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Fundraising guide

Here’s a guide to help make the most of your fundraising plan of action. This guide includes information and advice on:

  • How we support you
  • Fundraising materials
  • Organising your own event
  • Publicity
  • Sample press release
  • Essential legalities
  • Gift Aid
  • Paying in your money

How we support you

We want you to make the most of your fundraising; we can help you to get the most out your activities or opportunities and help make your fundraising easier. We can help you with:

  • Information and advice on fundraising issues and procedures
  • Materials and resources
  • Details of new appeals and campaigns
  • Up-to-date information about our work
  • Specialist advice including risk assessment, press and publicity
  • Developing contacts with other supporters in your area
  • Help on delivering presentations and talks to local organisations orschools (pending availability we may be able to provide one of our Whizz-Kidz reps to come along in person).

To safeguard Whizz-Kidz and yourself, we request that you follow these guidelines:

  • Act professionally on behalf of Whizz-Kidz and always in our best interests
  • Operate in accordance to the Whizz-Kidz’ procedures, and within the law
  • Work to raise the profile of the Whizz-Kidz and the importance of mobility for disabled children and young people
  • Make sure you understand and communicate correctly what we do to support disabled children – if you’re not sure please give us a call.

If you have any queries about our work, please take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions first. If your question is not answered there, please email us

Fundraising materials

If you would like any materials to help you in your fundraising, please fill in the merchandise request form and email us

Alternatively, place your order over the phone by calling 020 7233 6600.

We are happy to provide a small stock of merchandise free of charge, but if you require large quantities we will ask you to make a donation to cover our costs.

Organising your own event

Organising your own event or fundraising activity is a productive and fun way to raise money – it’s also the most engaging and successful. Here’s how to get started:

Planning the event

  • Timing of the event - check it doesn’t clash with any other big event, either nationally or locally, especially other charity fundraisers
  • What is your theme? Have a look at our fundraising ideas list!
  • Budget - set a fundraising target, how are you going to make money? Think about any costs you may incur, write a detailed budget and stick to it
  • Administration - keep accurate records of what you have spent and suppliers details and invoices.

Venue

  • Capacity - will you be able to fill it or have enough space?
  • Does it have the appropriate facilities?
  • Does it have enough seating?
  • Availability - check dates and timings well in advance
  • Disabled access - is there any? Do they have ramps and accessible toilets for wheelchair users
  • Deposit - is one required and is it refundable
  • Do they offer a charity discount?

Equipment

  • What do you require - sound system/TV/projector/lighting/microphone
  • Can you bring your own or do you have to hire theirs?
  • Do you know how to operate it?

Promote the event

  • Put up posters in your local area to help promote the event
  • Door drop leaflets
  • If you’ve used a Whizz-Kidz’ logo in your materials, have you shown it to Whizz-Kidz for approval?  
  • Send a press release to your local media
  • Ask friends, family and work colleagues – word of mouth can be an excellent way to raise awareness.

Keeping it legal

  • To safeguard you and others it is vital that you follow the correct procedures.
  • Do you have the correct licences and permissions required? For instance, a raffle, if mailed may require a Gaming Board license - ask us, if you’re in any doubt.

Staff at the event

  • Recruit your friends and family for the night of the event
  • Do they know what’s required?
  • Brief them on what Whizz-Kidz does in case anyone asks
  • Try to anticipate situations that may occur and brief everyone on what do.

After the event

  • Thank your guests and let them know how much they helped to raise
  • Send your money into Whizz-Kidz, so we can say thank you to you!
  • When you send in your money provide us with your contact details.

Publicity

The more people who know about your plans the better - you’ll be able to generate more sponsorship and also gain valuable publicity for Whizz-Kidz. Below are some of the key methods of publicising your event:

Local papers

Many local papers are keen for new ’human interest’ stories and may well do an article about your event or fundraising activity, particularly if you have a special reason for organising it. You should be sure to ask the paper to help support you in your fundraising and make sure that they include a description of what Whizz-Kidz does.

Take a look at the sample press release

Local radio

It’s worth giving your local radio station a call and following it up by sending them a press release. They may want to do a brief interview. Ask them about the kind of questions they are likely to ask so you can prepare some answers in advance.  They may want to interview a Whizz-Kidz representative, in which case please get in touch with us as we may be able to provide a spokesperson.

Posters and leaflets

If you are organising a fundraising event, it’s a great idea to make some posters or flyers to promote it. We have yellow Whizz-Kidz blank posters which you can customise to promote your event or you can produce your own flyer on your PC. We can provide you with our logo and some pictures in a JPEG format.

It’s important to us that you use our logo and charity identity in the right way, so if you are planning to produce any printed information, please send it to us first for approval before you print off thousands of copies! This helps us to become more recognisable and raise more funds. Thank you.

Online

Set up your own fundraising page online, and make it easy for friends and family to make a donation. Don’t forget to email your family, friends and work contacts with information about how they can support your event. To set up your online fundraising page, please go to just giving. Place a picture of yourself, what you hope to achieve and a bit of information about why you are supporting Whizz-Kidz.

Networking

Word of mouth is still the most effective (and cheapest!) way of letting people know about you event. Tell your friends - ask them to tell their friend’s friends; stand on a chair in your local pub and tell the world - anything goes! If you don’t ask, you don’t get – you’ll be amazed at what people will do to support you.

Sample press release

Please re-write this press release, substituting the parts in bold italics with your details and send it to the news editor of your local newspaper, radio station or the planning desk of your local TV station no later than a week before your event.

Sample press release


Essential legalities

Charity fundraising is regulated by law. As a fundraiser and as a charity we can both be fined for non compliance with legal regulations which also include health and safety legislation. To make sure your fundraising is completely legal please follow the procedures outlined below. If you have any questions, please email us

Charity’s register name and charity number

We ask that whenever the charity's name or logo is used in written materials, that you contact us for prior approval - for example, in posters, leaflets, invitations advertising an event or letters to companies etc.

On all printed materials, including letters, tickets, posters etc, you must state our:

  • Official logo – email us to get a copy of the logo
  • Registered charity number: 802872 - This is a legal requirement under the Charities Act 1992 and it is a criminal offence not to include it
  • Quote in the small print the following line: Whizz-Kidz is the working name of The Movement for Non-Mobile Children.

Collections in public

Anyone collecting for charity in a public place needs a Street Collection Licence from the local authority (the council/metropolitan borough). Only a limited number are issued and you will need to apply at least a month before the date of your collection - more if it is during a busy period like Christmas. A public place is any location where the public has unrestricted access at all times. Train stations and shopping centres are private property, not public places, because they are closed at night.

Collections on private property

To collect  sponsorship  or  donations  on  private  property,  such  as  in  a supermarket, a pub or a train station, you only need the permission of the owner or store/station manager.

House to house collections

Collecting from one place to the next (this includes business premises like pubs as well as houses) needs a House to House Collection Licence. Again, these can be obtained from your local authority.   All collectors must be over 16 years of age, must wear official Whizz-Kidz photo ID badges and use sealed Whizz-Kidz collecting cans. You must keep accurate records of your collecting team and all the proceeds.

Alcohol

If you want to sell alcoholic drinks at your event, you need a license, however if you use a venue that is already licensed e.g. a pub or bar you do not need one.

Lotteries and raffles

To hold most types of lottery or raffle you will need a Lotteries Licence from your local council or metropolitan borough. As the promoter of the lottery you will be personally liable for the organisation of it. The exception to this rule is for raffles held at a one-off event like a dinner or dance. This is known as a Small Lottery. Tickets for Small Lotteries can only be sold during the event (you can use cloakroom tickets) and you must not have money prizes (although store vouchers are fine) or spend more than £250 on prizes (donated prizes do not count). The result of the raffle must be drawn at the event.

Gift Aid

Gift Aid is an easy way to raise extra money for Whizz-Kidz at no extra cost to you!  Gift Aid allows charities to claim back the tax from sponsors or donors as income or capital gains tax. This means that Whizz-Kidz gets an extra 28p from the government for every pound donated.  If you raised £1,500 and got all your sponsors to "Gift Aid" their donations, Whizz-Kidz could claim an extra £420!

To find our more, please go to Gift Aid

Paying in your money

There are several different ways of making a payment to Whizz-Kidz. Please note for every donation sent to us please include a donation form so we know who the donation has come from and can credit the money to your personal account and send you a thank you letter.

Setting up your own fundraising website:

Visit our just giving page and follow the easy on-screen instructions to make a donation or set up your very own fundraising page to help promote your event and raise even more money.  Once your fundraising page has been set up, you can email the address for the page to all your family, friends, work colleagues or classmates, making it easy for them to support you in your activity.   The money raised will be paid directly into Whizz-Kidz’ bank account so you don’t have to worry about a thing.

Paying in by cheque

If there are a large number of cheques or it is for a large amount you may wish to send them by registered or recorded post. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Whizz-Kidz’. Please do not open a bank account to pay the cheques into, even when you intend to send us one big cheque for the total at the end of your fundraising- this is illegal.

Paying in by credit or debit card

Please fill in one of our donation forms with your card details, the donation amount and then send them to us as soon as possible so that we can process the information.

Paying directly into our account

You can pay directly into our account at any HSBC branch:

Bank account name:Whizz-Kidz (The Movement for Non-Mobile Children)

Sort Code:40-04-01

Account number:91286390

If you pay in your donation via our bank account, please send us a brief note including, the amount that was paid in, the deposit date and the bank stub so we can keep a track of your fundraising and our bank records up to date.

If you have any questions at all regarding paying in your donations, please give us a call on 020 7233 6600 or email us

I would like to make a regular donation!

£

preferably starting on:

Please specify a date at least one month from now

As an ambassador I am able to make people aware of the charity. I want to let people know how a wheelchair can change the life of a disabled person and make their life better

Anon