Fundraising Ideas for Individuals: How to Ask for Donations From People You Don’t Know

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You shared your fundraising page. Your mom donated. Your best friend donated. Your coworker who always says yes donated. And now your progress bar has been sitting in the same spot for two weeks, and the thought of posting your link one more time makes you want to hide behind a tree on your running path.

Here’s the good news: your friends list is not your ceiling. These fundraising ideas for individuals are all about reaching people outside your circle. Think neighbors, local businesses, fellow runners, and friends of friends who would happily support a good cause if someone gave them the chance. Every idea here is something one person can pull off, and most take an afternoon.

Why Asking Strangers Is Easier Than Asking Friends

I know, this sounds backwards. But think about why asking friends feels so heavy. You worry they feel obligated. You wonder if they’ll think about it every time they see you. You remember you didn’t buy their kid’s wrapping paper last fall and suddenly there’s an elephant in the room.

A stranger carries none of that. They don’t owe you anything, so a “no” costs nothing for either of you. And when they say yes, it’s because your story actually moved them. That’s a pretty great feeling.

The one thing to remember: strangers give to a person and a reason, not just a link. Nobody walks past a lawn sign that says “Donate Here” and pulls out their phone. They stop for “I’m running my first marathon, so no one has to face cancer alone.” Every idea below works because your why is front and center.

My Donation from a Stranger Story

In 2017, I was driven by the idea of raising enough money to cover 27 scholarships for Girls on the Run Chicago. I posted pretty consistently, and I was getting great reactions, but a few weeks before the race, the donations were slowing down.

When I was about $139 from my goal, a comedian I followed on Twitter would occasionally offer pep talks for “the next 5 minutes,” and I asked for a pep talk about reaching my goal. He shared my link and a random stranger donated to my fundraiser. I hit my goal, and it made me realize fundraising is more about putting yourself out there than it is about the fundraiser itself.

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Set Up Before You Ask

Before you try any of the ideas below, pull out a pen, paper and QR code generator! You have an assignment! Before you submit your first ask, get these items ready. They’ll make every sign, flyer, and post faster to create.

• A one-line why. Write one sentence that says what you’re running, who you’re running for, and why it matters to you. For example: “I’m running the Chicago Marathon for Imerman Angels because no one should face cancer alone.” That sentence goes on everything.
• Create a QR code for your fundraising page. Some charity fundraising platforms will create one for you, so check your page settings or share menu. If yours doesn’t, any free QR code generator works (including Canva). Use your donation link when you set it up. Make sure it goes straight to your personal fundraising page, not the charity’s homepage, so the donations count toward your goal. Test scanning before you print anything to ensure it works properly.

Local Fundraising Ideas You Can Do This Weekend

These are the classics for a reason. They put you in front of people who are already out and about, and they give folks something fun in return for their donation.

Pro Tip: Most of these ideas need a good lawn sign! Get a pack of 4 plain lawn signs to promote your fundraiser.

1. Lemonade Stand Fundraiser (or Hot Cocoa Stand)

A lemonade stand isn’t just for kids. Honestly, adults running a lemonade stand for charity get even more attention. Set up on a busy weekend morning near a park, a running path, or your own corner. Skip the fixed price and go with “Donations for [charity name].” People almost always give more than they would have paid for a cup.

In colder months, swap lemonade for hot cocoa or coffee. A cocoa stand along a turkey trot course or near a holiday light display is a winner.

Pro Tip: Put your QR code on flyers and the top and front of the table so people can donate if they don’t have cash.

2. Bake Sale Table on a Busy Street

A bake sale fundraiser works best where the foot traffic already is. Many farmers markets and craft fairs offer free or discounted table space for charity causes, so email the market manager a few weeks ahead. Bring a few easy bakery items that travel well, like cookies, banana bread, or muffins. Price them simply and post your QR code on the flyer for anyone who just wants to donate.

Pro Tip: A small sign explaining your race and your charity turns a cookie purchase into a conversation, and conversations turn into bigger donations.

3. Garage Sale With All Proceeds Donated

Clean out your closet and fund your race at the same time. Advertise it as a charity garage sale on Nextdoor and on your signs. People haggle less and round up more when they know where the money goes. Invite neighbors to donate items too, and you’ve got a block-wide event.

Pro Tip: Put your one-line why on every sign pointing to the sale.

4. Gift-Wrapping Station in December

Ask a local bookstore, boutique, or shopping center if you can set up a gift-wrapping table in December in exchange for donations. Shoppers love handing off their wrapping, and stores love offering customers a free perk. Bring your own paper, tape, and scissors so the business doesn’t have to supply a thing. Check out this post with more holiday fundraising ideas.

5. “Will Rake for Donations”

Offer your time instead of a product. Leaf raking, snow shoveling, dog walking, babysitting, and car washing all work. Post your offer in a neighborhood group with your fundraising link and let people choose their own donation amount. You’d be surprised how many neighbors will pay generously to skip the leaf pile.

Pro Tip: The upside is this idea doubles as cross-training. Raking totally counts as a strength workout.

6. Stand on a Corner With a Sign

This is the simplest idea on the list, and it takes a little courage. Pick a busy, safe spot, like a downtown corner on a Saturday or near a local 5K, and hold a big, clear sign with your why and your QR code. Wear your charity singlet or race shirt so people get it instantly.

Pro Tip: Check your city’s rules on solicitation first, and never step into traffic.

Get Local Businesses Involved

Local businesses want to be seen supporting their community, and you’re giving them an easy way to do it. Most get requests like this often, so make yours simple to say yes to: one clear ask, a specific date, and what they get in return, like a shout-out on your social media and blog.

7. Dine and Donate Night

A dine and donate night (also called a restaurant fundraiser or give-back night) is when a restaurant donates a percentage of one evening’s sales to your cause. Many chains have a formal request process on their website, and local spots are often happy to set one up if you promise to bring a crowd. Your job is the event promotion. Share the flyer, post in neighborhood groups, and invite your running club.

Pro Tip: Pick a weeknight. Restaurants tend to say yes faster when you’re filling seats on a slow Tuesday.

8. Flyers in Coffee Shops and Gyms

A simple fundraising flyer on a community bulletin board can reach hundreds of people a week. Coffee shops, gyms, libraries, and yoga studios are all great spots. Always ask before you post.

Pro Tip: Keep it to a photo of you running, your one-line why, your goal, and a big QR code. Nobody reads a paragraph from across the room.

9. A Counter QR Card

Ask a friendly business to keep a small sign with your QR code, by the register for a few weeks. Your favorite coffee shop, hair salon, or nail studio are a good place to start, especially if you’re a regular. Pick out a cute frame for the display to set out with you story (and QR code) or grab a 4 pack of these flyer holders.

10. Raffle With Donated Local Prizes

Ask local businesses to donate a prize, like a gift card, a massage, or a boutique store voucher, then sell raffle tickets. Businesses get exposure, and buyers get a shot at something fun.

Pro Tip: Check your state’s raffle rules first. Some states require a permit or limit raffles to registered nonprofits, so your charity may need to run it under their name.

11. Treadmill-a-Thon

Ask a gym if you can reserve a treadmill to see how many miles you can run in a specific amount of time. If you work out at a group fitness gym, you could sign up for a class (or two). People can pledge per mile or drop a donation as they walk by. Your instructor can give you a shout-out. “Check out Liz on treadmill 13 running to support a charity for her marathon!” It’s eye-catching, it’s on brand, and it’s a solid training run.

Turn Your Training Into the Fundraiser

You’re already putting in the miles. Let people come along for them.

12. Sponsor a Mile Fundraiser

Invite people to sponsor a mile of your race and dedicate it to someone they love. With 26 miles (plus that last .2), you can set a price per mile or let donors choose. Before race day, write the names on a pace band or your arm so you can think about each person while you run their mile.

13. Names on Your Race Shirt

Same idea, more visible. Donors pay to have a name, tribute, or message written on your race shirt or singlet. Post photos of the shirt filling up in the weeks before the race, then share your race-day photos afterward. People love seeing their name cross a finish line. This unique fundraising idea is great and heartwarming!

14. QR Code on a Yard Sign or Gate

Turn your front yard into a billboard. A yard sign that says “I’m running the [race] for [charity]. Scan to support!” works around the clock, especially on a corner lot or a street full of dog walkers.

Get a pack of 4 plain lawn signs and print your QR code on water-resistant paper (you can print it at FedEx) so the QR code is scannable in all types of weather.

Pro Tip: Add a simple progress tracker you update each week so neighbors keep checking back.

15. QR Code on Your Training Gear

If you run the same routes every week, put your QR code on your back. Print the QR code on water-resistant paper. Wear it on your training run or pin the QR code to your back to wear it during a race before your charity race!

16. A 60-Second Pitch at a Local Run Club

Ask the leader of a local run club or running store group run if you can share your story for one minute before the run starts. Runners understand what you’re taking on better than anyone. Bring a few cards with your QR code, then go run with the group so it feels like community, not a sales pitch.

Reach Friends of Friends Online

Strangers don’t have to be in person. These ideas put your story in front of people one or two steps outside your network.

17. The 10x10x10 Challenge

Ask 10 friends to each find 10 people who will donate $10. If it works even partway, that’s up to $1,000 from people you’ve never met. The magic is that your friends do the asking, and their friends are saying yes to them, not you. Offer a prize to the person who finishes first so there is an incentive to finish the challenge.

Pro Tip: Give your 10 friends a ready-made message they can copy and paste. The easier you make it, the more of them will actually send it.

18. Post in Nextdoor and Neighborhood Facebook Groups

Neighborhood groups are full of people who love supporting someone local. Lead with your story and a photo, not the link. Something like “Hi neighbors! I’m running the Chicago Marathon this fall for a cause close to my heart” gets a lot further than a bare donation link.

Pro Tip: Check in the group rules if posting a fundraising link is permitted.

19. Pitch Your Local Paper or TV Station

Local media loves a human-interest race story, especially if your reason for running is personal or you’re hitting a milestone. Send a short email to the community editor with who you are, why you’re running, and when the race is. One small article can bring in donations from people all over town.

20. Ask Your Social Media Accounts to Feature You

Everyone loves a good local success story. If there are local Instagram pages that feature heartwarming stories, reach out! Ask if they’ll share your story on their Instagram, in their newsletter, or on their blog. Their followers already care about the local area, which makes them the warmest strangers you’ll ever reach.

21. A Giving Tuesday Push

Giving Tuesday falls on December 1 this year, and people are primed to give. Set a specific goal for that one day, like $250 in 24 hours, and post updates as the donations come in.

Pro Tip: Ask your charity if they have a matching donor lined up for Giving Tuesday. Many people make a plan to make a donation on Giving Tuesday. Offering the option that “your gift is doubled today” is a powerful line.

How to Make the Ask Land With Someone Who Doesn’t Know You

Whichever ideas you try, a few small tweaks make strangers much more likely to give.

• Be specific. Swap “any amount helps” for something concrete, like “$25 sponsors one of my 26.2 miles.”
• Lead with your why. One sentence, every single time.
• Make it easy. One QR code, one link, no hunting.
• Thank people publicly. A shout-out (with their permission) shows the next person their donation will be seen and celebrated.
• Follow up after the race. Send your finisher photo to everyone who gave, strangers included. They become your first donors next time.

Remember, you don’t have to be in sales to share your fundraiser. Share your fundraiser with intention and be genuine.

Fundraising Ideas for Individuals: FAQ

Pick One Idea and Start This Week

There are a lot of ideas here, and you don’t need to do all 21 of the ideas. Pick one idea you can do this week and one you can plan for next month. A lemonade stand on Saturday and a yard sign on Sunday might be all it takes to get that progress bar moving again.

And remember, every stranger who donates is someone who believed in you without needing to. That’s pretty powerful fuel for mile 20.

Ready to make your first ask? Grab my free charity checklist to get ideas in your mailbox every single week.