Birthday fundraising ideas

Celebrate you and the causes you care about by giving to your favourite charities. 

Use your birthday as an opportunity to create a charitable impact with your loved ones and create a positive change you want to see in the world. Add a positive twist to an already great day!

What is a birthday fundraiser? 

A birthday fundraiser is a great way for you to give to a charity or cause you are passionate about on your special day. You can have your friends send you charitable dollars directly to your Impact Account, or have your party-goers contribute to your Giving Group rather than receiving a traditional present. 

Through your Impact Account, you are able to donate to any Canadian registered charity, to send charitable dollars to friends and family, and to start Giving Groups to rally friends around giving. 

How to select a cause to raise funds for your birthday

It’s your birthday, and you can celebrate it by spreading joy locally or globally—the choice is up to you. Find issues or organizations you care about in your neighbourhood or donate to causes you’re passionate about. Not sure where to start? Check out our 7 tools and strategies to find charities.

How to ask for donations instead of birthday gifts

If it is your first time fundraising for your birthday, you might be unsure how to set up a birthday fundraiser. You may even feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed at the idea of asking friends and family for a donation. Starting a Giving Group might be the perfect option for you. For public Giving Groups, donors do not need an Impact Account to support your cause. 

Benefits of a birthday Giving Group

Through your Impact Account, you can then easily send the money to the charity or charities of your choice, even after the day has passed. The great thing about giving through Charitable Impact is you can take your time to find a charity that makes sense for you. 

Simply create a Giving Group, get your own webpage, invite your friends directly from your Impact Account or share the link to your Giving Group through text, email, or social media.  

• Log in to your Impact Account on web or mobile 
• Go or search for your giving group and click “View Campaign” 
• Click the three dots and share directly via Twitter or Facebook or copy and paste the link to an email or text message 

Make it personal

If you are sharing your Giving Group in a direct text or email, you may want to consider including a personal message along with the link to your Giving Group. It’s up to you: Either send a group message or a personalized message to friends and family you are hoping will help support your celebration through generosity.

 You may choose to include the following information in your message, or in the description in your Giving Group: 

• Why you have chosen the cause or charity 
• What impact the charity you have chosen is working towards 
• How long your birthday fundraiser will run 

We recommend setting up and sharing your birthday fundraiser 2-4 weeks before the day of the celebration. 

Creative birthday fundraising ideas  

Looking for a unique way to celebrate your birthday? Check out our birthday fundraising ideas below. 

1. Party with a purpose 

Add a charitable twist to your birthday party by organizing games or competitions where friends can donate to join in. The winner gets to choose the charity supported with the funds raised. You can easily do this online or create a fun virtual party. 

2. Give based on your astrological or zodiac sign 

If you love interpreting the stars and their meaning, giving based on your astrological or zodiac sign could be a fun way to choose your cause. Year of the Dog? Find an animal wellness cause to give to. Were you born as a water sign? Create change in the environmental sector. 

3. Volunteer your time

Instead of having a party, devote a couple of hours of your day to volunteering. Not only will you be doing good, but you will be rewarded by feeling good. Volunteering brings positive mental and physical benefits. Several charities offer on-off volunteering for in-person or online volunteering. 

4. Create a social media challenge

Ask your friends and family to upload a video of themselves that represents the cause you care about. Challenge those you follow on social media to participate in a fun and safe activity or donate to your cause or Giving Group. Ice bucket challenge, anyone? 

5. Fundraise your age

If you’re looking for an ambitious fundraising target, why not try and fundraise an amount to match your age? Turning 30? Set out to raise $3,000 for a cause you care about! 

6. BONUS: Yearly charity subscription

Treat yourself or your friend to an automatic donation or gift and continue to give to charity year-round. You can do this by setting up a monthly donation into your Impact Account. Giving monthly will help you make a larger charitable impact, no matter how much you’d like to donate regularly. 

If you feel inspired to create an impact, then Charitable Impact is here for you. With our free Impact Account, you can support all of your favourite causes all in one place. Add funds to your account at any time, take the time and space to plan your impact, and then send gifts from your account to the causes you care about. Sign up for a free account today to get started!