Sometimes it takes money to help kids. So where do you start? Check out four of our favorite fundraising categories.

FOOD
Fundraisers involving food are popular — and there’s a good chance other organizations in your community have food fundraisers you could learn from. Does your region have a famous food you could celebrate with a festival (like the Kiwanis Rock Shrimp Festival in Georgia, USA)? How about a virtual cheese, wine or whiskey tasting like the Kiwanis Club of European Professionals?

Find more food fundraiser ideas from around the world.

GARDENING AND ENVIRONMENT
Team up with a local plant nursery or farm to sell seasonal flowers or vegetables. In Belgium, the Kiwanis Club of Mons en Hainaut sells more than 117 varieties of flowers and tomatoes — including a tomato called “La Kiwanienne” (“The Kiwanian”).  

If you’d like to help the environment and raise money while doing it, check with a local recycling service about collecting items for cash — like this Kiwanis club in Georgia, USA, did.

Looking for more environment-related project ideas? Check out this list.  

SPORTS
Encourage your community to exercise and raise money for kids at the same time: Host a sports tournament or 5K race, like the Kiwanis Club of Dunedin, Florida, USA. Or consider a lesser-known crowd pleaser like the bed races sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Ottawa, Canada. Many sporting events can be held in large public spaces outdoors to meet local COVID-19 guidelines.  

Bonus: more outdoor fundraiser and service project ideas.  

CARS AND COLLECTIBLES
Have a connection to owners of classic cars or other intriguing collectibles? Organize a show or exhibit and charge attendees a small fee to see it all in person. The Kiwanis Club of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA, is a good example: Even during a pandemic, they found a way to run their annual car show, the club’s biggest fundraiser of the year.

Not sure whether your club can manage a large-scale fundraiser? Here’s some advice about when to call in the fundraising experts.