November Fundraising Ideas: 17 Timely Ways to Raise Money for Your Charity Race

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It’s November. You’re struggling to find reasons to share your fundraiser that don’t revolve around a certain Mariah Carey holiday jingle (although I have a fresh list of ideas in that genre if you need them). You’re stumped, you’re traveling for the holidays, and you’ve rewritten the same Instagram caption three times tonight.

Here’s the thing: you don’t need a sadder story or a fancier fundraiser. You need a reason to post today. And November has a bunch of them just for you.

This list skips the Christmas season ideas and focuses on 17 November dates you can tie to your charity fundraiser. They’re grouped by theme, and every idea includes the type of charity it fits best, plus a copy-and-post social script, so you can go from blank captions to posted in about 10 minutes. These fundraisers are really simple, especially since it seems like the holidays require a survival guide.

Why November Is a Great Month to Fundraise

November has more built-in fundraising hooks than almost any other month. Awareness days give you a timely reason to post, Thanksgiving puts everyone in a grateful mood, and Giving Tuesday kicks off the biggest giving season of the year right after it.

A timely hook also takes the pressure off you. Instead of a random “please donate” post, you’re showing up with a reason, a plan, and a specific ask. That’s a lot easier to write (and a lot easier for your people to say yes to).

Related Post: I’ve included a list of the most successful fundraisers I’ve ever hosted. Get the details and the top fundraisers in this post!

Health and Awareness Fundraising Ideas

Movember (All Month Long)

Movember is a month-long campaign for men’s health, which makes it a perfect fit for a runner who’s already logging miles. And no, you don’t need to grow a mustache to join in.

Pledge your November miles to your cause and ask donors to pledge small change per mile over the challenge. Movember’s Move challenge, where you set a distance goal for the month, gives you a ready-made target. Want to bring the men in your life into it? Recruit them to grow a mustache and fundraise alongside you.

A month of miles also makes a natural run streak fundraiser. Consider finding a fun name for your streak. When I’ve hosted a run streak as a fundraiser, it helped to post a selfie every day to remind friends they could submit a pledge any time.

Best for: Men’s health, prostate and testicular cancer, and mental health charities.

Copy-and-post script: I’m not growing a mustache this month, but I am running every mile of November for [charity]. My goal: [X] miles and $[amount] by November 30. Sponsor a mile for $[amount] and I’ll shout you out on my long run day. Link in bio.

World Diabetes Day (November 14)

The symbol for World Diabetes Day is a blue circle, which gives you an easy visual hook. Host a “Blue Run”: wear blue clothing items on your run, invite your supporters to wear blue too, and ask them to post a photo, tag you, and donate.

This one works directly for diabetes charities, and it also works as a broader “movement is medicine” message for any health-related cause.

Best for: Diabetes research, chronic disease, healthcare and hospital, and children’s health charities.

Copy-and-post script: Why am I dressed like a blueberry on today’s run? It’s World Diabetes Day, and I’m running for [charity] because [one-sentence personal reason]. Wear blue today, tag me, and donate $14 for November 14. I’ll share every photo in my stories.

International Men’s Day (November 19)

International Men’s Day lands right in the middle of Movember, so it makes a great check-in post. Dedicate a mile to the men who’ve helped get you to the start line, then invite donors to “dedicate a mile” to a man in their own life.

Dedications make donating feel personal instead of transactional, and they give people a reason to share your post.

Best for: Men’s mental health, fatherhood and mentoring programs, veterans, and suicide prevention charities.

Copy-and-post script: Today’s run is for the men who show up: my [dad/brother/coach], who [one specific thing they did]. For International Men’s Day, donate $[amount] to [charity] and tell me who you want me to dedicate a mile to. I’ll write every name on my arm for [day]’s long run.

Honor and Remembrance Fundraising Ideas

These two days call for a quieter tone. The goal is to honor people with your miles, not to run a promotional campaign.

Veterans Day and Remembrance Day (November 11)

The 11/11 date gives you a built-in number. Run 11 miles (or 11 minutes, or 1.1 miles if you’re newer to running), ask for $11 donations, and invite donors to share the name of a veteran you’ll carry with you on your run.

If you have friends in Canada or the UK, Remembrance Day and the poppy tradition work the same way: honor a name, share the story, make the ask.

Best for: Veterans services, military families, PTSD and mental health, and veteran homelessness charities.

Copy-and-post script: 11 miles on 11/11 for the veterans in our lives. Mine is [name], who [one specific detail]. Donate $11 to [charity] and send me the name of a veteran you want honored. I’ll carry every name with me tomorrow morning.

Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20)

Transgender Day of Remembrance honors transgender people lost to violence. It’s a memorial day, not a gimmick day, so it fits best if you’re raising money for an LGBTQ+ organization. Share a reflective post and dedicate your run.

Running for a different cause? Consider amplifying an LGBTQ+ organization on this day rather than tying your own ask to it.

Best for: LGBTQ+ advocacy, trans youth support, crisis and mental health lines, and community centers.

Copy-and-post script: Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance. This morning’s run was a quiet one, dedicated to the trans people we’ve lost and the ones still fighting to be safe. I’m raising money for [charity] because [reason]. If you’re able to give $[amount] today, it goes directly to [specific program].

Culture and Heritage Fundraising Ideas

Día de los Muertos (November 1 to 2)

Day of the Dead is a celebration of loved ones who have passed, which makes it meaningful for anyone fundraising in someone’s memory. Create a digital “ofrenda” of names: donors send you the name of someone they’re remembering, and you share the list on your run or in your stories.

Keep the tone true to the holiday’s roots as a celebration of life, not a costume or party theme.

Best for: Memorial fundraisers, cancer research, hospice and grief support, and disease research tied to a lost loved one.

Copy-and-post script: I’m running [race] in memory of [name], who [one specific memory]. For Día de los Muertos, I’m building a list of the people we’re carrying with us. Donate $[amount] to [charity] and send me a name. I’ll read every one before my run this weekend.

Native American Heritage Month and Native American Heritage Day (All Month; the Day After Thanksgiving)

The most authentic tie-in starts with learning whose ancestral land you train on. Native Land Digital is a free tool that shows you, and sharing what you learn makes a thoughtful post on its own.

If your charity serves Indigenous communities, center the month in your ask. Running for a different cause? Split or match part of your November donations with an Indigenous-led organization. It amplifies rather than borrows the month.

Best for: Indigenous-led organizations, Native youth programs, education, and land and environmental stewardship.

Copy-and-post script: Every long run this month, I’m running on [Nation] land. For Native American Heritage Month, I’m matching the first $[amount] of donations to [charity] with a gift to [Indigenous-led organization]. Two causes, one link in bio. Who’s in?

Kindness and Gratitude Fundraising Ideas

World Kindness Day (November 13)

This is the easiest day of the month to post on, because your ask can lead with a thank-you. Publicly thank everyone who has donated so far, then launch a “pay it forward” challenge: each new donor tags a friend to match their gift.

It turns your fundraiser into a chain of small, visible kindnesses (and it reminds your current donors that they matter).

Best for: any cause, especially youth programs, anti-bullying, and community services.

Copy-and-post script: Happy World Kindness Day to the [X] people who’ve already donated to [charity]. You’ve gotten me [X]% of the way to $[goal] (thank you, truly). Today’s ask: donate $13 for November 13, then tag one friend to match you. Let’s see how far one kind thing travels.

Thanksgiving (Fourth Thursday of November; November 26 in 2026)

Gratitude is the hook, and Thanksgiving comes with built-in activities. Run your local Turkey Trot as a fundraising run (add fun turkey costume pieces like a turkey hat or a turkey headband), host a Football Squares board for the Thanksgiving football games, or run “gratitude miles” with one mile dedicated to each donor.

Even if you skip the race, a thank-you post during Thanksgiving week warms up your donors right before Giving Tuesday.

Best for: food banks and hunger relief, family services, homelessness, and really any cause.

Copy-and-post script: Running my Turkey Trot today for [charity], and every mile is a thank-you. [Name], [Name], and [Name], this one’s for you. If you’ve been meaning to give, I’m $[amount] away from [milestone] before the pie comes out. Link in bio.

Thanksgiving-Themed Holiday Fundraisers

Turkey Trot Donation Match

If you’re running a local Turkey Trot, turn those miles into money for your cause. Ask supporters to pledge $5 (or another set amount) for every mile you cover.

Copy-and-post script: I’m trotting and raising money for [your charity] this Thanksgiving. Please consider donating $15 to help support [the charity’s mission] and you’ll also help me reach my charity marathon goal!

Thanksgiving Day Football Squares

Host a squares football pool for Thanksgiving Day fundraising excitement! Get the guide for hosting a squares fundraiser and have a fun holiday fundraiser for Turkey Day! While most people think of this fundraising idea in February because of the Super Bowl, you can basically turn any game into a football squares fundraiser.

Food and Fun Fundraising Ideas

World Vegan Day (November 1)

Food is one of the easiest, lowest-pressure asks out there. Host a plant-based bake sale, share a mini collection of your favorite plant-based fueling recipes for a donation, or let donors vote on what you eat before your long run.

Since it falls on November 1, it’s a light, fun way to kick off your November fundraising push.

Best for: Animal welfare, environmental, food access, and heart health charities.

Copy-and-post script: It’s World Vegan Day, so I’m letting you pick my pre-long-run dinner. Donate $[amount] to [charity] and vote: [option A] or [option B]? Winner gets cooked (and reviewed honestly) on [day] night.

Pizza With the Works Day (November 12)

Quick fact check: National Pizza Day is actually in February. But November 12 is National Pizza With the Works Except Anchovies Day, which is an even better hook since it’s funny and unique.

Partner with a local pizzeria for a giveback night, or create “topping” donation tiers where bigger gifts add more toppings to the pizza you eat after your run.

Best for: Any cause, especially youth sports, schools, and local community groups.

Copy-and-post script: Today is National Pizza With the Works (Except Anchovies) Day, and yes, that’s real. Build my post-run pizza: $10 = cheese, $25 = add a topping, $50 = the works. Every dollar goes to [charity]. Anchovy donors will be judged.

World Television Day (November 21)

The pun writes itself: it’s the other kind of marathon. Host a marathon-watch or movie night fundraiser, let donors vote on what you watch on your rest day, or run a TV trivia night with a donation to play.

Best for: any cause, especially family and kids’ programs, the arts, and community groups.

Copy-and-post script: Trained for one marathon, happy to do another kind. It’s World Television Day, and my rest day is up for grabs. Donate $[amount] to [charity] and vote on what I watch for my TV show marathon [day]: [show A], [show B], or [show C]. Highest total wins.

Get Outside Fundraising Ideas

National Take a Hike Day (November 17)

Take a Hike Day doubles as a cross-training day, so it slides right into your training plan. Host a group hike with a suggested donation to join, or swap your run for a hike and ask for per-mile pledges.

A group hike also gives your non-runner supporters a way to show up for you in person (no pace pressure required).

Best for: Environmental and conservation groups, parks, mental health, and outdoor youth programs.

Copy-and-post script: Trading my running shoes for hiking boots on [day] for National Take a Hike Day. Join me at [trail] at [time], all paces welcome. Bring a $[amount] donation for [charity] (or give online if you can’t make it). Who’s coming?

Shopping and Small Business Fundraising Ideas

National Entrepreneurs Day (Third Tuesday of November; November 17 in 2026)

This is your day to ask local business owners for help. Invite small businesses in your network to sponsor a mile or match a day’s donations, then spotlight each sponsor in your posts.

The business gets visibility, and you get a bigger gift than a single personal donation.

Best for: Women’s economic empowerment, workforce and job training, local community causes, and any cause with a strong local network.

Copy-and-post script: Happy National Entrepreneurs Day to the small business owners who make our town feel like home. I’m looking for [X] local businesses to sponsor a mile of my [race] for [charity] at $[amount] each. Every sponsor gets a shout-out on race day. DM me if you’re in.

Black Friday (the Day After Thanksgiving)

Everyone is already thinking in “deals terminology,” so borrow the format and lean in. Run a donation “doorbuster” (offer to match donations that only lasts until noon), offer a thank-you gift for donors at a certain level, or ask people to give a small share of what they’d spend shopping.

Black Friday also falls on Native American Heritage Day, so if your fundraiser has a connection to it, this is a natural place to mention both.

Best for: Any cause.

Copy-and-post script: My only Black Friday deal: every donation to [charity] before noon today gets matched by [matcher], up to $[amount]. Same impact, half the price. Link in bio before the doors close.

Small Business Saturday (the Saturday After Thanksgiving)

Partner with one local shop for a percent-back day, or share a “shop local” bingo card where donors check off small businesses they support. It’s a feel-good way to connect your cause to your community.

Best for: Local charities, community services, and any cause.

Copy-and-post script: Shopping small today? [Shop name] is donating [X]% of every sale to [charity] for my [race] fundraiser. Stop in, grab something you’d buy anyway, and tell them I sent you. Can’t make it? Link in bio.

Cyber Monday (the Monday After Thanksgiving, November 30 in 2026)

Cyber Monday is an online shopping day, so it’s the right moment for an online raffle, a silent auction, or a 24-hour donation match. It also sets up the very next day: Giving Tuesday.

Best for: any cause, especially ones with an online-first donor base.

Copy-and-post script: Cyber Monday raffle is live. Every $[amount] donation to [charity] gets you one entry to win [prize]. The drawing is tomorrow night on Giving Tuesday. Add to cart (aka donate) at the link in bio.

Don’t Stop at Cyber Monday: Giving Tuesday Is Next

Giving Tuesday falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (December 1 in 2026), and it’s one of the biggest giving days of the year. If you’ve been warming up your donors all November, this is your moment to make your biggest ask.

From there, the holiday season takes over. Grab more fundraising ideas for the holiday season in my blog, or browse the ideas for a full year to plan your next few months.

November Fundraising FAQs

Ready to Fundraise in November?

November is a great time to fundraise, and there are plenty of everyday reasons to ask for support. What ideas do you have for creating a November fundraiser? Drop your ideas below in the comments; I’d love to hear them!