Most people searching for a fundraiser near them end up on the same two or three ticketing sites. Those are good places to start, but a lot of local fundraisers never appear there: the trivia night at the surf club, the school fete, the charity walk run by a single cause. Here is where else to look, and how to tell a fundraiser is the real thing before you hand over money.
The places below, at a glance:
| Place | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| A charity’s own website | A fundraiser for a cause you already care about | Many national charities list community fundraisers on their own site, often by state, and that list is usually the most current one. |
| Eventfinda | Seeing what is on in your area | A large event database with free basic listings. |
| Weekendnotes | Fundraiser pages for some cities, such as Brisbane | Its listings can be old, so check the date on anything you find. |
| Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) | Bigger events that draw visitors, such as charity festivals and long-distance rides | Feeds many state and regional tourism sites. |
| Humanitix and other ticketing platforms with a charity focus | Fundraisers where some charities and schools sell tickets | Humanitix says it directs the profits from its booking fees to charitable causes. Fees and conditions change, so check the current terms. |
| Meetup | Recurring charity and community events, such as walks, working bees and volunteer sessions | Free to use. Some events charge a fee, so read the event page. |
| Facebook Events and local Facebook groups | Small fundraisers, which are often shared there first | Search your suburb or town plus “fundraiser”, join your local community groups, and check the events tab on the page of any club or school you follow. |
| Council events calendars and community noticeboards | Local events that never get online | Councils often run an events calendar and keep a list of community groups. Libraries, community centres, neighbourhood houses and newsagents often have noticeboards. |
| Service clubs such as Lions and Rotary | Community fundraisers that run all year | Search for the nearest club. |
| Mailing lists of your sports club, school, church or surf club | Hearing about things earlier than on any listing site | Many fundraisers are announced to a small email list or a school newsletter. |
1. The charity’s own website
If you already care about a cause, go straight to it. Many national charities list their community fundraisers on their own site, often sorted by state, and that list is usually the most current one. A few examples:
- Save the Children Australia has a page for finding fundraising events by state.
- Breast Cancer Network Australia lists community fundraiser events by state and territory.
- NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia publishes a calendar of community events, including runs, swims and rides.
Search “[cause] fundraiser events” and look for an events or “get involved” page. If a charity doesn’t list anything near you, its supporter team will often know of something coming up and will tell you if you ask.
2. Event listing sites that aren’t ticketing sites
Some sites exist to list events, not to sell the tickets. They are a good way to see what is on in your area.
- Eventfinda is a large event database with free basic listings.
- Weekendnotes has fundraiser pages for some cities, such as Brisbane. Its listings can be old, so check the date on anything you find.
- Australian Tourism Data Warehouse (ATDW) feeds many state and regional tourism sites. It is most useful for bigger events that draw visitors, such as charity festivals and long-distance rides.
3. Ticketing platforms with a charity focus
Beyond TryBooking and Eventbrite, there are other ticketing platforms. Humanitix, for example, says it directs the profits from its booking fees to charitable causes. Platforms like this are where some charities and schools sell fundraiser tickets, so a search on the platform itself, or a link from the organiser’s own page, can turn up events you won’t see elsewhere. Fees and conditions change, so check the current terms before you assume what a fundraiser’s tickets cost or where the money goes.
4. Meetup and Facebook
- Meetup is free to use, and many charity and community groups post recurring events there, such as walks, working bees and volunteer sessions. Some events charge a fee, so read the event page.
- Facebook Events and local Facebook groups are where a lot of small fundraisers are shared first. Search your suburb or town plus “fundraiser”, join your local community groups, and check the events tab on the page of any club or school you follow.
5. Your council, library and community noticeboards
Local councils often run an events calendar and keep a list of community groups. Libraries, community centres, neighbourhood houses and local newsagents often have noticeboards that never get online. Service clubs such as Lions and Rotary run community fundraisers all year, so a search for the nearest club is worthwhile.
6. Ask the people who run them
Many fundraisers are announced to a small email list or a school newsletter. Join the mailing list of your local sports club, school, church or surf club, and follow the cause you care about. You will hear about things earlier than you would on any listing site.
How to check a fundraiser is the real thing
- Look for a registered charity. The ACNC Charity Register is a free public list of registered charities in Australia. If the event says it supports a charity, find the charity there.
- Look for the organiser’s name and contact. A real fundraiser shows who runs it, with a way to get in touch.
- Check where the tickets are sold. Buy through the organiser’s own link or a known ticketing platform, and be wary of anything that asks for payment by gift card or a transfer to a personal account with no receipt.
- Ask where the money goes. Organisers are usually happy to say how much goes to the cause.
| What to check | Where and how |
|---|---|
| A registered charity | Find the charity on the ACNC Charity Register, a free public list of registered charities in Australia. |
| The organiser’s name and contact | A real fundraiser shows who runs it, with a way to get in touch. |
| Where the tickets are sold | Buy through the organiser’s own link or a known ticketing platform. Be wary of payment by gift card or a transfer to a personal account with no receipt. |
| Where the money goes | Ask. Organisers are usually happy to say how much goes to the cause. |
If you are running a fundraiser, make it easy to find
If you are the one organising, the same places matter in reverse. A clear event page with the date, the place, the price and who the money is for gets shared further than a flyer. Post it where people already look: the cause’s own page, your local Facebook groups, Meetup if you run a group, your council’s events calendar, and your own email list.
One Ticket is a ticketing tool for organisers, not an events directory, so it won’t list your event for strangers to browse. What it does give you is one clean page for your fundraiser with a link you can post anywhere. Setting it up is free, and you can connect Stripe when you are ready to sell paid tickets. If you want to try it, create your event.