7 Fundraising Ideas for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk
Editor’s Note — Updated May 2026. Our team reviews nonprofit and fundraising guides quarterly, cross-referencing program details against Charity Navigator, CharityWatch, GuideStar/Candid, and BBB Give.org — and we publish program or naming updates within 7 days of verified changes. Spotted an outdated name or broken link? Email team@nonprofitpoint.com and we’ll correct the record.
The Alzheimer’s Association Walk is a one-day community event that brings together family, friends, and neighbors to fight Alzheimer’s disease. Participants enjoy a fun walk filled with games, activities, and music while raising money for the cause.
These events are in their 24th year of operation, so there is still time to start fundraising!
Here are some great fundraising ideas for Alzheimer’s walk:
- Ask friends and family to donate instead of buying gifts.
- Host a dinner or brunch and ask for donations instead of guests paying for meals.
- Create a caregiving bucket list and let people sponsor your items.
- Have an online fundraiser, such as a game day or virtual walk.
- Create merchandise with your unique branding in place of selling food.
- Host an event where guests pay to play games and enjoy food together.
- Run, walk, or hike a distance and ask for donations instead of selling t-shirts.
- Final Thoughts
Ask friends and family to donate instead of buying gifts.
Like many people involved in fundraising for charity, you might hesitate to ask friends and family for donations because you don’t want to put them in an awkward position.
But people like this idea because it’s very easy for someone to donate a small amount of money and feel they have contributed. You can ask for donations for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk any time of the year, but it’s particularly nice to ask for them during the holidays when people shop for gifts.
Host a dinner or brunch and ask for donations instead of guests paying for meals.
A brunch or dinner event is a great way to raise money in a way that’s fun for everyone. You can choose a theme or have guests provide suggestions.
For example, you might have a movie night or a Mexican-themed event. Ask your friends to bring the food they would like to share and ask them to bring cash to cover the cost of their dishes. They can also bring gift cards and certificates to contribute to your walk’s fundraising.
The Alzheimer’s Association Walk is a great cause to support, especially if you have a loved one who has been affected by the disease or are interested in finding ways to reduce your risk.
Create a caregiving bucket list and let people sponsor your items.
If you’re a caregiver for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or another related disease, you may want to consider creating a “bucket list” of things you would love to do for your loved ones.
You can choose several high-value items, such as a cruise, tickets to a show, or a visit to a theme park. Invite others to sponsor the items that interest you and make your caregiving bucket list public on social media.
You can also use your list as a way to connect with others who are going through the same experience and looking for ways to find support.
Three Charity-Vetting Resources Alzheimer’s-Walk Teams Should Pair With the Pledge Campaign
Alzheimer’s-walk teams increasingly run a charity-vetting pass before announcing the walk beneficiary, and many also run a parallel clothing-donation drive that benefits the family-caregiver community. The three directories below sharpen both the beneficiary-selection workflow and the team’s wider fundraising stack.
- Charities With Lowest Overhead — Lowest-overhead nonprofit ranking — Alzheimer’s-walk teams raising for a national or local memory-care charity should pair the walk pledge campaign with the IRS-disclosed program-expense ratio of the receiving nonprofit. The ranking surfaces which Alzheimer’s-cause operators (Alzheimer’s Association, BrightFocus Foundation, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation) route the largest share of walk-pool dollars into research and patient services rather than fundraising overhead.
- Worst Charities to Donate To — Worst-charities watchlist — Alzheimer’s-cause and dementia-cause fundraising includes some of the most-flagged operators in nonprofit watchdog reporting because the emotional-fundraising playbook attracts both legitimate research charities and predatory imitators. Reviewing the watchlist before naming a walk beneficiary protects the team’s pledge campaign and the participants’ donations.
- Best Charities to Donate Clothes — Clothing-donation charity directory — Alzheimer’s-walk teams routinely run a parallel closet-cleanout drive (donated clothing for caregivers, memory-care residents, or estate downsizes after a diagnosis). The directory ranks regional clothing-donation networks (Salvation Army, Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul, Vietnam Veterans of America) that intake walk-team clothing donations alongside the cash pledge campaign.
Have an online fundraiser, such as a game day or virtual walk.
An online fundraiser such as a game day or virtual walk is a fun and engaging way to raise money. You can join friends and family members who live in other parts of the country and make the event a virtual walk.
This is a great option if you cannot attend an event in your area. You can also organize an online game day, such as a trivia or Scrabble event, and invite your friends and family to participate virtually.
Create merchandise with your unique branding in place of selling food.
Another way to raise money for your Alzheimer’s walk is through the sale of merchandise. People are often eager to show their support for a cause; purchasing merchandise is a great way to do this.
If you’re selling t-shirts, you might want to consider having your design created by a professional designer so that you can brand your Alzheimer’s walk. Another idea for merchandise is to create gift baskets with snacks and drinks appropriate for an outdoor walk.
Host an event where guests pay to play games and enjoy food together.
A game night is a great idea if you have an opportunity to host a fundraiser in a public space. You can invite people to come and enjoy some fun games together and charge a small fee to cover your costs.
You can have food and drinks available and encourage guests to bring their own beverages. You can also ask that they bring cash to contribute to your fundraising efforts.
Run, walk, or hike a distance and ask for donations instead of selling t-shirts.
Another option for raising money for the Alzheimer’s Association Walk is participating in a running, walking, or hiking event. If a walk doesn’t sound appealing to you, you can also consider a triathlon or other form of physical activity.
You can create a virtual team for an event and then collect donations for your walk. You can also sign up for an event and pledge to raise a certain amount for the walk. You may be able to negotiate a reduced entry fee if you’re signing up for an event to support the walk.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are looking for some fresh ideas or you are a seasoned walker, these seven fundraising ideas for Alzheimer’s walk are a great start to getting your campaign off the ground.
You can also use these ideas as inspiration to create your own unique ideas. Whatever you do, don’t forget to start fundraising early and make it a priority so you can make the most of these great opportunities to raise money for a worthwhile cause.
