Fundraising Tips
Who can support you?
- You don’t need to do it all on your own - enlist the help of friends, family and neighbours to help you plan the event in advance and help on the day.
- Ask your Council what events are being held in your area – maybe you could raise money there rather than starting from scratch and organizing your own event.
- Contact any relevant clubs and societies in your local area (check local notice boards, papers and the Yellow Pages) that could help you organise /promote your event. Or they may be holding an event at which you can fundraise
- Get local businesses to sponsor your event, they may even end up covering all your expenses. You can tell them that they will get publicity for their generosity.
- Speak to one of our fundraising team, they will be more than happy to help
Licenses and Permissions
If your event involves using public areas or selling things, you may need a license or a permit. If, for instance, you are planning a street collection or a door to door collection, you will need a permit from your local council in order to conduct this. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you want us to assist you in getting such a permit
Generating Publicity for Your Event
The right publicity can make all the difference to your event. It has the great effect of providing credibility – people are more likely to believe the money is going to a good cause if they hear about your event on the radio or in their local paper. As well as using it to attract people to your event, you could also contact your local press for a follow up piece where you can thank your sponsors (many of whom would give a generous donation for a mention in the paper / radio) and ask for a donation from anyone who couldn’t make it.
Islamic Help can support you in branding the eventso that it is clear to all where the money is going. Our team will ensure that you are provided with the right support and literature in publicising the event.
Why not call up a local radio station and tell them what you’re doing – they could send sponsors your way.
Making a collect at your old school or even a local school is a really good idea. You could ask the Head teacher to organise a non-school uniform day and the proceeds could go to your cause or you could leave a bucket or tin and collect weekly.
WHO WILL SPONSOR YOU?
Everyone you know! You’d be surprised at how much money you can generate just by asking those you know to sponsor you. Make a list of everybody in your life: friends, family, neighbours, colleagues and fellow members of clubs that you’re a member of - even if you think they are unlikely to give. When sponsoring, people will often follow the example of the previous entry on the form. So make sure the first sponsorship is a healthy one! Every sponsor’s donation you collect, large or small, is valuable.
INTERNET FUNDRAISING
The internet is a powerful fundraising tool that you can use to your advantage. Be social and tell all your friends on Facebook, Twitter or other social networking sites. You can email friends and family in different parts of the country or even different parts of the world and ask them to sponsor you. You can even ask your family, friends and colleagues to fundraise on your behalf. They may be really successful at passing round a sponsorship form and asking people they know - you might well be surprised at the response.
You can also advertise through our fundraising platform iHelp Give, this is a new site where you can create a page that promotes your fundraising campaign and allows people to donate to you online just like JustGiving but much better - and all the money will go directly to your cause
Ask Your Boss
Arrange a meeting with the Boss. Many employers offer ‘matched giving schemes’ to encourage their staff to support charities. Half the effort and double the reward, so ask your employer right away. If they do not ‘match giving’ there are plenty more ways they can help. They could give you permission to send an email to all your colleagues, place an article in your staff/student newsletter, or display publicity for what you’re doing on the notice board. Contacts in other companies you’ve worked for or are in contact with –through clients, or suppliers – may support
