Fundraising
You can make a big difference to the lives of vulnerable people by fundraising for Open Door. Whether at work, school or as part of your community, there are many fun ways to raise money and support our work. We will help you every step of the way to ensure your fundraising event is a success.
£23
Provides three homemade meals each day for a resident at the night shelter for a week
£207
funds a street outreach worker for one day
£1600
provides extra £1600 overnight beds during winter, for one week
Steps for Fundraising Success
Sponsored walks, and runs, are always popular – or maybe an activity based on a sport or hobby? If you are feeling adventurous how about… sky diving!
1. Pick a date:
Think about how much time is needed to organise your event. Factor this in when choosing a date. Will you have enough time to organise your event and contact your potential supporters? The key to a great fundraiser is in the planning! Perhaps hold your event on a special day, like Easter, or Valentine’s day.
2. Choose a venue:
Where do you plan to hold your event? Inside or outside? Factor in the weather and the space your event might need.
Do you need permission? Consider the number of people attending, facilities you may need, accessibility and any costs involved.
3. Set a fundraising target:
Did you know that online giving pages which set a target, raise 46% more than fundraising pages without targets? It is worth setting a target and smashing it rather than not having one at all.
It’s a very good reason for people to donate and to encourage them to keep donating. A target encourages everyone to focus on reaching that goal.
There are many online money giving platforms. We use and recommend Just Giving to make fundraising cashless, and easy for donors.
4. Get online and share:
The internet can really help your fundraising. Use Facebook to promote your event and get friends, family and colleagues to share it. Consider using Instagram to post pictures, keep supporters excited about your event. Create a Tik Tok video or share with your colleagues on LinkedIn – remember to include any links to Money Giving platforms such as Just Giving.
Even after you have held your event, remind supporters to donate. Did you know 20% of donations online – come after the event!
5. Make it personal:
Remember, when setting up your fundraiser make it personal. Add a little bit about why you are fundraising for Open Door. Share your passion with your supporters – online and in person. People will give more if they know why you care about our work. You’ll also help raise awareness of the Open Door charity.
Easy Fundraising – Support Us While You Shop
Did you know you can raise money for Open Door just by shopping online – at no extra cost to you?
With Easyfundraising, over 7,000 retailers (including Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, eBay, Argos and more) will donate a small percentage of your purchase to our charity every time you shop through their site.
How it works:
- Go to easyfundraising.org.uk
- Search for Open Door St Albans and set us as your chosen cause
- Start your online shopping via the Easyfundraising site or app
- Retailers donate to us automatically — you pay nothing extra!
It’s a simple way to support our work with people experiencing homelessness, just by doing what you already do online.
Downloadable Fundraiser Invitations
Feel free to download our Fundraiser invitations to share with your friends, family and local community.
Play St Albans Community Lottery & Support Open Door
You can now support Open Door and be in with a chance to win £25,000 every week by playing the St Albans Community Lottery!
This local lottery is a fun and easy way to help raise essential funds for the homelessness services we support. For just £1 per ticket, 60p goes directly to local causes – far more than the National Lottery.
Why play?
- Support Open Door with every ticket you buy
- Weekly prizes up to £25,000
- Tickets cost just £1
- Direct impact in your community
How to play:
- Visit www.stalbansdistrictlottery.co.uk
- Search for Open Door St Albans
- Buy your tickets and start supporting us automatically
You’re not just playing — you’re making a difference.
Sponsoring a project
You may also be interested in sponsoring a particular project, or providing donations in kind.
If you’d like to chat about your idea please get in touch.