Fundraiser Earnings Calculator
Estimate Your Fundraiser Earnings
See how much you could raise with the simplest, most effective fundraisers. Based on real examples from Scotland.
Let’s be honest-most people don’t want to spend months planning a gala dinner or running a marathon just to raise a few hundred pounds. If you’re looking for the easiest fundraiser, you’re not alone. The best fundraisers aren’t the flashiest. They’re the ones that take minimal effort, fit into your daily life, and still bring in real money. And yes, they exist.
Simple bake sales still win
Think bake sales are old-fashioned? They’re still the most reliable low-effort fundraiser around. You don’t need a fancy kitchen or professional baking skills. A few friends bring cookies, brownies, or cupcakes. You set up a table outside a local shop, library, or park on a Saturday morning. A handwritten sign saying "£1 per cookie, all proceeds to [cause]" works better than any printed poster. In Edinburgh, a group raised £800 in three hours just by selling lemon drizzle cakes and scones outside the Royal Mile visitor centre. No permits needed for small, occasional sales. Local businesses often let you use their sidewalk space if you ask nicely.Donate your birthday
This one takes zero planning and costs nothing. Instead of asking for gifts, ask people to donate to your cause. Facebook and JustGiving make it easy-just create a birthday fundraiser page, link it to your cause, and share it. People love giving in place of presents. A student in Glasgow raised £1,200 for a local animal shelter by turning her 21st birthday into a donation drive. Her friends posted photos with the fundraiser link. No cakes, no parties, just a simple message: "Instead of gifts, I’d love your support for the animals."Car washes with zero setup
A car wash sounds like work, but it doesn’t have to be. Grab a bucket, some soap, a couple of sponges, and a hose. Find a quiet street or empty parking lot where you won’t get fined. Ask neighbors to park their cars overnight. The next morning, you and three friends wash them for £5 each. You don’t need to be good at it-just clean enough to make people feel like they got their money’s worth. In Aberdeen, a Scout troop raised £1,100 in one weekend by washing 220 cars. They didn’t even charge for SUVs. The trick? Make it fun. Play music. Wear silly hats. Offer free hot chocolate. People pay for the vibe as much as the wash.Online raffles with free tools
Raffles used to mean printing tickets, collecting cash, and drawing names in a hat. Now, you can run a full raffle for free using tools like Rafflecopter or Givebutter. Pick a prize-something easy to get donated. A local coffee shop gives you a £50 gift card. A bookstore donates a £30 voucher. A yoga studio throws in a free class. You set up a free online raffle page, sell tickets for £2 each, and let people enter from their phones. No need to collect money. No need to store tickets. You draw the winner live on Instagram Stories. One church in Dundee raised £900 in five days with a raffle for a weekend getaway package donated by a local hotel. They spent £0 on printing and had zero overhead.
Used book sales in your living room
Everyone has books they’ll never read again. Ask friends, neighbors, and coworkers to drop off their unwanted books for a weekend sale. Set up tables in your garage or living room. Price books at £1 each. Put a big sign out front: "All money goes to [cause]." No need to sort them. No need to categorize. Just pile them up. People love finding cheap reads, and they’ll buy a stack just because it feels good. In Leith, a group raised £650 in two days by hosting a "Book & Biscuit" sale. They offered free tea and shortbread. People stayed longer. They bought more. The key? Make it cozy. Make it welcoming. People give more when they feel at home.Walk or bike for change
You don’t need to run a marathon. Just walk. Pick a route-your neighborhood loop, a park path, or even just around the block. Ask people to sponsor you for every mile you walk. Use a free app like JustGiving or Virgin Money Giving. Set a goal: "I’ll walk 50 miles in 10 days. Every £5 sponsors a mile." You don’t need to post daily updates. Just share your link once and let people donate. A retiree in Perth walked 100 miles over two weeks and raised £1,400 for a local food bank. He didn’t post selfies. He didn’t stream it. He just walked. People donated because they knew he was doing it.Local business partnerships
This one’s easy if you know someone who owns a small business. Ask a café, hair salon, or hardware store if they’ll let you leave a donation jar on the counter. Offer to make a small sign: "Help us raise money for [cause]. Every pound counts." Most owners say yes. They love supporting local causes. They get good vibes from customers. You don’t have to manage anything. Just check the jar once a week. In Stirling, a vet clinic raised £500 in a month by letting a local animal rescue leave a jar at the front desk. They didn’t do ads. Didn’t host events. Just left a jar. People noticed. People gave.
Why these work when others fail
The easiest fundraisers share three things: low effort, low cost, and high trust. People don’t give because you’re loud. They give because it’s simple, clear, and feels personal. You’re not asking them to buy a ticket to a party they don’t care about. You’re asking them to help a cause they already believe in-with zero hassle.What doesn’t work
Avoid anything that needs permits, big budgets, or weeks of prep. Silent auctions? Too complicated. Charity runs? Hard to get enough people. Crowdfunding campaigns with videos and daily updates? Exhausting. If it feels like a second job, it’s not the easiest fundraiser. Stick to things you can do in an afternoon, with no experience, and no money upfront.Start small, think local
You don’t need to raise £10,000 to make a difference. Raising £500 for a school trip, a community garden, or a family in need is still huge. Pick one idea. Try it once. See what happens. If it works, do it again next month. If it doesn’t, try another. There’s no perfect fundraiser. There’s only the one you actually do.What’s the fastest way to raise money for charity?
The fastest way is usually a donation-based birthday fundraiser on Facebook or JustGiving. You set it up in 10 minutes, share it with your network, and people donate right away. No events, no planning, no supplies needed. Many people raise hundreds in under 48 hours.
Can I do a fundraiser without any money to start with?
Yes. The easiest fundraisers cost nothing: bake sales using home-baked goods, used book sales from donations, car washes with borrowed supplies, or donation jars at local shops. All you need is time, a clear message, and a way to collect money-like a mobile payment app or a simple cash jar.
Do I need permission to hold a fundraiser in public?
For small, occasional events like a bake sale or car wash on private property (like your driveway or a friend’s parking lot), you usually don’t need permission. If you’re using public space-like a park or sidewalk-you should check with your local council. In Scotland, most councils allow small, non-commercial fundraising without a permit if it’s infrequent and doesn’t block walkways. Always ask first to avoid fines.
How much can I realistically raise with an easy fundraiser?
Realistic results vary, but most simple fundraisers raise between £200 and £1,500. A bake sale can bring in £300-£800. A car wash can hit £1,000 with 15-20 volunteers. A birthday fundraiser on social media often raises £500-£1,200. The key isn’t how big it is-it’s how simple it is to repeat.
What’s the best platform to collect donations?
For UK fundraisers, JustGiving and Virgin Money Giving are the most trusted and free to use. They handle payments securely, let donors Gift Aid their donations, and connect directly to your bank. Avoid platforms that charge high fees-stick to ones that take less than 2% per transaction. PayPal Giving Fund is also reliable for one-off donations.