FUNDRAISING GUIDE
2 SSAFA Fundraising guide About this guide 3 SSAFA Fundraising guide About SSAFA About this guide Thank you for choosing to support SSAFA! We re really grateful that you ve decided to fundraise for SSAFA without your support we would not be able to provide the life changing services that we offer to our Armed Forces and their families. We appreciate the time and effort you give to fundraising to support our Armed Forces and in return we are here to support your fundraising activities. This guide will give you some helpful tips on planning and making the most of your fundraising. We ve even included a checklist to make sure you don t forget anything! The first thing to do is let us know of your plans the more we know, the more advice and support we can offer! Contact details are at the end of this guide. About SSAFA We are the oldest national military charity We have been supporting our Armed Forces and their families for 130 years we currently support 90,000 members of the serving and veteran community around the world. We provide lifelong support We provide lifelong support to those who are serving, or have served, in the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force and their families, regardless of length of service. We focus on Forces families and put them at the heart of what we do We have developed services to meet their specific needs, such as Support Groups for Bereaved Families, short breaks for children with disabilities and welfare advice and support in the local community. 87p in every 1 is spent on services for our beneficiaries Our 7,000 volunteers play a central role in delivering our services which means we can ensure every pound we receive is used as efficiently as possible. Contents About SSAFA 03 How your money makes a difference 04 Fundraising ideas 05 Planning for success 07 Fundraising do s and don ts 08 The first thing to do is let us know of your plans the more we know, the more advice and support we can offer! Serving families Serving personnel Who we help Wounded, injured and sick Additional needs Maximising your fundraising 10 Getting the word out 11 Veterans and families Adoptive families Setting up a donation page 11 Fundraising checklist 13 How to send SSAFA your money 14 Reservists Bereaved families Dates for your diary 15
4 SSAFA Fundraising guide How your money makes a difference 5 SSAFA Fundraising guide Fundraising ideas 7.00 will cover the cost of one phone call through to our confidential support line Forcesline, for serving and ex-service personnel and their families. 290 could pay for a family to stay at one of our two Norton Homes for a night, whilst visiting their injured loved one. With your colleagues Dress down day at work. Swear box in the office the worse the profanity, the higher the donation! Lunch money bring in your own lunch one day a week and donate what you would usually spend over a few months. Collections are a great way to fundraise for SSAFA! See the fundraising do s and don ts section for more information. How your money makes a difference 20 would buy a Get you in Pack for a family this is a small food pack for the first night s stay at one of our Stepping Stone Homes. 100 could allow us to provide safe, sheltered accommodation and food to a homeless veteran. 500 will pay for the accommodation for a child with complex needs to attend a specialist short break for a week to gain independence, build confidence, make new friends and take part in adaptive adventure activities, whilst giving their family a much needed break. 1,750 will provide a wounded, injured or sick soldier struggling with transition back to civilian life with a mentor for a year. Fundraising ideas Guess who! Ask colleagues to join in by bringing in a baby picture, then everyone makes a donation to guess. Office bake off (or a tea and coffee morning for the less competitive workplaces!). Challenge yourself Get sponsored to give up a bad habit or something you love! Hold a fitness challenge row 500 miles, spin for six hours, beat your personal best. Do it in public to raise even more money! Seasonal events are a brilliant way to get people involved! From a Christmas ball to a Summer fête or Halloween party. With your friends and family Organise a pub quiz and charge teams to participate. Car washes in your local area. Hold a speed dating night. Have a garden party ask for a donation at the entrance and provide refreshments for your guests. Hold a skills auction, so people can bid to use each other s useful skills. Start the year with a Dunk in your local river or sea. Either raise sponsorship, or get a group involved and charge a donation to take part. If you had something completely different in mind, that s fine too! We re happy to support most fundraising as long as it s safe and legal. Get in touch to let us know more.
6 SSAFA Fundraising guide Planning for success 7 SSAFA Fundraising guide Planning for success Can you reduce your costs through donated goods or company sponsorship? Ask them to donate raffle prizes or place an advert in their brochure. Planning for success When Choose a date that is best for you and your supporters. Give yourself sufficient time. Try to avoid competition by finding when other notable events may be happening. Where Choose a venue that is large enough and has all the required amenities. If you want to sell alcohol, food and have live music, make sure you have the necessary licenses and permissions. Budget Work out a simple budget at the start of your planning, include all the costs you expect to incur and estimate how much money will come in. Publicity It is crucial to let people know about your event. See our section on getting the word out. Try contacting your local community centre if you re in need of a venue they may offer it for free as a charitable donation. Equipment What do you need? Write a list so you don t forget anything. Remember to take sponsorship and Gift Aid forms! Helpers How many do you need? Remember to give them enough notice and always say thank you! Contingency plans What if it rains? Don t be afraid of cancelling or postponing an event if necessary. Final checks Write a checklist of all the things you need, so you don t forget anything. Double check equipment, brief your helpers. See our general checklist to make sure you ve got everything covered. If possible, announce the anticipated amount raised from the event, remind everyone that their contribution will help SSAFA support our Armed Forces and say a big Thank you to everyone who donated!
8 SSAFA Fundraising guide Fundraising do s and don ts 9 SSAFA Fundraising guide Fundraising do s and don ts If you are fundraising for SSAFA, please make sure you stay legal and take a moment to read the following guidelines and information before you start: Fundraising do s and don ts All of your publicity materials, including tickets and posters, must include the words Raising funds in aid of SSAFA. Registered Charity 210760 Est. 1885, Registered Charity (Scotland) No. SC038056. If you would like to use SSAFA s logo on your materials, please contact us. Please be safe! Whilst we really appreciate your support, SSAFA is not responsible for organising, supervising or hosting your fundraising activity. All activities, and participation in them, are at the organisers and participants own risk. Your activity should not pose a danger to you or any onlookers. If you would like to organise a street collection you will need a licence from your local authority or landlord, a letter of authorisation from SSAFA and to ensure that all collectors are over the age of 16. Contact us for more information. If you are going to organise a lottery, including a raffle, tombola or sweepstake you need to be aware that there are strict laws concerning what you can and cannot do. Contact us for more information. If you are planning to sell alcohol at a public event, you must check if the venue is licensed. If you need to obtain a temporary license, please contact your local authority for advice. Location make sure your venue is accessible to disabled participants and you have the relevant permissions. If in doubt, refer to the Institute of Fundraising s Code Of Practice. Please also take into consideration that you are responsible for your event and that it is run in a safe, legal manner and does not in any way damage our name or reputation or cause harm to any participant. SSAFA does not accept any liability or responsibility for your activity or for anyone taking part in it. Some useful websites: For fundraising advice www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk For advice on lotteries www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk For advice on food hygiene regulations www.food.gov.uk For advice on risk assessments www.hse.gov.uk You will need to carry out a risk assessment when planning your activity and should also ensure that all participants are fully briefed and adequately supervised. Depending on the nature of your activity, you may also need insurance to cover your liabilities. If children (under 16) are involved in fundraising in any way, please make sure that they have permission from their parent or guardian and are properly supervised by a responsible adult. Children should never approach strangers about fundraising. If you would like a collection tin for use on private property please contact us we are required to keep a list of where it is sited and who is responsible for it, so please be sure to let us know.
10 SSAFA Fundraising guide Maximising your fundraising 11 SSAFA Fundraising guide Getting the word out Sponsorship forms Take sponsorship forms to your event for those who would rather sponsor you in person than online. Remember to have them fill in their information so we can claim Gift Aid! First donations The first donation on a sponsorship form or online page sets the precedent. If you can encourage your first donor to make a larger donation, the rest of your donors are likely to give more too! Employer matched giving Check with your employer to see if they run a matched giving scheme some employers will support your fundraising by matching your total. Raffle Add a raffle or tombola to your event to raise more money. Contact local businesses, or ask friends and family to donate unwanted gifts as prizes. Please see our Fundraising do s and don ts section for more advice on holding a raffle. Notice boards The notice boards at local supermarkets, churches, the local council, libraries and community centres are great places to put up posters advertising your event! Email footer Put the link to your online giving page in your email footer. Work intranet Do you have a work intranet where you can feature your fundraising? Local press Remember to use local press contact us for a press release or letter to editor template. Word of mouth Tell your friends, family and colleagues about what you re doing! Do you have a client base, or are you a member of a club you can talk to? Social media Use your social media! Facebook, Twitter and any other social media sites are a great way to tell people about what you re doing! Remember to give regular updates and share your online giving page. Maximising your fundraising Keep a sponsorship form to hand and pin one up in your workplace, gym or local pub (we only suggest doing this in places you know well). Getting the word out Setting up a donation page Go to www.virginmoneygiving.com Click on Set up a fundraising page. Select what sort of event you re taking part in. Complete further details on your event, including Event Name and Date. You will either need to sign in to your account if your have one, or create one. You will then be asked to choose a web address for your page. You will then be able to customise your page, including adding a page title and photos. If you need any help, click on the Help guides in the top right corner.
12 SSAFA Fundraising guide General checklist: 13 SSAFA Fundraising guide General checklist: Before After Let us know of your plans Rubbish collection Set the date Thank you letters to helpers Book the site / venue Set the budget Get helpers involved (if necessary) Thank you letters to companies / venue Send money to SSAFA Evaluation of event / activity Confirmation of booking in writing Public liability insurance Consider health and safety plans Complete risk assessment Letters to companies for support Letters / invitations to participants Advertise the event For bigger events you may also need to consider: In advance Council permissions / licences Permissions for banners or signs Programme design / print Certificates / t-shirts ordered Photographer / media cover Press release On the day Photos Epic Action Imagery General checklist: During Raffle / tombola prizes Car parking / directions / car passes Rehearsal / run through Take sponsorship forms Take Gift Aid forms Entry fee / admission Refreshments / catering Make loading / unloading arrangements Brief marshals (if necessary) Security arrangements Military liaison Police liaison Fire brigade liaison First aid cover Toilet facilities Seating Band / entertainment / music Sound / lighting MC / announcer Marquee / shelter
14 SSAFA Fundraising guide How to send SSAFA your money 15 SSAFA Fundraising guide Dates for your diary Congratulations, you ve done it! Whether you ve raised 20 by selling cupcakes at work, or 10,000 by travelling from Lands End to John O Groats on a space hopper, your donation will support to our Armed Forces and their families in need. Please remember to send us your donations within two weeks following your event the quicker you send us your donations, the quicker we can put them to use funding our life changing projects. To send us your money, please send a cheque or postal order and your SSAFA finance remittance form to: Community Fundraising, SSAFA, Queen Elizabeth House, 4 St. Dunstan s Hill, London EC3R 8AD. Alternatively, you can pay with your credit / debit card by calling 0207 463 9310. If you have collected cash please do NOT send it by post but contact us for a paying in slip. Why not join in one of our SSAFA fundraising campaigns? Big SSAFA Collection Take to the streets for our collection week in MAY. Give a few hours to collect donations from the public and make a real difference to a member of our Armed Forces family. For more information or to register: www.ssafa.org.uk/ get-involved/fundraise/bigssafa-collection Camo Day Dress up, blend in Put your pennies in the tin! Do you work in a school, or have children of school age? Join SSAFA s Armed Forces Day celebrations this year by encouraging them to take part in Camo Day in JUNE. For more info or to register: www.ssafa.org.uk/get-involved/ fundraise/camo-day How to send SSAFA your money NEW EVENT! We will soon be launching Operation Hawkeye! Join us for a SSAFA treasure hunt in your local community. Contact us for more information. Dates for your diary Big Brew Up Its as easy as one, two, tea! Your Brew Up will help SSAFA provide lifelong support for our Armed Forces and their families. Join us in JUNE for the Big Brew Up. For more information or to register: www.thebigbrewup.co.uk Ride Of Britain Take part in the ultimate North to South challenge cycle 500 miles in 5 days from Edinburgh to London in SEPTEMBER. For more information or to register: www.ssafa.org.uk/ get-involved/fundraise/cycles/ ride-of-britain
Thank you! We would like to say a huge, heartfelt thank you for your enthusiasm, dedication and hard work. Your donations will make a tangible difference to the Armed Forces community and their families. We d love to hear how your fundraising activities went! If you have any photos, or a story you d like to share, please send it to communityfundraiser@ssafa.org.uk Contact us Community Fundraising SSAFA Queen Elizabeth House 4 St. Dunstan s Hill London EC3R 8AD Email: Communityfundraiser@ssafa.org.uk Telephone: 0207 463 9310 ssafa.org.uk @SSAFA SSAFAFB Registered Charity No. 210760 and SC038056, Est. 1885.