Holding a scavenger hunt is a fun way for your group to raise money. While it can require some investment of both time and money, the results will be an event that is unique and enjoyable for all involved.
How the scavenger hunt fundraiser works
Individuals and/or teams pay an entrance fee to take part in the scavenger hunt. Each team is given the list of items they need to find and very detailed instructions about what is – and is not – allowed. Each person or team must return to the starting location by a specified time. Anyone returning even one minute late is disqualified from being the winner.
A winner is selected from those who returned by the specified time based on who found the most items on the list. If there is a tie, the winner would be the person or team that had the most items and returned to the designated location in the least amount of time.
It’s a good idea to assign each item a point value based on how difficult the item would be to find. For example, “one unused burger wrapper” is going to be easy to locate, so that item would be a low point value. On the other hand, “a business card from a local police officer whose name starts with the letter M” would be more difficult to find and thus would have a higher point value.
To increase ticket sales (and fun), you may consider doing a scavenger hunt/pizza party. At the end of the hunt, all participants will stay for pizza and dessert. Obviously, you will want to significantly raise the price of the tickets if you choose to serve food.
This event requires some preplanning, but not a large investment. Keep in mind that there is some initial investment if you choose to serve food.
What you’ll need for your charity scavenger hunt
- A list of items to be found. This list should be long and should include items that are easy to find and items that are difficult to find. To make things really interesting, you can require each team to bring along a digital camera. Then include items on the list such as “a photo of one team member in the ocean” or “a photo of two team members sitting in a fire truck”. Use your imagination, and make a list that will turn your event into a memorable day that your community will look forward to all year.
- Food (if you choose to serve food). Keep it simple. Pizza and soda is always a winner.
- Designated starting and ending locations and times. A church or school works well as there is usually a large hall where each team can display their items after the hunt.
- A team of judges. The judges will need to visit each team after the hunt, verify which of the items they have collected and calculate the number of points earned by each team.
Depending on how well you advertise this event, scavenger hunt fundraisers can be big money earners. It’s also a very fun way for both your organization and participants to spend the day.
Where to get more scavenger hunt ideas
Scavenger Hunt Party Planner – gives you a step-by-step formula for creating your own outstanding scavenger or treasure hunt fundraiser that will make your party unforgettable.