Do you want to get involved but need a bit of inspiration on what to do? 

You can do just about anything you want to raise funds for Family Fund, whether you have a little or a lot of time. A little bit of imagination goes a long way and there is always something you can do to make a huge difference to families raising disabled and seriously ill children.

Take a look at our A-Z of ideas to help inspire your thoughts. You may come up with something completely different that will catch people’s attention and be great fun for everyone involved.

What to consider

  • Plan ahead – give yourself plenty of time to organise an event, get friends and family involved from the start. 
  • Time and date – make sure it suits your schedule and commitments, and think about other activities happening in your area that this may clash with. Also think about the people you might want to attend, ensuring it would be a convenient time and place for them. 
  • Cost – will this cost you anything to put on? You might want to think about your budget and where costs could be reduced by calling in a few favours or asking for a sponsor from a local or national business.
  • Health and safety – make sure you think about the health and safety requirements of any event. Follow the professional advice of equipment manufacturers and staff supervising the fundraising. Family Fund cannot accept any loss, damage or injury to you or anyone else as a result of taking part in a fundraising event.
  • Food and hygiene – if your event involves the preparation of food, please take care to work to the basic rules of safe preparation, storage and display. 
  • Data protection – make sure any electronic of paper records you keep about sponsors or participants comply with the Data Protection Act and if you are planning to take photos and video (which we really encourage!), make sure you get permission from all who might be in them.

Location

Venue might be really important to what you are planning. Is it large enough and does it have all the facilities you need such as toilets, refreshment areas, parking, electricity and shelter? Remember if you are wanting to sell alcohol or have live music, you need a license.

Don’t forget to set up your fundraising page!

Get support

Tell people about your event, get all your friends and family on email, Facebook and twitter to share the link to your page. Set up the event on Facebook and invite all your friends to come along, tell colleagues, put it in newsletters if you can or get a poster up in your local community centre. You could even invite local media to the event to get some coverage, and maybe more donations!

Tell us all about it so we can promote it on your behalf.

Checklist

  • Set date and time
  • Book venue, equipment and entertainment
  • Set up your fundraising page
  • Print off sponsor forms and ask your donors to tick the Gift Aid box
  • Tell everyone you know about it
  • Set up event on Facebook, tweet about it and email all your contacts
  • Speak to local media
  • Put poster up in local community 
  • Get some volunteers for the day
  • Think of a plan B if the weather is bad or you become ill 
  • Do your stuff on the day! Get pictures and video footage.
  • Congratulate and thank everyone who took part. Give yourself a huge pat on the back
  • Tell us all about it
  • Remind all those who promised sponsorship to get the money in

Take a look at our family stories to see just where your money goes and the impact it has.

What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid is a Government scheme that enables charities to claim the tax that supporters have already paid on their donations. To allow us to claim this back you must be a UK taxpayer and have paid sufficient income and/or capital gains tax to cover the amount Family Fund will reclaim in each tax year.

This means that Family Fund is able to reclaim tax on voluntary donations made by your donors once they have:

  • Made an individual donation
  • Filled in all the spaces on your Gift Aid sheet (which you can download)
  • Ticked that all-important Gift Aid box!

Gift Aiding your donation, means we can increase your guests’ donations by 25p for every £1 without costing them another penny!

Where do I send my Gift Aid form?

Once the sheet is filled in, you can send it back to:

Fundraising at Family Fund
Unit 4, Alpha Court,
Monks Cross Drive,
Huntington,
York
YO32 9WN

Will I receive anything to acknowledge my donation?

Yes. You’ll receive a thank you letter from us within a few weeks of receiving your donation.

What are your fundraising standards?

You can read our Fundraising Promise to find out more about our fundraising standards.

Any other questions?

If you have any other queries or questions please email us at fundraising@familyfund.org.uk