How to Organise a fundraising Event

Organising a fundraising event is much easier than it sounds - honest!

First and foremost, decide on the sort of event you want to run and what sort of people are likely to attend your event. Can you persuade them to bring their friends? Are they young, old, sporty or particularly aware of The Trust - and do you have any contacts that might be able to help with a certain type of event.

It is important to give yourself plenty of time to plan your proposed event. A well-planned event will lead to more support, more money, and will hopefully be more enjoyable. If this is the first time you have organized an event, remember the Fundraising Team at the Jennifer Trust are always here to lend a helping hand.

It is important to take the following into consideration when organizing your own event:

Budgeting

Once you have decided on your own event idea you need to work out a budget for your event, including the following as a guideline:

Printing costs
Catering
Entertainments
Hire of venue
First Aid
Advertising

You should try to cover the above cost with entry fees/ticket sales. Estimate how many you expect to attend your event, and the potential income. Don't worry if you don't have every thing you need, lots of local businesses will be happy to help with money to sponsor the event or loan of equipment etc., all you need do is offer them free publicity from the event. It is amazing how quickly it all adds up, you'll be surprised at how much you raise for The Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

How do I organise the event

You've now decided on your chosen event and what you need for your event to take place. You hopefully have a team of people all willing to do their bit.

You need to give yourself plenty of time so that you complete all required tasks. For example, you may need flyers/posters; you need to consider design time, printing time and delivery time. Make sure that you delegate some of the work to others so you are not doing everything yourself.

Publicity

A sure way to a successful event is publicity. Research into local newspapers and send out a press release about your event. Things to remember when preparing a press release:

What is the event
What is it in aid of
When is it happening
Where is it taking place
Include a contact name and address number for extra details

If you would like a photographer to attend your event, contact your local newspapers well in advance. Post-event publicity is just as useful; so don't forget your camera. Send your own photo after the event, with a summary of what took place - this is an ideal way to thank participants and to raise charity awareness. If you've never done a press release before here are some top tips:

Make the headline catchy (look at what the papers use)
In the first paragraph tell the whole story (briefly) make sure you include what, where, when and why.
Keep it simple, snappy and entertaining
Write about yourself as though you are in the third person e.g. St Trinians school will be holding a SMArty Pants day in support of the Jennifer Trust.
At the end of your release include contact details so that the press can call you for further information.

Posters/flyers are another effective form of publicity - local shops, libraries, community centres etc will display these for you. Please ask for permission if you wish to display posters in a public area. Our Fundraising Department may be planning a mail-out that could also contain your event, so give them a call, or given enough notice we may be able to personalise some for you.

Sponsorship based events

If you are organizing an event that requires sponsorship, such as fun runs, bike rides, walks, etc, then click here to set up an online fundraising page.

Collections

If you wish to collect on the street or house-to-house, permission must be granted from your Local Authority. It is illegal to collect without permission.

Supermarket stores are often the best places to hold collections - you will need to contact your local store well in advance, as demand is high. Contact our Fundraising Department before arranging a collection as they may already have a permit for the town/store you are interested in.

Licenses

Check with the venue to see if you require a license for the sale of drinks/food or entertainment.

Charity Registration

If you produce any literature or posters for your event, you should have "The Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy" and the registration number on it, as shown below:
The Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Registered Charity No. 1106815
Company Registered by Guarantee No. 5137534

Help

We are always available to help. If you need any help or advice on how to run your event you can contact our Fundraising Department. The contact details for the office are shown at the bottom of every page on the web site.

For practical advice on organising a bike ride, follow the link for some wise words from a long-term supporter, Harry Tansey>>