Fund Raising

Below are a few notes on fund raising to help kick start your efforts. We suggest that everyone uses this blog to discuss what they are doing and offer each other help and support.

Team or Individual Fund Raising
You will need to raise a minimum of £1000 per team of 3 or 4 people (the evolution facilitators will also raise funds but we want this to be in addition to your money).

It is entirely up to each team whether they split this three ways to ensure that each person raises their quota (£250 or £333) or whether you pool your efforts and raise funds as a team.

If you choose the latter be aware that there is potential for conflict if you feel that someone hasn’t pulled their weight. However, there is massive learning available to you about how you communicate your concerns and resolve these team issues so please don’t feel you need to shy away from taking the difficult option.

Bank Accounts
Consider whether, as a team, you want to open a bank account specifically for the purposes of banking any money raised. In the interests of transparency we would advise that you take this option rather than put the money through your own personal bank accounts.

Just Giving
It is useful to open a just giving account – either as a team or as individuals.

Go to http://www.justgiving.com/ and follow the instructions to set up your own page. Shelterbox are registered with just giving so it should be easy.

Once you have set your page up you can email the link to anyone and everyone and ask them to donate on line. This route has the additional benefit of allowing people to gift aid their donations. Research has shown that people tend to donate more when paying by debit card than they would in cash.

Events
You may wish to run some events to raise funds – below are some ideas but this is not a definitive list – the potential for ideas is limitless:

• Charity Auctions – scrounge gifts from businesses and auction them off in your local hostelry.

• Raffles – as above but with raffle tickets.

• Cake sales, coffee mornings or tea parties – ask your mum to run one for you with her friends.

• Music night at your local – ask if you can sell tickets to see a band – persuade the band to play for free.

• Be brave and set up a full charity dinner / dance night – give it a theme.

• Book swap – invite people to your house / office ask them to bring 3 books, £5 and a bottle of wine. They swap books and leave with 3 new books for £5, you all drink the wine and you keep the money.

• Have a car boot sale and clear out all your junk.

• Sell stuff on ebay – ask friends for donations of items to sell.

• Make things to sell – if you are artistic make jewellery, paint, take photographs etc.

• Persuade people at work to pay to come in dressed up as...... whatever you like.

• Wash cars at work.

There are millions of ideas – just get out there and have fun with them – and make lots of money. Please make sure that you share your ideas and your successes and failures with each other on the blog.