fundraising for y care international · the fundraising team at y care international contact our...

May 2015

Fundraising for

Y Care International

How your YMCA can support our Tools for Recovery appeal and

help young people in Liberia rebuild their lives after Ebola.

02 www.ycareinternational.org

Thank you!

Thank you so much for choosing to support Y Care International. With the support

of amazing people like you, we create opportunities for vulnerable young people,

helping to unleash their potential and changing their lives for the better.

To help you raise money for Y Care International, we’ve written this handy guide.

It’s full of ideas, advice, and stories to help and inspire you.

There are loads of different ways you can support and raise money for Y Care

International. Whether it’s running a marathon, or holding an event at your work or

school. How you do it is really up to you! Whatever you do, our fundraising team

is on hand to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions about

what you have planned, or want to discuss your ideas, please get in touch. We’d

love to hear from you.

Thanks again.

The Fundraising Team at Y Care International

Contact our Fundraising Team

Call 020 7549 3175

Email [email protected]

Visit www.ycareinternational.org

A difference £10 can make

A donation of just £10 could

help provide vocational

training for a young person to work their way out of poverty.

“I did it! My first half marathon! I

gave it my all and finished in 1 hour

and 49 minutes. Thank you so much

to those who have sponsored me.”

Tim Fallon, CEO North London YMCA

who ran the 2014 Royal Parks Half

Marathon for Y Care International

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.ycareinternational.org/


Contents

Who are Y Care International? ........................................................................ 4

Fundraising at your YMCA ............................................................................... 5

Planning a fundraising event ........................................................................... 9

Raising money online .................................................................................... 10

Challenge events .......................................................................................... 11

Gift Aid ....................................................................................................... 11

Y Care International branding and resources .................................................... 12

The legal stuff – and staying safe! .................................................................. 13

Let the people know ..................................................................................... 15

What to do after ........................................................................................... 16

A special opportunity to double your impact

This summer Y Care International is focused on raising money for our Tools for

Recovery appeal. The aftermath of Ebola in Liberia has been catastrophic. The

outbreak didn’t just result in the loss of friends, family and neighbours, but also

jobs, markets and opportunities. We are working with Liberia YMCA to help the

young people there rebuild their lives and livelihoods, by providing tools, training -

and hope.

As part of this appeal we are delighted that for a period of time (until August 2015)

every donation we receive from the public will be matched pound for pound by the

UK government, through UK Aid Match. This means that all the money you raise

will have twice as much impact on the lives of the young people we work with.

Please help us make the most of this opportunity by planning your

fundraising event today! Thank you.


Who are Y Care International?

Y Care International is devoted to working with disadvantaged and vulnerable

young people through local YMCAs and other like-minded youth organisations. All

across the developing world, these partnerships help us support and inspire young

people trapped in a cycle of poverty, stigma and discrimination in more than 20

different countries.

We offer vocational training, counselling, confidence-building and other life skills to

help vulnerable young people reach their potential. Through training, employment

and enterprise, we strive to work with communities to build a more just world, free

from poverty, beginning with the young people that are their future.

We help the voices of young people get heard so they can influence decisions that

directly affect them, as well as teach them how to improve their health and

wellbeing.

Y Care International also responds to the needs of young people affected by

disasters and emergencies.

We are one of the few organisations that focus exclusively on young

people. Thank you for joining us in helping them to rebuild their lives.

“Before the carpentry training I had nothing in my life. I wasn’t going to school, I

was just going around and selling used clothes. I would go everywhere but no

business came. When my sisters and cousins got sick we couldn’t afford the

medicine. I wasn’t earning money and there was nobody to help me. Now, I am

learning and I can fix things and I’m looking after my family. Training in a skill

has been the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Ruben, 18, Liberia


Fundraising at your YMCA

When it comes to fundraising, there are endless opportunities to make a real

difference. Fundraising is all about having fun while raising money for an important

cause. Being part of a YMCA means that there is a whole community who can

support you to raise funds.

Whether you’re taking part in an exciting challenge or being sponsored to do

something daring, we hope that you’ll have fun and inspire others to support young

people around the world. In this section there are loads of different ideas for

activities that you can run in your YMCA and community.

In the office or workplace

Staff in YMCAs are dedicated to young people. Asking them to fundraise for young

people around the world builds on their interests, builds team spirit and is fun! Be

creative and make it a day to remember. Could you get your clients, suppliers and

other departments involved too? Think big and you might just be surprised at how

much money you can raise.

Here are a few ideas

Bad tie day

Bring a pound to work

Caption competition

Coffee morning

Donate an hour’s/day’s wages

Dress-down day

Interdepartmental Sports Day

Jail break: get the farthest away from work in a

certain time without spending any money

Office Olympics: speed typing, chair races, etc.

Swear box

Sweepstake

Walk to work week

Wear the colour [colour of choice] for the day

The difference £25 can make

A donation of £25 could buy a

Cooks Kit – including pots,

pans, utensils and bowls to

help a young person start a

bakery business.


Involving young people and other service users

Community activities at your YMCA can be a great

opportunity to bring people to your facility and get staff

involved. We hope that you will take part in our Join

Hands challenge on Saturday, 11 July (see separate

information) but you may have your own ideas too.

For example, maybe a group of residents could wash

cars in your car park one weekend. Or perhaps you

could have a BBQ and sell some tasty burgers! You could

ask staff members who run services for the public (e.g.

yoga classes) if you can work together to raise funds.

Here are some ideas on how your YMCA can be hotspot

for exciting and interesting fundraising activities!

YMCA car wash – Get out the buckets and sponges and offer to wash cars

during a weekend. If your YMCA has a car park and regular visitors then this is

for you. Note, best done in sunny weather!

Dress up funny for work – An old favourite: why not get YMCA staff to dress

up to raise money for the day. For example, everyone would love to see their

manager or support worker with their shirt on backwards for the day!

Cake sale – Baking cakes at home or in the YMCA can be a really fun thing to

do together and of course selling them to people is a great way to raise cash.

Tip – Why not brand the cakes with a ‘Y’ made of icing?

Football tournament – Football strips at the ready for 5-a-side tournament.

Maybe you could have a staff versus young people big match and ask spectators

to donate on the day.

Stay in for a night – People in Ebola affected countries weren’t leaving their

homes for fear of contamination. In solidarity, you and friends could stay in one

evening and donate the money you would have spent on a night out.

Music night – Use the talents of your YMCA or community to run a night of live

music and charge an entrance fee. Young local artists might love a chance of a

gig to get some exposure, so contact any budding musicians you know in your

area.

YMCA to YMCA journey– Contact another YMCAs in your region and see if you

can arrange a group to walk, run or cycle from your YMCA to theirs. You could

even arrange for them to greet you when you arrive. If the distance to the other

YMCA is a challenge then more people will be likely to sponsor you. Remember

to be safe when planning an activity like this (read pages 11-12 on health and

safety).

We hope that you find these ideas useful and that they will work for you in your

YMCA. But you might have your own ideas. If you do, why not let us know! We’d

love to hear about what you have planned.

“I can use my love

for music in a way

that lifts people’s

souls and also

helps fundraise for

worthwhile causes”

Eva Cohn,

YCI volunteer

fundraiser.


Connecting with your local community

Fundraising in your local area is another fantastic way to raise money, have some

fun with friends and colleagues, and raise the profile of the YMCA movement. You

can involve many different places in your community, from your local place of

worship to shops, pubs or gyms.

It is always good to remember, that when

fundraising in your community, particularly on

public property, it’s important to get the

permission of your local council. As soon as you

have any idea of what you might like to do,

contact your local council to tell them what you

have planned. If in any doubt, please contact

our fundraising team for advice.

Once you’ve got your community involved, here

are a few ideas for activities you could run:

Car wash – charge money to wash people’s cars

Choir evening – hold a concert and charge an entry fee, or to take part. You

can also make money by selling refreshments during the interval.

Historical walk of your local town – if someone you know has a lot of local

historical knowledge, they could lead a guided walk and charge people to join

Local collection – You could hold a bucket collection, but always be sure to

follow the Institutes of Fundraising guidelines. If in any doubt, please contact

our fundraising team.

Music evening – as above, hold a convert and charge for entry and

refreshments.

Pub quiz – hold a pub quiz and charge people to enter

Set up a stall – and sell things like homemade jam, cakes or cards

Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter fair – this can be a bigger event with

stalls, games and entertainment.

Supermarket Bag Packing – ask a local supermarket if you can pack bags for

their customers for a donation.

Theatre show – put on a show and charge for entry and refreshments.

Tip: Many local businesses and chain stores will happily donate goods or services in

exchange for acknowledgment/publicity on the day of an event.

The difference

£50 can make

Donations of £50 could help give

a young person the tools and

specialist equipment they need

to set up their own business.


Getting local businesses involved

Think about who your friends and family work for.

Could their company sponsor you or donate a prize for

your raffle? Maybe they could promote your event in

the company newsletter. Could you ask them to put up

posters around their office asking people to

sponsor you?

Many companies offer a ‘matched giving’ scheme

where they ‘match’ the amount you raise. Why not

ask your YMCA to match what you raise or give a one-

off donation? It’s always worth asking, it could be an

easy way of doubling your donation!

Do you have links with a local school or university? Many will nominate a local and

a global charity to support? Could you nominate Y Care International to be their

global charity? We would love to be involved; contact us if you have any queries or

questions.

Call 020 7549 3175



“The YMCA has really

changed my life. I

didn’t know how to use

a computer, but now I

know how to type and

have good job

experience”

Augustine, Liberia.




Planning a fundraising event

Once you’ve decided what you want to do, the next step is organising your event.

Putting on a fundraising event, large or small, is great fun. All it takes is a little

planning and you’ll be on your way to helping us support some of the world’s

poorest and most disadvantaged young people. Here are some tips to success:

Plan

Planning your event is very important, especially if you want to hold it in a public

space. Think about how much money you want to raise and how big your event

needs to be. Who else will help? Will anyone else be involved? Remember, we’re

here to help. Let us know what you’ve got planned and ask for any resources you

might need.

Budget

There may be costs involved in holding an event and it’s important to keep track of

these. A good rule of thumb is to raise around three times as much as you spend.

Think about how much you’d like to raise and work out an estimate of any costs

involved. Remember, every penny of profit makes an important difference.

Choose a date

Give yourself enough time to organise

everything and then set a date (Large events

can take three to six months to organise).

Make sure you don’t clash with any other major

fundraising or sporting event. Remember, it

helps to plan your event before deciding on a

date. (Remember that the Join Hands

challenge is on Saturday, 11th July!)

Find a venue

It’s crucial to raise as much money as you can, so try and get a venue for free. The

first place to start would be your YMCA but if this isn’t possible you can look at

other options. By offering publicity and/or profit for a venue, depending on the type

of event you are holding you can sometimes get venues at no cost. You could ask

to use your local school or community village hall (don’t forget to get permission

from the owner). Remember to consider disabled access. If the event is outside,

you’ll have to be prepared for all sorts of weather!

Promote your event

Publicising your event is one of the best ways to get people involved. The more

people that hear about your event, the more who are likely to attend! Contact your

local radio station and newspaper. Your enthusiasm for your event will spread and

that’s key to success. Put up posters in your local shops and on community notice

boards, and ask your friends and family to do the same. See page 15 for more tips

on promotion.

“For the first time in my life I

am thinking about the future.

So many services were

completely devastated by

Ebola. I have a young

daughter to support and like

any other parent. I am

concerned for her health and

her future.”

Selina, 23, West Africa.


Remember to keep it safe and legal

Your event needs to comply with all health and safety laws. Make sure you read all

the information on pages 13 – 14.

For every £1 donated:

84 pence goes directly to supporting young people in emergencies, in

developing their skills and their communities and improving their health, and

helping young people campaign for change.

15 pence is invested to generate future revenue and on support costs

1 penny is spent on ensuring the organisation is robust and well-managed

Raising money online

Fundraising online is easy and effective. It takes just a few minutes to set up a

fundraising page and you can personalise it with photos and a few sentences

describing your event and tell people why it’s important. We recommend either

Virgin Money Giving (www.virginmoneygiving.com), or

Justgiving (www.justgiving.com).

Don’t forget to add a link to your fundraising page on your email signature.

If you’re on Facebook, set up an event explaining what you’re doing with a link to

your fundraising page and invite all your friends. Or if you’re a Twitter user, you

can set up a series of scheduled tweets to remind your followers about your event

with minimal effort.

http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/

https://home.justgiving.com/


Challenge events

Join an organised event and work up a sweat for us! We have places in a number

of runs and sport challenge events. They’re a lot of fun and a great way to raise

money for Y Care international. We currently have places available on the Vitality

British 10k London Run. If you want to volunteer at the events, that’s great too!

Contact us, and we’ll tell you how you can help.

You may also want to take part in one of the many challenge events around the

country, we’re not yet involved with. If you do, and would like to get sponsorship

to support Y Care International, please contact us and we might be able to help you

get a place.

Gift Aid

Every penny and pound you raise is important to our work with young people. You

can make your donation worth even more by asking all your sponsors (if they are

UK taxpayers) to Gift Aid their donation. All they need to do is tick the Gift Aid box

on your sponsorship form or online fundraising page and fill in their name and

address.

Gift Aid is a scheme run by the UK Government that allows charities to claim back

the tax from HMRC on donations. For every pound that is donated to us, we can

claim back an extra 25p. That makes it hugely important to us. It won’t cost you

anything, but it means we can provide even more support to young people who

need us.

Top Fundraising Tips

Online fundraising can also be used to raise money on your birthday or

anniversary. Or in memory/honour of someone close to you

Set yourself a personal target so you have something to aim for

If you can, make sure the first donation on your sponsorship form is high to

encourage others to follow suit

Be enthusiastic and thank everyone who supports you

Tell everyone you meet about your fundraising activity

Carry your sponsorship form everywhere you go

Ask your supporters to Gift Aid their donations if possible

http://www.thebritish10klondon.co.uk/

http://www.thebritish10klondon.co.uk/


Y Care International branding and resources

The Y Care International brand

If you are going to use the Y Care international logo, please make sure you get our

permission first. Just contact our fundraising team to discuss where you’d like to

use the logo and for a copy of our brand guidelines. Our registered charity number

needs to appear on any fundraising materials as “Registered charity in England and

Wales, No. 1109789.”

Please remember that you are representing the charity and that you should use the

logo appropriately. Please only use the logo on a white background. If you resize

it make sure stays in proportion. Try and leave space around logo to give it the

greatest effect. Finally, please use our full name – Y Care International – on all

materials and always state that you are raising money in support of Y Care

International.

UK Aid Match

If you are raising money this summer, please

remember any donations we receive can be

matched by the UK government through UK Aid

Match. This is an extra special reason to give

people to donate right now. If you do, please

make sure it is stated very clearly that you are

fundraising for our “Tools for Recovery” appeal

that will support young people in Liberia rebuild

their lives and livelihoods after the devastating

effects from Ebola. If in any doubt, please

contact our fundraising team for advice.

Fundraising Materials

We can also help by providing you with fundraising materials. There are posters

you can download from our website and add your own event details and targets. A

shoe box makes for a great collection box and you can decorate it to match your

fundraising theme.

Please get in touch as we are here to help you to make your fundraising for us a

success!


Call 020 7549 3175



“When I graduate, I’ll start

my own business selling

bread. I’ll be able to finish my

house, care for my baby and

pay for him to go to school.”

Dabieh, West Africa




The legal stuff – and staying safe!

Legal, health and safety

Fundraising is all about raising money and having fun, but safety matters too – and

must always come first. There are rules and regulations around certain types of

fundraising. To make it simple, we’ve given you some guidelines.

Please remember that Y Care International cannot take responsibility for any injury,

loss or damage caused or sustained as a result of fundraising events or activities

held in aid of Y Care International. It’s the responsibility of the event’s organiser to

comply with legal and safety regulations. All events must comply with the Health

and Safety Act 1974 and all other relevant fundraising acts.

If in any doubt about what you need to do, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We’re here to help!

Risk Assessment

Writing a risk assessment is a great place to start. This can cover all aspects of

health and safety relevant to your event. Think about hazards, things that could go

wrong, the safety of participants and possible weather conditions. Visit the

governments Health and Safety Executive website for further information:

www.hse.gov.uk

Collection law

If you want to hold a collection in a public area, you’ll need to get permission.

But from whom? That depends on where you’re collecting. If it’s a street

collection, you’ll need permission from your local council or, if you’re collecting in

London, the Metropolitan Police. If the collection is on or outside a private property

(e.g. a supermarket) you’ll need permission from the manager.

Don’t be put off though! We are here to help, so do contact us for further guidance

on collection law. Always make sure there are two people present when opening the

tin and counting the money. Please pay the amount raised into your bank account

and then write a cheque (made payable to Y Care International) and send it to us.

Please do not put cash in the post as it is likely to go missing.

Raffle and lotteries

There are strict laws around raffle and lotteries, especially larger ones. Please do

not hold a raffle or lottery without contacting us first.

Handling money

Please ensure that there are two people present when you count money raised at

an event. This is to ensure that the money is not miscounted or lost. Log everything

that has been raised. Make sure it’s stored in a secure money tin and take it to the

bank to be cashed as soon as possible.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/


First Aid

If your event is going to involve lots of people, you should have someone on site

qualified to provide first aid. Contact St John Ambulance or the Red Cross for

further information.

Food Hygiene

You need to be careful when handling, selling or making food for events. Safe

preparation is key and you should follow the guidelines on www.food.gov.uk

Data protection

All events should comply with the Data Protection Act 1998. As a rule, please do

not store the contact details of people taking part in your event any longer than

necessary. Make sure all documents are safely and securely discarded and do not

share data with anyone else without permission. You should also ask the

permission of anyone who gives you information about themselves (e.g. their

address, or contact details) whether you can share this information with Y Care

International.

Fundraising with children

Check that proper adult supervision is in place and that parents/guardians have

given permission for their children to be involved.

Insurance

In your event involves others, you may need to take out public liability insurance.

Please note that your event cannot be covered by Y Care International insurance.

However, your event may be covered by your YMCA’s insurance. In the first

instance, please check with your YMCA office.

Photographs

If you are holding an event, please make sure you take lots of photos! We love to

see what you have been doing. And we’d love the opportunity to share them on

our website, in our magazine and on other fundraising materials to help inspire

others. Please email any photos to us at: [email protected]

Company approaches

Local businesses can be a great source of help. They’re often happy to help with

local fundraising events, providing raffle prizes, for example. If you want to

approach larger national or international companies for sponsorship, prizes or

auction items, please do let us know in advance, as we may already be working

with them.

Licences

If you plan to sell alcohol at your event, you will need to obtain a liquor licence.

Please contact your local council for further information.

http://www.food.gov.uk/



Let the people know

Don’t miss an opportunity to shout about your event! The more people who know

about your event or challenge, the more money you are likely to raise.

The Media

Press coverage is a great way to gain publicity for Y Care International and your

efforts to support us. Your YMCA will probably have contacts with your local paper

and radio stations. If your YMCA has a media team or press officer they may be

able to help you get some coverage.

Here are some top tips for getting into the public eye

Give your event / challenge a catchy title

Make sure you include the key information – what, where, why, when,

who and how

Use photographs and colourful images where possible

Ask for the news desk when you contact local papers. Check with staff at your

YMCA, as they may already have a relationship with the local press.

Tell a story; keep it brief but make it personal. For local media, make sure

there’s a local connection

Provide contact details (including your online fundraising page) so that the

media team can contact you to find out more and also include our charity

contact details too

Invite the media to attend your event and /or make yourself available for

interviews

If you’re not sure how to write a press release, we can send you a template for you

to customise. Remember, if the press do want to interview you, try and think

about what you’d like to say beforehand. It’s nothing to be nervous about, but

having some prepared notes will really help you make an impact.

Online

Sharing your event on social media is a great way to get a wide range of people

involved. Using your personal Facebook and Twitter account, as well as your

YMCAs, will get you a wider reach. Remember to ‘tag’ Y Care International (Twitter

@YCareInt / Facebook Y Care International) and we will like, share and retweet

your posts.

Other ways to spread the word

Other ways to promote your event include putting up posters in local community

areas such as supermarket notice boards, churches, pubs and village halls. Ask all

your friends to email their friends and spread the word!


What to do after

We’d love to hear all about it! Email our fundraising team with details and photos of

your event!

Offline fundraising

After your event is over, you need to collect

your sponsorship money together, pay it into

your bank account and then write a cheque for

the amount raised. Cheques need to be made

payable to Y Care International and return to us

with your sponsorship forms to:

The Fundraising Team

Y Care International

3rd floor, 67-69 Cowcross Street

London

EC1M 6BP

Please include a note clearly stating your name, the event name and the amount

raised. Please do not send cash in the post as it is likely to go missing.

Online fundraising

If you raised money online via Virgin Money Giving or Justgiving you don’t need to

do anything. Just let us know how your event went and send us any photos. We’ll

send you a thank you letter to acknowledge how much was raised.

A difference £1000 can make

£1000 could help provide a

group of young people with

tools and training they need

to reduce the impact of

disasters and help them make

their communities safer.


“Time and time again, the generosity and support of Y Care International supporters has been instrumental in bringing hope to so many young people in need all over the world. It is only by giving them the tools to help themselves, and work towards a better life, can they hope to break the cycle of poverty for good.”

Terry Waite CBE, Founder and President of Y Care International

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

We are very grateful for your support and for the money you can help raise for Y

Care International. If we can help at any time, with advice or materials, please do

not hesitate to contact us. We’d love to hear from you!

We’ll also be very happy to send you a thank you letter and certificate for the

money you raise.


Call 020 7549 3175



Thank you!



Y Care International creates opportunities for vulnerable young people to unleash their potential and change their lives for the better. As part of the global YMCA movement, inspired by Christian values and working with people of all faiths and none, we are the international development and relief agency for YMCAs in the UK and Ireland.

Registered as a charity in England and Wales number 1109789 Company reg. no. 3997006

fundraising for y care international · the fundraising team at y care international contact our...

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