Marathon Fundraising Ideas & Tips for Charity Runners

This post about August fundraisers contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission based on eligible purchases.

Make fundraising fun this August with quirky holiday-themed ideas perfect for charity runners! From National Dog Day to Dream Day, these easy prompts will get your community excited to give.

August Fundraisers Are Perfect

August may feel like the dog days of summer, but it’s actually packed with silly, social-media-friendly holidays that make fundraising more, dare I say,  fun and less stressful. I personally love really simple fundraisers! So whether you’re training for a fall marathon, like the Chicago Marathon, or just want to give back to a charitable cause, these creative August fundraising ideas for runners offer low-effort, high-impact ways to get creative.

Want tips for how to pick a charity for a marathon? Get tips for how to pick your charity marathon team!

Pro Tip: Pick one holiday or stack a few into a themed weekend to help boost engagement on your fundraising campaign.

Related Post: Love these ideas? Get fundraising ideas for the whole year with this guide!

Celebrating Female Friendships

National Girlfriends Day: August 1

National Girlfriends Day is a great way to celebrate the female friendships in your life! Celebrate your past race experiences with a highlight reel of pictures or videos from a girls’ race weekend or a training run that meant a lot.

Social Idea: Ask your running besties to donate in honor of your friendship. 

This Fundraiser is Perfect For: Highlighting your why if you’re running for a charity connected to your best girlfriends

Social Media Prompt: It’s National Girlfriends Day! Please consider making a donation to [charity name] to honor my friend, who was [diagnosed with, impacted by, etc]. Tag your girlfriends and challenge them to donate in your honor today!

Fundraiser-palooza Weekend

Lollapalooza Weekend: July 30–August 2

If you’ve been following these monthly fundraising idea lists, I included a July fundraiser called Fundraiser-palooza! Lollapalooza is such a big weekend in Chicago, so why not use it as a weekend-long fundraising opportunity?

This Fundraiser is Ideal For: Music Education charities, music lovers, and anyone attending Lollapalooza for the weekend

Social Media Prompt: It’s Fundraiser-palooza! My goal is to raise [your donation goal amount] this weekend to support [your charity]. Your donation can make a huge impact on [charity’s mission]. Please consider making a donation to help me hit my weekend fundraising goal! You can donate here: [insert link]”

Host a Watermelon Race! 🍉

National Watermelon Day: August 3

This one is just fun! Having an excuse to eat watermelon and celebrate watermelon is a dream! Offer to host a “watermelon mile” where everyone runs a mile while chomping down on a slice of watermelon at after they finish each quarter mile. 

You could also offer to carry a watermelon one foot for every dollar donated for this day!

This Fundraiser is Ideal For: Meal or food program charities, honoring someone who loves watermelon 

Prompt: I’m hosting a Watermelon Mile! Can you finish a one-mile run while eating watermelon every quarter mile? Donate $26 dollars and RSVP for the run on August 3rd to find out!

Honor Your Hard Work!

Work Like a Dog Day: August 5

You have been working so hard training for a marathon; it’s time to honor that hard work! Ask friends to celebrate how far you’ve come with your marathon training by asking for donations.

This Fundraiser is Absolutely Perfect For: Fall marathon runners

Social Idea: Today is Work Like a Dog Day! Please celebrate my hard work by making a donation to my marathon fundraiser! 

Pro Tip: Feature your actual dog as your fundraising mascot.

Highlight Your Cat With an August Fundraiser

International Cat Day: August 8

If you love your cat, it’s time to celebrate your little feline! Give a shout-out and post pictures of your cat for social media reach! You could also offer to host a social media cat parade in your stories!

Use this Fundraiser if You’re Running for: Pet rescue fundraisers or if you’re a cat lover

Middle Children Awareness

Middle Child Day: August 12

Don’t forget about Middle Child Day! Middle children tend to be overlooked, but (hopefully) not today! Celebrate your favorite middle child with a fundraising post.

This Fundraiser is Great For: This idea is perfect for any charity, celebrating middle siblings, or a shout-out to yourself (if you’re a middle child)

Social Idea: “Middle children deserve some love… and so does my fundraiser. Don’t forget to show my charity some love and make a donation to support [your charity]. Click here to donate: [insert link]

Pro Tip: Share a fun middle-child story or meme for attention.

Make a Music Fundraiser

Here is a music-themed fundraiser to help inspire your playlist.

Vinyl Record Day: August 12

People who love vinyl really love vinyl. Share your love for vinyl, music, or honor someone who does! You can use this as an opportunity to create a running playlist by making a minimum donation.

This Fundraiser is tailored for: Music education fundraisers, honoring a loved one who loves vinyl or loves a specific musical artist, and tying it to your charity.

Social Idea: Today is vinyl record day! I’m asking friends to donate at least $10, and you can add a song to my running playlist! Click here to donate: [insert link]

Thrift Shopping Love!

National Thrift Shop Day: August 17

Not all fundraisers have to be based on asking others to make a financial donation. You can host a virtual gear sale or an in-person yard sale and donate the proceeds to your fundraising page. Whatever is left over can be donated to a thrift store so they can resell it. If your charity has a secondhand store to support its mission, give it a shoutout or donate your goods through its donation program. Add a QR code with your fundraising link on your flyer to help raise extra donations.

Social Idea: “I’m hosting a yard sale on August 17th in honor of Thrift Store Day! Stop by, and the proceeds will be donated to my fundraising page! Or you can donate directly through this link”

Use this Fundraiser if You’re Fundraising for: A charity tied to a secondhand store, any charity 

Related Post: Curious about thrift store shopping, but not sure where to start? This post has tips to make shopping at a thrift store easy!

The Thank You Messages Write Themselves

Be an Angel Day: August 22

This holiday has so many options and it’s perfect to tie it to your charity, thank-you messages, and more! 

You can use the following ideas to help you reach your next milestone:

• Encourage friends to be an “angel donor”  and contribute to your fundraiser
• Ask friends to “be an angel” and donate
• Thank friends for their “gift from above” after making a donation

Social Prompt: “Be an angel and help me reach my next milestone! My goal is to raise $500 today. Can you make a donation and help me get there?”

Geeks on Fleek!

Pluto Demoted Day: August 24

Whether you grew up with Pluto as a planet in your science class or not, highlighting the day Pluto was downgraded as a planet is a great conversation starter. You can also use puns like, “Your fundraiser is like Pluto: small, but mighty!” Or send thank you messages how your donors are “out of this world.” You could also tie this to celebrating little wins in your marathon journey, like completing a tough long run or raising your first $100.

Perfect for: Science lovers, science education charities

Social Idea: “Asking my friends to honor the anniversary of Pluto getting demoted as a planet. Please remember to honor this small, but mighty planet by making a donation to this cause. Donate here: [insert charity link]

Hug Your Dog Day

“Dog-ust”

This holiday is meant to celebrate your canine companions all month long. This play on rhyming “dog with aug” is a great way to gather momentum all month long. Set a fundraising goal for the month and follow up weekly with your progress.

This fundraising theme is perfect for: Dog lovers or dog shelter charities

Social Idea: “It’s “Dog-ust”! I’ve set a monthly fundraising goal for the month of August to see how much money I can raise for [pet charity]. Can you make a one-time donation to help support a dog in need? Link in bio!”

National Dog Day: August 26

Invite dog lovers to donate in their pup’s honor or ask friends to celebrate your pup! Ask people to vote cat or dog with their donations and post the winner at the end of the day!

Perfect for: Pet rescue fundraisers, dog lovers

Social Idea: “It’s National Dog Day! Make a donation to honor your dog today or all dogs and help me get closer to my fundraising goal!”

Related Post: Looking for a fun way to host a run? Why not consider a hot dog run! Get tips for planning a hot dog run!

The Ultimate “Why Not?”

Just Because Day: August 27

The concept of this one is simple! Post on social and ask for donations “just because!” 

This Fundraising Idea is Perfect for: Any charity runner

Social Idea: “You don’t need a reason to donate today other than just because. Your donation will make an impact by [add your charity’s mission].”

Dream Day: August 28

Is this your first marathon or running a special marathon? Share what it will mean for you to cross the finish line and ask for donations to celebrate that feeling.

This fundraising idea is a dream for: First-time charity runners, anyone running a bucket list marathon

Social Idea: “This marathon dream is mine, but it’s powered by you. Make a $26.20 donation today to support my dream. Help me get to the start line strong and I can’t wait to share my finish line moment when I finish in real life!”

Pro Tip: Share a vision board or describe your ideal race day.

Summer Fundraising Wrap-up

The biggest thing with any of these fundraisers is posting consistently. Post regularly as a reminder so your friends can donate when they can. Choose one idea or do them all! These themed ideas give your fundraising campaign a fun twist without extra work.

Pick your favorite prompt and post about it today. Every dollar helps get you closer to your fundraising finish line and helps your cause do incredible things.

Which August fundraisers are you going to post this month? Any fundraising ideas that aren’t on this list you’re going to try? I love hearing from other runners. Drop a comment and let me know!

Let’s wander together! Follow along on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest. Keep up with the latest posts and offerings. And never miss a post by subscribing to my newsletter

Love these easy marathon fundraising prompts? Save them on Pinterest so you always have easy fundraising ideas at your fingertips!