Fundraising projects come in all shapes and sizes. Some people take on a sporting challenge like a marathon, some decide to shave their heads as a personal challenge in exchange for donations, others ask for birthday donations, and many just create a project page and share the link with their network.

Deciding on a fundraising project can seem like a daunting task, especially if you have never created one before. To help you get inspired, we have picked ten of the best fundraising projects we’ve seen on GivenGain. Many of them can be done without leaving home!

• Each December, a group of friends called the Frosted Brains (Cerveaux Givrés) dive into the freezing waters of Lake Geneva to raise funds for the Swiss Association for Research on Alzheimer’s. Do you have a high cold tolerance? Add a similar challenge to your fundraising project – or recreate the experience at home with a bucket of ice water.

• South African electronic band GoodLuck decided to take action for charity during lockdown, creating a series of live streams on Facebook called 'The Luck Down'. They asked listeners and fans to donate to the Solidarity Fund to get food and aid packages to people in need over lockdown. Smart, right? If you’re a muso, stream it and ask your listeners for a donation to charity!

• Would you go to jail for a great cause? Christine Mitchell did. For her fundraising project, she set donors a 'jail & bail' challenge in aid of Cancer Association of South Africa. Christine, you've been charged with setting up one of the most creative fundraising projects on GivenGain. Our verdict: guilty!

• Still haven’t got your first post-quarantine haircut? Like Randridge Mall Shavathon Volunteers, you can shave or spray your head for charity. They did it to support CANSA's mission – to ensure continued care & support for cancer survivors and their loved ones – and almost doubled their donation target!

• Daniel Born ran 866 laps around his house during lockdown to complete a nine-hour, 58km ultra-marathon for Four Paws ZA! His chosen charity rescues and stabilises malnourished lions in South Africa. If you like a running challenge but you’re in lockdown, why don’t you come up with a similar project? You’ll surely get lots of donations for your determination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqiarh-0UH8&feature=youtu.be

• Joy Hoek got very creative during lockdown and sewed some beautiful masks for her donors. She raised USD 1,500 for the charity Love Runs (NorthRidge Church) and protected many with her home-made PPE. Do you like sewing or knitting? Why not create thank-you gifts for your donors like Joy?

• Sarah Duff organised a virtual disco to raise money for Masiphumelele Creative Hub, raising ZAR 1,000! That money will help them provide 700 children with daily meals and deliver weekly food parcels to elderly residents in Masiphumelele, Cape Town. Do you have friends who are missing the clubs or love DJing? Then throw a virtual party in exchange for a donation!

• Roark Gyms embarked on a 24-hour rowathon to raise funds for The Sunflower Fund’s fight against cancer. They managed to raise more than USD 5,000! Do you have anything that you could do for 24 hours? Dance-a-thon? Sleep-a-thon? Silence-a-thon? Do it for a good cause!

• Eager to get outside on your next hiking adventure, but want to give it more purpose? Gaetano Zanon from Switzerland climbed Ama Dablam in Eastern Nepal, altitude 6,812 metres, to raise money for Alzheimer’s research. Good job Gaetano!

• Sean Dunn’s “buy me a beer” project in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Association is genius. In return for donating the price of a beer (ZAR 35), Sean bought himself a beer, took a selfie drinking it and tagged his donors so they’d see. In total, people bought him 145 beers. If you also like beer, ask your friends to buy you a drink and raise a glass (responsibly!) to making a difference!

We hope this gives you some ideas and helps you to get started! If you’re still unsure of what to do, have a look at these blog posts for more inspiration:

1. How to fundraise for charity after your event has been cancelled
2. 10 great online fundraising ideas
3. What successful online fundraisers do right

Don’t forget to follow us on social media to see more inspiring stories!

• Facebook: facebook.com/givengain
• Twitter: @givengain
• Instagram: @givengainfoundation