7 fundraising ideas from our marathon runner Louise

Taking part in a marathon for Versus Arthritis this year?

With every step you take, you'll be helping us fund world-class research, deliver incredible services and campaign on the issues that matter most to people with arthritis.  

We know that fundraising isn’t always easy. To give you a helping hand, our marathon runner, Louise Brown, shares her tips for hitting a fundraising target.

What is the best way to fundraise for marathon? Here are Louise's tips:

Host a quiz night

What’s the best way to raise money for charity? For Louise, it was hosting a quiz night at a local town hall which helped her smash her fundraising target.  

“I managed to raise over £500 at my quiz night, so at least a quarter of my total amount came from this one event,” she says. 

“I borrowed a microphone from a friend and wrote my own quiz. Then I charged £5 a ticket and held a raffle at the event.” 

“I also added a QR code to my fundraising page on the answer sheets to encourage more donations,” she adds.  

Organise a raffle 

Louise also held a raffle at every event she hosted – and it was a big hit.  

“I contacted lots of companies to see if they could donate anything to my raffle and I managed to get quite a lot,” she says.

“I sent an email to many businesses and went into shops with a letter explaining what I was raising money for. You would be surprised how many companies were willing to donate something!” 

Generous donations came in from big chains and local companies alike. “Local authors and books shops donated books, nail salons and hairdressers gave vouchers, a local garden centre gave plants, and a local brewery donated tickets to one of their events,” she says.

Set up a sweepstake

There’s nothing like a bit of friendly competition, so Louise says a sweepstake is a fantastic way to raise money for charity.  

“You could get people to predict your finish time at the marathon or you could tie it to a TV competition or sporting event, like the World Cup,” she suggests. 

Louise works at a wildlife hospital and “held a sweepstake where people predicted when the first baby bird of the year would come in”.  

“Half the money went to the winner and the other half to my fundraising,” she explains.  

Host a bake sale

No one can say no to a sweet treat – and it’s even better when the money is for a good cause. So, if you’re unsure how to hit your fundraising target, why not channel your inner baker. 

Louise says she held a bake sale at work on a Friday and it was a roaring success.  

“I put a poster next to the cakes explaining why I was fundraising, and I also included a QR code linking to my fundraising page so people could still buy a cake even if they didn’t carry cash,” she says.  

Add your fundraising page to your email signature 

A simple but effective way to raise money is to share your fundraising story at work.  

“My company let me add a little note to my email signature that said, ‘I’m running London Marathon for Versus Arthritis, please consider donating if you can’ with a link to my fundraising page,” Louise explains.  

“It’s worth asking your organisation if you can do this but of course you can add It to your personal email too.” 

Sell unwanted goods at a car boot or jumble sale

Fancy a declutter? It could be a terrific way to give your marathon fundraising a boost.  

Louise took part in a local jumble sale as it was a “good way to get rid of unwanted items and raise money.” 

“I put up big signs saying what I was raising money for and found that people overpaid or were less likely to haggle as they knew it was going to a charity.”  

Share your story on social media

If you’re fundraising for charity, chances are that it’s a cause close to your heart. So don’t be afraid to shout about it.  

Louise says that sharing your story on social media is “not one to be underestimated”. In fact, she got a quarter of her donations this way.  

“I think it’s worth being tactical with your posting,” Louise says. “Always explain in detail what it’s for, what you’re doing, and make the post public so people can share it.” 

Put your fundraising link on a T-shirt

With marathon season just around the corner, chances you’re ramping up your training. Maybe you’re running more regularly or taking part in other running events. 

“If, like me, you are doing lots of running events as part of your training you should get a T shirt made with your fundraising page as a QR code” suggests Louise.  

“Other runners/spectators might be more likely to sponsor you and it will help spread the word.”