Raising cash for charity is a great thing to do and the more funny your method of doing it the more likely you are to gather oodles of moola! What I've created below are some simple variations on regular methods of fund raising to increase the funny factor and hopefully your bank. Which means everyone is a winner!
A Race...
OK, not the most inventive, but it's how you pitch it. And what you race. Basically everyone likes a flutter. So embrace this and get people gambling. What better way to soften the blow of incurred losses, by knowing your cash is heading to charity rather than the pocket of a bookmaker. So what are you going to race? Snails are good, but that takes time. Cats are awkward to control. Woodlice might work. Be inventive. Ensure that any animals involved are well treated and everyone will have an ace time earning stacks o' green for a good cause. You could opt for a video option too. Footage of camel racing from the Middle East is all over the net. Just make sure you don't give away the results...
Karaoke...
Karaoke is fun. Regardless of what anyone says about it, they probably secretly love it. We all get our sing-a-long on in the shower and a bit of a duet going while dusting. Doing this for charity might be the just the thing to quash those concerns about self-consciousness. American Idol in your back yard is a possibility! But how to make it more funny? Add in foreign versions. Obviously doing this for an entire evening might drag a little, but the odd one is always going to create a laugh. Plus anyone taking it on should be given twice the cash for their efforts. And that's going to boost the funds no end!
Theme Night...
A theme night relies on its theme unsurprisingly. Obviously if it is well chosen hilarity will ensue. I attended an event that was French themed and the costumes were amazing, fine and regal, think the court of Marie Antoinette. The food and drink matched and the evening was truly spectacular, apart from one attendee, who took the French theme in a more irreverent manner. He arrived on a bicycle wearing a striped shirt and beret with a string of onions around his neck and a baguette under his arm. Very, very funny. Maybe try videogame characters or other good choices are 80s or 70s, or perhaps characters from movies, so action heroes or Star Wars characters. It's really up to you.
If you choose any of these good luck and remember to go wild. While your first priority is to raise a significant sum of money it's closely followed by having fun. Besides if people are enjoying themselves they are far more likely to loosen their grip on their funds...
Always on the lookout for humorous ideas, Andrew Simm can often be found chuckling over funny gifts at Find Me A Gift, the gift ideas people.
