running4charity.com » Fundraising Ideas

Marketing Your Event

peterhier — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:47:20 +0000

So, you’ve put loads of effort in and you’ve got your Charity place.
But do enough people know about it? Have you made it the topic of conversation at work? Have all of your friends cleared their diaries just so they can help you raise money for your chosen charity?
If you can answer yes to the three questions above, then you sound like you know what you’re doing.

Publicity materials:
Get your event noticed with eye catching materials: posters, flyers and business cards – use your imagination!
Make the most of the internet and email:
Heard of the social networking sites Facebook, MySpace and Twitter? They’re excellent for spreading the word about an event to friends and friends’ friends and friends’ friends’ friends. You get the idea.
Also, have a think about sending a blanket email out to family, friends and work colleagues about your fundraiser. Or if you’ve got the time, send out individual emails to people you know and ask them to sponsor you and come and support you.
Remember, little touches like this go a long way.
Work with the local media.
If you’re running a big event and you really want to get a lot of people involved with it, or maybe you have a personal story to tell, then let your local media know all about it. Get in touch with news desks at newspapers or try and get radio and television stations interested.
Also, think about setting up a personalised sponsorship page on one of the Online Fundraising sites. More information on these can be found here. It’s a really easy way for people to sponsor you and add Gift Aid to their sponsorship.
Gift Aid
Charities love it. Why? Because for every £1 people sponsor you, charities can claim an extra 25p back from the Government. So, really encourage your family, friends and colleagues to beef up all of their sponsorship money by adding Gift Aid to it.

Simple Fundraising Ideas

peterhier — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:11:13 +0000

For some races, if the charity provides you with the entry, you may be expected to raise as much as £2,000. While that is a major undertaking, it is certainly not impossible. Lots of people have done it before you and had fun in the process!
Many people are put off by the amount that has to be raised, but shouldn’t be. By starting early and getting family, friends and work colleagues on board can take the worry out of fundraising, allowing you to concentrate on your training.
A Few Simple Fundraising ideas:

Smarties for Money! A tasty way to raise money. Give your family, friends and colleagues a tube of smarties and once they’ve eaten them ask them to fill the empty tube with £1 coins!!! Although we think you may stand a better chance asking them to fill it with 20 pence pieces.
Dress Down Day: Employees will pay not to have to wear their usual work clothes or uniform. They’ll probably pay even more if they can wear the top of their favourite sports team or some kind of fancy dress.
Office Olympics: Try your hand at speed typing, synchronised chair swivelling or fast letter franking. There are many other events you can compete in to become the office Olympics champion. People pay to enter.
Question of Sport: All you sports fanatics, make up your own questions and test your friends’ knowledge.
Shocking sock/tie day: Those who take part are asked to donate £1, those who don’t pay a forfeit of £2.
Lunch Money: Ask all your colleagues to bring in sandwiches for their lunch and donate the money they saved to charity.
Space Hopper Race!
Caption competition: Choose a funny photo from your last holiday or office party and hold a caption competition. Entrants pay per caption and the winner receives the framed photo to display on their desk or notice board. If it’s an embarrassing photo they night pay you not to display it!