The luck of the Irish be with you! St. Patrick's Day is coming up fast (on March 17th) and a sea of green and gold appearing in stores everywhere. But more than just being a day for epic pub crawls, green rivers, and funny hats, St. Patrick's Day is a perfect occasion for a creative themed fundraiser. There's no better occasion to infuse your peer-to-peer events with playfulness and fun - think rainbows, leprechauns and pots of gold.
Whether in your workplace, school, or community center, there are plenty of great St. Patrick's Day fundraising ideas. Here are a few of our favorites:
St. Patty's 5K
Ready to work off all that delicious Irish food? A St. Patty's Day marathon or walkathon could be just the ticket. Get green t-shirts, offer green sports drinks along the way, and even partner up with a pub to throw an after-party (with green beer!) once the 5K is completed. Allow for fun, Instagrammable costumes and you've got the recipe for an exceptional P2P event.
Leprechaun Links Charity Golf Tournament
Gather golf enthusiasts for a day of swinging for a good cause with a golf tournament. Participants can enjoy a round of golf while supporting a charitable organization. Incorporate Irish-themed elements throughout the tournament, such as green golf balls, themed hole markers, and prizes for the best Irish-inspired golf attire. Offer sponsorship opportunities for local businesses to support the event and gain exposure. Host a post-tournament reception with Irish-inspired refreshments and announce tournament winners and fundraising achievements. Use fundraising software to manage registrations, collect donations, and include a silent auction. This event combines sportsmanship with philanthropy, making it a memorable and impactful fundraiser.
Lucky Swing Golf Simulator Tournament
Too cold for golf near you in Mid-March? While the weather may not be ideal for outdoor golfing in mid-March, you can still tee off for a good cause with our indoor golf simulator tournament. A simulator tournament also gives you additional flexibility to reimagine new formats and game styles. In fact, you could turn the whole thing into longest drives and closest to the pin shots if you wanted.
Lucky Online Auction
While we often think of auctions as having to go with an event, they are also great as an online campaign. You can ask local businesses - especially your local Irish pub - to donate items to you. Plus, with the Risk-Free Marketplace available to all Panorama users, you don't need to worry about finding great items. Simply browse the marketplace to find great options like: shamrock jewelry, trips to Ireland, and Celtics sports memorabilia.
We've also seen people use the marketplace to incentivize donations (example: every donation over an amount receives a jewelry item).
Shamrock Social Media Campaign
Create a social media campaign leading up to St. Patrick's Day for supporters to share shamrock-themed posts, photos, or videos to spread awareness about the fundraiser. Let participants sign up create personalized fundraising pages to collect donations from their networks. Offer incentives such as virtual badges or shoutouts for top fundraisers or most creative posts. Utilize fundraising software to track donations generated from social media shares and engage with participants in real-time.
Virtual Shamrock Showcase
Embrace the spirit of St. Patrick's Day with a virtual showcase celebrating Irish culture and talent! Invite participants to share their talents through pre-recorded videos or live performances streamed online. Whether it's Irish dance, traditional music, or storytelling, encourage creativity and engagement. Utilize fundraising software to facilitate participant registration and create personalized fundraising pages for collecting donations. You can also offer incentives for top fundraisers or most creative performances. Promote the event through social media and your organization's website to attract a wide audience. If you do want to broadcast live, don't forget about LiveStream to make it easier for people donate.
Luck of the Irish Brews Tasting
St. Patrick's Day offers the perfect occasion to host a beer-tasting extravaganza! Partner with local breweries or pubs to curate a selection of Irish brews for attendees to sample. Charge an admission fee for access to the tasting event, where guests can enjoy guided tastings led by beer experts. Pair the brews with traditional Irish snacks like soda bread or Irish stew to enhance the experience. Consider incorporating live Irish music or entertainment to create a festive atmosphere. After the tasting, offer discounted prices on featured beers for purchase, and consider including a silent auction to further boost fundraising efforts.
St. Patrick's Day Color Fun Run
Looking for a lively and vibrant fundraiser? Consider organizing a color run with a St. Patrick's Day twist! Participants can don their best shades of green, leprechaun costumes, or even dress up as their favorite Irish characters. The more festive and spirited the event, the better! Utilize fundraising software to facilitate registration and collect entrance fees or pledge donations from participants. Enhance the experience by incorporating a post-run carnival or food tent, providing additional opportunities to raise funds and celebrate the Irish spirit.
Pot o' Gold Guessing Game
Put a seasonal spin on the "guess how many jellybeans are in the jar" game by putting chocolate gold coins in a decorated pot. You can then charge a few dollars per guess, and the person who has the closest guess to the actual number of coins wins a prize (or even just all the chocolate!). This is a fun and casual way to raise money that can be done over a number of days, with a sweet reward at the end.
Clover Draw
Another "party game" type of fundraiser could be the Clover Draw. Fill a box or a jar with a number of cutouts in the shape of regular three-leaf clovers, but include one that has four leaves. Participants can pay a set amount to try their luck (get it?) at grabbing the four-leaf clover, which could win them a prize.
Shamrock Bake Sale
It's a classic for a reason, and making a St. Patrick's Day spin on a bake sale is a particularly sweet (get it?) fundraiser. Shamrock-shaped cookies, cupcakes decorated with green frosting and gold sprinkles, and Guinness chocolate cake are a few examples of treats that could be on offer (here's plenty more delicious ideas to get you going!). Make sure you've got ample signage in the days leading up to the bake sale as well as the day of the event, in order to get the word out.
Irish Potluck
Speaking of cuisine, the Irish have a good reputation for producing filling comfort food & drink - think stew, potatoes, and Guinness - so why not have a potluck to raise funds? Not only can you raise money by selling tickets for entry, but you could also incorporate a draw or a raffle component for prizes. Building community AND raising money for a worthy cause? That's worth raising a pint.
No matter what the special holiday is, there's bound to be a fundraiser that can suit it - and it's even better if you can find a way to put a creative spin on it. Make sure you've got some top-notch fundraising software, and it's like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
