Fundraising Pack
Fundraising Pack Contents Page
Page 1
Why Fundraise for Concern?
Page 2
Getting Started – Sponsored Events
Page 3
Getting Started – Organising a Fundraising
Event
Page 4-6
An A-Z of Fundraising Ideas
Page 7
Information about the JustGiving, the online
donation service.
Page 8
Information about GiftAid
Page 9
Publicity Tips and a Sample Press Release
Page 10
Keep it Legal
Page 11
Sending your money to Concern
Page 12
Details of how to contact us.
Why Fundraise for Concern?
Fighting Global Poverty
The facts of poverty make grim reading:
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Each year six million children in the developing world die of easily preventable diseases.
A child dies every 3 seconds of hunger
1.75 billion people do not have access to safe water.
Over 34 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS.
Over 113 million children do not have access to primary education and millions more taught by
untrained teachers in overcrowded, poorly equipped classrooms.
Who is Concern?
Concern Worldwide is an international organisation, founded in response to the famine in Biafra in 1968, dedicated to
reducing suffering and working towards the elimination of extreme poverty.
Our mission is to enable people who are living in extreme poverty to achieve major improvements in their lives which
last and spread without ongoing support from Concern. To this end we will work alongside the poor themselves, and
with local and international partners who share our vision to create a just and peaceful world.
By fundraising for Concern by participating in a sponsored event or organising a fundraising event you will be
supporting our work in 28 of the poorest countries of the world, both in response to emergency situations like floods
in Bangladesh or droughts in Ethiopia and long-term development projects in the areas of health and nutrition, HIV
and Aids, livelihoods and education. Your support really can make a real and lasting difference to people’s lives in the
developing world.
We spend our donors’ money wisely and well – 87p in every £1 goes directly overseas, with only 1% going towards
administration. At home, through campaigning and development education, we work to raise awareness and tackle
the causes of poverty around the world.
How your money can help?
£5 can buy a 17kg bag of maize seed for planting or a set of agricultural tools to enable people to grow enough food to
feed their families and to sell at market.
£10 could help train a HIV/AIDS community volunteer, in Uganda for example, to
provide vital care, herbal medication and counselling to people infected with
HIV/AIDS.
£25 can buy 10kg of therapeutic food that
will enable a severely malnourished child to
recover
£40 could help provide a Shelter Kit for a
family affected by emergencies like the
recent tsunami – providing urgently
needed protection from the elements.
Zeinaba, her daughter Rukiya and a Health
Volunteer. Photo: Concern Worldwide.
Ethiopia
Immaculee and her nine month old
daughter Valentine Photo: Concern
Worldwide, Rwanda. 2008
£55 could help pay for a teacher to be
trained in Mozambique, ensuring that quality of education is improved.
£155 could help build a hand dug well for use by 20 families (about 100 people) in Ethiopia – providing them with
clean, safe water close to the home.
To find out more about Concern’s work overseas please call 0800 032 4001 or log onto www.concern.net
Getting started
There are no steadfast rules when it comes to fundraising – except to raise as much money as possible and of course
remember to have fun!
Remember! The money you raise really will make a real and lasting difference to people’s lives in the developing
world. Without people like you Concern’s work would not be possible.
Generally speaking there are two ways of fundraising – either doing a sponsored activity or organising a fundraising
event.
All you need is a good idea and a sponsorship form – things couldn’t be any easier. You could:
Fast
Cycle
Be Silent for a day
Stay awake
Dance till you drop
Shave your head/ beard
How long can you skip for
Get your chest waxed
Run – how far? How fast?
Swim
If you would prefer to get sponsored for participating in an organised running event - why not think about walking or
running the Belfast City Marathon 2010 – Concern Worldwide is the official charity and we welcome any participants if a marathon is too long – join the fun run! Or do you fancy an overseas challenge such as our Kerela trek in October
next year or our Kilimanjaro cycle in July 2010? If you do please get in touch with us on 0800 032 4001 for further
information.
How to get the most out of being sponsored:
1. Aim High – set a minimum target and aim high – you will be surprised how generous people can be
2. Ask the most generous first - Make sure that get your most generous sponsors first others may well follow suit!
3. Approach all potential sponsors - Ask everyone you know to sponsor you – not only family and friends but
colleagues and suppliers at work and people you meet through hobbies, clubs and societies
4. Enlist Help – You could also hand out your sponsorship forms to family/close friends and ask if they will help you
get sponsorship
5. Get your company to support you – ask your company for support. They may run a matched giving scheme and
be prepared to match £ for £ what you raise. This is a fantastic way to double your fundraising total! Alternatively
they may be prepared to give you a one of donation.
6. Be informative and enthusiastic – be prepared to be proactive and tell your potential sponsors what their money
will go towards – your enthusiasm is likely to encourage generosity.
7. Take advantage of Gift Aid - Gift Aid allows Concern to reclaim tax on donations made, raising your fundraising
total at no extra cost to you or your sponsors. Please see the Gift Aid Information sheet in this pack
8. Use Just Giving – Just giving is a free secure online fundraising service that makes fundraising quick and easy,
allowing you to create your own online fundraising page and process all your donations security online. Read the
JustGiving Information sheet to find out more or log onto www.justgiving.com
9. Keep going and remember help is at hand – we are only a phone call or email away. If you have any queries or
need more sponsorship forms or other fundraising materials please call Claire Fitzsimons on 028 90 331100 or
email: [email protected]
10. Start Now – Don’t delay asking people – start now!! Ask us for some sponsorship cards.
Choosing your Event - Five Key Questions
Concern Cocktail Challenge: BBC vs UTV (BBC won!)
Before getting down to the nitty gritty of planning your event – remember to use the 5Ws
What event do I chose? Who do I expect to come? Where shall I hold it? When shall I hold it? How much will it raise?
What event do I chose?
The options for organising fundraising events are endless – see the A-Z of fundraising ideas in this pack for some
inspiration. Remember, you don’t have to stick to any of the ideas we have come up with – the more original the
better. Be realistic about how much time and effort you are willing to put into organising your event and whether you
can do it alone or will need help from friends or relatives – this way you will take on an event of the right size and be
provided with the support that is necessary to ensure that you have fun fundraising!!
Who do I expect to come?
Remember any event is only successful if it attracts an audience, so make sure you are clear about who your target
audience is, whether it be friends, family, colleagues or the general public, and make sure you consider their likes,
dislikes and needs when making all big decisions regarding the event.
Where shall I hold it?
Make sure your venue is suitable in size for your event – after all you don’t want your guests to be packed in like
sardines or for them to be rattling around like peas in a pod.
Other points to consider with regards the venue, dependent on the size and type of event, are:
• Are there toilets facilities available?
• Are there appropriate catering facilities available?
• Is there suitable access for the disabled or mothers with pushchairs?
• Is there enough car parking spaces?
• If you are hiring a venue bear in mind that there maybe discounts for charity events.
When shall I hold it?
Choosing the right day and time for your event can have a big impact on its success. A few
keys things to bear in mind when planning when to hold your event are:
• Check it doesn’t clash with any major sporting events, school holidays or anything
else that will affect your target audience.
• Consider the weather – outside events are obviously more likely to be successful
in the summer but always have a back up plan as we all know how unreliable the
weather here can be.
• Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to plan your event.
How much will the event raise?
Do your sums by listing all possible income and costs before you spend time and energy planning out the details of
your event to make sure that it is definitely worth doing. You should spend time with everyone involved in your event,
to agree with them in advance what the likely costs will be and budget accordingly.
Income - how you will generate money? Will it be from entrance fees, tickets, sponsorship, a raffle, sale of goods?
Expenses may include photocopying, postage, printing of invites or posters/flyers, hire charges, food and drink etc.
A simple budget sheet including the above information will ensure that you are on to a winner!
Handling Money
Always ensure that two responsible people are in charge of handling money at your event. Keep a record of all money
sources (entry ticket sales, refreshments, raffle tickets, collection boxes) and have receipts to give people who make
donations if they want one. Bank your money as soon as possible after your event.
If you anticipate collecting a lot of small change arrange for extra people to be available to count this, as it is can be
very time consuming. A large supply of money bags from the bank will be needed to put your coins in.
Paying money in
When you tell us you are holding an event we will send you a bank giro to use when you lodge your money and an
explanation of how that should be completed. As far as possible, please fill in all your contact details and let us know
how you raised the money.
After the Event
Thank everyone who helped you and let them know how much you raised
for Concern. You should write to your local paper with this information as
well. It also helps us to know the pros and cons of events so we can share
the information with other volunteers.
Insurance
You should check if you will need to organise insurance for your event.
Here is an example of a sponsored event undertaken by a Concern
supporter
Brian O Callaghan achieved a life long ambition at the age of 58 and
made a remarkable journey across Ireland, France and Spain to the
shrine of St James at Compostella. He left his home town of Rostrevor
in March and it took him 4 months to walk the 1600 miles. Along the
way he kept a diary which he sent to Concern and the press. Brian’s
amazing walk raised £15,000 and a huge amount of publicity in local
and national press. Brian found he had great reserves of inner
strength and courage to make his journey and gained enormous
satisfaction in realising a personal goal.
A-Z of Fundraising Ideas
Whether you think you want to participate in a sponsored activity or organise your own fundraising event the options
are endless. We have put together an A-Z of fundraising ideas to get you started, which we hope you will find
inspirational, but feel free to be creative and come up with your own ideas.
Art Exhibition – Get in contact with local artists and get them to donate a piece of their work that you can sell at
your exhibition.
Auction of Promises – Similar to a conventional auction except each lot is a promise made by friends, family or
colleagues, for example cooking a three course meal for 4 at your home, being a slave for the day, cleaning your
house.
Barbecue Party – Hold a barbeque party for friends, family, neighbours, colleagues etc and sell tickets for the
event. Raise extra money by selling drinks and raffle tickets on the day.
Ball/Barn Dance – Organise a ball with a specific theme or a barn dance at your local village hall.
Carol Singing/Concert – Arrange carol singing at your local shopping centre, school, church or local train station
or a concert at a local venue.
Coffee Morning/Cake sale – Organise a coffee morning at your local
community centre, sports hall or church hall or get baking and have a cake
sale at work or at school.
Collection Boxes – Place a collection box at school/work reception or at
your local sports centre.
Dress-down day – Dress down for a day at work or at school and pay for the privilege.
Easter Egg Hunt – Get the eggs donated from a local shop, arrange the hunt and charge participants to take part.
Fifties night – You could organise live music or a disco and combine it with Fifties costumes, drinks and nibbles for
a great themed event.
Fairtrade Chocolate fondue party
– Get that fair-trade chocolate out and organise a Fondue Party for
friends.
Fete – Organise to have a stall at a local fete - ideas include a cake stall, an arts and crafts stall or a games stall such
as catch the rat, lucky dip, fishing for ducks, hoopla or a tombola.
Garden Party – Invite friends and/or the public to a garden party in your garden or a local mansion or stately
home. Cucumber sandwiches, tea and cakes – charge entry or ask for donations.
Gig – Arrange a gig at your local pub, charge entry and also try and get a share of the profits from the bar.
Horse racing – Get a sweepstake going at work for the Grand National or other annual horse racing events.
It's a Knockout Competition – Organise an It’s a Knockout Competition at work or at school.
Jumble Sales - Get people to donate their old clothes to you and when you have enough organise a jumble sale at
a local community centre of village hall to sell them on. Alternatively organise a bring and buy sale. All profits go to
Concern.
Karaoke Night – Organise one at your local pub and get people to pay to come along or sponsor people to get up
and sing certain songs.
Line Dancing Evening – Get a local line dancing teacher to offer their services for free and organise a local
line dancing evening. Providing refreshments and a raffle or tombola will always increase your fundraising total.
Murder Mystery Evening – Get a murder mystery box set from your local toy shop and organise your own
Agatha Christie evening.
Mulled Wine and Mince Pie Party – Get everyone in the Christmas spirit and organise a Mulled Wine and
Mince Pie Party.
Non-Party – Guests are invited to a party that will not take place. They purchase tickets in advance and you sit
back, do very little and watch the money roll in. The idea is that the money people would have spent on the evening
entertaining themselves goes to help people in need in the developing world instead.
New Year’s Resolutions – Get sponsored to keep your New Year’s resolution eg to stop smoking, lose weight or
give up chocolate.
Opera Night – Contact your local operatic society and see if they would stage a benefit night.
Overseas challenge events
– Ever dreamed of walking the Great Wall of China or trekking the Inca trail.
Concern organises a number of overseas challenge events to destinations such as China and Peru – get in contact with
us for more details.
Pub Crawl – Organise a pyjama or fancy dress pub crawl collecting coins in Concern collecting tins.
Pantomime/Play – Organise a pantomime or play – get costumes from local amateur dramatics companies, get
the venue provided by a local school and sell refreshments and tickets to raise the money.
Quiz Night – Organise one at your local pub or community centre.
Raffle – Organise one as part of another fundraising event you are organising. Get prizes donated to reduce your
overheads and increase your fundraising total.
Running Events – There are a number of running events (from 5k fun runs to full on marathons) that Concern has
teams in though out the year so get in touch to find out more what ever your target is.
River of Coins – Ask people to place a river of coins around a carpark, sports hall, playground or office etc. Count
up the coins and send the money (as a cheque) to Concern.
Sponsored events – This could basically be anything: walking, running, swimming, slimming, knitting, skipping,
beard shaving, hill climbing, cycling, parachute jumping etc etc.
Street Collections – Get out on the street and collect money for Concern. See the Keep it Legal information page
as you will need to apply for a Street Collection Permit from your local authority.
Speed Dating Event – Play at being a matchmaker for the night by getting all your single friends (and their single
friends) to meet at a Speed Dating event. Drinks and nibbles on the night will boost what you receive through ticket
sales.
Talent Contest – Discover your colleagues, friends and family’s hidden talent whether it be singing, dancing,
juggling or making people laugh by organise a talent contest at school, work or in your local community.
Themed Dinner Party – Examples include Beach Party, 70s night, Murder Mystery, James Bond, Thai Evening.
Costumes and food can follow the same theme and you could sell tickets in addition to organising a raffle. The key is
to come up with something fun and original which you think your guests will enjoy.
Uniform Day – Dress up in a uniform (pilot, fireman, school kid!) for the day and pay for the privilege. If you already
wear a uniform, pay not to!
Valentine’s Dinner – Never know what to do for valentines?
Why not organise a dinner and invite all your friends along.
Valet Service
– Offer to clean cars inside and out for friends,
family and colleagues. A good job could earn you up to £15 a time.
Who
Wants to be a Millionaire Game Show or
Weakest Link! – Get your board games out and organise your
own TV games show at your local pub or community centre. People
pay to take part and you could get the winner’s prize donated to
maximise your fundraising total.
Wine and Cheese Party – Get wine and cheese donated from a local supplier and hold a wine and cheese party.
The supplier gets good PR and you reduce your costs.
X
-mas cards, gifts and decorations – Get creative – design and make your own cards, gifts and decorations
and sell them at a local fete, at school or at work.
Yacht Race – Get a local yacht club involved in a yacht race or challenge – charge entry and get teams that take
part to be sponsored for their efforts.
Zzzzzzz…… – Sponsored sleep? Ok, we admit we are struggling a bit with Z. If you come up with any other ideas
let us know.
What is JustGiving?
JustGiving is a free secure online fundraising service that makes fundraising quick and easy. It allows you to create
your own online fundraising page, which you can send around to all your friends and family, and for all your donations
to be processed securely online. They even claim Gift Aid on donations from UK tax payers, so your gift goes even
further.
How it Works
It couldn’t be simpler:
1. You create your own fundraising page by logging onto www.justgiving.com and following the simple
instructions.
2. You email your fundraising page link to all your friends, family and colleagues etc and then sit back and relax.
3. Your sponsors use their credit/debit card to donate securely and tax-effectively on-line.
4. The money is sent directly to Concern’s bank account, benefiting the charity earlier and saving you the time
spent handing out sponsorship forms and collecting money after the event.
Why Use JustGiving?
JustGiving is a fantastic fundraising tool as it benefits you, your sponsors and Concern.
Benefits to you:
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It is quick and easy to use
You can set up a fundraising page for any sponsored event - from running a marathon to agreeing to have your
beard shaved off
You can raise money from friends and family around the world or people that live in the UK that you don’t see
very frequently (as long as they have access to the internet)
It saves you time as you don’t have to ask people to fill in sponsorship forms or chase people for money.
Benefits to your sponsor:
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It is quick and easy to use
It allows them to Gift Aid their donations so their donations are tax efficient.
Benefits to Concern:
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It reduces administration costs as we do not have to deal with sponsorship forms and cheques coming in
JustGiving deals with claiming Gift Aid directly from the Inland Revenue so Concern’s costs are again
reduced.
Using JustGiving - Comments from previous Concern fundraisers
“The JustGiving website has completely taken the drudgery out of the traditional sponsorship form. Raising money
with JustGiving is so simple it allows you to concentrate on the hard bit - the training!“ Gemma Oakley, Concern
Reading Half Marathon Runner 2007
“Excellent site. Very easy to set up and great to be able to send the link straight to people via e-mail. It simplified the
fundraising and also meant I could send updates to people about how my training was going!”
Michele Graham, Concern Marathon Runner 2008
Gift Aid
Increase your fundraising total by a third at no extra cost to you or your
sponsors – read on to find out how
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a simple scheme that enables charities to reclaim the basic rate of tax on donations received by UK tax
payers. This means that for every £1 donated, Concern can get an extra 28p back from the Inland Revenue - a £100.00
donation is therefore worth £28.00 as long as it is Gift Aided. Imagine what a difference this can make to Concern’s
work overseas and it doesn’t cost you or your sponsor a penny.
How does it work?
Your sponsors will be given the opportunity to Gift Aid their donation whether they are filling in a sponsorship form or
donating on-line through Just Giving. Alternatively, if you are sending out a fundraising letter to people asking for
money we can send you out a Gift Aid forms to include.
Anyone can Gift Aid their donation as long as:
1. they are a UK tax payer
2. they pay an amount of income tax or capital gains tax which is at least equivalent to the amount that Concern
is going to reclaim in the same financial year. For example if they donate £100, they would have to pay £28 or
more in income tax or capital gains tax in that tax year, as that is the amount we can reclaim.
If your sponsors comply with the above then all they have to do is tick the box on the sponsorship form, fill in their full
name and address and Concern will do the rest. Alternatively on Just Giving they will be given the option to Gift Aid
their donation as part of the donation process and again the rest is left to JustGiving and Concern.
NB Please note that we do need donors full names, addresses and postcodes to claim Gift Aid on their donations.
However, their details will not be used by Concern for future mailings or forwarded onto any other charities, we
need them merely for Gift Aid claim purposes.
Can everyone Gift Aid their donations?
Most donations can be Gift Aided as long as the donor complies with 2 points made above, with the following
exceptions:
• The Gift Aid rules state that the donor cannot receive a ‘substantial benefit’ from making a donation under
Gift Aid. This would include receiving a raffle ticket or a ticket to a party.
• Donations from companies. The way to get around this is to request that they donate a gross amount, this way
they can then claim back the tax when doing their annual accounts.
• Donations made using CAF card and voucher are exempt as they are already tax-effective ways of giving.
Making sure that people Gift Aid their donations
The key to making sure you take advantage of Gift Aid is to make sure that:
1. You understand it so that you can explain it to others (hopefully the above will have helped with this)
2. You make sure that you actively promote it. Both on fundraising letters or emails that you send out as well as
chatting about it when you are getting people to fill in sponsorship forms.
Hopefully the above information will help you take advantage of Gift Aid but please don’t hesitate to give us a call on
0800 032 4001 if you are not clear about it as we will be more than happy to chat it through with you.
Good publicity is key to great fundraising whether you are
participating in a sponsored event or organising a fundraising event.
Why? It’s simple – the more people who know about what you are up to, the
more potential sponsors or guests at your event you will have and the more
money you will raise.
Sample of Quiz press
coverage. Newry
Democrat
Publicising your efforts is also great for Concern as you will be promoting our
cause and our work overseas.
What do we mean by publicity?
Publicity basically involves anything that spreads the word about your
fundraising efforts, but the four main methods are:
1. Sending emails or letters to all potential sponsors or guests at an event to let them know what you are
up to – The sample press release below will give you ideas of what you can include to make sure it is as
effective as possible.
2. Posters and flyers – Posters or flyers can be an easy and cheap way of advertising your event or activity.
Either enlist the help of someone with a good colour printer or ask a local printer to print them for free in
return for having their logo or name on the flyers. Try to get them displayed in shops, cafes, libraries and
other busy places, but don’t forget to get the permission from the venue first. Publicity should state
clearly what the event is for (Concern), where and when it is
taking place and have Concern’s charity number on it.
NB Please contact Concern before you print posters or
flyers for guidelines on using the logo and charity
registration number etc.
3. Contacting the local paper - Send a press release to your
local paper to let them know what you are up to. Writing a
press release can be a bit daunting if you haven’t done it
before so we have put a few tips together below and a
sample press release to give you an idea of what is
expected.
4. Contacting your local radio station - Send a press release to your local radio station. Depending on your
fundraising event they may well be interested in interviewing you. If this is the case make sure you go
prepared with information about your fundraising activity/event and also Concern’s work overseas.
Writing a Press Release
The advice below is geared towards contacting your local paper or radio to publicise your efforts but the same
principles apply if you are sending out a letter or email to friends/family/colleagues/suppliers etc. Your ‘press release’
can either be regarding your fundraising efforts generally (ie if you are doing a sponsored event) or regarding a specific
fundraising event you are organising.
What to include in your press release:
A catchy headline
Make sure your first paragraph tells the whole story in about 30 words – who, what, when and why.
Mention Concern early on and include a summary of our work. For example, ‘Concern is an international
development charity engaged in a huge range of aid, relief and long term development work in 28 of the
world’s poorest countries’.
Include a quote from yourself stating why you are raising money for Concern.
Mention how much you are trying to raise, how you are raising it and how they can donate if they wish. You
could include a link to your JustGiving page if you are emailing people.
Try and attach a photo of yourself if possible – ideally one of you in a Concern T-shirt!!
Last but not least make it simple, short, snappy and entertaining.
If you are sending it to the local press ideally speak to someone, either in person or over the phone, and then follow it
up with an email to make sure that they have an electronic copy. Always follow it up with a phonecall to inquire
whether:
- they have received it
- they are interested
- they would like any further info/details.
NB – We would love to see any coverage you get in your local paper, so please don’t forget to send us a copy!!
Sample Press Release
The below is obviously only a guide, but hopefully it will give you a few ideas of what a press release can look like.
MARK POUNDS PAVEMENT TO HELP POOR
Mark from Belfast is getting ready for one of the biggest challenges of his life - running the Deep RiverRock Belfast City
Marathon on the 4th May to provide vital funds to support Concern Worldwide’s work to eradicate global hunger.
Over 1 billion people in today’s world suffer from hunger or food insecurity. A staggering 25,000 die everyday.
Concern Worldwide is an international organisation dedicated to combating hunger and is committed to assisting the
people most at risk. Concern is currently working in 28 of the world’s poorest countries and is engaged in a range of
aid, relief and long development work.
Over its forty year history, Concern has built a world renowned expertise in nutrition and child survival. It pioneered a
new technique to treat malnourishment in under-fives - Community Therapeutic Care. This revolutionary treatment of
specialist food combined with a new method of delivery, which was adopted as best practice in its field by the United
Nations.
“I was inspired to run for this cause as a result of my experiences whilst teaching in Zambia in my gap year. I believe we
can make a real difference to the lives of children overseas by supporting organizations like Concern. I hope to raise
over £1500 for the cause, which is quite a challenge in itself believe me, so many support you can give will be greatly
appreciated.” says Mark.
If you are interested in sponsoring Mark or wish to find out more about Concern’s work contact the Concern Events
team on 0800 032 4001.
Ends
Notes to Editors:
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact (name) on (telephone number).
Concern Worldwide’s charity registration number is: 1092236.
To find out more about Concern’s work please contact Concern’s Communication Officer – Claire Hanna on 0800 032
4001, email [email protected] or log onto www.concern.net
Be Safe and Legal
We know that you will put time and energy into raising funds to help the world’s poorest people, so we don’t want
this hard work to be wasted. So when fundraising please ensure that you stay safe and within the law.
There are a number of rules and regulations regarding fundraising for charity that you may have to comply with,
depending on the nature of your fundraising.
We have outlined below some of the main points that you need to bear in mind. If you are unsure whether you will
need licenses etc for your event it is best to contact your local authority and check it out with them or contact us for
advice. Advance planning will reap dividends from your valuable time and energy. While we will endeavour to assist
you in any way we can, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions on your part.
Charity Registration Number
Make sure that any printed materials you design have the Concern logo and ‘Charity registration number 1092236’ on
them.
Street collections/house-to-house collections
To collect on the street you will need to apply for a special license from the PSNI at least one month before the event.
There are various rules and regulations that you must adhere to:
• All collectors must be over the age of 16 if they are collecting from the general public
• You must take along a copy of your license that you receive from your local council
• Every collector must wear a collectors badge, provided by Concern, which has their signature on it and details
of the charity.
Please remember that when collecting on Concern’s behalf you are representing us. Do not place pressure on people
to give or harass them in any way. NB Please contact Concern on 0800 032 4001 if you wish to organise a street or
house-to-house collection as we have some legal responsibilities regarding collections to adhere to as well.
Collections on private property
To collect on private property (eg university campuses, hospitals, schools, offices) you will need permission from the
owner. We advice that you get this in writing to avoid confusion.
Raffles
Raffles are a great way of raising money at events such as quiz nights, dinners or barn dances etc. However they are
subject to a number of rules under the National Lottery Act including:
• Tickets can only be sold during the event although you can advertise them beforehand (to hold a larger lottery
involving the sale of tickets over a period of time you will need to apply for a special license through your local
authority )
• No more than £250 should be spent on prizes
• The result of the raffle must be drawn before the end of the event.
Alcohol Licenses
An alcohol license will be needed for any event selling alcohol, so you need to check your venue has a permanent
license.
If not, occasional permission can be obtained by applying to your local magistrates’ court. Again your local authority
will be able to help you with this. See advice above regarding finding out your local authority contact details. A good
alternative is to sell tickets which are then exchanged for drinks, which is legal and does not involve you applying for a
license.
Public Entertainment Licenses
You may need a Public Entertainment Licence if you are holding an event where singing or dancing is the main
attraction, the main concerns are fire hazards, fire evacuation procedures and noise pollution. You will find many
buildings eg church halls, pubs or community centres already hold one and all you will need to do is comply with the
terms already agreed.
If not you will have to arrange to apply for a temporary one. Again your Local Authority can advice you on this. We
recommend that you apply at least two months in advance of your event if possible – so remember to plan ahead.
Health and Safety
You should ensure that your event is organised efficiently and safely. Ensure that participants are fully briefed about
the event, including (where relevant) any risks, fitness requirements, special equipment or clothing required and
standards of behaviour expected.
Always check if a hired venue has adequate safety procedures in place; trained first-aid personnel may be required
particularly if outdoor venues are used. Outdoor events may also require you to notify local authorities or to obtain
special permissions.
Supervision
Ensure that your event is properly and adequately supervised. Where children are attending, this includes:
• Providing proper adult supervision at all times in a safe and secure environment.
• Checking that the child’s parents/guardians have given permission for their child to take part.
Insurance
Consider what insurance cover you need for your event. Owners of venues with public access should have adequate
cover in place but certain categories of events demand additional or specified insurance cover e.g. large scale outdoor
events, adventure pursuits etc. Additional insurance cover may have to be factored into your budget.
Fundraising Materials and Publicity
All of your fundraising should make it clear that you are fundraising in aid of Concern rather than formally acting on
behalf of the organisation. You should check with Concern before using our logo in promotional or publicity material.
We can provide posters and information on our work or letters of authorisation but it is important that you register
your event with us well in advance of the planned date.
Transparency
A breakdown of costs and income should be available if members of the public request these details.
For further help and advice about fundraising in aid of Concern, contact our fundraising department on 0800 032 4001
or email: [email protected]
Sending your Money to Concern
You can return your money:
By Post
Only send cheques - If you have collected cash it would be greatly appreciated if you could issue your own cheque
to Concern and keep the cash.
Ensure cheques are made payable to Concern Worldwide – If you could bank any cheques made payable to
yourself and raise a cheque from your account for the same amount it would be greatly appreciated.
Identify yourself– Every time you send cheques to us it is important that you send a brief note identifying who you
are and what event you are participating in. Without this, due to the volumes of post we receive every day, we
have no way of ensuring that the money is credited to your Concern record.
Address to send all cheques/sponsorship forms to is:
Concern Worldwide
47 Frederick Street
Belfast
BT1 2LW
At the Bank
Depositing money - you can contact the Concern office to get a specific lodgment giro or alternatively you can
deposit money directly into our main account in Bank of Ireland.
Account no: 81181287 Sort code: 902127. If you do this please clearly mark your name,
address and how you raised the money. This is to ensure that it gets recorded under your
name under the correct coding.
By Phone
Just ring 0800 032 4001 with your card details. Don’t forget to explain how you raised the money
In Person
Please don’t hesitate just to drop into our office in Belfast – 47 Frederick Street Belfast BT1 2LW
Taking Advantage of Gift Aid
If you have participated in a sponsored event and your sponsors wish to Gift Aid donations on your sponsorship form
it is important that the following are filled in before you send the form to us:
•
•
The sponsors full name and address. Please note that their details will not be used by Concern for future
mailings or forwarded onto any other charities, we need them merely for Gift Aid claim purposes.
The date given column must also be filled in.
If you are not sending in all the donations from one specific sponsorship form at a given time then make sure you
photocopy the form and keep a copy to send in with the outstanding donations.
Keep your sponsorship forms safe – We will need a copy of all your sponsorship forms in order to make our Gift Aid
claim on your donations so please make sure you keep them safe.
If you have any queries regarding the above please do not hesitate to contact Claire Fitzsimons on 028 90331100.
Thank you for your support
CONTACT US
Concern Worldwide
47 Frederick Street
Belfast
BT1 2LW
Tel: 0800 032 4001
email: [email protected]
www.concern.net
Concern Worldwide - an international organisation dedicated to reducing suffering and working towards the
elimination of extreme poverty. Concern Worldwide (UK) Registered charity no. 1092236 - Is a charitable company
limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales under company no. 4323646