Welcome

Here’s the behind-the-scenes, things-you-should-know, online information site.

These pages include details of the formal requirements, Gift Aid, creating awareness, collecting cash (including a downloadable Paying-in form) and how to set up your online justgiving site – the most popular, effective, and easy way to raise money.

Fundraising begins with ‘fun’, and there’s every reason to make this pre-event part of your challenge just as enjoyable.

Happy money-raising!

Justgiving

E-fundraising is quick, efficient, and cost-effective. Not only can you pay in money as you go, but online sponsors tend to give more.

The very fact that you are reading this means that you and computers get on ok. In which case, online fundraising will be a doddle.

Here’s an example of how easy it is…

1. Go to the Justgiving website and create your page:
   
   
   • For Trailwalker:
     justgiving.com/trailwalker
   • For Trailtrekker:
     justgiving.com/Trailtrekker
   • All other events:
     justgiving.com/oxfam/raisemoney
2. Fill in your details to create your account – if you are part of a team you can add your name to the existing group if they’re signed up, or you can set up your own.
3. Choose your web address – maybe your name, or your team name – and add any additional info to your fundraising page if you fancy, then your page is up, running, and ready to start raising money.
4. Justgiving will send you an email with handy hints and tips that are worth taking a look at. You can set up your page to send you an email whenever anyone makes a donation, and because the funds go direct to Oxfam, there’s no admin for you to do.

E-fundraising is also one of the safest ways to make a donation, and all online payments go through the highest possible security protocols to protect against fraud.

Making more of going online

Describe the event you are doing, so your sponsors get an idea of the challenge and the commitment involved.

Encourage people to sponsor you for all of your effort, including your training. This way you’ll raise even more money.

Tell people how much you want to raise so they can see what a difference their contribution will make.

Personalise your page with your own photos.

Use examples of what each donation could mean for Oxfam.

 

• £10 could buy fishing nets to support fishing communities.
  
  
• £25 could buy five radios, used to broadcast health education and advice to remote communities
  
  
• £100 could buy essential medicines for a whole village for 6 months
  
  
• £250 could buy 10 teaching kits providing essential educational equipment
  
  
• £500 could pay for the care of 10 orphans or vulnerable children
  
  
• £1,700 could pay for a whole classroom.

Add your Justgiving link to the bottom of your emails whenever appropriate.

Other online activity

Justgiving have an application that you can add to your Facebook profile that displays elements of your fundraising page so others can sponsor you.

After you’ve created your Justgiving page just go to Facebook, and add the Justgiving application to your profile

You can also get a widget for your fundraising. Click on the ‘promote this page’ link on your Justgiving page, get the code, and then add it to your blog, Myspace or website.

Need help?

You can contact Justgiving through their website or call free on 0845 021 2110 Mon – Fri 9am until 6pm.

Get publicity

Have a think about all the different people who might be likely to support you, and the best way to communicate with them.

• Make a list of the best media to contact – local radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, specialist publications and journals, company newsletters, or the internet.
• Ask about putting up posters in – community centres, doctors’/dentists' surgeries, libraries, shops, post offices, schools, churches – but don’t forget fly-posting is illegal.
• Contact your local Oxfam shop – or call our Shop Support Team on 0845 3000 311, and they’ll be able to tell you if your local shop will be able to help.

Any publicity you do should also comply with Charity Law. See rules and regulations section for all the details.

To comply with charity law, all publicity materials must include the following statements:

• ‘All proceeds/profits will be donated to Oxfam.’
• ‘Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International, registered as a charity in England and Wales (no 202918) and Scotland (SCO 039042).’
• ‘Oxfam works with others to overcome poverty and suffering.’

You need to make it clear that you are raising money in aid of Oxfam. If you are not an Oxfam employee, you should also make it clear that you do not represent Oxfam.

Write a press release

To get coverage in your local media you need to make your story newsworthy. This means:

• including details of the event that you’re taking part in
• the fact that you’re raising money for Oxfam
• and the total that you are hoping to raise.

Write the words ‘press release’ at the top. Include the date, an attention-grabbing headline, and a short amount of text that describes what you are doing. Under the heading ‘Notes for Editors’, put your contact details telling journalists how to contact you. Also include the names and contact numbers for two people that can be contacted for further information about the story.

Below the contact details please include this short description of Oxfam:

Oxfam GB is a campaigning and development aid agency, which works with others in more than 70 countries around the world to tackle poverty and save lives, and campaigns to deliver long-lasting change. See: www.oxfam.org.uk

If you wish to use the Oxfam logo in any of your materials there are certain ‘dos and don’ts’ – take a look at the ‘Using our logo’ section.

Journalists get stacks of press releases each week, so make yours stand out. Ensure that it contains all the relevant information, and is easy to read e.g. use everyday language and short sentences.

Your first paragraph should be a single sentence which will encourage people to read on. The second should explain more, and the third should cover all the remaining essential details.

If possible your release should include an interesting quote – perhaps about your decision to support Oxfam.

Try to get all the crucial information up front in your release. The things that a journalist will always want to know:

• Who – is this story about?
  What – are they doing (that makes this interesting/unusual)?
  Why – are they doing it (and why should we print it)?
  Where – is it happening?
  When – is it happening?
  How – are they going to do it?

It should be typed, double spaced for legibility, and no longer than one side.

The shorter and snappier it is the more appealing it will be for a journalist.

Help your press release along

Do a little research. Find out what sort of stories your media like, and when they publish or broadcast. And when you’re ready to send out your release follow these simple steps:

• Phone the journalist before you send it, so they can look out for it – it will also give you the chance to ask how best they would like to receive it - post, email, fax – don’t worry about calling, mostly journalists are happy to be contacted about a potential story.
• Time your call – most journalists work to tight deadlines. Call weekly regional papers very early or very late in the week as they tend to be printed on Thursdays and published on Fridays. Call regional evening papers early in the day, certainly before midday. Call regional morning papers before 2.30pm on the day before.
• Avoid calling radio stations on the hour, half hour, lunchtimes or early evening – because this is usually when news bulletins are broadcast.
• All papers have a forward planning diary – advance warning can help ensure that they have staff available to cover your story.
• The department to call is the newsdesk – they won’t need a lot of detail just the outline of your story – but explain why it is topical.
• Once you’ve sent your press release, follow it up at a quieter time, to ensure the journalist has received it and gauge their interest.
• Invite the journalist (and photographer) to your activity – it really pays to build a good relationship.

Rules and regulations

If you are running any fundraising activity for your event that involves the public – YOU are responsible for ensuring that it complies with all the legal requirements. Oxfam cannot accept any liability for any activities run in our name.

The checklist

Events

• Contact your local council for any necessary permissions, licensing, trading standards, and health & safety issues.
• Contact the police if you are planning an event in a public place e.g. if the event is to be held on public roads and could cause traffic disruption.

Collections

• You need a licence from your local authority to collect funds in the street, in any public place, or house-to-house – otherwise it is illegal. Most authorities have details of how to apply for a licence on their website, but you should allow at least two months for it to come though.
• If you are collecting on private property e.g. a pub or supermarket, you must obtain written permission from the owner or manager, and when collecting you must always have a copy of this permission with you.
• Anyone collecting money in public, must be over 16.
• Please do not pressurise people to donate, and please do not act in a manner that might damage Oxfam’s good reputation.

Collection Boxes

• We can’t supply collection boxes, buckets or tins for fundraisers.
• All donations must be placed in a sealed container – the seal can be a lock, or adhesive paper – anything that provides a way of easily detecting any attempt to tamper with it.
• Collection buckets and tins must be opened and counted by two people – you and someone to whom you are not related.

Raffles and lotteries

• These are subject to very strict and complex laws – therefore you MUST consult The Institute of Fundraising Laws, before organising a raffle or lottery.
• We also recommend that you get a copy of Lotteries and the Law, from the Gaming Board of Great Britain,
• In Northern Ireland contact the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action for a copy of their booklet Lotteries: A Guide for Voluntary Groups.

Health and safety

We want everyone to be safe while having fun and raising funds – that’s why we don’t encourage particularly hazardous activities, and definitely not without specialist supervision. Oxfam cannot accept any liability for accidents.

Staying safe

• Any activity must comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (www.hse.gov.uk), and all other relevant legislation – and remember the Act applies to volunteers as well as to employees.
• If you are carrying money around, always consider personal security – use a safe route, be accompanied if possible, or carry a personal alarm.
• Make sure that no-one is fundraising, working or spectating in an unsafe environment.
• If using sub-contractors or facilities e.g. portaloos, bouncy castles etc. make sure that the they have the requisite experience and insurance cover.
• Think about first aid requirements and fire safety – contact your local St John’s Ambulance and Fire Station respectively for advice and help.
• You can get free health and safety advice from The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), it is very worthwhile checking their ‘five steps to a risk assessment’ before putting on an event.