Holiday Fundraising Ideas to Boost Your Marathon Goals

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When the holiday season rolls around, many of us are juggling busy calendars packed with family dinners, parties, and travel plans. And if you’re training for a race or raising money for a charity, you have even more on your plate.

It’s also one of the most generous times of the year, which makes it perfect for getting creative with your holiday fundraising ideas. Whether you’re running a charity marathon, half-marathon, or hosting a festive challenge, these holiday-themed fundraisers can keep your training fun while helping you reach your donation goals.

Related Post: Need holiday survival tips? Check out this holiday round-up with holiday travel, holiday gift guide and other holiday tips for runners.

“Pile on the Miles” November Run Streak

A run streak is a great fundraiser because it creates awareness for your fundraiser while also supporting your marathon training goals. A few theme ideas to consider could include running every day in November for Movember, running the first 12 days in December for the Twelve Days of Christmas, or running every day in December to count down to New Year’s.

A few tips for running a holiday run streak:

• Share your streak daily on Instagram stories. Take photos with holiday decor to make it fun and festive.
• End each week with a donation reminder and weekly recap. Use a letter board for easy donation updates!
• Follow up with your donors when you complete your requirements with your donation link to let them know how much to donate.

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Giving Tuesday Challenge

Giving Tuesday (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving) is one of the biggest charitable giving days of the year. People set a goal of donating to a charity for Giving Tuesday, so make a case so they should donate to your charity fundraiser.

Set a clear fundraising goal, announce it on Thanksgiving, and keep reminding your community until Tuesday night. Track your goal and provide updates throughout the day. I like using a letter board to make impressionable photos.

• Update your progress! Post updates on your progress throughout the day
• Share your fundraiser through email! Send one dedicated email to friends and family sharing your story and your intention early in the day (or even on the night before). Write the perfect donation email with these ChatGPT prompts.
• Utilize Social Media Stories! Share stories of why your cause matters on Facebook and Instagram.
• Share your story on LinkedIn! LinkedIn is one of the most underutilized options for sharing a fundraiser online. Let go of your fear of judgment (or whatever comes up for you) and spread the word about your cause.

Related Post: Looking to run a marathon for charity but unsure where to start? Check out this post with tips for how to pick a marathon charity team to get started!

Gratitude & Holiday-Themed Giving

Gratitude Wall or Advent of Thanks

Throughout November or December, post one thank-you note each day to showcase your campaign. Highlight things you’re grateful for: donors, training milestones, or simply what you’re grateful for.

• Add your Venmo (so you can donate on someone else’s behalf) or include your donation link as a gentle daily reminder
• Share these posts on Instagram Stories for easy visibility

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Holiday Recipe Swap

Holiday recipes are thing of pride and passing these recipes down is a way to keep these traditions alive. I love the idea of creating something tangible to share these holiday traditions! Offer your favorite family recipes or create a downloadable PDF in exchange for a donation. You can keep it fun by organizing a virtual recipe swap among donors.

Holiday Fundraising Event Ideas

These holiday fundraising event ideas are sure to keep the mood festive and can help raise funds for your non-profit organization.

Wreath-Making or Holiday Craft Night

Host a cozy evening of wreath-making or holiday crafting in-person fundraising event. 

• Try reaching out to a local wreath vendor to order wreaths and ask for a bulk discount to add to your margin.
• Partner with a local florist, art studio, or dollar store to donate decoration supplies (ribbons, ornaments, bells, etc).
• Charge an entry fee for participation (include the cost of the wreath, decorating supplies, and a donation amount in the fee).

Host a Hot Cocoa Run or Walk

Invite friends for a 1–3 mile festive jog, followed by hot cocoa or cider to warm up. Alternatively, you could host a cocoa social stroll to look at holiday lights in your neighborhood. Either way, it’s a great way to offer an in-person event, socialize, and raise money for a good cause.

• Ask for a $10+ donation as an entry fee.
• Share pictures from the event to boost future fundraising.
• Get disposable insulated coffee cups with lids to bring your drinks on your stroll.

Related Post: Want to keep the fundraising momentum in January? Check out these January fundraising ideas!

Festive and Fun Holiday Fundraising Ideas

Elf Yourself Challenge

Dress up in holiday gear with costume pieces like reindeer ears, elf hats, or ugly sweaters for your runs. The sillier the better to get your friends excited for the big reveal!

• Run every day until you reach a specific goal. Make videos singing holiday cheer or ham it up to entice your friends to “make it stop.”
• Ask donors to sponsor or vote for their favorite holiday costume with $5 increments for each vote. The costume with the most wins gets a video of you running in it.

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12 Days of Fundraising

For 12 days in December, share a fact about your charity or your marathon training. Pair each fact with a mini-challenge as a suggested donation amount over the course of 12 days.

Here are some examples you can create for each day’s suggested donation amount for your fundraiser:

• Donate $1 for each mile of my goal race ($26.20 or $13.10)
• Donate $5 if you’ve ever run a race!
• Donate $10 if you’ve ever skipped a long run!

These daily reminders are great for creating overall awareness and are a fun way to share fun details about your charity’s goals.

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Holiday Movie Marathon Fundraiser

Host a holiday movie night (in-person or on Zoom) and ask for a donation-based “ticket” to the event.

• Create a watch list for the holiday movies you’d like to showcase for a night or create a watch list for the month (who doesn’t love a few good Hallmark movies around this time of year)
• Offer recipes for themed snacks for each film (think: cocoa for Elf, cookies for The Grinch, etc.)
• Share your highlights or your training updates before the movie starts

Custom Holiday Card Delivery

Send donors a festive holiday card, either by mail or email, to say thank you. Add a race-day update and photo to make it personal. Another option could be to include your fundraising link on a QR code on the back of your holiday card or include it on an insert with your holiday cards for easy scans.

Related Post: Here is a list of simple fundraising ideas to meet your charity fundraiser goals.

Holiday Fundraising Idea List

Here is a recap of the holiday fundraisers in this post.

• “Pile on the Miles” Run Streak: Turn your holiday miles into donations this holiday season
• Giving Tuesday Challenge: Leverage the biggest giving day of the year
• Cookie Recipe Exchange: Share your holiday cookie recipes in exchange for a donation
• Hot Cocoa Run: A cozy, small-group holiday fundraiser
• Elf Yourself Challenge: Let donors vote on your festive gear based on how much each costume piece raises
• 12 Days of Fundraising: Daily mini challenges that add up to big donation progress

Related Post: Check out these top fundraising tips with notes on my biggest fundraisers I’ve ever hosted.

Wrapping Up Holiday Fundraisers

Holiday fundraising doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, when you connect your training with seasonal traditions, you make it more memorable for everyone involved. Whether you’re trotting, sipping cocoa, or streaming Elf, your creativity will inspire donors to get involved.

So grab your Santa hat, lace up your running shoes, and start putting these holiday fundraising ideas into action. And don’t forget to share your favorite fundraiser in the comments! I’d love to feature some reader stories in a future post!

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