Fundraising Ideas

• Auction of promises – instead of auctioning items, ask your friends, family or work colleagues to pledge their time, skills and services to be put up for auction. People can bid for someone to spend the day as their handyman or for a nights babysitting.
• Car boot and yard sales are a good excuse to have a clear out. Ask friends and family if they’d like to de-clutter their attics to and donate items for sale.
• Something to celebrate? Have a party and ask guests if they would to make a donation to Home-Start instead of buying a present.
• Host a quiz night at your local pub, community centre, school, cafe and charge a small entry fee to take part.
• Hold a raffle – you could contact your local shops, pubs and restaurants to donate items or vouchers as prizes.
• Supermarket bag packing – Get a few people you know to volunteer for a couple of hours. Offer to help pack people’s shopping in exchange for a donation. Contact your local supermarket as early as possible to arrange and time and date because slots often get booked up well in advance.
• Host an amateur poker tournament playing to raise money. Set a buy-in price and then split the pot between the winner and Home-Start UK.
• Seed Bank: In the springtime, ask local gardeners and garden centres for donations of seeds, seedlings or bedding plants and host an afternoon of garden sales.
• Rent a karaoke machine and host a party at home, or speak to a local restaurant or bar about hosting for the evening. Charge an entry fee and have a prize for your winner.
• Plan a scavenger hunt and charge teams an entry fee to take part. Create a list of items and photos the teams must obtain. Hold it in your local area and include some interesting local history facts or unique attractions. Add bonus tasks to make it even more fun, such as getting a photo of the entire team jumping. Set a time limit and impose a penalty of -1 point for each minute a player is late. Arrange for somewhere to reconvene and total up how many points each player’s scored. The winner gets a prize or bragging rights.
• If you work for a restaurant, you could suggest that a 50p donation is made on each bill or have a charity tip box for one particular table which will support our work.

This is a free and simple way for UK schools, charities, sports clubs, community groups and other good causes to raise money from everyday online shopping

Everytime you buy something online with a participating retailer, to say ‘thank you’ they’ll give a donation to Home-Start Arun, Worthing & Adur or any cause you choose

Retailers in the scheme include Argos, John Lewis, Debenhams, M+S … the list is almost endless !

Click here to get to our page on the EasyFundraising website.

Charity fundraising is regulated by law. Full guidelines from IOF here (Chartered Institute of Fundraising – New and popular guidance and resources (ciof.org.uk))

Any events or activities you organise should clearly state that you are fundraising ‘in aid of’ Home Start AWA. You must be aware that you are acting in aid of an organisation and have no authority to act in our name and that you are simply raising funds for the organisation but acting in your own capacity.

First aid – to find guidance on the level of First aid required at your event you, look at St John’s Ambulance website here (First Aid Courses, Advice & Volunteering | St John Ambulance (sja.org.uk)).

Money – if you’re fundraising on a private property, you need the owner’s permission. If in a public place, you need permission from the local council. We have collection tins you can use but you must keep them secure and somewhere safe after the event. They are only to be opened by a designated person in the presence of a witness.

Alcohol – measures must be made to ensure that under 18’s are not served. If you need a licence, you can find more at GOV.UK. (Alcohol licensing – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk))

Food – guidance on preparation and food hygiene can be found here (Food hygiene for your business | Food Standards Agency) to food standards agency.

Health and Safety – you should carry out a risk assessment of your event and if your event involves the public, you’ll need public liability insurance. The venue may have this and may cover your event but you should check. Home Start AWA cannot accept liability for a fundraising activity or event that someone undertakes in support of our charity.  check out the advice from the Health and Safety Executive (Events health and safety (hse.gov.uk)

Raffles/ Lottery – advice can be found at Gambling Commission link here (www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk)

Getting your money to us: Donate by BACS (details) but do let us know when you have done this, so we know where the money has come from! Or post a cheque to Home-Start AWA, E2 Arundel Court, Park Bottom, Arundel BN18 0AA.