Great Tips for Fundraising

If you're thinking of doing fund raising for us (or indeed anyone) then these tips will be really handy. Rylan Clark (yes, him off the telly - X Factor and Big Brother) has been doing just that this year on Celebrity Family Fortunes and Tipping Point. 

While your fundraising activities might not include a stint on ITV (although if it does - kudos!!), the same principles apply:

Gift Aid - Increase the value of donations (including sponsorship) by 25p in every £1. Find out how by clicking here.

Matched giving – Some employers will match the money you raise. Others may donate or support you in other ways especially if you can thank them publicly - a room for your event, catering supplies, printing, stationery, or raffle prizes such as a day off, a late start or an early finish. Some employers are connected to grant-making trusts or foundations.

Donations of money, services or gifts in kind – Could friends, family, local shops and businesses donate prizes or supplies, or sponsor aspects of your event? We can provide an endorsement letter to show your fundraising is genuine and also information for potential donors. Some businesses may buy advertising space in your programme.

Local sources of funds – Many areas have grant-making trusts and foundations, and some county councillors have locality budgets for charitable donations. Stress the difference your event will make - increased confidence for your volunteer helpers, for instance.

Online fundraising and social media – Reach more donors, keep them interested and make life easier by:

• Creating an online donations page. As donors pay at the time of sponsorship, there’s no need to chase them afterwards (phew!). We can still provide a paper sponsor form for those who do not like to give online. You can set up an online donations page at www.justgiving.com.
• Using email to send a link to your online donations page to people all over the world.
• Using our downloadable information on the difference the money you raise will make.
• Keeping things interesting by updating your supporters on how things are going through email or a blog.
• Using social media to spread news and updates. Connect to our fundraising facebook page and twitter feed.

Fundraise with us on Facebook - click here

Fundraise with us on Twitter - click here

Get your fundraising noticed – you can order posters by clicking here and read our publicity tips and sample press release by clicking here. Publicity raises much-needed awareness as well as funds.

Show your supporters what a great cause you are fundraising for. Click here to download information you can use as a poster or email attachment.

Guess to Give - keep things lively with a sweepstake. How quickly will you run the marathon? How many stitches will you knit? Supporters pay £3. to enter with 50p from each guess going into a prize fund for the winner and £2.00-£2.50 coming to charity. Visit www.guess2give.com.

Side events - you may be fundraising for a special event but perhaps you could reach your target more easily by holding a side event - cake sale, raffle, quiz, sale of DVDs...

Ask people for help – could they help with your event or hold an event of their own to boost your fundraising?

Interested in organising a fundraising event? Read our information by clicking here.

Keeping it legal and keeping it safe – Read our tips by clicking here.

Rylan Raises Thousands and Boosts Awareness

Our mate Rylan is in demand at the moment... After his success on The X Factor last year, winning over the nation on Celebrity Big Brother at the beginning of the year, becoming a Crohn's and Colitis UK Champion and achieving tonnes of awareness in May for the Me and IBD campaign... Rylan Clark has now just raised lots of money and tonnes of awareness for the charity on All Star Family Fortunes.

Hosted by Vernon Kay, and watched by around 6,500,000 viewers, the show pits the wits of two Celebs and their families, trying to guess what the general public might answer to a series of simple questions. This show featured Rylan and the Clark family (sister-in-law Jayne, cousins Rob and Cheryl and best mate Jamie) up against the Patrick Robinson (Casualty's Dr. Ashford) and his family.

This was the first show in the series and the Clark family got off to a flying start, with lots of great answers. They got through to the final round, where Rylan narrowly missed out on the top prize. There was a funny moment (there always is with Rylan!) with the question "Name a kind of tank..." to which Rylan replied, "Submarine". All that pressure obviously got to him. We all think we'd do better than the people on the show, but when you're up against the clock in front of an audience and knowing it's going to be on prime time telly....!

Rylan was kicking himself afterwards, as he later revealed on Twitter...

Bless, we think he did amazingly! Rylan won the programme with £5,500 prize money going to his chosen charity - yes, you guessed it... Crohn's and Colitis UK!

Lots of regional press picked up on the story too... mainly in Rylan's home county of Essex including the Basildon Echo, the Southend Standard, the Clacton and Frinton Gazette and the Maldon Standard.

You can watch the episode again here.