looks worth joining. Ask a handful of friends and family to give on day one.
  • Post updates. Training runs, cakes baked, ducks dressed, how close you are to the target. Each update is a new reason for someone to give.
  • Send a last call. "Two days left" or "race starts tomorrow" brings in more than you'd expect. Many people mean to give and just need a reminder with a deadline.
  • Check for matched giving. Many employers match what staff raise for charity. Check whether yours does, and mention it to your supporters.

6. Pass the money on, then say thank you

Once it's over, get the money to the charity promptly. Donation pages usually send it automatically. For cash and event takings, pay it in or send it in the way the charity asked. Keep a simple record of what came in and where it went, in case anyone asks.

Then tell people how it went. Share the final total, thank everyone who gave or helped, and say what the money will do. If the charity sends a thank-you or a photo of what it paid for, pass that on too. People who see their money made a difference are the ones who give again next time.

Ready to start?

If you're raising money for a school, school fundraising ideas plans out a whole year of events. If you'd like an event that takes minutes to set up, try our free online duck race right now.