Playing fun games to raise money in an office is a good way to support a charity or person in need, while also increasing camaraderie and boosting morale in the workplace. You can either set aside one day to play the games, as a kind of team-building activity, or you can introduce one idea at a time. There are a lot of exciting and innovative fundraising ideas for co-workers who want to work together to raise money for an important cause. Use one or more of the fundraising games for work below, or get inspired to come up with options of your own.
The Money Jar
Think of a problem you have in the office, be it the use of profanity, excessive complaining, or leaving lunch dishes sitting out in the break room. A charity money jar is a great way to help break staff members of bad habits while raising money to help someone in need or to support a charity. This is simple to do. Just decorate a jar and cut a slot in the lid, then place it in a central location, such as the front desk or copier room. Brainstorm with the team for activities that warrant a fine. Every time someone in the office performs said activity, the individual has to put a quarter (or other agreed-upon denomination) in the charity jar. It's all in good fun for co-workers to call each other out on their behavior (in a nice way, of course).
Duct Tape the Boss
A charity money jar is a great long-term fundraiser, but sometimes you need to raise a chunk of money at one time. If you have a good-natured supervisor, offer employees an opportunity to duct tape the boss in exchange for a donation to a charity that the company or a group of co-workers is supporting. Have people in the office donate a certain amount of money to "buy" a length of duct tape. On a day of your choosing, such as two weeks after the start of the game, gather the boss and the employees who contributed and have fun duct taping the boss to their chair, or maybe the wall. Take pictures for posterity (and maybe the company social media page), being sure to use a caption that indicates that it's all in good fun to raise money for a cause.
Smash the Copier
Going to rage rooms or anger rooms and beating up items has become a popular way for people to blow off steam. If your office has a copy machine or other piece of office equipment that is a complete terror, you can turn people's desire to be destructive into a constructive way to raise money. If you're about to replace a malfunctioning copier, get one last use from the non-functional item by making it the focal point of a workplace fundraising game. Take the hated item outside to the parking lot, being sure no one is parked close to the main event. Then grab a hammer and charge people a small sum for each hit. This is a good stress reliever as well as a way to raise money. Make sure to outfit the aggressors with goggles and long sleeves for safety's sake.
Office Chair Race
You know those office chairs with wheels, and how you always want to race them across the office, but you're not allowed to? Now's your chance! Entice your office mates to donate to charity in exchange for a chance to participate in an office chair race. Each round can include two to four teams, each with a pusher and a rider. Then, to boost charitable contributions, have people place bets on which team will finish first. The entry fees all go to charity. The rest of the money goes into a pot, with half going to the winning wagerer for each round, and half going to the selected charity. If you don't have room to race in the office, take it outside to the parking lot. Plot out a course using traffic cones.
Hula Hoop Contest
Raising money via a hula hoop contest is a bit like a walkathon, but with hula hoops. Recruit a group of hula hoopers who will get pledges from people they know for a certain dollar amount per revolution or per second that they keep their hula hoops from touching the ground. Then, let the contest begin. The person who lasts the longest not only gets bragging rights, they will also likely raise a lot of money. Of course, since everyone will be collecting pledges, the hula hoop champion might not be the one to bring in the most money. You can have two prizes, one for the contest winner and one for the person who collects the most money. Of course, this game should probably be done outdoors to prevent any collateral damage to the office.
Competitive Tasting Bee
If quite a few of the employees like to cook, host a tasting bee competition as a way to raise money for a charitable cause. Recruit people to participate in a competitive potluck, in which their co-workers will vote for the winner by tipping their favorite dishes with dollars. Schedule a potluck with a seasonal theme, such as a summer picnic or wintertime comfort food. Participants should prepare and bring in their favorite dishes to share. Charge employees a small fee to attend the tasting bee (ideally less than they'd ordinarily pay for lunch to boost participation). Put tip jars by each dish and let people know that's how a winner will be selected. Award prizes in each category (main dish, dessert, etc.) based on tips, and donate the money to charity.
Ink Cartridge Challenge
Pit the departments against each other in a competition to see which group can source the most used printer ink cartridges to donate to a local nonprofit organization or group that's participating in an ink cartridge recycling fundraiser. Recruit departmental teams to participate, and encourage them to get creative with sourcing ink cartridges to boost contributions. Contact the charity you're supporting to get a list of the types of cartridges they can accept, and let each group know the parameters. Award prizes to the teams who collect the most cartridges. Let all the teams vote to see which group also gets a prize for coming up with the most innovative approach to soliciting cartridge donations.
Co-worker Karaoke
Challenge the office vocalists to a game of co-worker karaoke. Bring in a karaoke machine and recruit employees to show off their singing chops. Invite everyone to attend and vote on a winner by putting money into tip jars for their favorite performers. Crown the person who earns the highest tips as the office karaoke champion. They get the bragging rights, but all the tips go to charity. To boost earnings, have competitions in several musical categories (country, pop, classic rock, etc.). Just make sure no one chooses tunes with lyrics that are NSFW. Try to convince the boss to pony up for pizza or sandwich trays for everyone to munch on while listening to their co-workers perform.
Cakewalk Competition
Who wouldn't love a chance to win a tasty cake donated by a fellow employee? Take everyone back to their grade school days by hosting a cakewalk as a way to raise money in the workplace. Recruit volunteers to bake cakes or other sweet treats, such as cupcakes or pies, and charge an entry fee for people to participate in each round of the cakewalk. Hold a separate round for each cake to maximize earning potential and entertainment. Let people know which cake is up for grabs and start out with enough chairs for everyone who pays to play. Remove one chair and play music for a few minutes. Whoever doesn't get a chair once the music stops is eliminated. Keep going until there is one chair left. The person who snags the last seat wins the cake for that round.
Cutest Pet Competition
Chances are that a lot of your co-workers have pets they're convinced are the cutest of them all. They may be so invested in the cuteness of their beloved pets that they'll gladly donate a few bucks to charity to vie for bragging rights for being the parent with the prettiest pooch (or kitty, bunny, etc.). That's why a "cutest pet" competition is a great way to raise money at work. Charge a small entry fee for each pet and allow entrants to submit documentation backing up their claim, such as photos, links to YouTube videos, pet Insta profiles, etc.). Charge a per vote fee for each vote cast to select the cutest pet in each category. The pet parents will probably lobby their connections to vote often, leading to a lot of money raised for a good cause.
H-O-R-S-E Shootout
Pit athletic team members against each other on the basketball court by hosting an H-O-R-S-E shootout to raise money for charity. Set aside time outside of work hours for employee teams to challenge one another on the court. Invite co-workers to bet on which teams will win each round for a chance to split the pot, with bragging rights going to the victors and the money going to charity. Bring in portable basketball goals to the workplace parking lot, or have everyone gather at a local park. To boost earnings, sell water and soft drinks, as well as individually wrapped candy bars and bags of chips. Give a prize to the winning team, as well as the team that brings in the most money in bets.
Guess How Many Contest
The analytical members of your team are sure to take joy in trying to figure out how many items are stowed inside a jar or fish bowl. Choose an item that means something in your office culture and fill a clear glass container to the rim. For example, if there's a running joke about your company being the largest user of binder clips in the world, fill a jar with binder clips. If the boss is known for constantly snacking on jelly beans, then fill a jar with them. Place the container on the front desk or another central location and accept guesses in exchange for a charitable donation. The person who comes closest to the quantity without going over wins a prize and is dubbed the resident mathematical genius until the next competition.
Boost Workplace Fundraising Success
There are a lot of fun ways to raise money in an office. No matter what games you choose, participation is the key to raising money. Not everyone has the same skills or interests, so it's a good idea to host a few different kinds of fundraising games, along with other kinds of fundraisers (like a raffle basket or bake sale). If you offer multiple activities, there will be something that just about everyone would like to do. Publish a schedule of fundraising games and events throughout the office and challenge everyone to engage. The team is sure to bond over working together to raise money to support a worthwhile cause.
