Raising Funds for the BNTVARaising Funds for the BNTVARaising Funds for the BNTVARaising Funds for the BNTVA

As a Charity the BNTVA relies solely on income from membership fees, donations and gift

aid, we use this income as economically as possible to fund the delivery of our Education,

Research and Support services. The BNTVA does not employ paid staff to deliver these

services or to run the organisation, all work is voluntary and only basic expenses and costs

are reimbursed by the organisation.

We manage to cover our basic annual running costs from membership fees however to

provide the wider services required by our membership we do need to increase our financial

income.

As an individual or group you can take a part in raising the funds we need, there are a wide

range of options available from individual or group donations through sponsored activities to

the granting of legacies. This package will provide you with information on how to decide,

organise, raise and collect funds for sponsored activities.

SponsorshipSponsorshipSponsorshipSponsorship

Sponsored events are some of the most popular charity fundraising ideas.

From Long distance walks to a day of fasting, sponsored events offer donors the opportunity

to pick a donation level that suits their budget, whilst potentially raising a lot of money for

the charity.

How to Organise a Sponsored EventHow to Organise a Sponsored EventHow to Organise a Sponsored EventHow to Organise a Sponsored Event

A sponsored event can be simple or complex. Every day, hundreds of people raise money for

worthy causes by doing everyday things; others take once-in-a-lifetime journeys to raise

awareness and funds. The choice is up to you.

First, decide on a sponsored event that suits your interests, time and budget. Logistics are

important here; you may want to go on a massive trek to Mount Everest, but who will look

after your kids? It’s important to sort these details in the planning stages so you don’t find

yourself cancelling or postponing the sponsored event at the last minute.

Then, allow yourself plenty of time to plan, train (if necessary) and get ready for your

sponsored event. Again, this will vary based on the difficulty of the sponsored event you

choose to undertake, but it is always a good idea to leave more time than you think you need.

Not only does this give you a cushion should problems arise, but it also gives you more time

to fundraise!

You must ensure whatever you do is legal and safe, the BNTVA do not support any illegal

morally questionable or potentially dangerous activities

Sponsored Event IdeasSponsored Event IdeasSponsored Event IdeasSponsored Event Ideas

Here are some popular ideas for sponsored events:

• Extreme sportsExtreme sportsExtreme sportsExtreme sports – abseil, skydive, bungee jump

• Crazy ideasCrazy ideasCrazy ideasCrazy ideas – haircut/dye, baked bean bath, custard boots

• ActivitiesActivitiesActivitiesActivities – Travel, bike, run, swim

• Give something upGive something upGive something upGive something up – Smoking, chocolate, TV or texting

Activities like baked bean boots can be done in only a few hours, soliciting donations from

those around you; or, you can choose a more challenging physical activity like a hike up

Snowdon or running a marathon. Get creative and make sure you have fun. We have

included a table of other ideas at the end of this guide.

How to Publicise aHow to Publicise aHow to Publicise aHow to Publicise a SponsoredSponsoredSponsoredSponsored EventEventEventEvent

A great way to find donors outside of your immediate family, co-workers and friends is to get

publicity for your sponsored event.

Well ahead of the event, contact local media (television, newspaper and websites) and tell

them what you’re doing. Ask them to publish an article about what you’re doing; you can

even ask them to sponsor you directly. Local and free papers in particular are always

looking for human interest stories like this. Remember the BNTVA has a Press Officer and

your event could be publicised by us, please contact the Secretary for more information.

Whilst media coverage of your sponsored event is fantastic, getting publicity before you

embark is even more important, because this raises money for your cause.

Publicise early and often!

You can also create flyers, a website, and use social media sites like Twitter to get attention

for your sponsored event.

How to Stand Out When Doing a SponsoHow to Stand Out When Doing a SponsoHow to Stand Out When Doing a SponsoHow to Stand Out When Doing a Sponsored Event for Charityred Event for Charityred Event for Charityred Event for Charity

People love to hear about the crazy, daring things others are doing to raise money for

charity, so take advantage of this.

The press and the public are more likely to take an interest in your sponsored event if it is

new or interesting. Even a popular sponsored activity like taking part in a “Fun Run” can

become more interesting if you do it in costume. Get creative with the “unique selling point”

of your sponsored event.

Remember the BNTVA has a wide range of promotional and fun items, if you wish to sell any

as part of your activities the BNTVA Shop Manager will provide you with whatever you need

at cost allowing you to add the mark-up to your funds raised.

How to Collect Sponsored Event DonationsHow to Collect Sponsored Event DonationsHow to Collect Sponsored Event DonationsHow to Collect Sponsored Event Donations

There are lots of resources available for sponsored event collections. We strongly

recommend Virgin Money GivingVirgin Money GivingVirgin Money GivingVirgin Money Giving and JustGivingJustGivingJustGivingJustGiving, we have BNTVA portals established on

both these sites and you can set up your own pages that link to our portals. This makes it

very easy for donors to give money online from both credit and debit card in a very legitimate

way that also ensures we obtain the ‘gift aid’ from their donations.

Gift Aid is an important source of income for the BNTVA, essentially if any UK tax payer ‘gift

aids’ their donation (using the correct form) we are able to reclaim tax they have paid on the

monies they donate.

Sponsorship Forms and Gift Aid forms are all available to download from

our website

Don’t overlook cash collections, though. Both early on and during the event itself, you can

make quite a lot of money by soliciting donations in person. In particular, if you are doing an

event like an abseil, ask a trusted friend to be on the ground, in the crowd, collecting

donations (don’t forget to get ‘gift aid’ forms completed as well).

Final Words about Charity Sponsored EventsFinal Words about Charity Sponsored EventsFinal Words about Charity Sponsored EventsFinal Words about Charity Sponsored Events

The most important thing to remember when doing a sponsored event is to make the most

of every opportunity, have fun, be safe and do not break the law.

Publicise your cause whenever you can, use all sorts of websites to let people know what

you’re doing, keep a journal, and take lots of photographs during the event. All of these

things will create a footprint around your event, which will help people remember you – and

your fundraising cause – long after the sponsored event is finished. That’s the real key to

making the most of your donation opportunities!

N Heaps

Chairperson BNTVA

May 2011

Ideas for Fundraising EventsIdeas for Fundraising EventsIdeas for Fundraising EventsIdeas for Fundraising Events Fundraising Activities

Bagging groceries

Bobbing for apples

Book sale

Busking / street choir

Car boot sale

Car wash

Carolling / singing

Clothing collection

Create and sell a CD

Dog walking

Donation bucket

Dunk booth (teacher / parent /

boss)

Face painting

Farmer’s market

Fortune telling

Fundraising letters

Gift wrapping

Guess the number of sweets in

a jar

Lottery

Lucky dip

Make and sell greeting cards

Odd jobs

Pamper day

Paver/brick sale

Perform magic tricks

Personal shopper service

Raffle

Recycling drive

Secret Santa

Sell calendars

Sell crafts / handmade items

Sell ribbons

Skill games

Skills auction

Swear box

Telephone fundraising

Tombola

Tuck shop

Wristband sale

Fundraising Charity Events

Art gallery showing

Bake sale

Battle of the Bands

Bazaar

Bingo night

Bowling tournament

Carnival

Casino night

Charity auction

Charity concert

Charity dinner

Charity race

Christmas party

Coffee morning

Costume contest

Craft fair

Dance / ball

Easter egg hunt

Easter egg roll

Egg and spoon race

Fashion show

Fete

Golf tournament

Halloween party

Karaoke

Learn a New Skill day

Meet-a-Celeb night

Photography exhibition

Pub quiz

Quiz night

Santa’s grotto

Shopping fair

Singing contest

Skating party

Skills raffle

Sporting match

Street party

Talent show

Themed fundraising party

Treasure hunt

Variety show

Wheelbarrow race

Wine tasting

Sponsored Events

Abseil

Bad hair day

Baked bean bath

Baked bean boots

Bike ride

Dance marathon

Dress down day

Eating contest

Endurance test (e.g. staying

awake, standing up, reading)

Fancy dress day

Go without (e.g. drinking,

smoking, chocolate, texting)

Haircut

Jailbreak travel contest

Mountain climbing

Pyjama day

Run

Shave your head

Skydive

Sponsored famine

Sponsored silence

Swim

Walk

Wax a body part