A-Z of Fundraising Tips.

So, you’re thinking about entering the 2013 Help for Heroes European 4x4 rally for charity but you’re wondering how the *!*!*! you’re going to raise that much!! We’ve put together a few ideas to inspire and encourage – and to avoid you having to plague friends and family with a worn out sponsor sheet.
The best thing is that by raising money for the charity you are guaranteed to get lots of support, advice and even the odd freebie from them. As you drive around the course your sponsor’s logos etc, you’ll be amazed at the hero’s welcome you receive from everyone all day – and it will be well-deserved too!

Auction of promises.
Ask your friends, family or colleagues to promise to do something, (e.g. Hoover, cut hair, cook a meal) then hold an auction to buy the promises.

Bath of beans
not everyone’s ideal way of maintaining their personal hygiene but a sure-fire winner when it comes to getting people to put their hands in their pockets!

Creativity
Make something and sell it, put the profits to your fundraising total. You can make anything you feel like, bake cakes, knit scarves, make Christmas cards, and do anything you want to.

Dinner for your friends
invite some friends round and either cook for them or invite them to bring something each to make a pot-luck supper. Each diner can chip in £5 for the meal.

Email
Email all of your colleagues to let them know what you are doing and ask them to support you.

Fantasy Football.
Organise a sweepstake on this season’s teams and pit you skill against the best without even setting foot on a pitch. It could be any sport; it doesn’t have to be football.

Gift Aid.
Remember that if you pay tax you can Gift Aid your donations to make the most of the money you give, also remind everyone who sponsors you to do this and maximise your giving.

Hats On.
You can arrange a competition to design the stupidest hat for the day which must be worn for the entire day to qualify. There can be a prize for the hat that looks daftest and lasts longest. This could be done at your workplace or even in the local school if you speak to the head teacher.

InviteFriends and family to donate money to the charity you support in place of presents for special occasions such as birthdays, weddings and anniversaries.

Jumble sales.
The old ones are the best! Hold a jumble or a car boot sale – get rid of unwanted items and raise money at the same time. Ask friends and family to donate junk as well and increase the profit.

Karaoke nights.
Get a local pub that does Karaoke to donate a room and get your family and friends to sing their hearts out for a small fee. Don’t forget to join in.

Letter to local businesses.
It’s worth sending a letter to any local business that might want a bit of good press by lending you their support. Obviously, anyone that you actually have business connections with should be top of your list

Matched giving.
Ask your employer to match whatever your colleagues raise and tell people this when asking for sponsorship.

No smoking.
Do you smoke and would you like to give up? Give up, get healthy and save the money in a jar. If you are serious about running a decent time in the marathon your training will profit too.

Organise
If you organise your own event you can combine a good night out or a fun day with a sizeable boost to your fundraising total. Here are a few ideas;
• A 70s disco – always good for a laugh!
• Art exhibition – amazing how many local artists will want to contribute
• Ball – hard work but worth it in the end Balloon race – make sure they are bio-degradable!
• Barn dance – a bit of line dancing never goes amiss
• Bad taste clothing day - so many people find this one so easy!!
• Casino night – hire a company to provide this while you rake in the ticket money
• Coffee morning – very easy to do but can be very effective
• Car wash – everybody needs their car washed
• Concert – can be a challenge to get together but can bring lots of ££’s
• Darts tournament – any excuse for a pint in the pub.
• Dog walking – not for everyone but can be lucrative
• Fashion Show – not as hard to make it happen as you might think
• Football tournament – back of the net! Face painting – if you’re any good at this its sure to get quids
• Hugathon – could be interesting depending on who’s doing the hugging!
• Murder mystery – simply done using a boxed game version but charge guests
• Massage – if you can!
• Quiz – can be great fun and make lots of dosh, especially if you throw in a raffle
• Raffle – getting the prizes can be a challenge but generally a good earner in the end
• Race night – can be set up quite easily and makes for a great fun way to make £’s
• Shave Beard/Head/Leg/Chest – and that’s just the women!
• Slave Auction – get friends involved but keep it clean.
• Swear box – generally incredibly lucrative
• Talent contest – who has the X factor?
• Money to be made ticket prices?
• Treasure hunt – great fun but quite a challenge to arrange

Publicity
Remember that getting publicity through your local papers and radio will boost your fundraising efforts. Get in touch with your local paper and tell them what you are doing and why.

Question:
Why are you undertaking this challenge? If you are fundraising for the charity that is close to your heart due to a family member or friend needing help from the charity. Let people know what you are doing and why. This makes your request for sponsorship more real.

RegimeAdopt a similar determined and planned approach to your fundraising. Planning how you are going to raise your sponsorship money from start to finish can save you a lot of time and hassle later. Carry a sponsorship form with you at all times.

Save money.
A policeman arranged with his bosses to cycle to work each day, and transferred the money they saved on his parking space and petrol allowance to his online fundraising page. He raised £1,000 and got fit at the same time!

Themed parties .
Get your friends to dress up and pay for the pleasure whether the theme be James Bond, the sixties, cartoons or something entirely different.

Unwanted gifts.
After Christmas we all have those inevitable scratchy jumpers or socks we’d rather pass on. Sell them in a jumble or on Ebay and donate the money to your fundraising total.

Very supportive charity organisers
Don’t hesitate to call the challenge charity if you have any queries. They have years of experience of supporting their fundraisers and are there to help you.

Whole load of change.
Collect your spare change and watch it grow into a sizeable donation. Get your friends to fill a jar of spare change for your cause or a Smartie tube full of 20p pieces.

Xpect…
driving the challenge route to be one of the most challenging but ultimately rewarding things you will ever do

Yes you can do it!
Fundraising can be challenging but keep going and you will be surprised how well you do. Keep at your fundraising efforts. Remember, you are doing it for a charity so you have nothing to feel awkward about when it comes to approaching people for help or money. The worst they can do is say ‘no’, and more often that not they will say ‘yes’.

Zzz
Make sure you get plenty sleep!! You are going to need it.

Looks out for the 1-100 pointers