Special Olympics Fundraising Ideas

The Special Olympics have been making Olympic dreams come true for otherwise-abled athletes since 1968. The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Local Special Olympics are held in every major city, but sometimes the athlete needs to do some fundraising in order to get there, to get the proper equipment or uniform/costume in order to make their dreams of gold come true. Fundraising can be challenging, but these athletes are used to challenges.

One of the biggest decisions is often deciding what type of fundraiser to do. In Connecticut, the Fairfield PD held a “Cop-on-Top” fundraiser to benefit local Special Olympics athletes. Officers took turns being on the roof of a local retail shop collecting donations from those driving and walking by the intersection. In Montana, The Butte Police Protective Association held their annual ATV Fun Run fundraiser for the Montana Special Olympics. Fundraisers by other Special Olympics groups include dinners, thons, polar bear plunges, tip-a-cops, raffles, auctions, and product sales.

Check out our complete list of fundraising products and do-it-yourself fundraising ideas for your next Special Olympics fundraiser.

You can also choose from a wide variety of Special Olympics DIY fundraising ideas to supplement your program. How about Bike Scavenger Hunt, Restaurant Take-over, Basket Raffle, Sell Your Wares, or thons of every type? Perhaps one of these successful and creative ideas can be adapted for your Special Olympics fundraiser.

Don’t Come Event – A don’t come fundraising event is a clever way of asking for donations in a novel and humorous manner. First things first! This event will never actually happen — other than on paper. You send invitations to supporters – and potential supporters – for a spectacular event with scrumptious food, exciting entertainment, and a glamorous guest of honor. The sky’s the limit since the event won’t actually occur. Let your imagination run wild! Read more…

Cuffing Contest – This fundraiser is a great activity to make the members of your organization really work for the money. The setting is best if your group is within a school or an office. The Cuffing Contest is a fun activity which requires the members of your organization to be handcuffed to a willing outside participant until the duo raises a set amount of money. Read more…

Drive for Dollars – This is an easy fundraising idea. All you have to do is get a large group of volunteers together and send them out into the community door to door. Their goal is to get every person to commit to at least one dollar. Read more…