YourFundraising

Guide

From the whole team, thank you for joining The Force for Good!

Every penny you raise will make a real difference. With your support, together we can empower those who need us most to regain their purpose and have a positive role in society.

We believe that those who put their lives on the line for us deserve a second chance at life for themselves and their families. Without you, this wouldn’t be possible.

This pack should get you off to a great start but if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We want your fundraising journey to be an unforgettable one.

Welcometo your fundraising pack

ContentsOnline fundraising 5Where your money goes 9Fundraising ideas 13How to promote your fundraising 21Things to consider 25Sending in your money 29

Starting an online fundraising page is by far the easiest way to get your fundraising going. It’s quick and simple, both for you to create and for people to donate.

Online fundraisingOnline

fundraising

6

If you’re looking for friends, family and colleagues to sponsor you, why not set up an online giving page?

To get started, just head to

justgiving.com/helpforheroes

Hit the ‘Fundraise for us’ button and you’ll have your own page in no time, ready to be personalised.

And the best bit? Any money raised through your page will be sent directly to Help for Heroes, so you don’t need to worry about managing money or chasing payments.

Fundraisingthe easy way

Share, share and share again!Whether it’s in your email footer, on social media or direct via text message, sharing your JustGiving page couldn’t be simpler. The more people you tell about your page, then the more likely you are to generate some amazing sponsorship.

1. Tell us about your pageMake sure all of your sponsorship is recognised as part of your wider fundraising efforts. That way, we can say thank you for all of your incredible support.

2. Set a targetPages with a set target raise around 45% more than those without. It’s worth being ambitious, too – you never know when someone will pledge more when they see how much you’re aiming for.

3. Tell your storyYou’re asking your friends, family and colleagues to sponsor YOU, so make sure you tell them why. Whatever your reason, they will be interested and will want to help you succeed.

4. Get snappy Photos of you that show you getting involved with your fundraising or training, or that show your reasons for supporting Help for Heroes, all bring your page to life. And, each personal photo can boost your sponsorship by 14%!

5. Keep it up to dateJustGiving allows you to post updates throughout your fundraising journey. Maybe you’ve just run your personal best, or a cake sale at work raised loads of dough. Whatever it is, keeping everyone updated shows the effort you’re putting in and will encourage further donations.

Five top tips for JustGiving success

Online fundraising

Every penny you raise matters. Whether you spend an afternoon bucket collecting or organise a quiz evening, see how we put your money to good use for our Heroes and their loved ones.

money goesWhere your

Where your m

oney goes

" Help for Heroes allowed us to

remain a family unit. It kept us all together."

Nicola Pegram, Band of Sister

9

To find out more about where your money goes and the difference it makes, visit helpforheroes.org.uk/news

The broad range of support we offer our Heroes means that every penny goes to good use. So, whether it’s £5 or £500, your fundraising makes a difference. Here’s a taste of what your money could do:

donation mean? What does your

Three hours of art therapy for

11 Veterans

One 90-minute indoor climbing session as part of a Sports Recovery journey

An hour’s instructor-led rehabilitation session

on a dry ski slope

Accommodation for a family member to visit a wounded loved one

in hospital

An hour’s work in local communities, helping Veterans connect with

Help for Heroes and find fellowship support

45 1005 10 15

10

A week’s worth of time with a Psychological Wellbeing

Practitioner to help Veterans self-manage anxiety, depression or stress

Mentoring support for Veterans starting up their own business

Where your m

oney goes

Helps a medically discharged Veteran with removals and their first

month’s rent to get them into safe, suitable accommodation

100 300 560 1,000

Figures correct at time of printing.

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Organising your own fundraiser might seem a bit daunting. In this section you will find a whole heap of ideas and top tips from some fellow Help for Heroes fundraisers who never cease to amaze us with their fantastic ideas.

Fundraising ideasFundraisingideas

Looking to get out and about when you’re fundraising? Holding a public collection is a great way to top up your total. To get started, follow the advice here and give your fundraising a massive boost!

1. Request permissionIf you’re collecting in a public space or on private property, you’ll need to register with Help for Heroes and request permission from the local authority, land owner or community champion such as shopping centres, railway stations and rugby stadiums. When approaching them it’s best to tell them exactly what you want to do on their land and what you’re fundraising towards. The more information you can provide, the better chance you’ll have of receiving a positive response.

Don’t forget to check if you need public liability insurance. More information is on page 26.

2. Be seen and informStand in view of the public where they can easily approach you without being in the way. Don’t forget to tell them why you are fundraising. Catch their eye by requesting our supporter merchandise, including decorative items such as banners, balloons and bunting.

3. Have funA smile goes a long way! If you’re having fun, people will be more likely to come up to you and donate and ask about your fundraising. If you’re taking part in a cycling challenge, why not consider taking your bike along and a turbo trainer? It will intrigue the public and hopefully boost your fundraising as well.

Please refer to additional communications we may send from time to time for the most comprehensive and up-to-date rules and regulations.

Top tip!Don’t forget to order our Hero

Bear mascot. He’s a great addition to any collection and

could increase your fundraising total, too. Simply contact us on

0300 303 9888 to check availability.

public collections The power of

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How did you arrange your collection with the venue?

“I sent across a friendly email explaining what I wanted to do and how much I had to raise, along with my authorisation letter from Help for Heroes, and they booked me in. Send in your requests early, their diary fills up fast!”

How did you choose the best day to collect?

“I chose to collect in Cardiff during the Champions League Final, as I realised there would be a lot of people out and about. It was really easy to sort out because everything could be arranged by email.”

“The Hero Bear mascot was very popular with families. Definitely enquire about the bear. It works very well.”

What should people check with the collection venue?

“Ask if you are covered under their public liability insurance, or if you need to organise your own. You may need to arrange a street collection permit with your local council.”

A lot of people do collections; is that a problem?

“Local councils may only allow one charity collection per organised event, which means some of your requests could be turned down, but don’t be put off. The more requests you send to a wide variety of locations, the more successful you’ll be.”

Fundraising ideas

Fundraiser Richard Brewers’ top tipsHelp for Heroes is a charity close to Richard’s heart. He wanted to do his bit after losing good friends during his time serving in the Welsh Guards.

Richard successfully carried out a couple of collections for his Kilimanjaro trek. This is his advice for you:

fundraising at work The wonders of

Fundraising at work can be a great way to increase awareness about what you are doing and why – as well as adding to your overall total.

1. Choose an eventThere are so many ways to fundraise at work. Hold a raffle, have a cake sale, do a sponsored car wash or even enjoy an organised lunch.

Once you have decided on your event, check it doesn’t clash with other work events and start to think about suitable locations. This’ll all make the day run smoothly.

2. Check with your bossOnce you have decided on your fundraising event, ask your boss if you can hold it at work. Your employer may be able to assist you in some way, including with prizes or a Matched Giving scheme.

If your employer is interested in partnering with us, simply email corporate@helpforheroes.org.uk

3. Spread the wordMake sure everyone knows about the event in good time. Put posters up, send out emails to all your colleagues and, if you have an intranet, get details on there so you can reach as many people as possible.

Don’t forget word of mouth either; get chatting to everyone during breaks, by the photocopier or have a water cooler moment.

4. Keep everyone updatedKeep the event fresh in everyone’s minds. Update details regularly and send out information about the work Help for Heroes is doing thanks to their donations.

Top tip!Make your fundraising go further and ask your employer if they run a

Matched Giving scheme!Julie at the

Yorkshire Three Peaks start line

quiz whizz Become a

Organising a quiz night is an excellent way to spend an evening with your friends and family, as well as being a fun and easy fundraiser.

1. Select a quiz masterThe master of ceremonies for the night! A position of responsibility, which can be delegated to someone confident in reading out the questions and cracking a few jokes.

2. A quiz is only as good as its questionsWe have four pre-written quizzes all ready to go. Contact our Supporter Care Team on 0300 303 9888 and they’ll send them over to you – just make sure to keep them secret until the day!

3. The all-important venuePubs are good places as they often come with a PA system. Community centres and social clubs have plenty of space and often a kitchen for refreshments. Don’t forget to cover the venue in Help for Heroes decorations to let everyone know why you’re running the quiz.

4. Points mean prizes!At the end of the night, the winners deserve a prize. You can either provide these yourself or approach local businesses for donations. Don’t forget the wooden spoon for last place!

Fundraiser Julie Adcock’s top tipsJulie wanted to raise money for her Yorkshire Three Peaks trek and decided to run her own charity quiz night.

How did you go about setting up your quiz evening?

“I charged £2 per person for entry. I also had prizes for the winners and sold raffle tickets at £1 for a strip of five tickets. Before the quiz started I gave a small speech and explained why I was fundraising, so everyone knew their donations were being put to good use.”

What’s been the most enjoyable part of your fundraising?

“I love a challenge as it makes it more fun.

Talking to different people and explaining why I support Help for Heroes, as well as seeing an idea becoming a reality and what it achieved, was the best reward.”

Do you have any recommendations?

“Ask family members and friends to help out on the night. Giving people little jobs to do helps take some of the stress off. Also, if you plan to sell raffle tickets check the licencing laws, as I was only able to sell them at the venue on the night as part of the event.”

Fundraising ideas

Did you know?Supporter merchandise is a great way of attracting attention to your stand

and getting people to donate at the same time.

Contact our Supporter Care Team on 0300 303 9888 or email

fundraise@helpforheroes.org.uk to find out what’s available.

your fundraising Other ways to boost

We’ve pulled together some of the most popular ways to give your fundraising efforts a boost and to put the fun into your fundraising.

BBQ for Heroes Why not combine a BBQ with your fundraising event? Just ask everyone to make a donation in return for a delicious burger – it couldn’t be simpler.

Heroes BreakfastStart your day with good company, good food and a good deed! Invite your friends, family or colleagues for an egg-cellent Heroes Breakfast and ask for a donation.

Bake for Heroes Grab an apron and get your friends, family and colleagues together for a bake-off competition. It’s amazing how creative people can be when you sprinkle a pinch of healthy competition into the mix.

Keep an eye out for our National Bake for Heroes

event!

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Fundraising ideas

Car wash Put a shine onto your fundraising with a car wash. Invite donations in return for a squeaky-clean car.

Bring and buy sale Clear out your cupboards and sell unwanted stuff. Everyone loves a rummage and a bargain.

Home cinemaInvite your mates round and turn your living room into a cinema for the night! You supply the DVD and popcorn and they give a donation. It’s so easy to do and could become a regular event.

Hold a raffle or tombolaIt’s just the ticket for raising lots of cash. Ask friends and local businesses to donate prizes. There are some rules about raffles, so see page 26 for more information.

Sponsored silence This a great way to keep the kids quiet for a while, or your most talkative friend. Silence really is golden!

Karaoke competition Do you know any would-be Kylies or Pavarottis? Grab a mic and some classic tunes for a sponsored singalong.

Bingo evening Eyes down for a full house! This isn’t just for the ladies, it’s amazing how many guys enjoy Bingo, too. Why not run a raffle at the same time to boost your fundraising?

Sweepstake Who’s going to win the Grand National, Eurovision or the Premier League? A great one to do with your work colleagues.

Please check the latest advice from the Gambling Commission at gamblingcommission.gov.uk

For more ideas visit helpforheroes.org.uk/fundraising-ideas

Hopefully you’ve found lots of great fundraising ideas in this guide, but don’t forget to promote what you’re doing and tell people all about it.

Top tip!Did you know up to 20% of sponsorship money is donated after an event?

fundraisingHow to promote your

How to prom

ote your fundraising

Telling as many people as possible about what you are doing is key to making it a huge success. While we can’t publicise your event, we do recommend the following:

the wordKeep spreading

Top tip!Let people know

how you’ve done, how much fun you had and remind them

that there is still time to donate.

Put up postersIf you’re holding a community event, put posters up in local shops and venues, and give some to friends to put up in their workplaces. You don’t have to be a design guru either; we have ready-made posters you can use. Contact our Supporter Care Team on 0300 303 9888.

Shout about it locally If you can, get your local paper and radio station on board to help you spread the word. Be sure to include information that is interesting, different and relevant. Remember to include what, who, when, where and why, as well as contact details, so people know how to get in touch for more information.

When speaking to your local newspaper or radio station, ask for someone in the editorial, or news desk team. They are often looking for local information to share, so check if they have a listings section online where you can add your event.

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Social media is a brilliant string to add to your fundraising bow. It’s a great way to keep friends and followers up to date with progress and to build a buzz around your fundraising. Here are our top tips to help you smash your target.

social networkWorking your

1. Choose a catchy nameGet creative and start out with a memorable name to grab everyone’s attention. Whether it’s a pun or a funny rhyme, a good name will mean you’ll stand a better chance of gaining coverage from local press and radio, too.

2. Interact with supportersIf people take the time to comment on any of your social media posts, make sure you retweet and share as quickly as possible. This keeps your social media ‘live’ and exciting. It will make people want to revisit and share with their own followers.

3. Post picturesDrum up interest in your event or challenge by uploading photos and videos to help build a story. You can show how your training is going, mention any new raffle prizes, and say thank you to your suppliers. It all makes everything fun and keeps people coming back for more.

4. Tag your contactsTag them in posts and tweets so they can easily share your event with others. Hashtags are also a great way to get more people involved. Remember to keep them relevant and local, and you’ll be amazed at the results.

How to prom

ote your fundraising

Things to consider

Top tip!Gift Aid can add 25p

to every £1 you donate to charity!

Thingsto consider

There are a few things you’ll need to bear in mind to ensure your fundraising activity is legal and safe, as well as fun.

We are hugely fortunate in the number of people who want to raise money for us each year. As such, this also means we are unable to be involved in all the organisation of your efforts. Here are a couple of things you need to be aware of:

Public collectionsIf you hold a collection in any public space you’ll need a letter of authorisation from Help for Heroes and a licence from the relevant local authority, the Metropolitan Police in Greater London or PSNI station in Northern Ireland. When approaching a local authority, land owner or community champion, it’s best to explain exactly what you want to do and what you’re fundraising towards. The more information you can provide, the better chance you’ll have of receiving a positive response.

Please tell us where you are collecting and when, so we can ensure we don’t have a number of collectors in the same location.

When you’re asking for money from the public, please be aware of those who may be vulnerable. If in doubt, please don’t accept a donation from any person who may not be in a position to make an independent, informed decision.

Raffle or LotteryRaffles or lotteries are a great way to boost your fundraising – everyone loves the opportunity to win something! There are certain guidelines to be followed to keep everything fair.

Please check the latest advice from the Gambling Commission at gamblingcommission.gov.uk

Event insuranceThe support we can provide towards your fundraising event unfortunately cannot be extended to us accepting any responsibility or liability, or providing any required insurance.

If you are unsure, contact an insurance company to check you have the correct cover for your event. The different types of insurance you may need to consider include:

• Public liability insurance*

• Event cancellation insurance

• Travel or health insurance

• Damage to property owned, hired or borrowed

*Don’t forget to ask if you are covered under a venue’s own public liability insurance or whether you need to organise your own, and allow enough time (at least a month) to apply for this.

Tickingall the boxes

If you need help understanding the cover or licences that you require, please give us a call on 0300 303 9888.

You’ll notice that on our sponsor forms and on JustGiving’s website there is the opportunity to apply Gift Aid. Gift Aid is a simple way for UK tax payers to increase the value of their donations.

Gift Aid can only be paid on personal donations, it does not apply to donations paid on behalf of a group, public collections or someone else.

Please note: any Gift Aid we claim cannot be added to your fundraising total. This is because Gift Aid is not sent to us on an individual basis by the Government. You can find out more about Gift Aid at helpforheroes.org.uk/gift-aid

Things to consider

It’s worth it!Through Gift Aid, we can claim 25p from the Government on every £1 donated at no extra cost to you or your sponsor. This means a £10 donation

is worth £12.50!

Once you’ve completed your fundraising there’s just one more thing to do… count up all the cash you’ve raised and send it in.

Sending in your money

your moneySending in

29

OnlineIf you have set up an online page with JustGiving, your donations will come directly to us but do let us know when your fundraiser has finished so we can thank you for your hard work. Please email fundraise@helpforheroes.org.uk to tell us.

By postDownload our Donations Form from helpforheroes.org.uk/donation-form or send us a cheque, made payable to Help for Heroes, to:

Help for Heroes Donations Team 14 Parkers Close Downton Business Centre Salisbury Wiltshire SP5 3RB

By phoneAlternatively, count up the cash you’ve collected and make a card payment over the phone. Simply call 0300 303 9888, advising your event registration ID.

Your fundraising efforts really will make a difference and the earlier we receive your donations, the sooner we can put them to good use.

There are several ways you can pay your money in:

At the bankYou can pay in your raised funds over the counter in any branch of Lloyds or by bank transfer to our Lloyds account (note, residents of Scotland, please use Bank of Scotland):

Account Name: Help for HeroesAccount Number: 03524452Sort-code: 30-90-21

Don’t forgetWrite your event registration ID

on the paying-in slip along with your name and address.

Send a copy of the slip to fundraise@helpforheroes.org.uk

so we can send you a thank you.

your fundraisingWays to pay in

30

Sending in your money

Thank you,Your support is nothing short of amazing!

Remember...We’re just a phone call away if you need any help on your

fundraising journey. Please get in touch with our Supporter

Care Team on 0300 303 9888 (Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm) or visit helpforheroes.org.uk

Help for Heroes is a charity registered in England and Wales (1120920) and Scotland (SC044984)

Once you have finished with our pack, please pass it on to another fundraiser to help protect the environment.

You may have received our fundraising pack before but from time to time we do update certain important information, so please do take the time to read through.

Janu

ary

2018