Getting started with fundraising

People fundraise in many different ways and so you’ll need to think about what technique best suits you. The best way to work this out is by thinking about what you’re good at and more importantly what you enjoy. The main ways of fundraising are through family and friends, work contacts, local businesses, community groups and organising events. You may also find that by getting some publicity in the local media you get sponsored by complete strangers!

Family and Friends

If you are taking part in a challenge event the sponsor form is an old favourite. Ask all your friends and family to sponsor you for your feat of endurance/crazy stunt. Remember, if they Gift Aid their donation we can claim an extra 28% from the Inland Revenue which you can put towards your target!

Use and abuse your contacts – get your family and friends to take your sponsor forms to work, they may even be able to get sponsorship from the company they work for. If you don’t ask you don’t get! You can also hoodwink your friends into helping you organise a fundraising party. They get to be part of a great night out and raise lots of money for charity…

Work contacts

Many companies will be keen to help out and will probably be hugely impressed that you’ve taken the lead to support such a worthwhile charity.

• Ask your boss to match your donations pound for pound or to make a lump sum donation.
  
  
• Send an e-mail to all your colleagues with a link to your www.justgiving.com website
  
  
• Organise a dress down day at work and charge your colleagues £2 to wear something silly for the day (make sure you clear it with your boss!)
  
  
• Ask your boss to offer an extra day of holiday to all staff for a donation.

Local businesses

If you can offer them publicity in local media through a press release you may be able to get a cash donation or a donation of a raffle prize that may end up generating more money than the gift itself is worth. Some of our previous challenge participants have had t-shirts with logos of local businesses printed to wear on the challenge – you could send them a photo of you achieving your challenge to put in their internal newsletters.

Local community groups

Schools and Youth Groups – You may want to offer to do a presentation at these groups which will help to raise the profile of Seafarers UK and may also result in a donation.

Rotary and Lions Clubs – These groups will often make donations to local residents’ fundraising appeals and will also probably ask you to make a presentation, probably after your event. They may also be able to provide further useful contacts.

Religious organisations – Your local place of worship can be a great place to fundraise, either by leaving a sponsorship form or by organising an event.