Who Says Fundraising Has to be Sporty?

A fun run or a trail ride? Maybe someone walking a very long distance across the country?

We love seeing people push themselves to raise funds for Dolly’s Dream, but fundraising doesn’t have to be sporty. Sometimes, the most inspiring fundraising ideas are the ones where you are doing something you already love.

Across Australia, people have found creative ways to support Dolly’s Dream, turning their hobbies, passions and community events into opportunities to raise money and help create kinder communities for children and young people.

Here are two examples that might inspire your next fundraising idea.

For the Australian Social Jigsaw Puzzle Events (ASJPE), fundraising for Dolly’s Dream started with their love of puzzles.

ASJPE is a volunteer-run organisation that has grown from a love of puzzles into a community that brings together people from all walks of life. Their events welcome everyone, from serious speed puzzlers to complete beginners.

That community came together at the 2026 Australian Jigsaw Jamboree, held in the Gold Coast in June. Over the weekend, puzzle lovers from across Australia came together for speed-puzzling competitions, social puzzling, shopping and a 30-hour Mates Puzzlin’ Marathon.

You don't even have to be an experienced puzzler to be part of it. Strangers sit down around a puzzle, start working together and leave having made new friends.

It's a great example of how fundraising doesn't have to mean starting from scratch.

ASJPE already had a community. They already had something people enjoyed doing. They simply created an opportunity for that community to turn something they loved into something that could help others.

It's a reminder that sometimes the thing that brings people together can also be the thing that helps you make a difference.

Next year, they hope to make it even bigger! Their next Jamboree will once again be held at Sea World on the Gold Coast and will run over five days. It will be another huge celebration of puzzling, with competitions, the marathon, social puzzling, challenges, swapping and trading, prizes, vendors and plenty of opportunities to simply hang out with your fellow puzzle lovers.

You can keep up to date through the ASJPE Instagram page to find out more details.

In Wagga Wagga, Renee Jones has taken a similar approach, only her building blocks are LEGO bricks!

Renee, the founder and director of Brick Envy, runs Bidgee Bricks, an annual LEGO fan exhibition bringing builders and families together.

The exhibition featured impressive creations from builders around Australia, interactive building zones and a Junior Builder competition.

Her connection to Dolly’s Dream is deeply personal. After experiencing workplace bullying, she knows the impact it can have on a person, and the importance of having support pathways.

That’s why this year Renee wanted Bidgee Bricks to support Dolly’s Dream.

Her community created a LEGO mosaic in Dolly’s honour, with 100 collectible minifigures available to purchase. The Junior Builder competition also had a special challenge, each of the entrants had to incorporate a butterfly into their build for Dolly.

All up, Bidgee Bricks raised $1,620 for Dolly’s Dream.

For Renee, it’s particularly important that fundraising helps bring anti-bullying education to rural communities.

“I want this money to help get anti-bullying education out to more rural communities across Australia,” she says, “so kids out here get a chance to build resilience and support strategies I only learned how to use as an adult.”

It's easy to look at successful fundraisers and think, “I could never do something like that.”

Maybe you don't have hundreds of followers or maybe organising a huge event sounds overwhelming. That's okay.

One of the things we love about these fundraisers is that they show there isn't just ONE right way to support Dolly's Dream. 

You could turn your hobby into a fundraiser, host a quiz or bake night or simply ask for donations instead of birthday presents.

The best fundraising idea might be the thing you're already doing.

• Love books? Host a book swap.

• Love baking? Hold a bake-off.

• Love board games? Host a tournament.

The important thing isn't how unusual your idea is. It's the people you bring together and the difference you can make.

If you've ever thought about fundraising for Dolly's Dream but don’t where to start, start with what you love.

You don't need to make it perfect. You don't need to raise thousands of dollars. And you don't need to do it alone.

As the ASJPE team told us:

“The biggest lesson we've learned is that people really do want to help — sometimes they just need an opportunity.”

Maybe your idea could be that opportunity.

Whether you're a runner, a puzzler, a LEGO lover, a baker, a gamer, or someone who has an idea that doesn't fit into any of those categories, we'd love to have you in our fundraising community.

Find your thing. Bring your people. Make a difference.