Fundraising Guide Make a difference for DeafblindUK

Transcription

1 Fundraising Guide Make a difference for DeafblindUK

2 2 Contents 2-3 About Deafblind UK 4-5 How do we help? 6-7 A-Z of Fundraising 8-9 Getting started Top tips About Us Deafblind UK s vision is that people who have a combined sight and hearing loss should have the same rights, access and opportunities as others. Mission Deafblind UK is a membership organisation of, and governed by, people who are deafblind or have both a sight and hearing loss. We champion the rights and interests of all people who are deafblind or have a combined sight and hearing loss and deliver quality services to give these individuals autonomy and control over their lives. Through our work we support equality, independence and choice. Our overarching goals 1) To work towards a more equal society by raising awareness and understanding of deafblindness by engaging with people who have a sight and hearing loss, the Government and other organisations, individuals and communities. 2) To enable people with both a sight and hearing loss to remain in their own homes and participate in their local communities. 3) To provide relevant, high quality Peer Support, Befriending and Information and Advice services to people with a dual sensory loss, helping them to; live independently, interact with others, understand their rights and access their entitlements.

3 3 Join our team Volunteers play an important role in raising crucial finds to enable deafblind people to lead fulfilling lives, and also through raising awareness, helping us to challenge attitudes and behaviour to ensure that deafblind people are given the support they need to access the world in which we live. We rely on volunteers as our partners and the support we receive each year is invaluable. Make a difference... There are three main difficulties deafblind people face every day. Communication Deafblind people can find communication difficult in today s world. Their degree of sight and hearing loss will determine the method of communication they use, i/e. British Sign Language (BSL), clear speech or the Deafblind Manual Alphabet where letters are spelt out on the palm of the hand. Mobility Finding your way from A to B can be difficult if you have partial or profound sight loss, but it gets much more complication when you also have a hearing impairment. Accessing Information Information contained in newspapers, medicine bottles and much more is often written in small print that can be difficult or even impossible for deafblind people to read. There are ways that deafblind people can access important information: large print, Braille, Moon, and audio CD. Deafblind UK can help overcome of these challenges by providing practical 1:1 human support through our network of support services and Volunteer Befrienders.

4 4 How do we help? There are some core areas where we focus our attention: Free Information and Advice Line ( ) The Information and Advice Line exists to advise and pass on referrals from deafblind people, carers, professionals and the general public to appropriate staff for action. It also provides much needed emotional support to isolate and lonely deafblind people. Practical support services, Communicator Guides and Volunteer Befrienders ensures that services for deafblind people are both efficient and effective. Deafblind UK has trained staff who work as part of a team to deliver a comprehensive support package to deafblind members of the local community. This support can be anything from advice on housing and homecare to complex casework and benefits advice. Advice, information and peer support. We are developing peer support groups and networks to increase opportunities where deafblind people can meet others outside their home environment. This will provide a forum for deafblind members to access information and share personal experiences, encouraging independent thought. Join us! There are many ways you can fundraise for Deafblind UK; at work, school, home or with your friends! Read on for more ways you can help. Event participants Take part in one of our organised fundraising events such as an abseil, zip slide, shark dive, or skydive. You can also sign up and begin training for running events like the London Marathon. We provide sponsorship forms, posters, collection tins and t-shirts to help with your fundraising. Visit our website for details about our sponsored events. Community fundraising and volunteers make our work possible please join us today!

5 5 Local fundraising In every community there are people just like you organising their own events and activities to raise money for Deafblind UK. These fundraisers act as ambassadors for deafblind people in the community, helping to inform and education new groups of people about the work of the charity and deafblindness as a disability. Corporate support We encourage companies to develop a close relationship with Deafblind UK, raising money through activities such as employee fundraising, marketing, sponsorship, promotions, and payroll giving. Individual donors People often choose to support Deafblind UK by sending in donations in response to direct advertising, marketing, or media coverage. These donations are essential for our future. Regular giving You can also donate to us regularly through standing order or direct debit. These gifts help the charity to make longterm plans for our services. Legacies and in memoriam gifts We are fortunate that many people include a gift to Deafblind UK in their Will. Even a small percentage of estate or modest amount of money can make a big difference to deafblind people and their families, facing enormous challenges every day. Friends and family often collect gifts in memory of a loved one and we remember these supporters in our Book of Remembrance at Deafblind UK. Campaigning Many of our members and supporters help to raise awareness and lobby MPs and key decision makers to persuade them to improve services and better protect vulnerable deafblind people. To find out more about any of these fundraising activities and to learn more about Deafblind UK, you can get in touch with us: Web: Phone: supportus@deafblind.org.uk Inspired? We hope so! This guide is filled with information and fundraising ideas to get you started thank you for helping us make a difference.

6 6 The A-Z of Fundraising Abseil, Art exhibition, Auction. Anything goes, from a cake bake to a car wash. Ask around for ideas and support! BBQ. Charge for burgers and drinks, or even tickets if you fancy holding a bigger event! Bike rides and book sales. Cheese and wine party, car boot sale, carol singing, craft fair, cabaret. Company contacts -ask your suppliers for donations or gifts! Dress down day, dog walking, dance show. Have a disco at your school or company! Empty your attic and hold a garage sale or bring and buy. Exhibitions, Easter egg hunt perfect for kids! Fair or fete. Organise a stall and sell homemade cakes! Film evening, fashion show, fortune telling, fancy dress. Goal! How many can you score in an hour? Guess the number sweets in a jar, etc. Games evening, gardening, golfing. Halloween party, horse racing, hair shave. Italian evening, It s a Knockout! Recreate the game show classic with everyone you know! Jumble sale, jazz evening, Just Giving - set up your own sponsorship page at Karaoke evening. Maybe you can even get paid not to sing! Lunch-less; set a date for all of your colleagues to bring a packed lunch and donate the money they would have spent! Ladies lunch, lottery. Marathon! Run for Deafblind UK in either the London or Brighton marathon. Masquerade ball, market stall.

7 7 Never give up! Nature walk, novelty events. Neighbours - offer to wash their car. Opera night, odd jobs friends and family. Plant sales; great for green fingered fundraisers! Pub crawl, pet show and of course, PARTY! Quiz night; so easy to organise and lots of fun! Relatives. Enlist talented relatives who may be willing to donate old items or even handmade masterpieces to be auctioned or sold. Services; enlist your local hairdresser, etc. to donate a day s tips. Sponsored activities like walks, dancing, slimming, bungee jump and more! Tin. Need a collection tin? Contact our team! Use your network of friends and colleagues to come up with unique and fun ideas. Valentine s Day! Make and sell romantic chocolates, organise a speed dating event, this is the perfect day to show you care! Website. Visit for loads of fab ideas. X marks the spot organise a treasure hunt! X YOU. It s you that can make a difference. Be passionate about Deafblind UK and your fundraising. Zest and zeal is essential if you re going to make the most of your fundraising experience. Your hard work is going towards making a better life for another person. We hope this A-Z of ideas has got you thinking, and with all the other information in this guide you should be ready to go!

8 8 Getting Started Once you ve decided on the type of event or activity you want to organise or get involved with, you need to start planning how, when and where it is going to happen. You can also consider who you may need to ask for help. Do you need to hire equipment? Will you need to sell tickets? Can friends and family lend a hand? There is a lot to think about in the earlier stages of planning a fundraising event, but most events are simple to arrange and don t forget that Deafblind UK can help you if you need resources, ideas and support. Invite everyone How many people are you going to invite to join you? Will you make your own invitations? Are you planning to invite your entire address book? What about local advertising to drum up interest? Food for thought When it comes to feeding the troops, will you ask for help and ask guests to bring their own food? Whether you are providing tea and coffee or a fourcourse meal, now is the time to think about budget and planning. Getting there Don t rely on everyone being able to arrive at your event by car. While you should definitely find out about car parking arrangements, you should also consider public transport and accessibility. Wet weather? Depending on the time of year and if your event is indoors or outdoors, you may have to consider that the weather isn t always predictable. Is there any shelter should it rain? Will you need to provide some? Phone a friend Do you know anyone with a particular talent? Someone that is good at crafting, baking or doing sums? Ask your friends if they can spare some time to help you. Photo: queensu Via Compfight Right on time Before you confirm a date, check to make sure it doesn t clash with another activity that may prevent a larger number of people from attending, like a school fete for example.

9 9 Just the ticket What are you going to charge for your event? If you ask too much, people will not want to pay. Ask too little, and you risk not meeting your fundraising target. What will it all cost? You may need to spend money before the event, so be sure to estimate what you think your costs might be. You need to consider fixed overheads such as venue, printing, or a PA system. If you re planning an indoor event how many people can you legally invite? If you re selling tickets, calculate your cost ratio to help you work out a ticket price that fits within your budget. On the map Where are you planning to hold your event? At home? A park or playing field? If you are using a public area, find out if you need permission to use the space and if it s available on your chosen date. Stay in control If you don t want to organise everything yourself, why not recruit a group of friends to help? You may know people that can help you design artwork, print t-shirts or even use their contacts to publicise your event. Tell everyone! It s wonderful that you ve chosen to raise money for Deafblind UK, so pass it on! From posters to media coverage, spread the word. The more people that attend your event, the more money you will raise. Go online and social media are great ways of quickly getting a message out and most people have access to the internet in some shape or form these days. Be sure to let us know if you re publicising your event online, we can help boost your audience on Facebook and Twitter! Happy snaps If you re taking photos to send out to people or put on posters, don t forget to send some to us and we will make sure they get seen you may even find yourself on our website! Need help? If you need advice about anything to do with event planning, please contact the Deafblind UK Fundraising team who will be happy to help. Who do we help? Sammy is hoping to be matched with a volunteer befriender to help reduce his sense of isolation. Jimmy is enjoying a renewed sense of confidence since joining a Deafblind UK social group. Of Deafblind UK social groups Sandra says: I love meeting new people and I look forward to our meetings.

10 10 Top Tips! Essential for successful fundraising Think creatively when it comes to spreading the word! Find out what local news websites are around you may be able to make an advertisement post online for free Make the most of notice boards if you have them at work. Use as well to let people know you are holding a fundraiser. Use local resources such as community newspapers, church and school newsletters. Getting in touch with the media When you get in touch with your local media to ask for their help in promoting your event it s useful to remember: Use a catchy headline to grab attention Write short sentences and paragraphs Include a quote from someone taking part Remember that post-event publicity can be a great way to drum up support. Always include photographs! Keep it legal and safe While we want you to have as much fun as possible, it s vital to stay safe. Please take some time to read the following information about being safe and legal; charity fundraising is regulated by law. Tell us about it If you are planning to raise 1,000 or more, please get in touch with us in advance. This way we can also help with promotion. Branding Please contact us for guidelines on using our logo. We can also supply sponsor forms, collections tins and a variety of other resources.

11 11 Alcohol and public entertainment licence If your event involves the sale of alcohol and/or live or recorded music, dancing, showing of a film/play, an indoor sporting event or entertainment of a similar nature, you may need a licence. Please speak to your local authority for as necessary. You can avoid these issues by holding your event on premises that already have a licence like a local pub. Food hygiene This is vitally important. Food safety laws apply when food is at an event whether it is for sale or not. Please take care when handling food and work to basic rules for safe preparation, storage, display and cooking. Make sure your event is unforgettable for the right reasons! Insurance By organising a fundraising event you are responsible for taking adequate steps to ensure that the event poses no risk to others. Check that any building or equipment you hire is covered. If you organise an event that involves the public, you will need to ensure you have public liability insurance. Health and safety risk assessment Follow the professional advice of equipment manufacturers and staff supervising any facilities. Events need to be adequately assessed to identify, minimise and control the risk to all those taking part and those in attendance. Collections Make sure that everyone at your event, including spectators, is safe Deafblind UK cannot accept responsibility for accidents If you are carrying money, please take care with personal security If external facilities or sub contractors are used, make sure they have the relevant experience and comply with health and safety standards. If you want to collect money in a public place, you must first get permission to do so. To collect in the street you will also need a licence from your local council who will also give you a set of rules to follow. Private collections require only the permission of the owner of the premises (for example a supermarket, pub, etc.). Photo: HowardLake Via Compfight

12 12 More Top Tips Door-to-door collections are illegal without a licence The Fundraising team at Deafblind UK can supply collection tins, t-shirts and letters of authority to help with any public collections that you may want to undertake. Raffles, lotteries and prize draws There are strict legal requirements governing the organisation of raffles, lotteries and prize draws. Please check the Deafblind UK Fundraising team for details on lottery guidelines. Data protection Make sure that any electronic or paper record you keep about people involved in a fundraising event complies with the Data Protection Act. As a rule of thumb, don t keep information about people any longer than you have to, and don t share data about someone without their permission. Keeping children safe Ensure that the welfare and safety of children has been considered in any fundraising event where children will be present. Always seek parental consent before children become involved with a fundraising event. Wherever possible ensure that parents/carers attend the event with children. Where this isn t possible, endeavour to secure an emergency contact number for a parent/carer. Always ensure there are a minimum of two adults at events with children. Try not to get into a situation where you are alone with a child outside of the sight or hearing of other people. Where possible get references or checks on people and organisations who you ask to provide a service at your event. Banking the money When your event is over, there are still a few things to cover. Please make sure that the money you have raised or collected reaches Deafblind UK safely and as quickly as possible. Make cheques payable to Deafblind UK and send them to the Fundraising Team with a brief description of how and where the money was raised. Don t forget to include name, address and details so we can thank you!

13 13 Gift Aid Gift Aid is a simple scheme that enables charities to claim an additional 25p from every 1 donated by UK tax payers. Gift Aid can apply to any individual who is a UK tax payer whether large or small (more than 5). It s an easy way for donors to increase their donation at no additional cost to themselves. We would like your support in helping maximise income through Gift Aid and we can supply Gift Aid forms and reply envelopes to help. Further information on Gift Aid can be found on the Inland Revenue website: Thank You! After you have finished fundraising, please send us photos and details of your events; we would love to share your story on our website! On behalf of all the deafblind people we support, we would like to thank you for your time, effort and generosity. Becoming a Deafblind UK supporter has given you the opportunity to make a real difference to people in your community. any stories/pictures to supportus@deafblind.org.uk

14 How to contact us Telephone: Website: Address: John and Lucille van Geest Place Cygnet Road Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8FD DBUKCharity DeafblindUK