In June 2024, close to forty men drove across Sydney before dawn, in the rain, in single-digit temperatures, to jump into an ocean pool at Maroubra. They raised $58,623.47. Three years on, the Charity Winter Plunge has become a fixture of the Sydney Muslim community’s fundraising calendar, and the numbers behind it tell a more interesting story than a simple upward line.
We pulled the figures from all three years to see what actually works in peer-to-peer fundraising. Here is what they show.
Three years of the Plunge
| Year | Raised | Goal | Teams | Fundraisers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024, inaugural | $58,623.47 | $100,000 | 7 | 47 |
| 2025, second | $11,865.00 | $30,000 | 1 | 15 |
| 2026, third | $24,492.00 | $100,000 | 6 | 25 |
| Total | $94,980.47 | — | 14 | 87 |
What the numbers actually say
Teams are the whole game. This is the clearest pattern in the data. In 2024 there were seven teams and $58,623 raised. In 2025 there was one team and $11,865. In 2026 teams returned to six, and the total more than doubled to $24,492. Across all three years the correlation between team count and money raised is close to exact. Individual fundraisers ask their immediate circle; teams create internal competition and reach networks the charity could never touch directly.
The novelty premium is real, and it fades. The inaugural year raised more than the two following years combined. First events benefit from curiosity, press coverage and the willingness of well-known community figures to be photographed doing something ridiculous. That advantage does not repeat, and any organisation planning a second year should budget for the drop rather than be surprised by it.
Average raised per fundraiser has stayed remarkably stable. 2024 came in at about $1,247 per fundraiser, 2025 at $791, and 2026 at $980. The swing in totals is driven far more by how many people sign up than by how much each person raises. Recruitment, not coaching, is where the leverage sits.
The goals were set too high. A $100,000 target hit at 58% in 2024 and 24% in 2026. Ambitious goals are supposed to motivate, but a progress bar stuck at a quarter full does the opposite for late donors, who tend to give when momentum looks real. The 2025 event, with its more modest $30,000 target, still only reached 40%. There is a case for setting the public goal at something closer to 110% of the previous year’s result.
Where it started
The inaugural Charity Winter Splash, as it was then called, was held at Mahon Pool on Saturday 22 June 2024, sponsored by Marvel Skip Bins and MCCA. Participants included imams, business owners and charity workers, among them Sheikh Tarek El-Bikai, who finished as the second-highest individual fundraiser behind Omar Dalati.
We wanted to do something unique and challenging to draw attention to the struggles faced by those less fortunate. Our community’s willingness to jump into freezing, cold water symbolises the lengths we are prepared to go to help others.
Rob (Bilal) Laidlaw, founder of House of Sadaqa, speaking to AMUST in June 2024
By the third year the framing had matured from stunt to ritual.
There’s something about jumping into freezing water that breaks down every barrier. When you’re standing on that pool deck about to take the plunge, it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, you’re all in it together, and you’re doing it for those in need.
Rob Bilal Laidlaw, AMUST, June 2026
The Plunge in context
The Winter Plunge is the best known of House of Sadaqa’s sponsored-challenge events, but it is not the only one. Taken together, the charity’s peer-to-peer campaigns have raised roughly $174,000.
| Campaign | Raised | Fundraisers |
|---|---|---|
| Charity Winter Plunge, three years | $94,980.47 | 87 |
| Bungee Challenge NZ | $35,178.27 | 26 |
| Sleep in Your Car, 2025 | $22,863.70 | 40 |
| Women’s Winter Walkathon | $16,491.83 | 26 |
| Float for Families | $4,512.00 | 18 |
The pattern across all of them is consistent: physical discomfort, a fixed date, and a public fundraising page. None of these events cost much to run, and all of them convert social capital into furniture, food and rent relief for families in Sydney.
Where the money goes
Funds from the Plunge support the Family Support Program, the Home Essentials Program that supplies furniture and whitegoods, support for families experiencing domestic violence and homelessness, and the charity’s Goodwill services. Our companion article on why we jump into freezing water covers the event itself in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
How much has the Charity Winter Plunge raised in total?
Across three years, $94,980.47. The 2024 event raised $58,623.47, 2025 raised $11,865.00 and 2026 raised $24,492.00.
When and where is it held?
Mahon Pool, an ocean rock pool at Maroubra Beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. The inaugural event was 22 June 2024, and the third was held on 25 July 2026.
Who takes part?
Community members, imams, business owners and charity workers. The first year drew close to 40 participants and 47 registered fundraisers. Teams can be formed through workplaces, mosques, schools and sporting clubs.
Why cold water?
It is uncomfortable enough to be worth sponsoring, and short enough that almost anyone can do it. Founder Rob Bilal Laidlaw puts it this way: jumping into freezing water breaks down every barrier, because on the pool deck it does not matter who you are.
Is it safe?
Mahon Pool is a public ocean pool and the event is supervised, but cold water shock is real. Anyone with a heart condition, respiratory illness or blood pressure issue should speak to a doctor first, and nobody should enter the water alone.
Where does the money go?
Into House of Sadaqa’s core programs: the Home Essentials Program supplying furniture and whitegoods, family support for those facing domestic violence and homelessness, and Goodwill services.
Support the work behind this article
Every dollar raised at the Plunge goes to families in Sydney. You can help without getting wet:
- Donate to where it is needed most
- Start your own fundraiser
- Volunteer your time
- Bring your workplace as a team
You can also support us without donating, by choosing one of our social enterprises:
- Goodwill Connect, NBN internet for Greater Sydney
- Panda Paper, premium bamboo toilet paper delivered to your door
- The Goodwill Laundry, self-serve laundry in Bankstown
- The Goodwill Shop, our op-shops in Revesby and Bankstown