Fundraise for Parkinson’s Research in 2026: 12 Simple, Creative Ideas

Wednesday, 7th January 2026

At Shake It Up, we are always inspired by our creative fundraisers and the ideas they come up with to support Parkinson’s research, raising both funds and important community awareness.

If you’re interested in becoming a fundraiser for Shake It Up in 2026 (or continuing your fundraising journey!) but you’re stuck for ideas, you can find a simple fundraising opportunity for every month of the year below.

How to Choose Your Fundraising Idea

Selecting a fundraising idea is a unique journey for each person. It doesn’t always have to be a big event or a lengthy commitment, but can be as simple as choosing something you love and turning it into a chance to make a difference.

Before you take a look at the list below, consider:

How much time do you have? Some ideas may take just a few hours to arrange, some may take a longer time, such as training for a run or planning ahead for an event. Choose the timeframe that works for you and your other commitments.
What’s your budget? Are you in a position to host an event that will involve some costs, or would you prefer to sign up for a run fun or create your own challenge to raise funds?
Are you doing it solo or in a group? Some people will take on a challenge on their own, while others find inspiration in getting a group of friends, family or colleagues involved.
What things do you love to do? Are you an avid cyclist, runner, painter, musician, dancer? Do you love to socialise with friends, or go to a local community group? Have a regular yoga or boxing class? Any existing passion, hobby, group activity can be easily turned into a fundraiser with a just a few simple steps.

2026 Fundraising Ideas

January – Athletic Events

Kickstart the year with a new challenge and join an athletic event. From fun runs to marathons, open water swims to endurance events, most events cater for all ages and fitness levels. All you need to do is find an event in your state, register to fundraise for Shake It Up, and share your page with friends and family! Click here to see the events coming up.

“One person can’t pick up a car and move it, but ten people can. If we all just get stuck in together, I think we can achieve great things in years to come. There is a lot of power behind the domino effect. The more we talk about it, the more awareness we raise. The more funds we raise, the more ground breaking research can be completed.” – Brodie

February – Pizza Party

With International Pizza Day on February 9th, why not throw a pizza party and ask people for a donation at the door? Make your own pizzas or keep it as simple as possible and order in! This is a great one to get the kids involved, or even do it in the office or at work at lunchtime. Register your fundraiser in just minutes.

“Just go for it! Every bit of awareness and fundraising helps. As an individual it feels hard to make an impact, but together, we can.” – Ashlee

March – Presents for Parkinson’s

Have a milestone birthday or a wedding coming up? You can make it a party with purpose and ask people to make a donation in lieu of bringing a gift. Or, add a donation option to the celebration with a printable brochure at the table setting or a donation tin at the door. Set up a quick donation page here.

“Sometimes it can be difficult to support someone with a disease or illness. We feel helpless and want to change or ‘fix’ things for them but it is nearly impossible and is often out of everyone’s control and this feels unfair. But what we can do is contribute to research through fundraising and it’s a bloody good feeling knowing we can do that.” – Gemma

April – Parkinson’s Awareness Month

Parkinson’s Awareness Month is an important opportunity to shine a light on Parkinson’s disease and the experiences of people living with Parkinson’s and their loved ones. We invite our community to pick a ‘P’ for Parkinson’s fundraiser to drive funds to research that aims to slow, stop and ultimately cure this disease. From Pancakes and Prosecco to Pilates and Pickleball, there are so many ways you can get involved in April. By hosting your event or sharing with your community on April 11, World Parkinson’s Day, you can have an even greater impact and be part of a global movement committed to change. Send an enquiry about registering for a Parkinson’s Awareness Month fundraiser today.

“Start small. Start where you are. Take a walk. Share a story. Post a photo. Flip a pancake. Host a morning tea. Whatever feels right for you—just start. And be proud of every step you take. Most importantly, connect. Together, we can light the way toward a brighter future for everyone living with Parkinson’s.” – Tony and Wendy

May – Morning or Afternoon Tea

Gather a group together for a cuppa, enjoy some finger food and raise money for research all at the same time. Whether you host it at your house, go out for a bite or turn a regular gathering into a fundraiser, this is a lovely way many of our fundraisers choose to get involved. Create a fundraising page to get started.

“In 2019 our morning tea group was registered as Sippers & Stirrers and evolved to raise funds for SIU. I made an empty vegemite jar available and from the small change in their pockets over $8K has been donated and monthly deposits continue to be banked. I honestly believe that ‘from little things big things grow’!” – Jenni

June – Bake Sale

A bake sale is ideal for a school, workplace or local community fundraising opportunity. Get baking or ask others in your networks to make some delicious treats, and not only will you raise funds, but you can start conversations about Parkinson’s and the ‘why’ behind your fundraising with each sale. Get some fundraising inspiration or create your page here.

“I found even just talking about it and sharing experiences has led to not just people supporting my fundraising but doing their own research to understand symptoms, connecting sufferers together for support and talking about making their own commitments to positive change on behalf of or directly with a loved one who has Parkinson’s.” – Matthew

July – Picnic for Parkinson’s

Celebrate International Picnic Day in July by hosting a picnic with a difference – include a donation tin along with your picnic spread, or ask everyone that comes along to make a donation online. You can spread the word even further by sharing pictures of the festivities on your social channels. Read about a Picnic for Parkinson’s hosted by our ambassador Annelise.

After getting the message out there, it was so humbling to see the donations come in and all of the support from so many people. This made the decision all worth it. It’s also been an avenue to start conversations with people, and it’s given others a way to approach me, for them to offer support, and for many people it gave them a way to ask questions about my diagnosis and disease that they probably wouldn’t have if not for the fundraiser. It’s given me a way to speak about the disease openly and do my bit to raise awareness. – Andrew

August – Choose Your Challenge

At Shake It Up we’re passionate in our belief that every person can make a difference in the quest for a cure, which is why we encourage people to create their own challenge and turn it into a fundraiser. From burpees and push ups to walking and cycling huge distances, our community has set themselves some ambitious goals. Brainstorm your challenge and then create a page to share with friends and family here.

Families and friends coming together, stepping out of their comfort zone for charity, taking the time to exercise, interact and give back… this is something that makes us smile inside! We are always amazed at the support we receive when we create these fundraising teams. – Jenny

September – Get Creative

Do you have a crafty hobby or a passion for art? From painting and photography to sewing and knitting, Shake It Up Supporters are a creative bunch. There are many ways you can turn a side hustle or favourite pastime into a fundraising opportunity, including making products to sell online or at a market, auctioning an artwork, or hosting an exhibition. Read about some of our creative fundraisers here.

I encourage everyone out there who wants to make a difference to pick something they love doing which is challenging and get sponsored to do it for Parkinson’s research. It’s a win win. You do something you love and raise money for important causes like Shake it Up. What’s not to like about that? – Phil

October – Halloween

Turn your spooky soiree into a fundraiser for Parkinson’s research. If you’re having a party, you can ask friends and family to make a contribution to Shake It Up at the door. Others turn their Trick or Treating into a chance to raise funds with a donation tin at their door, while some of our community put on Halloween light displays and invite the community to attend and donate. Start your fundraising page here.

Each of us can make a positive difference, and we should all try. If you see an opportunity, big or small to become involved, do it. Reach out to those around that you that you can help, including organisations like Shake It Up. Together we can create change. – Mark

November – Get Moving

You don’t need to join an official fun run to fundraise. Any way of moving can be turned into an opportunity to make a difference. Some of our supporters have started a walking group, while others have joined dance or boxing classes. Some run marathons, some climb mountains, some do as many steps as they can each day. It can be big or small! Get a group together and ask your community to donate in support, or bring a donation tin to your group class. Get started by creating your team page.

Just Do It. That is actually my motto this year. If you can, you must. If you have legs that can climb a mountain, do it. If you have a voice that can speak, do it. If you have hands that can bake, do it. Whatever it is that you can do, just do it. – Olivia

December – Festive Season

Christmas is a time for community and connection, and for many, it is encapsulated by a spirit of giving. From Christmas light displays to market stalls, our Shake It Up fundraising heroes know how to band together and turn their holiday traditions into an opportunity to make a difference for the Parkinson’s community. If you have a local community Christmas event coming up, or you run a small business or store, why not add a fundraising element?

Find something you’re passionate about and go for gold! Pick that one thing that you care deeply about and spread the word. Tell your story, people want to hear it, and people love giving for a great cause. And if you can do something you enjoy with mates while making a difference, then even better. – Monkey Mia Kids