Fundraising Ideas for Care Homes

Fundraising can be critical for care homes, providing essential funds for improvements, activities, and equipment that enhance the residents’ quality of life.

Below is a range of fundraising ideas for care homes:

Community Events

1. Charity Walk/Run: Organise a sponsored walk or run in the local community. Residents, staff, and community members can participate.
2. Music and Talent Shows: Host a talent show or music concert featuring local musicians, choirs, or even the residents themselves.
3. Garden Party: Hold a themed garden party with games, food, and live music. This can also include a plant or garden produce sale.
4. Fête or Fair: Organise a traditional festival with stalls, games, raffles, and entertainment. Involve local businesses and community groups for stall sponsorships.
5. Christmas Market: Set up a Christmas market selling handmade crafts, baked goods, and holiday decorations.

Virtual Fundraising

1. Online Auction: Collect donations of items or experiences from local businesses and host an online auction.
2. Virtual Fun Run: Participants can run at their own pace and track their distance using fitness apps, sharing their progress online.
3. Crowdfunding Campaign: Use platforms like JustGiving or GoFundMe to raise funds online, sharing stories and updates about the care home’s needs.
4. Virtual Concerts or Talks: Host webinars, online concerts, or workshops that people can pay to attend.

Resident and Staff Involvement

1. Art and Craft Sales: Sell handmade crafts, artwork, or baked goods made by residents and staff.
2. Recipe Book: Compile favourite recipes from residents and staff into a book that can be sold.
3. Walk-a-Thon: Residents and staff can take part in a walk-a-thon where they seek sponsorships for the distance they can walk collectively.
4. Sponsored Silence: Staff or residents take part in a sponsored silence where friends and family donate to support their effort.

Partnerships

1. Corporate Sponsorship: Partner with local businesses for sponsorships in exchange for advertising at events or on promotional materials.
2. Charity of the Year: Encourage a local business or group to adopt the care home as their charity of the year, holding various fundraising events and activities.
3. Supermarket Collections: Organise fundraising collections at local supermarkets, involving residents and staff where possible.

Themed Days & Competitions

1. Dress-Up Days: Have themed dress-up days where participants pay a small fee to take part, like “Wear Your X to Work Day”.
2. Quiz Nights: Host a pub quiz, either in-person or virtually, charging entry fees and giving prizes.
3. Bake-Off Competition: Organise a bake-off where staff and residents can compete, with cakes being sold afterward.

Sales and Auctions

1. Car Boot Sale: Organise a car boot sale in your car park or a local venue.
2. Book Sale: Collect donated books and hold a book sale.
3. Charity Bake Sale: Organise bake sales with contributions from residents, staff, and their families.
4. Silent Auctions: Set up a silent auction with donated items or services from local businesses.

Health and Fitness

1. Fitness Challenges: Sponsor staff and residents to take part in fitness challenges, such as a step-count challenge.
2. Yoga/Exercise Classes: Offer donation-based yoga or fitness classes to the public and residents’ families.

Miscellaneous

1. Lottery Raffle: Sell tickets for a raffle with donated prizes from local businesses.
2. Movie Nights: Hold movie nights either in the care home or in a local venue, charging for entry and refreshments.

By combining a few of these ideas and tailoring them to your community and residents’ interests, you can significantly boost fundraising efforts while also engaging the community and enhancing the residents’ experiences.

Getting Started with Fundraising for Care Homes

Here are some tips to help ensure the success of your fundraising efforts in a care home setting:

Planning and Organization

1. Set Clear Goals: Define clear, realistic goals for what you want to achieve with the funds (e.g., new equipment, facility upgrades, special activities).
2. Create a Detailed Plan: Outline each step of the fundraising process, including resources needed, timelines, and responsibilities.
3. Budget Wisely: Estimate costs for each event or activity and plan how to cover them while maximising profits.
4. Compliance and Permissions: Ensure you have all necessary permissions and comply with local regulations regarding fundraising activities.

Engagement and Involvement

1. Resident Participation: Actively involve residents in planning and executing events; their insights can be invaluable and their participation can make events more meaningful.
2. Staff Engagement: Encourage staff to take ownership and participate enthusiastically in the fundraising activities. Consider appointing a fundraising coordinator or team.
3. Family Involvement: Engage residents’ families and encourage their participation and support in events and campaigns.

Promotion and Communication

1. Effective Communication: Clearly communicate the purpose and importance of the fundraising efforts to all stakeholders—residents, staff, families, and the wider community.
2. Use Social Media: Leverage social media platforms to promote events, share updates, and celebrate successes. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can reach a wider audience.
3. Local Media: Reach out to local newspapers, radio stations, and community newsletters to cover your events and spread the word.
4. Network: Use your existing networks, including local businesses, community groups, and professional contacts, to gain support and promote events.

Creativity and Innovation

1. Unique Ideas: Think outside the box to come up with unique and appealing fundraising ideas that will attract interest and participation.
2. Themed Events: Themed events can generate excitement and increase attendance. Seasonal themes (Christmas, Halloween) often work well.
3. Combining Efforts: Combine smaller, frequent fundraising activities with larger annual events for sustained engagement and variety.

Execution and Follow-Up

1. Attention to Detail: Ensure all events and activities are well-organised and smoothly executed. Pay attention to details like signage, seating, accessibility, and refreshments.
2. Volunteer Support: Recruit and effectively manage volunteers to help with various tasks. Provide clear instructions, thank them, and ensure they feel valued.
3. Safety and Accessibility: Ensure all fundraising activities are safe and accessible for all participants, especially considering the special needs of care home residents.

Acknowledgment and Appreciation

1. Thank Supporters: Always acknowledge and thank participants, donors, volunteers, and sponsors promptly and publicly where possible.
2. Show Results: Share the fundraising outcomes and how the funds will be used. This transparency builds trust and encourages future participation and donations.
3. Celebrate Success: Celebrate your successes with residents, staff, and supporters. Hosting a small appreciation event or sending thank-you cards can go a long way.

Evaluation and Improvement

1. Feedback: Collect feedback from participants, residents, staff, and volunteers to learn what worked well and what could be improved for future events.
2. Analyse Results: Evaluate the success of each fundraising activity against your goals to understand your return on investment.
3. Adapt and Evolve: Use the insights gained from feedback and evaluation to adapt and improve your fundraising strategies for the future.

By following these tips, you can optimise your fundraising efforts, making them more effective, enjoyable, and successful, positively impacting the quality of life for care home residents.