Charity is a core part of many of our lives, and older people are no different. Homeowners at our retirement developments choose a charity to fundraise for each year, allowing them to support a variety of causes and stay involved in the local community as they age.
It’s also a core part of McCarthy & Stone. The McCarthy & Stone Foundation aims to make a difference to retirement communities across the UK. The Foundation’s primary goals are to support the health and wellbeing of older people, helping young people overcome educational challenges, and creating and enhancing community spaces. Through donations and grants, we aim to help charities and organisations change lives across the UK for the better while strengthening links between generations. But we couldn't do it without our generous homeowners and their exciting fundraising events!
20 fundraising activity ideas
There are almost endless ways to fundraise from charity, from simple raffles and bake sales to sports-based competitions and sponsored challenges. We believe life is fullest during retirement, and passionate homeowners at our retirement communities are evidence of how charitable efforts continue well into our 60s, 70s, and even 90s!
Just one fundraising event is a raffle held at Pearson House in Broadstairs, where residents raised over £150 for Pilgrims Hospice, which provides end of life care to those in need.
Other times, our developments fundraise for The McCarthy & Stone Foundations, which uses funds to donate money or items to causes in local communities around our developments. For example, we gave a £500 grant to Guild Care’s Memory Café in Worthing, which supports those living with memory loss or dementia and their carers. We also donated a much-needed defibrillator to Saffron Walden Community Shed – a lifesaving resource to have in the community.
Feeling inspired? Read our top 20 fundraising activity ideas to help kickstart your own charity event.
1. Coffee mornings or afternoon tea
Made popular by Macmillan Cancer Support, charity coffee mornings are events where attendees can chat over a hot drink and cake. Attendees are encouraged to make a small monetary contribution, and then simply enjoy socialising and enjoying each other’s company.
Coffee mornings are common occurrences at our retirement developments, such as one held at Crescent Place in Warminster – where our residents donated £556 to the cause.
2. Bake sales
Bake sales are one of the most iconic types of fundraising events. Retirees can show off their baking skills and bring along homemade goods to sell and raise funds. Invite people from the development, local community, and wider public to come along and enjoy a comforting homebaked cake or biscuit. You could even include a bake sale as part of a coffee morning!
3. Raffles
Another classic fundraising activity is a raffle – but they continue to be a popular choice for good reason. Drinks, treats, and other goods can be won in a raffle, with the proceeds of the ticket sales going to your chosen charity. Retirees can donate goods to be sold, or local businesses tend to be open to donating items for these sorts of events, too.
4. Wine tasting
A wine tasting event is a fun and relaxed way for retirees to socialise and sample a range of wines while raising money for charity. Wine connoisseurs in your retirement development can suggest wines to serve at the event, and share their expertise with fellow residents.
Attendees make a small contribution to join in, and all you need are a few bottles of good wine and some tasty nibbles to complement them. Wine nights can be held all year round, inside and outside – making them easy to arrange at a moment’s notice.
5. Quiz nights
Hosting a quiz night is fairly simple and low-effort. All you need is a quiz master to run the night and a few teams to take part. The quizzes themselves can be downloaded from the internet or created by the quiz master if they feel up to the challenge! Funds can be raised by charging a small entry fee to each team. Award the winning team a prize for their success.
6. Board game competition
Playing board games is a popular indoor activity for seniors – why not make a fundraising competition out of it? Charge a small entrance fee for contestants to take part in a board game competition, whether that’s within a team or as individual participants. Depending on the time available or your money goal, your competition could be a few games in one night or a tournament spanning several days or weeks. The winner of the competition could receive a small prize to commemorate their achievements.
7. Guessing games
One simple idea is to create a guessing game. This could involve putting a large quantity of something in a jar, placing it somewhere central, and asking people to make guesses in exchange for a small donation. The jar could be filled with small things like jelly beans, coated chocolates, or marbles, which the person who correctly guesses the amount gets to keep.
Another guessing game could be putting a photo of staff members up on a notice board and asking people to make a donation alongside their guess of the combined age of everyone in the picture. You could even give out a small prize to the winner, such as a voucher or free dinner at the on-site restaurant.
8. Sponsored walks, runs, or cycles
Fundraising can also take the form of more energetic pastimes, such as sponsored walks, runs, or cycles. Participants can ask other residents, friends, and family to sponsor their pursuits in support of their chosen charity. Sponsored sports are a great excuse for retirees to get more active, whether they choose to take a gentle local route or a more challenging trail in a national park.
9. Music and dancing
Events could have a theme to make it even more interesting, such as a specific time era or Strictly Come Dancing, as demonstrated by our Llanthony Place retirement development in Gloucester. This exciting ‘Strictly Come Llanthony’ event was sponsored by local businesses, included performances, and even a raffle – raising over £14,000 for the McCarthy & Stone Foundation to support a range of charities.
10. Fashion show
Older people often have some of the best fashion items hidden away in their wardrobes. Why not give them an excuse to dust them off and strut down a makeshift runway in the name of charity? You can set a theme, such as a specific colour, time era, or encourage people to pair up to create matching sets.
Attendees can pay to watch the show and support their friends as well as their chosen charity.
11. Team sports tournament
Sports events are a great way for retirees to get active while supporting causes. The possibilities are endless, from arranging walking football and games of bowls to Olympic-eqsue themed circuits and challenges adapted to be suitable for older people. For example, instead of a hammer throw, participants can throw a hacky sack.
While sports are ideally held outside, there’s plenty you can do inside too. An indoor sports day, complete with an egg-and-spoon race, obstacle course, and three-legged race, is the perfect rainy day alternative.
There are several ways to raise funds through sports competitions. You could ask for donations for people who want to watch games, charge a small race entry fee, and by selling refreshments – perhaps local businesses could offer sponsorships for teams.
12. Movie night
Put on a ‘cinema’ night in a communal area of retirement developments. Perhaps residents can vote on what movie will be shown to encourage more engagement. Set up a projector, sell ‘tickets’ to attendees, and pop some corn before sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying the movie. Increase funds further by donating money made from refreshments.
It’s important to note that you’ll need to obtain a public performance licence when charging money to watch a movie – even when it’s not-for-profit.
13. Talent show
Our retirement developments are full of talented and skilled people. Hosting a charity talent show offers them the perfect opportunity to showcase their talents. Whether it’s singing, juggling, or playing a musical instrument, encourage people to nurture their skills and use them to help give back to charitable causes.
Money can be raised by charging a fee for attendees to watch the show.
14. Fancy dress competition
There are countless occasions throughout the year – why not throw a themed event to celebrate? Attendees can make a small donation and don fancy dress that matches the theme, with the best dressed winning a prize.
Themes can be related to the chosen charity, if appropriate, such as wearing red for Comic Relief or spots for Children in Need. Alternatively, it could be based around pop culture or to commemorate a historical event.
15. Book sale
We all hold onto books we’ve read and won’t read again or unread books we know we’ll never read. Encourage people to part with unwanted books, either new or secondhand, to sell in a fundraising book sale and free up storage space at home.
Open up your book sale to the public to increase funds and raise awareness of your cause.
16. Jumble sale
Expand secondhand sales beyond books to also include unwanted clothing, bric-a-brac, and other pre-loved items in a car boot or garage sale-type event held in the comfort of your retirement community. It’s the perfect occasion to encourage older people to declutter and part with things they no longer use or wear.
Consider opening up the event to invite the public to browse goods for further engagement and maximise the money you raise. After the jumble sale ends, proceeds can be donated to your chosen charity.
17. Knit-a-thon
Whoever said knitting and crocheting were dying skills hasn’t met our crafty homeowners. While many whip up items for friends, family, or themselves, these thoughtful crafts are perfect for charity fundraising.
People can be sponsored to knit or crochet for a specific period of time or per yard of yarn used, giving them a reason to sit down with friends and natter while they handmake something. Perhaps items made could be donated, such as little teddy bears or baby hats for neonatal units at hospitals.
18. Handmade craft sale
Handmade items tend to sell particularly well, especially for charity, as people love to have something unique and made with love. Older people can create and sell handmade items, such as paintings, keychains, small carved items – or anything they enjoy making and would be willing to sell to raise money. You could even host a craft night ahead of the charity sale where seniors can make items together to be sold.
19. Comedy night
Who doesn’t love to laugh? Arrange a comedy night to hold in a shared lounge where retirees can try their hand at stand-up, or invite local comedians if you want a more professional event. Charge a small entry fee for attendees to enjoy the festivities, and you could even donate proceeds made from refreshments throughout the night.
20. Summer picnics
Ideally held during a warm summer day, picnics are casual events where attendees can enjoy sandwiches, cakes, and glasses of punch – all in exchange for a small donation to charity. Family and friends could also be invited to increase the number of donations and encourage people to spend quality time together.
Perhaps picnics could have a specific theme, such as a teddy bear picnic to make it extra fun for grandchildren, or beach-themed to emulate the feeling of people on holiday.
Tips for choosing a charity
Choosing a charity or cause to fundraise for can be more difficult than it sounds. Lots of people have things close to their hearts that they’re passionate about, and it can be challenging to choose just one. There are several ways to narrow down your selection:
- Put it to a vote to make the decision fair
- A cause affecting someone in the development directly, such as Parkinson’s disease or veteran’s support
- Research charities that are struggling with funding, such as pet charities
- Think about any current events that could benefit from funding
- Consider local causes, such as a hospice needing repairs, an under-resourced library, or a community centre that combats loneliness.
Once you’ve made your decision, you’ll need to figure out how you’re going to collect money. Many charities have fundraising kits to make organising events easier, but it can be as simple as having a lockbox out at an event.
Make sure people know about your event and the charity you’re focusing on. Put up posters and send out invites before the events, decorate your venue, and distribute leaflets for people to take away and raise awareness of your cause. This can be simple print-outs, which our helpful house managers can support our homeowners with obtaining.
Join a friendly and passionate retirement community near you
Our retirement developments throughout the UK often host charity events that encourage homeowners to get involved and maintain a giving lifestyle during their retirement – with many of our residents keen to give back.
Our coffee mornings on Welcome Wednesdays aren’t fundraising events, but are the perfect time to meet people who live in our developments, meet friendly staff, tour retirement properties, and see if life at a McCarthy & Stone retirement community is right for you or a loved one.
