Best Rotary Fundraising Ideas

Rotary International is one of the premier service organizations worldwide, with 1.2 million members and over 35,000 Rotarian clubs worldwide. The mission of Rotary International is to ‘provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.’ Fundraising for these causes is often essential to a Rotary Club’s projects, as critical services and infrastructure require money.

We support several Rotary clubs here at DoJiggy and realize that many clubs are looking for easy-to-use fundraising websites and Rotary club fundraising ideas. Holiday and year-end giving campaigns are especially popular for Rotary Clubs, and we can help get your group set up and running quickly.

Read on for the best traditional and online fundraising ideas for Rotary clubs and civic organizations.

Online and Virtual Rotary Fundraising Ideas

The face of fundraising has changed for most nonprofit organizations due to COVID-19, and Rotary Clubs are no different. Here are some of the best ideas for safe and virtual fundraising campaigns. 

Rotary Fundraising Sales

Many Rotary clubs have sales fundraisers each year. Popular sales items for Rotary clubs include holiday decorations and gifts, local produce or food items, Rotary branded clothing and merchandise, and more. Take your fundraising sales online with a free nonprofit store for contactless sales.

See a Rotary Club fundraising on our Simples Stores.

Sell BBQ or Plated Meals for Pick-up or Delivery

Rotary clubs regularly host annual BBQ or Rib dinner fundraisers. These are fun community events that get the club and families together – but these events may not be possible this year. If you can’t get a bunch of people together, why not host a BBQ meal pick-up or delivery? Most people are happy to drive by and pick up items, and Rotarians can volunteer to deliver to the elderly or those who pay extra for delivery service.

Virtual Whisky, Wine, or Beer Tastings

Organizing a wine or whisky-tasting fundraiser is a great Rotary Club fundraiser. This year, you can do it virtually via a livestream event. Live-streamed fundraisers have gained popularity with nonprofits as a means of hosting or enhancing virtual fundraising campaigns. But remember, you need to ensure these events are fun and interactive. 

For virtual events, send a party box by mail or ask supporters to pick up their box before the event. Let guests know they should have the box ready and only open it during the virtual tasting. Include wine or other spirits for tasting, menus, and recipes for pairing, sponsor swag, a toy or game to occupy kids, and balloons. Bring on the party!

Online Auctions

Here is a virtual fundraising idea that can be quite lucrative. Make your charity auction a virtual event, and let our auction websites do all the work for you. Simply create your website and add auction categories and items. Set the time for online bidding to start and begin advertising your auction via online and social media channels. Bids are made online and via text to bid. Auction winners are automatically charged and winning bid notices can even be automated. 

Fundraising Raffles

Like hosting an online auction, fundraising raffles are a great virtual event. Fundraising raffles incentivize people to buy tickets for a chance to win a prize or prizes, so the prizes are really important. Travel packages, electronics, and cash prizes are always popular. Some organizations even go big and raffle motorcycles, cars, and houses.

Whatever you choose, our online raffle platform lets your group sell tickets and manage all details securely. The system can randomly draw winners, and you can host a live stream of the drawing. Read our article on how to host a 50/50 fundraiser. 

All these fundraising events can be successfully run on our platform for virtual fundraising.

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10 Traditional Rotary Club Fundraising Ideas

Rotary clubs sometimes fundraise with other area clubs or organizations to build camaraderie and extend the reach of their fundraising networks.

Here are the best ideas that Rotary Clubs generally favor for year-round fundraising.

1. Golf Tournaments – Charity golf tournaments are always popular Rotary fundraisers. Enhance fundraising opportunities by making your tournament a Golf Marathon, selling sponsorships, raffle tickets, and adding a charity auction.
2. Miniature Golf Tournaments – If your club doesn’t have a strong group of golfers to help recruit participants for a tournament, why not try a mini-golf tournament instead? The nice thing about this is that almost everyone can bring the family and play.
3. Walkathons and Fun Runs – Walkathon fundraisers are another healthy Rotary Club fundraising idea that almost everyone can enjoy. Add a holiday theme like this Rotary Club does to make it more fun! Virtual walkathons are also an option during COVID.
4. Dinners and BBQs -Plated dinners and BBQs are an old standby for Rotary Club fundraising. The Rotary Club of Burlington hosts a popular Lobsterfest each year. These can be formal events, but usually, they are casual family affairs with music and entertainment to match the dinner theme.
5. Duck Races – Rubber duck races are a popular Rotary fundraiser. The idea is to sell rubber ducks and race them. The winning duck’s owner gets the pot or another prize, and fun is had by all. These events are generally combined with food and entertainment, making them a highlight for members and the community at large.
6. Casino Nights – Casino nights and charity poker tournaments can be lucrative fundraisers. First, you’ll also want to check on state and local laws and regulations to ensure that you can host a charity poker or gaming event. Next, you’ll need some poker experts and a large space to host the event. Many fraternity lodges (such as Shriner’s or VFW lodges) have the necessary permits and may also have the supplies you need.
7. Clay Shoots – Sporting clay shoots or skeet fundraisers can be good Rotary fundraisers if you have a nice shooting range in your area. Think safety first! Be sure to include vests and earplugs for all shooters. Talk to the shooting complex and follow their lead here.
8. Bikeathons – For bikeathons, cyclists bike a predetermined course and commit to raising money for your organization. Bike-a-thon fundraisers work well because almost everyone enjoys riding a bike. They are a great family event and also offer a venue for avid cyclists to participate. Bikers may collect pledges per completed mile or kilometer, or contributors may donate a set donation amount to the benefiting organization or charity to support a biker’s efforts.
9. Gourmet Pancake Breakfasts –  The nice thing about a breakfast fundraiser is that it does not take nearly the amount of time to organize as larger fundraising events but can still raise significant funds. Pancake breakfasts are a fun way to bring members of your organization and the community together in a social setting, and many Rotarians will line up to flip pancakes.
10. Polar Plunges – With a polar plunge fundraiser, Rotarians take the plunge into frigid or icy waters to raise awareness for a charitable cause. One of the most appealing reasons to host a polar plunge is that it attracts quite the attention of the media and local community.

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