Successful Fundraising Ideas for Groups and Clubs

Ultimate Survivor Challenge Fundraiser Idea

How to organize a successful ultimate survivor fundraiser competition

Who will be the last person standing? An ultimate survival fundraiser is a challenge where participants compete against each other to complete a variety of assigned tasks, usually in an outdoor setting full of natural elements. The challenges can be a grueling true test of survival out in the mountains or desert, or something more beginner or family friendly where all of your activities are held in a local park. You can make each challenge as easy or as difficult as you want, just make them appropriate to the audience type that you are targeting. If kids are participating, have some challenges designed specifically for them.

Here are some fun and challenging ultimate survivor challenge activity ideas you can incorporate into your fundraiser

Test contestants’ survival skills by challenging them to build a fire using only natural materials. Judges can evaluate the quality of the fire, including its size, stability, and longevity. Offer points for the fastest fire-building time and the most successful fires.
Have contestants construct shelters using materials found in the environment, such as branches, leaves, and other natural materials. Judges can assess the shelters based on factors like durability, weatherproofing, and comfort. Award points for the most innovative designs and the sturdiest structures.
Set up a navigation challenge where contestants must navigate through a wilderness area using a map and compass or GPS device. Include checkpoints or hidden markers that participants must locate along the way. Points can be awarded based on accuracy, speed, and successful navigation of obstacles.
Design a challenging obstacle course that incorporates elements of the natural environment, such as climbing over fallen trees, crossing streams, crawling through mud on all fours under a low net, climbing over a rope wall, or navigating through dense vegetation. Contestants can compete individually or as teams, racing against the clock to complete the course.
Create a series of survival skills stations where contestants must demonstrate various outdoor skills, such as knot tying, water purification, foraging for edible plants, and signaling for help. Teams can compete in a relay format, with each member completing a different skill before passing the baton to the next teammate.
Challenge contestants to forage for their own food in the wilderness, whether it’s fishing in a nearby stream or gathering wild berries and plants. Judges can evaluate the contestants’ foraging techniques and the quality of the food they collect.
Include team-building challenges to foster cooperation and camaraderie among contestants. Activities like trust falls, rope courses, and problem-solving exercises can help build teamwork and communication skills while adding a fun and competitive element to the competition.
Introduce challenges that focus on sustainable practices and environmental stewardship, such as waste management, water conservation, and leave-no-trace principles. Contestants can compete to see who can minimize their impact on the environment while maximizing their survival capabilities.
Simulate a scenario where contestants must ration and conserve water, a critical resource in the desert environment. Provide limited supplies of water and challenge contestants to find creative ways to collect and purify additional water sources, such as using solar stills or digging for groundwater.
Stage a simulated rescue scenario where contestants must work together to locate and rescue a missing person or injured hiker. Contestants must use their survival skills, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities to complete the rescue mission successfully.

There really is no end to the different types of activities that you can set up for your participants. Get together with your team of volunteers and brainstorm some ideas!

Steps to planning your ultimate survivor fundraiser

To begin planning and organizing your survival challenge, you’ll first need to choose a suitable outdoor location. It could be a forest, wilderness area, desert, or any other natural environment that provides opportunities for survival skills testing. Ensure you have permission to use the area and consider factors like accessibility and safety.

Safety should be your top priority. Assess potential risks and hazards in the chosen location and develop a comprehensive safety plan. This should include emergency procedures, first aid provisions, communication methods, and a backup plan in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Develop a series of challenges that test participants’ survival skills, such as shelter building, fire starting, water purification, navigation, foraging for food, and signaling for help. Make sure the challenges are suitable for the skill level of your participants and align with your chosen theme.

Depending on the challenges that you’ve planned, you may need to gather equipment and supplies such as tents, tarps, fire-starting tools, water purification tablets, compasses, maps, first aid kits, and emergency rations. Ensure that all equipment is in good condition and that you have enough for all participants.

Advertise your survival challenge to recruit participants who are interested in testing their outdoor skills. Promote heavily on all your social media channels with clever posts that reflect the fun and challenging nature of this event. Pass out event flyers to local businesses and also see if any of these businesses will want to help sponsor the event or donate prizes for the winners. Reach out to local media to see if they will promote the event in their public service announcements. Be sure to mention on all your promotional materials that all proceeds go to support your organization.

If you don’t already have a website where people can go to register, you can easily set one up on platforms like Wix or Squarespace. You can also set up your online registration form through Eventbrite or a similar event registration platform. Be sure to provide participants with all necessary information, including what to bring and what to expect during the event.

If you can, hold a pre-event briefing to go over the rules, safety guidelines, and schedule of the survival challenge. Make sure participants understand what is expected of them and address any questions or concerns they may have.

On the day of the event, set up the challenges in the designated outdoor area and make sure that all necessary equipment and supplies are available. Assign staff or volunteers to oversee each challenge station and provide guidance and support to participants as needed.

Throughout the challenge, monitor participants’ progress and make sure they’re are following safety guidelines and adhering to the rules. Be prepared to intervene if any issues arise or if participants require assistance.

For raising funds, charge a participation fee or have participants collect donations based on how long they are able survive the challenge (similar to a walk-a-thon). You can also collect sponsorship money from local businesses.