Fundraising Tips

Set a date, location and budget 

Decide when to hold your event: Consider a day and time when lots of people will be available. Choose your venue carefully, and one that best suits your activity – a church or school hall, café, back garden, community centre, office, or even online. Check to see if the venue has all the facilities you may need: toilets, tables, chairs, a kitchen, lights, etc. 

Book your venue: Secure the venue and pay a deposit if necessary. Always mention it’s for a charity event and you may find you get a discount (or maybe even get it for free)! 

Budget: Put together a budget – work out how much you think tickets or raffles could raise, and then make a list of expenditure. You want to be sure your event will both cover costs and raise money! 

Fundraising target: Set a money target you’d like to reach. Keep this in mind throughout your planning process. 

Ask for help 

Involve others: Ask for help with setting up, promoting and organising your event – it makes life much easier and is much more fun with an enthusiastic team! 

SCIAF on standby: We’d be delighted to lend support by providing advice, or perhaps even some branded materials such as a donation bucket. Please just let us know what you’re planning! 

Ask for a contribution: Contact local businesses and organisations to ask for raffle prizes or other support. Use all the contacts you have to pull in favours. If needed, we can provide a letter of authorisation. 

Matched giving: Check with your employer to see if matched giving is available. 

Invite everyone 

The more people who know about your event, the better! 

• Social media is a fantastic way to reach lots of people quickly.
• Make sure to mention the event is for SCIAF.
• Try to make use of any social media account available to you – your own, your venue, church or school!
• E-mail, text or card invitations can get the word out, or try putting up flyers and posters in local areas such as shops, libraries, doctors and dentist surgeries.