Outdoor Fundraising Ideas

When brainstorming your organization’s next fundraiser, consider taking advantage of the warm weather by hosting an outdoor fundraising event. An outdoor fundraiser is a great way to enjoy the weather by gathering people together to raise money for your organization. Keep reading for some fun outdoor charity fundraiser ideas.

1. Restaurant Fundraiser at the Park: Elevate your typical restaurant fundraiser by turning it into a picnic at a local park. On the night of your fundraiser, encourage supporters to get their food to-go or order ahead for pickup and bring it to the park to enjoy. This brings the community together while raising money for a good cause. Chipotle’s fundraiser program gives back 25% of event sales (subject to achievement of a minimum of $150 total event sales), and the fundraisers are easy to set up online. With a digital fundraiser feature, supporters have the option to either order in store or can order online by using the Chipotle app or through chipotle.com. Just make sure they order online for pickup at the participating restaurant during the timeframe of your fundraiser and park night. To apply for a fundraiser with Chipotle, click here. Be sure to choose the nearest Chipotle location to the park of your outdoor fundraising event.
2. Outdoor Concert: Partner with a local band or artist and host at a nearby park or amphitheater. Advertise and start selling tickets well in advance to bring in as much support as possible. Selling concessions the night of the event will also bring in extra money towards your outdoor fundraiser, but will require you to licensing and sales tax collection requirements in most states and locations.
3. Outdoor Movie Night: Another great option if you have the space available for a large outdoor gathering. Rent out the equipment and charge an admission fee per person. This is a fun event for families to participate in and encourage viewers to bring blankets to sit on during the movie. If there isn’t an outdoor space available to host your event, consider partnering with a local drive-in movie theater where a portion of the proceeds that night will go to your organization. Combine this with your restaurant fundraiser at the park and you can raise even more money!  Just be sure to procure all the necessary performance rights for the movie you plan to screen.
4. Golf Tournament: Golf tournaments are great ways to raise money for your next outdoor school or charity fundraiser. Connect with a local golf course to rent the facility for the day; many will offer a discounted price to tournaments benefiting a non-profit organization. To make your golf tournament even more fun, consider encouraging team sign ups and having different challenges/games at each hole. To raise more money, reach out to companies who may be interested in sponsoring your tournament. For more fun golf tournament ideas, take a look at this article.
5. Car Wash: This is easy to execute and can lead to a great turnout! Either set up a car wash on your own or partner with a local car wash business to receive a certain percentage of proceeds for that day. Advertise to family, friends, and the local community to get their car washed in support of your organization. Pro-tip, if you have a Chipotlane location near you, it’s a great way to combine both fundraisers in one day and raise even more money!
6. Volleyball or Kickball Tournament: If you have community volleyball courts or a field near you, rent them out for the day and host your own tournament. This is a great outdoor fundraising idea in the summertime and can be family friendly by allowing all ages to participate. Participants can create a team in advance, or teams can be assigned that day with all experience levels. Make sure you have a prize for the winning team!
7. Fourth of July Outdoor Party: To celebrate the Fourth of July, consider hosting an outdoor fundraising party with food, drinks and sparklers! This is another great family friendly option. Make sure you have games and activities for everyone to enjoy and set up a BBQ with a small cost for food. To make it extra special, have it at an outdoor location near a public fireworks show.  Be sure to comply with all local food safety and licensing requirements.
8. Field Day: Stay active and have fun with a field day for your organization! If you’re looking for an outdoor school fundraising idea, use your school’s field or outdoor area to host your field day. This can include fun games like a wheelbarrow race, water balloon toss, and capture the flag. Kids will love to play outside all day and it’s a low cost to set up.
9. 5k Walk/Run: This is a popular outdoor fundraising idea. Make sure you work with the city to close streets or paths during the duration of the race for people to run/walk on. Promote your outdoor fundraiser ahead of time by making a Facebook event.
10. Outdoor Exercise Class: Partner with a local fitness instructor to host an outdoor exercise class to raise money for your organization. This can include yoga, dancing or bootcamp-style workouts. All you need is a large open space for people to set up a mat and the workout can be a bodyweight class with no equipment required. Set up speakers around the space to play music and have the instructor use a mic while teaching.

We hope that this list helped inspire your next outdoor fundraiser for your school, sports team, or nonprofit. Chipotle fundraisers can be hosted all year round, so if you’re ready to host your next fundraiser with Chipotle, no matter the forecast, apply here.