Fundraising ideas

Charity fundraising ideas

If you’re a small charity or local community group there are many ways to raise funds, so why not give some of these fundraising ideas a try:

  • Public collections, door-to-door or street fundraising
  • Gaming, such as lotteries and raffles
  • Events, for example street fairs
  • Online or by telephone
  • Local radio advertising
  • TV advertising
  • Working with local schools and colleges
  • Supporting or speaking at local council-run events

Planning your fundraising

You can plan your fundraising more effectively by considering:

  • How much do you want to raise – is there something particular you want to use the money for?  and is there a minimum amount you need?
  • The timescale – if you’re fundraising for a specific purpose you should set a start and end date for your activities
  • Who will raise the funds – will you hire professionals to fundraise, or do it yourself or recruit volunteers?
  • The p> purpose of the activity – are you trying to raise funds or just awareness?

The Institute of Fundraising has lots of other ideas to help you start fundraising, plus guides on staying safe and following the law.

 

Laws and fundraising regulation

No matter how you decide to fundraise, you should have effective systems in place so that your charity complies with the law and legal fundraising duties. Read the Charity Commission’s guidance on charity fundraising which sets out 6 principles to help trustees comply with their legal duties:

  • Plan effectively – set-out, agree, and monitor your approach to fundraising
  • Supervise your fundraisers – establish a system to oversee your fundraising methods and fundraising carried out on behalf of the charity
  • Protect your charity’s reputation, money, and other assets – make sure there is strong management of your help and resources
  • Comply with all relevant fundraising laws and regulations – in particular in areas such as data protection and licensing laws
  • Follow recognised fundraising standards – the Code of Fundraising Practice outlines the legal rules that apply
  • Be open and accountable – make sure your charity is well run and you comply with the statutory accounting and reporting requirements

The Charity Commission has also produced a checklist to accompany the guidance. The checklist is a series of questions for trustees to evaluate the performance of their fundraising activities.

 

How to handle money correctly

If you’re collecting money for your charity it’s important to put controls in place to make sure the money goes towards meeting your charity’s aims. You should make sure that:

  • All collection boxes are regularly opened and the contents counted
  • At least 2 people are involved in handling and recording the money received
  • ALL cash you collect is banked by your charity as soon as possible, without deducting expenses