Fundraising tips
Getting started
Now you have chosen your event, it's time to get started with your fundraising! It may seem a bit daunting to begin with, but with a little effort, imagination and fun it is well within your reach.
If this is your first time fundraising don’t worry, for the majority of people taking part in our events this will be the first time they have ever done anything like this before.
Once you’ve registered, the Events Team is here to support you every step of the way. For starters we will welcome you aboard and send a comprehensive pack full of fundraising ideas and sample letters.
As a taster we have put together a few tried and tested pointers which people that have completed an event recommend...
Break it down into chunks
You know how much you need, or would like, to raise. Take the time to create a plan and break the fundraising target into the manageable amounts, for example;
Fundraising for an overseas event
That's a total £2,600 – and the experience of a lifetime!
Sarah Dale who took part in the Cuba trek breaks down how she managed to raise her sponsorship:
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Cuban evening £500
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school bring and buy £200
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coffee mornings (held three - one at mine, one at my parents, one at John's parents) £700
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sponsorship/donations from clients £800
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donations from friends/family £700
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training event £300
Create your very own web page
This is excellent source of fundraising as you can email it to all your friends and family and they can donate online at the click of a button. It is quick (takes five minutes) and easy to set up. Simply go to www.justgiving.com/mind/raisemoney today and follow the instructions.
Use your sponsor form
Distribute these among your family and friends (you can photocopy the one you have) and ask them in turn to pass it round their friends and family increasing the circulation. Carry your sponsor form with you everywhere, you never know where the opportunity may arise to get sponsorship. A top tip is to make up the first amount on your form, for example £20, as normally people will follow suit. We will provide you with a sponsor form in your fundraising pack.
Spread the word – get people involved
The more people you have helping you the better. Ask everyone you know, and ask them to ask everyone they know! You will be surprised who is willing to donate their time or money to help you out with your sponsorship. People like to feel involved.
You may know someone who works in a pub or bar who might be able to hold a quiz night for you, or donate funds from an existing night to your sponsorship. Alternatively, you may know people who can donate their skills for free such as massage then you can charge people a fee and the money can go towards your sponsorship. People may also be willing to dress up and help you out for a day collecting, the more people you have the more money you will collect.
Organising an event
Make them fun! Organise events that will be fun for your friends/colleagues, you will find more people will want to come and be willing to donate more money. For example, ladies ‘pamper’ nights go down a treat and organising a darts/pool competition is great for the boys!
Give something back! It is good to offer people something in return for their money. If you offer a service or a prize in return you will find that the same people will keep coming back!
Organising a large event
Be very careful with organising a big event, for example a ball, if this is something you have never done before. It might be best to do a few small events to begin with while you get the hang of things. However if you do decide to organise a large event there are a few things you should consider before you start
- How much is the venue costing? – you should aim to get the venue for free, you don’t want to be shelling out large amounts of money just in case it goes wrong.
- How many tickets do you need to sell to break even (be realistic)? You need to make sure the event is going to make money and be worthwhile doing.
- Tickets should be sold in advance not on the door.
- How much time have you given yourself to organise everything? Have you built in contingency time?
- Do you already have a captive audience for ticket sales? If not, you need to think about how you will promote this to the general public, can you get yourself in the local press?
- Check there aren’t any similar events going on locally on the same day or any other big sporting events, for example a football match or the Grand National.
- Venue, make sure this is confirmed before you start selling tickets, get something in writing.
- Time of year, what happens if the weather is bad and no one turns up? Perhaps have a back up indoor venue. This is another reason to sell tickets in advance.
Publicise your event
Get the local press involved. It's great to let people in your area know what you are doing. It is a good opportunity to plug your Justgiving web page and any up and coming events you may have. We will provide you with sample press releases in our fundraising pack.
Writing to companies
Only write to companies that you have a contact in – otherwise brace yourself for lots of rejection letters.
Fundraising materials
Promote your event. We can provide you with fundraising materials such as collection tins, lapel stickers, ID badges, balloons, leaflets and posters. Please call 0844 4484452.
And finally…
Keep going! You are always going to get some knock backs but don’t let them put you off, it's all part of the challenge of fundraising. Remember we are here to help if you need any support or advice. If you do get some knock backs, remember what you are doing will help Mind to help the one in four people that experience mental health problems, and that is very important.
Futher information
If you need any help with your fundraising or just want to run a few ideas past us please contact the events hotline on 0844 4484452 and the Events Team will be happy to help.
Good luck!
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