Who said fundraising had to be formal? Some of the best money ever raised has happened over a cheese board, a backyard BBQ, or a very heated game of Monopoly. The Longest Table is all about bringing people together – so why not make your fundraiser feel like the best catch-up you’ve had all year?
Here are 5 ideas to get you started. All you need is a group of people who care, a reason to gather, and to share your fundraising page.
Uncork, Unwind, and Raise A Glass To Cancer Research
You’ve been trying to lock this in for months – the group chat has been going in circles. But somehow, miraculously, everyone is free and the wine and cheese night is finally, actually, happening.
Whether you’re in your comfies or dressed to the nines, tonight the cheese board is the centrepiece and cancer research is the reason.
Not sure what to pour? Now’s the perfect time to activate your Hither & Yon discount* and try something new.
*Only available to registered hosts - check your emails for more detail.
And if it were us, we’d go straight for the Woodside Cellars feta dip – chef’s kiss – for our friends in SA. Otherwise, your local market or grocery store will have everything you need to build a board your guests will be talking about long after the last glass is poured.
Pop that bottle open and let the good times – and donations – flow.
The Blind Tasting
Pour a selection of drops into unmarked glasses and let your guests do their best. Red or white? Shiraz or Grenache? Guests donate to make their guess. The more confident the wrong answer, the better. Prepare for some very creative descriptions and absolutely no accountability.
The Cork Collection
Before your guests arrive, fill a jar with a mix of corks, bottle caps, and whatever else you can find rattling around in the kitchen drawer. Guests donate to guess the cork count. Not the bottle caps. Not the mystery items. Just the corks. Closest guess wins bragging rights. The rest donate a little more.
PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT
Dust off the top hat, claim the iron before someone else does, and get ready to bankrupt your best friends – all in the name of cancer research. Whether you’re a Monopoly tyrant, a Cluedo mastermind, or someone who genuinely believes their stick figures are straight out of the Louvre, there’s a games night fundraiser with your name on it.
We know what you’re thinking – a games night? Really? But hear us out. Entry donations, pay-to-play rounds, real-money stakes, and a raffle thrown in for good measure can turn a Tuesday night on the lounge room floor into a surprisingly serious fundraiser. Plus, nothing loosens people’s wallets like a little friendly competition.
Monopoly
Feeling generous? Up the stakes with real money. The winner takes the glory, the losers donate their remaining cash to your fundraising page. Friendships may or may not survive…
Cluedo
Guess wrong – Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick, was it? – and you pay up. The more confident the wrong guess, the bigger the donation.
Telestrations or Pictionary
Can your guests handle the creative pressure? The worst or funniest (that has you in stitches) drawing of the night have to donate. You already know who’s going to lose.
Lights, Camera, Donate
Blankets out, phones away, snacks ready. A movie marathon is one of those gatherings that starts at midday and somehow ends at midnight. Whether you’re working through a franchise, revisiting a classic, or letting someone with questionable taste pick the lineup – here’s how to make every scene count towards your Longest Table:
The word game
Before you press play, pick a word. It could be something obvious, something obscure, or something so specific that only one person in the room knows it’s coming. Every time that word is said on screen, everyone donates. Simple, suspenseful, and genuinely more fun that it has any right to be. Choose wisely – or don’t and watch your total skyrocket.
The chatterbox
This one’s for the talkers. You know the ones – the running commentary crew, the ones who can’t help themselves. Every time a guest speaks during the film, they donate. Suddenly the most talkative person in the room becomes your biggest fundraiser. A win for everyone, arguably.
The snack bar
Set up your own little snack station. We’re talking popcorn, lollies, chips, something chocolatey – the works. Guests place their orders, pay for their picks, and all funds go straight to your fundraising total. Want extra butter on that popcorn? That’ll cost you. Second bag of chips? Absolutely – but it’s not free. Special requests are encouraged, unreasonable requests are welcome, and the snack bar does not close until the credits roll.
FIRE UP THE BARBIE
Apron on. Tongs out. Bevvy in hand. The quintessential Aussie BBQ needs no introduction – but yours is about to have a twist. Because this year, your backyard gathering isn’t just a good time. It’s raising money for cancer research. And honestly? That deserves an extra snag.
The good news is, turning your BBQ into a fundraiser requires about as much effort as remembering to defrost the meat. Now for the fun, the moments in between food – the arguments over condiments, the suspiciously confident cook, the friend who somehow always ends up cleaning the kitchen.
Here’s how to make every moment count:
Condiments
You know that one friend. The one with an unhealthy relationship with condiments. The one who travels with their own hot sauce. Put them to work – for every condiment that hits those snags, guests donate to your fundraising page. Suddenly that mountain of sauce is pulling its weight.
Charge by the order
Set up your own little menu and charge per item – a snag for $2, a burger for $5, the fancy halloumi option for $8. Guests get a feed, you get a fundraising total that grows with every round.
Burnt offering
Anything that comes off the grill a little more well done than intended? The cook donates. Consider it quality control for a good cause.
Bring a dollar or two, skip the bottle
Ask guests to donate instead of bringing drinks. A $15–$20 donation per head adds up fast, and frankly the esky was already full.
Brunch with the girls (and guys)
Eggs, mimosas, good chat – what’s not to love? Gather your crew, make a spread, and ask everyone to donate instead of bringing something. And if you really want to spice up your mimosa, Hither & Yon have you covered with their The Longest Table pink fizz
Here’s how to make your brunch count:
Donation on arrival
Keep it simple. Guests donate instead of bringing a gift or a bottle. Set a suggested amount in the invitation so nobody arrives empty handed – or empty hearted.
The mimosa bar
Set up a little station and have guests pay per pour. Standard mimosa, a few dollars. Fancy upgrade with H&Y pink fizz? That'll cost a little more. Worth every cent.
Bottomless brunch style
Set a flat donation amount at the door for unlimited mimosa refills throughout the morning. People feel like they're getting a deal, and your fundraising total keeps climbing with every top up.
Pass the hat
At the end of brunch – when everyone is full, happy, and feeling generous – simply pass around a donation jar. No pressure, no speech. Just a moment to give while the good vibes are still flowing.
The best fundraisers don't always feel like fundraisers. They feel like the best catch-up that was three months in the making. The games night that went two hours longer than planned. The moments you talk about long after the night is over.
That's The Longest Table. And it starts with you.
Still looking for more inspiration? Stay tuned for Part 2 – four more easy ways to turn a get-together into a fundraiser for lifesaving cancer research.
