APPEAL. Building tomorrow, together. Your fundraising pack. All you need to know to get involved with our 50th anniversary celebrations

Transcription

1 APPEAL Building tomorrow, together Your fundraising pack All you need to know to get involved with our 50th anniversary celebrations

2 We started life in 1968 when a group of forward-thinking parents found that there was no support for their children once they left the school system. Dear Fundraiser Thank you for your interest in our fundraising pack. When you fundraise for Autism Together it s about more than getting together and having fun with friends. It s about more than sponsoring someone or buying a raffle tickle. Or dancing the night away at a disco or baking cakes for a coffee morning. Or dressing up to the nines for a glamorous ball or enjoying a laugh at a bingo evening. It s about making a real difference to the lives of people with autism and their families. We believe everyone with autism should be loved and cared for. They should be given the opportunity to realise their potential, to feel safe and secure. Everyone should be the best they can be! Autism Together is now one of the country s leading providers of services and support to people with autism and their families. Everything we do is to fight for people with autism to get the help, care and support they need to live fulfilled lives. When you fundraise for us, you become part of our dedicated and hard-working team. We understand that every contribution is as important as any other. Whatever you can do will be sincerely appreciated. Thank you and remember that fundraising should be FUN! Rick Myers Fundraising Manager 2

3 About Autism Together We started life in 1968 when a group of forward-thinking parents found that there was no support for their children once they left the school system. They wanted help and care for their loved ones and established The Wirral Society for Autistic Children, which became Wirral Autistic Society and eventually Autism Together. There are lots of ideas to get you started with your fundraising activities on the next two pages. Autism Together is now one of the country s leading providers of award-winning services and support to people with autism and their families, providing a wide range of living options, day services and community support to people from all over the UK. We work in several care settings including residential, home care, supported living, respite and short stay breaks. We support children, young people, adults with autism and their families to understand their autism-rich futures. Our biggest-ever appeal We want to create an Assessment & Diagnostic Centre on the site of our original building, Old Raby Hall: an autismspecific two storey building, offering accommodation to 12 individuals. The top floor will be dedicated to housing - the bottom floor will be made up of consulting and therapy rooms. This building will have two core functions: An in-patient assessment unit (AU) for adults over 18 accessible via a clinical referral (private referrals will be accepted) An out-patient diagnostic centre for children and adults accessible via GP referral Providing a world-first in technology Many people with autism are non-verbal and/or unable to understand or articulate how they are feeling. The drawback of a medical regime based on observation only to try and understand their feelings, is that this alone can never fully reveal what is happening physiologically within the patient. Observers can only go on what they see and the behaviour being watched may be related to an incident that happened a week ago or just the day before. At the new unit, biometric sensors - worn on lightweight bracelets which resemble wrist watches - will gather physiological data, enabling experts to map how people s anxiety is increased or decreased depending upon factors such as where they are in the building, their proximity to other people, background noise and time of day, for example. The biometric technology will effectively see inside the bodies of those with autism by measuring minute physiological changes such as surface skin temperature and heart rate. Staff will also monitor individuals responses and this will be cross-referenced with other data captured by the wrist bands. Ultimately, staff should be able to step in and prevent melt downs, once they understand what is triggering an individual. 3

4 A-Z of Fundraising Lots of ideas to get you started... Aa Art: create a future picture have a competition After School Party: All wear blue and have a boogie Assemblies: host an Autism Awareness Assembly Dd Dance Off: organise a dance competition Dog Show: arrange a dog show for your pets Gg Give up: get sponsored to give something up Garden Party Bb Bake Sale: make cakes and sell them to your friend, turn them blue Boot Sale: organise a car boot sale in your area Ee Egg Hunt: hide blue eggs and look for them Exercise Hh Dye your hair blue Shave your head Cc Crafts: make crafts with a blue theme Card Games, Coffee Morning Ff Football: arrange a 5 a side tournament Friends: talk to your friends about autism and spread the word Facebook: change your profile picture blue Ii It s a knockout. Jj Jumble Sale Kk Karaoke Ll Lucky Dip: Arrange a lucky dip and each prize can include a fact about autism 4

5 Mm Music competition Marathon: (could be running could be a film-athon) Nn Non uniform Day Night time walk Oo Mini Olympics Pp Pyjama Day Pub Quiz Qq Quiz Night Quit something Rr Hold a Record Breakers event Host a Rounders Competition Ss Sponsored event Sensory Superhero: Heighten one of your senses Tt Tug of War Treasure Hunt Uu Wear a different uniform for the day Vv Host a Variety Show Ww Wash Cars: Get something waxed, Sell Wristbands Xx Channel your inner Simon Cowell and host an X Factor event Yy Yes Day: Say Yes to everything for a day Zz Host a sleepover Zumba... or get in touch with us for a little extra inspiration. 5

6 Top fundraising hints and tips Where will your event take place? You may want to hold your event at home, at your workplace or at a venue in your community. If you are hiring a room, don t forget to mention that it is for Autism Together, a registered charity, this may entitle you to a reduced rate. Set a target and set a budget It is really helpful to set a fundraising target and work out all the costs involved and to consider how much you would like to raise once all your costs have been covered. At planning stage, make sure you ve given yourself plenty of time to Quick hint get everything sorted out. Cut costs by asking local businesses for discounts or donations or by borrowing equipment. Spread the word So, you ve decided what you want to do but have you spread the word to your friends, family or colleagues? Facebook and Twitter are perfect for inviting people, updating on your progress and asking for help. You may prefer to Quick hint Share your event with us we ll help you promote it! invite people by or post just give people as much notice as possible so they can get it in their diaries. You can also use the poster included in this pack to tell everyone about your event. Be your own publicist Your local paper, radio station or TV station may want stories about what is happening in the area and this can produce great publicity. Our fundraising team can also advise you on the best ways to get publicity for your fundraising efforts. Gift Aid Please remember Gift Aid. Any UK tax payer can include Gift Aid when they donate. The taxman adds 25 per cent to a donation so that s an extra 1 for every 4 donated! So please make sure all UK taxpayers tick the Gift Aid box on your sponsorship form. Make sure your event is legal and safe Quick Hint Make sure your sponsors include their full name, home address and postcode so we can claim Gift Aid. If you hold a fundraising event, you will be responsible for the health and safety of all involved. Remember: don t allow children to solicit money or collect money unless accompanied by a responsible adult. If you are carrying money around be aware of personal security, use a safe route to the bank, if possible be accompanied and/or carry a personal alarm. Even if the event is in your home, have a good look around for anything that might constitute a risk as we cannot accept responsibility for accidents. Please take great care when handling food and work to basic rules for safe preparation, storage, display and cooking. Make your own online fundraising page Set up an online fundraising page with JustGiving and simply send everyone a link to your page, so they can donate online and see how well your fundraising is going too. Online fundraising pages also take the hassle out of claiming Gift Aid. Quick Hint People tend to give more when they donate online. By law you must put our Registered Charity Number on posters or advertising materials. Our Registered Charity Number is Please contact rick.myers@ autismtogether.co.uk for permission for you or a third party to use our name or logo. If the name or logo of Autism Together appears anywhere, then the registration number should as well. Quick Hint The Institute of Fundraising has wealth of useful information for event planners. Visit 6

7 Insurance and licences If you are organising your own event you will need to check out the insurance situation and you may need to organise your own cover. If you use external facilities, contractors or sub-contractors make sure they have the relevant experience, comply with Health and Safety legislation and have their own insurance. A licence is needed if you have alcohol at your event. Avoid this issue by either holding your event on licensed premises or by asking a local pub to organise a bar at your venue. Otherwise you ll need to submit a Temporary Event Notice to the Local Authority to apply for a temporary licence. Collections Collections are a great way to raise money. If you re planning a collection, such as a house-to-house, that takes place in a publicly owned place then this must be licensed by your local authority. Licences are not needed on privately owned land but you ll need the permission of the owner or business. More questions? We re here to help, just fundraising@autismtogether.co.uk or call Raffles, draws and competitions Raffles and draws are great fun but they are also strictly regulated so if you are getting involved please contact rick. myers@autismtogether.co.uk for help and advice. All raffles have to meet certain rules: All entries must be sold, and for the same price Winning entries must be picked completely at random Each ticket must have an equal chance of winning Competitions and other games of skill: when the outcome is not reliant on chance in any way, such as in pub quizzes or competitions, you are exempt from the lottery/raffle rules as listed above. As part of another fundraising event: Do The safest and easiest way to hold a fundraising raffle is to hold a private raffle at an existing fundraising event, you will not need a licence from the Local Authority if you follow some simple guidelines. Let us know we can help Use this to fundraise directly Only sell tickets at the event anyone at the event can purchase a ticket Use simple cloakroom tickets Hold the draw at the event itself Ask someone independent to conduct the actual draw Don t Sell tickets before the event, or to people not attending the event Run the raffle as part of a commercial event Apply Gift Aid to the money legally, buying a ticket does not count as a donation. Raffles All raffles must meet strict rules make sure you have all the bases covered. 7

8 Eight steps to successful fundraising Step 1 Date Chose a date which is best for your event, particularly if it is outdoors, and remember to check what else is going on in the area that might compete with it. Step 2 Venue Choosing the right venue is important: will it be in your home, at the office, in a hired venue? Step 3 Budget Consider all the costs involved, draw up a budget and stick to it. Your total costs together with how many tickets you think you can realistically sell will determine your ticket price. Step 4 Guest list The more people who attend, the more money you can make. Draw up a potential guest list from your contacts. Step 5 Publicity You can publicise your event in many ways: posters (but remember fly-posting is illegal), local media, , social media. Step 6 Get help The more people you have either helping with the event, or selling tickets, the better, so ask your family and friends. Step 7 Keep it safe You are responsible for health and safety at your event. Have you looked carefully at the potential risks? Step 8 Keep it legal Check your external facilities or contractors have their own insurance and comply with Health and Safety legislation. What permissions or licences do you need for your event? Does the Autism Together registered charity number appear on all your promotional material alongside our name or logo? More questions? We re here to help, just 8 fundraising@autismtogether.co.uk or call

9 Writing a press release A press release is simply a written statement to the media. It is a fundamental tool of PR work and building a healthy relationship with local media is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of getting your event publicity. Here are a few tips: News release headlines should have a hook that will grab a reporter s attention. Local media is always on the lookout for stories to fill their pages, but timing is important. Your local newspapers, radio and TV stations work to deadlines and it will take them time to process your release. Quick hint Do not forget to proof read your release before it goes They hate cheque presentations At the very top of the page, the TITLE Press Release should be spelled out in capitals, centred and in bold. It should be brief, clear and to the point, use wide margins and double spacing so the journalist can make notes on the release. It should answer all of the w questions (who, what, where, when and why) about your organisation and event. You can or post a press release to your local media. If ing, remember to write a compelling subject line that will attract attention. If writing, lay out your copy on just one side of paper, you can send additional information with it but the press release itself should be a single sheet. Always end with CONTACT DETAILS. Again, these should be centred and in bold. A single clear name and phone number is what a journalist will need if he or she wishes to follow up the story. Do not forget to proof read your release before it goes Avoid jargon and stick to the facts. 9

10 How companies can help Companies can help in many ways and are increasingly aware of the benefits of association with a charity like Autism Together. Quick hint Making Autism Together the company s charity of the year generates great interest and can be highly lucrative. Companies which give their support to worthy causes achieve increased public perception and appreciation and see an increase in staff motivation. Employee fundraising Seen by many forwardthinking employers as an effective way to motivate staff and provide team building opportunities, it also enhances the company s image with staff, clients, suppliers and the wider community. If your company does not have a payroll giving scheme, then ask the payroll department to visit www. payrollgivinggrants.co.uk Gifts in Kind Autism Together is always in need of equipment of all kinds in every aspect of our work, anything we cannot use we can use as a raffle prize. Many companies like to donate in kind as the gift has a retail value to the Autism Together but only a wholesale cost to the company. Making Autism Together the company s charity of the year generates great interest and can be highly lucrative - particularly if the company agrees to match any amount raised by staff. The staff essentially become a fundraising group and organise events which reflect the nature and ethos of the company. Management like staff to be involved in fundraising as it helps develop team spirit and staff morale. Sponsorship Sponsoring a particular charity project can increase awareness of the company among its consumers, help reach a target audience, increase brand awareness, motivate staff and show commitment to the local community. Payroll Giving This is a tax-efficient way for individuals to support Autism Together and represents a long-term source of regular income. The amount donated is deducted before tax so a 1 donation only costs the employee 80p, 60p if they pay tax at the higher rate. Payroll giving rose by over 250% from 1999 to 2005 yet only about 2% of employees participate in payroll giving. In the US it is about 35%. Companies who offer payroll giving to their employees believe it enhances the company s image and it is inexpensive and simple to run as most of the administration is done by the payroll giving agency. 10

11 APPEAL Building tomorrow, together Fundraising event For Autism Together s Future 50 appeal Raising money for a world-leading autism centre in Merseyside Date:... Location:... Time:... For more information please contact:... AutismtogetherUK autism_together Registered Charity Number

12 Please sponsor me and help change the lives of people with autism Event Name:... Your details (Please use BLOCK CAPITALS): Name:... Telephone: AUTISM TOGETHER can reclaim money back on every sponsorship donation and get an extra 25% without it costing you a single penny. Please tick the box below if you would like us to Gift Aid your donation and if you pay income tax or capital gains tax equal to the amount reclaimed by the charity on the donation. Please make sure that we can read your full name, home address and postcode. Full Name Post code Full Home Address (please use BLOCK CAPITALS). In order for us to claim Gift Aid, please do not use a business address. Amount Gift Aid Paid Keep in touch: We would like to keep you informed of news, events and fundraising activities. If you would prefer us not to contact you please tick the box How to send your money to us: By cheque made payable to Autism Together To: Rick Myers, Fundraising Officer Autism Together, Wirral Centre for Autism, Oak House (Unit C) 6 Tebay Road, Bromborough, Wirral CH62 3PA OR Pay online by clicking on to In order for us to reclaim please make sure your sponsors fill in their full name, home address and postcode and tick the Gift Aid box.

13 Money Return Form Please complete this form and send it back to us along with the money you have raised so we can make sure that the money is correctly allocated to you. Please find enclosed a cheque (s)/ Postal Order for Please ensure that all cheques are made payable to Autism Together Your Name: Address:.... Postcode.. If your activity was sponsored then please also include your completed sponsor form (to enable us to claim Gift Aid on your contribution). AUTISM TOGETHER can reclaim money back on every sponsorship donation and get an extra 25% without it costing you a single penny. Please tick the box below if you would like us to Gift Aid your donation and if you pay income tax or capital gains tax equal to the amount reclaimed by the charity on the donation. Please make sure that we can read your full name, home address and postcode. I would like to Gift Aid my donation (Please tick) Please send this completed form back to: Fundraising Autism Together Oak House, 6 Tebay Road, Bromborough CH62 3PA If you have raised money via Justgiving this will come directly to the charity Thank you for your support 13

14 June Celebrate Father s Day! Fundraising Planner Hold a sports event and ask for donations to take part. Best dad wins! December Keep track of your fundraising activities all year round with this fund-raising calendar...it s here to help you plan your next event and keep sight of your goals. January February March April May Get your walking or running shoes at the ready. Complete a sponsored walk or run. Time for a spring clean Auction all those items you no longer need around the house. Celebrate Mother s Day! Hold an afternoon tea for all the mums in your local area. Love is in the air! Hold a Valentine themed event Take on that challenge you ve always wanted to do. It s party season! Organise a Christmas party, asking your guests for donations and tombola prizes. YOU CAN REACH YOUR TARGET July August September October November Bonfire Night! Host a bonfire night, charge entry and hot snacks straight from the grill! Hold a Halloween fancy dress party! Raise extra money by dishing our pumpkin pies and spooky cupcakes! Movie Night! Host your own movie night in the comfort of your own home. Charge for entry and goodies. Organise a cake sale in your work or local community centre Put your cooking skills to the test. Organise a community picnic or BBQ and charge for entry. 14 #future50