Fundraising Pack UN-RAISING. Everything you need to raise money for us!

Transcription

1 Fundraising Pack UN-RAISING Everything you need to raise money for us!

2 Invaluable support Stephen Smith organised a Masquerade Ball in memory of Alan Lodge and raised 10,000 The National Brain Appeal One in six people in the UK suffer from a neurological disorder, either from birth, through injury, or a slowly developing illness. The National Brain Appeal is the charity dedicated to raising funds for the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) which, together with the Institute of Neurology, is at the forefront of neurological research and is responsible for major advances in the treatment of conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson s disease, dementia, stroke and brain and spinal cancer. The NHNN is one of the world s leading centres for the study and treatment of the brain, spinal cord and nervous system. It is both a national and international centre for neurological problems, serving the population in and around London, as well as being the final place of referral in the UK for the most serious cases and for those with the rarest conditions. 1 Thank you for supporting The National Brain Appeal. Without such support from people like you, the major developments at the National Hospital would not be possible. The National now boasts the UK s first brain tumour unit, a Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, a cutting edge scanning suite, a much improved Neurocritical Care Unit and a Clinical Neurosciences Centre. Put simply, we couldn t have done it without our fundraisers and sponsored events. These new facilities ensure The National Hospital retains its position as a leading centre for neurology and neurosurgery. Details of our current appeals can be found at or in the enclosed leaflet. I hope you will join our fantastic fundraisers and help turn these visions into a reality. Theresa Dauncey Chief Executive

3 Getting started TOP TIPS Thank you for choosing to support The National Brain Appeal. This pack is designed to help you reach your fundraising target. We re here to help you at every stage of your fundraising, so give us a call on or info@nationalbrainappeal.org Don t forget these simple steps, they will help make fundraising a success: 1 Use simple fundraising ideas which you know work well 2 Keep costs as low as possible 3 Shout about your event get all the publicity you can 4 Ask people to get their friends and family to join in 5 Say a big thank you to all involved and publicise what was raised Some simple points to remember before you start: Photocopy your sponsorship forms and circulate them far and wide Set up a fundraising page on Justgiving or Virgin Money Giving (see p7) and share the link on social media Always ask your friends and family to sponsor you first as they tend to be more generous and that sets the standard for everyone else! Send an article and photo to your staff newspaper or newsletter and to your local press, including the link to your fundraising page Find out if your employer participates in a Matched Giving scheme 2

4 Organise an event This can be a fun and sociable way to reach your target. Many of our supporters have emphasised the importance of offering a service rather than simply asking for sponsorship. Set yourself a budget and stick to it. Think carefully about a date, time and venue for your event will it clash with another major event? If you are planning a big event such as a dinner and dance make a list of the help and resources you will need to make it a success. Combine more than one fundraising idea. For example David King organised a go-karting day in memory of Madeleine Ferry and raised nearly 300. hold a raffle during your karaoke night. Check whether insurance or licences are needed. For more information and advice about holding your fundraising event contact the Fundraising Team on Try to get as many things as possible for free and always ask for a charity discount The legalities: on the right side of the law It is a legal requirement to put The National Brain Appeal s registered charity number on every piece of publicity and fundraising material you produce. The wording to use is: The National Brain Appeal Registered Charity No If you are unsure about the legalities of any event you re thinking of holding, please check with your Local Authority or call The National Brain Appeal Fundraising Team for advice. Check that your event does not contravene health and safety regulations and make sure that you have adequate insurance cover There are rules and regulations governing charity collections. This includes house to house, lotteries, raffles and private and public space collections. For more details please contact The National Brain Appeal or your local authority Do you need a licence e.g. for alcohol? PARTY Seek permission from the landowner if you are thinking of holding an outdoor event 3

5 Fundraising ideas calendar January Diet 1 for every pound you lose Unwanted presents sell them on Ebay Burns Night throw a ceilidh February Valentine s ball, speed dating, blind date Pancake race get flipping! Venice Carnival hold your own masked ball BAKE March St Patrick s Day party folk music, shamrocks and lucky leprechauns Easter chocolate egg hunt, egg and spoon race Mothers Day sale RUN April Grand National sweepstake send a percentage of the winnings to us! St George s Day a best of British themed bash Cricket knockout contest charge people to join a team June Organise a Race Day Wimbledon sweepstake put the names of all the participants in a hat Take part in a running event May May Day Fete reach the whole community with raffles, lucky dips and cake sales Host a Eurovision party and ask all your friends to represent a country Boot sale July Invite your friends over for a BBQ, charge for entry and hold a raffle 5-a-side football tournament Summer dinner and dance August Music festival add plenty of cider and local bands Mini-Olympics traditional and silly sports Boat Race teams build model boats and race them September Back-to-school themed party or games day Harvest Festival Enter a sponsored cycle October Host a Pyjama Party University challenge at a local pub Marathon events table tennis, aerobics, line dancing, badminton November Fireworks display Thanksgiving an excuse for a party! Murder mystery dinner party RIDE December Carol singing, Xmas party or Panto Why not ask for donations instead of presents this year? Provide a taxi service for all your friends then charge them hangover fines in the morning 4

6 Shout it from the rooftops! Pembridge Hall School organised a fun run in aid of The Molly Lane Fox Unit and raised over 46,000 9,000 raised! Laura King and her Taming Terry team ran a 10k in Regents Park 14,000 raised! Penny and James Boylan s wedding gift list was equipment for the Brain Tumour Unit 5 Whether your event is large or small, publicity is key to making it a big success. Get as much publicity as you can. Doing this not only raises the profile of your event, but also increases awareness of the work of The National Brain Appeal. Don t forget to share your event on social If you get any press coverage we would love to see it so please send us copies. media like us and we will like you! Contact your local newspaper, radio or television station. They are always interested in local people s stories. The best way to get your information across to a journalist is to prepare a press release and then follow it up with a phone call. Respond to journalists calls quickly as they are normally working to tight deadlines. Celebrity endorsement for an event can often attract public and media interest. Have a think about high profile figures in your area. 3,000 raised! Bill Waite undertook a golf tour including playing Jimmy Tarbuck 4,500 raised! Rob Hughes took the plunge and swam the English Channel

7 press Writing a press release Date your press release and think of a snappy title to capture the editor s attention. Mention your name and the town or city where you are based. Local papers like their stories to reflect what is going on in their circulation area. Include quotes from yourself, an employer, the charity, a family member. End your release by giving details of how journalists can contact you for more information about your story. Before you send your press release, it may be worth getting someone to cast a fresh eye over what you have written. Are there any typing mistakes and is it clear to read? Include a photo of yourself and/or your event. Make sure you state that you are raising money for The National Brain Appeal 6 * Ask what our latest project is so you can insert it here

8 The money you raise Set up an online fundraising page Start raising money straight away through JustGiving.com or VirginMoneyGiving.com it only takes five minutes to set up your own page. Simply choose The National Brain Appeal from the choice of charities and remember to set a target as this motivates people to give more. Both sites make a small charge on donations made via fundraising pages so we recommend you use them for donations you Gift Aid is a simple way for you to boost your sponsorship. Basically this scheme allows us to claim the tax back on every personal donation made with no added cost to the donor. Currently we can claim 25p in every 1 back. The donor has to wouldn t otherwise get, for example from friends or family who you are unlikely to see in person. You can also increase the number of your potential donors by ing your page link to contacts, sharing it on Facebook and tweeting it on Twitter and putting it in your sign off. Make the money go further with Gift Aid be a UK tax payer and we must have their consent and full home address details which can be provided using either the Gift Aid Declaration Form (enclosed) or the Sponsorship Form (we do not need both). Pay your money in If you have collected cash donations, please pay these into your own bank account and write us a cheque for the same amount or call us to pay it in by credit or debit card. Please do not post cash. When sending in cheques please include your name, event and contact details. If you are sending a large number of cheques we recommend that you send them by registered post. All cheques should be made payable to The National Brain Appeal and forwarded to us as soon as you receive them, with any relevant Gift Aid declaration forms, to the address below. Don t forget to us copies of your best photos! Professor Mike Hanna and his Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases team raised over 16,000 by taking part in the BUPA 10, Contact us The National Brain Appeal Box 123, Queen Square London WC1N 3BG T F info@nationalbrainappeal.org Find us on Twitter and Facebook. The National Brain Appeal is the working name of The National Hospital Development Foundation. Registered Charity No The National Brain Appeal 7