Livability Fundraising Guide

Your complete guide to fundraising

Disability – Barriers – Isolation + Compassion + Giving

Thanks for joining #TeamLivability and supporting us!

We are delighted that you’ve become part of a team that supports people with disabilities and connects them with their community.

This pack is full of inspiration, tips and resources, all designed to help you smash your fundraising goal. Our supporters join in on a huge range of activities; from marathons to bake sales, they do it all!

Team Livability is with you from the start until you cross that finish line, to help with all your questions, queries, and qualms as you get set on your fundraising adventure.

Give us a call on 020 7452 2121 or email us at events@livability.org.uk to chat with our fundraising team. Please keep us up to date with all the wonderful things that you do – we’d love to share your story! Welcome

Your complete guide to

It all adds up

Livability is the disability charity that’s committed to enabling children, young people and adults to live a life that adds up for them. Through a wide range of disability, education, training and community services, we promote inclusion and wellbeing for all. What makes life livable is never down to just one thing – it’s the sum of many things. From friendship to fun, from companionship to community –it all adds up – to Livability.

What your support means

Together, we work to see people take part, contribute and be valued. We put the elements in place that all add up to connected lives and communities. By joining Team Livability, you are part of a team that is connecting communities and tackling barriers to inclusion. Every pound raised makes a huge difference. From marathons, sponsored challenges, and cycle rides or campaigns you take part in – it all adds up to changed lives and opportunities.

The impact of your support...

A little goes a long way

£30 £50 £150 £400

could buy multi-sensory textured balls

could pay for an extra staff member to support a 4-hour trip

Digital table

can buy an iPad to support students learning at Livability Millie College could buy a goat for students to nurture for as part of their animal care

Livability Wall Street is the proud owner of a fantastic, interactive Digital Table, which arrived in 2021. Its large size enables more social interactivity, with groups being able to play on it together, greater independence as the larger icons mean residents can operate the table without assistance, plus residents with vision problems will be able to see loved ones when they video call.

Your complete guide to fundraising

Your complete guide to fundraising

Your complete guide to fundraising 5

Sporting events

Run for Charity

Challenge yourself to a 10k, full or half marathon and help raise funds for people with disabilities. Represent #TeamLivability from a choice of over 700 amazing events including:

• Bournemouth Half Marathon

• London Landmarks Half Marathon

• London Supernova Run 5K

• Manchester Marathon

View the list of running events: runforcharity.com/charity/livability

Not interested in running?

Why not try a cycling event?

cycleforcharity.com/charity/livability

Why not try a sporting event? sportforcharity.com/charity/livability

Need some inspiration?

If you want to do something a bit different, why not choose from the list of ideas here? From bingo nights to bake sales, sweepstakes and special challenges, there are loads of options to make fundraising fun!

A B

Auction Aerobics Arts

Bake sale

Bake off

Bingo

Event Spotlight

London Marathon

Participate in one of the greatest marathons in the world. Find out more: www.livability.org.uk/marathon

C I O U

Car wash

Coffee lunch

Cake sale

Ice cream tasting

Odd job day

Office-Olympics

Uniform-free day

D J P V

Disco Dress-up Dinner

Jazz night

Jeans-to-work

Poker

Personal challenge

Vegan night

Vintage sale

E K Q W

Egg race

Easter hunt

Ebay sale

Karaoke

Quiz night

Wine tasting

Wax it

F L R X

Fancy dress

Film night

Five-a-side

Games night

Guess the...

Golf day

Lottery

Lawn-mow

Lego-making

Murder mystery

Music event

Money jar

Raffle

Rounders contest

Skydiving

Sweepstake

X-Factor party

Xmas party

Yoga class

Yes day

Hike

Head shave

Hat day

Name the...

Netball contest

Tug-of-War

Tea party

Tombola

Zumba

Zip wire

Your complete guide to fundraising

Your complete guide to fundraising

H N T Z 7

Getting started

Not sure how to begin your fundraising?

No problem – here are our top tips to get you started! Get planning

Start early! Make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to get organised. Get your friends and family involved to make it even easier.

Tell #TeamLivability

We’d love to hear what you’re planning. Our Fundraising Team will be able to provide you with materials and advice to make your event a success.

Keep it simple

The best fundraising is the simplest. Be realistic and keep a checklist to make sure you keep on top of everything you need to do.

Thank everyone

A little thank you goes a long way, and that goes for your donors as well. Who knows… they could give even more next time!

Have fun

The most important thing to remember is to enjoy yourself. Do something you enjoy with your friends and family and everyone will have fun with you.

Five ways to wellbeing

Look after your own mental health while you’re fundraising with these handy tips. Take notice

Make a conscious effort to appreciate the world around you and take time out so your fundraising doesn’t seem overwhelming.

Give to others

You’re already doing this one, so take time to reflect on the lasting difference you’re making.

Connect Contact us whenever you need us, and connect with everyone who might be willing to get involved and help out.

Be active

Clear your head with a walk, run, cycle or swim – solo or with friends.

Keep learning

Fundraising is a great way to try new things and to discover talents you didn’t know you had.

Useful fundraising resources

Your complete guide to fundraising

JustGiving

An online giving page is essential to help your fundraising. With JustGiving it’s easy to make your fundraising page, with a readymade introduction for you to use.

www.justgiving.com/livability

GivePenny

An online resource that allows you to link your fundraising efforts to Twitch, Spotify, Strava and more for fun activities to keep your donors informed and inspired.

givepenny.com/charity/livability

Facebook

Everyone is on Facebook, so why not use it to fundraise? Create an online fundraising page directly on Facebook, making sharing with others as easy as clicking a button.

www.facebook.com/fund/LivabilityUK

Eventbrite

Use this amazing resource when organising an event. Set up a page, and your event will run easier than ever. Keep your attendees up-to-date and get online ticket purchase.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/l/charities

* When you get in touch about your challenge event the team will share a pack of info including images, and text to help you share your event with your contacts.

Your complete guide to

10 tips for social media

Update your profile and cover photo

While people look at posts, the picture they see the most is your profile and cover picture. It can serve as a consistent reminder to people about the amazing challenge you are doing (and for them to donate!)

Remember LinkedIn

Share regularly

Sharing on social isn’t a one-off thing. You need to do it regularly. Hit a training milestone? Share. Reached 50% of your fundraising target? Share. Also, remember to always include a link to your online fundraising page.

Upload photos

Try to always include a photo when you post. This will help your post to pop and encourage engagement. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, a simple training picture/video is ideal.

Add a link in your

bio

Make it as easy as possible for people to find and support your fundraising. One way to make it simple is by adding the link to your online fundraising page to your socials, like your Facebook and Instagram bios.

Use hashtags

Everyone loves a good hashtag! This will allow your fundraising to reach people you may not know directly but can donate to your fundraising efforts. For some ideas go to best-hashtags.com/hashtag/fundraiser/ Ask

your friends/family

Similarly, ask those who are close to you to share. Not only will it act as a reminder to mutual friends, it will reach people you may know, but not be connected to online.

Add a video

Videos have been shown to have much better engagement than pictures. Why not show a video of you training, or something light-hearted? This will give people a better feel of your personality and encourage engagement.

LinkedIn is often overlooked when it comes to fundraising. There might be people in your professional network who you can share your fundraising efforts with, who aren’t connected to your other channels,

Update your stories

Make sure you’re using the Stories feature on channels like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. This temporary feature is very popular, and lots of people spend just as much time scrolling through stories as looking at their news feed.

Thank your supporters

Gratitude towards those who are supporting you is vital, and social media is a great way to do it. Update your status, give a shout-out to your most recent supporters, and don’t forget to tag them to help increase your reach.

Your complete guide to fundraising

In our modern day and age, social media is an invaluable fundraising resource. But how do you make best use of this tool?

Inspirational #teamlivability stories

5 tips for workplace fundraising

Ask about matching donations

Lots of companies offer fund-matched donations when their employees fundraise. Why not see if your is one of them?

Fundraise in your lunch break

Fundraising during your break is a great way to ensure your colleagues can make it and there are plenty of ways to make it fun!

The father-son duo

Running events –

£4,000+

raised

Five-year-old Jenson, a student at Livability Victoria Education Centre, ran 1km and raised an amazing £2,000. This in turn inspired his dad to run the London Marathon – raising an additional £2,000+. Dad Matt Sutton, inspired by his brave son, took this epic run on, his toughest running challenge yet. Supported by his wife and family he was able to raise over £2,000 for Livability. This amazing story demonstrates how one act of kindness can ripple further.

Ian Virtual 1,000-mile cycle –£2,511 raised

Bury St Edmunds resident Ian Payne suffered a brain injury in 2015. This resulted in him having to utilise a specially adapted therapy bike – but Ian refused to let it slow him down. He set off on a virtual 1000-mile cycle, covering 20 miles each week. Ian hit both his 1000-mile target and his £2,500 fundraising target.

Use corporate letter

If a Livability headed letter would be useful for your fundraising endeavours, contact us to get a template to make it easier.

Check your company policy book

Make sure to check your organisation’s policies or staff handbook to ensure that you are following your company’s guidelines when fundraising.

Get your boss involved

Getting your boss to join in can be a fantastic morale boost for your fundraising and encourage participation from others.

A corporate partnership

A corporate supporter organised a 5-a-side charity football tournament, with an evening ‘network and auction’ event in support of Livability. The money raised was used to equip a new sensory immersion room for young people with disabilities at Livability Nash College in Bromley.

Your complete guide to fundraising

Gift Aid is an easy way of making your donations go further for Livability by claiming back the tax. For every pound donated, HMRC will give an extra 25p.

This means that if you donate £100, we can claim an additional £25, making your donation worth £125 (as long as donations are eligible for Gift Aid).

JustGiving and other fundraising platforms will prompt your supporters to allow their donations to be used for Gift Aid. For donations given outside your fundraising page, supporters who meet the criteria for Gift Aid simply need to put in their full name and address on a sponsorship form and tick the Gift Aid box.

Gift Aid Declaration Form

Your complete guide to fundraising

Gift aid can be claimed by anyone who is a UK taxpayer and pays enough tax at least equal to the amount of Gift Aid claimed back on all donations made within the tax year. You can find all you need to know about Gift Aid by visiting www. gov.uk/donating-to-charity/gift-aid.

For donations to be eligible for Gift Aid supporters need to:

• Write their full name: to claim Gift Aid, the form cannot be in a joint name (eg Mr and Mrs) and must clearly show the sponsor’s full name.

• Fill in their home address: sponsors should not write down their work address as HMRC requires a residential address to claim Gift Aid.

• Ensure they are giving a singular voluntary donation: Gift Aid can only be claimed on donations and not for buying things like a raffle ticket. Gift Aid cannot be applied on group donations or funds raised collectively.

• Declare their consent to Gift Aid: if supporters have read the declaration and are happy to include Gift Aid, they must either tick a box present on the form or sign the declaration.

If you are a UK taxpayer, you can boost your donations to Livability by 25p for every £1 gifted by completing this form, at no extra cost to you!

Yes, I am a UK taxpayer and I would like any donation make in the future and have made in the past 4 years to be treated as Gift Aid donations to support Livability, until I notify you otherwise.

I understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

Please let us know if your name, address or tax circumstances change so we can amend our records via email at supporterservices@livability.org.uk or call us on 020 7452 2121.

No, I am not a UK taxpayer and regret I am unable to help in this way.

Full name:

In future we’d love to keep you informed of the work Livability does supporting disabled and vulnerable people across the UK. Please allow us to keep in touch:

Yes, I’m happy to receive emails

Email address: Yes, I’m happy to receive text messages

Yes, I’m happy to receive telephone calls

Mobile number:

Sorry, I don’t want to receive mail in the post

Thank you so much for your support!

Please return this form via email to: supporterservices@livability.org.uk or; using the Freepost envelope enclosed.

Address:

You don’t need a stamp but if you’d like to add one that will save Livability the postage cost.

Postcode:

Date: Signature:

Please let us know if your circumstances change by contacting our Supporter Services Team at supporterservices@livability.org.uk or; call us on 020 7452 2121.

We’ll never sell or swap your data with any third party – see our privacy policy: livability.org.uk/privacy

Your complete guide to fundraising

Keeping your activity safe, legal and fun

We can help you with the more routine parts of organising your event, so you can focus on having fun with your fundraising.

Permission

Make sure that you get permission from your venue before starting to plan your event. If you are planning on using a public space, check with your local authority as you may need a licence.

First Aid

Depending on the size of your event, you may only need a qualified First Aider but for bigger events, you may want to get in touch with St John’s Ambulance or the Red Cross. Do get in touch with us if you need more advice on this.

Paying in your money

Insurance

If your event involves the public, then you need to consider insurance (Livability’s insurance does not cover your event). Always check that your venue has public liability insurance. If they don’t, then get in touch with our Fundraising Team for advice on other options.

Food fundraising

Using food as your fundraiser? Then check the Food Standards Agency website for advice on preparing, handling, storing and cooking food at www.food.gov. uk

Data protection

Any information you collect about people, for your event, must be kept securely. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t ask for more information than you need or keep it for longer than you need to. For more advice, please get in touch with our Fundraising team.

So you’ve done all the preparation and planning, held your activity – and raised lots of money. Well done!

Phone: Call us on 020 7452 2121 if you would like to pay by credit or debit card.

Cheque:

Please send any cheques made out to Livability to: Livability, Coburg House, 1 Coburg Street, Gateshead, NE8 1NP.

Bank Transfer: Metro Bank Account: Livability Fundraising

Sort code: 23-05-80

Account number: 33630034

Reference: your name/name of the event

If you have been given a fundraising ID, please include this with your payment. If you are unable to pay by these methods, please get in touch with our Fundraising Team.

Your complete guide to fundraising

Need a few words about Livability?

If you need a few sentences to describe who Livability are and what we do to those interested in your fundraising, the following should help you draft thank yous, social media posts and more.

Donor thank you

Thank you so much for donating to my fundraiser! The gift you provided supports people with disabilities and allows them to thrive. Livability is the disability charity that’s committed to enabling children, young people and adults to live a life that adds up for them.

£30

£50

£150

£400

could buy multi-sensory textured balls could pay for an extra staff member to support a 4-hour trip can buy an iPad to support students learning at Livability Millie College could buy a goat for students to nurture for as part of their animal care

Social media post 1

Excited to be joining #TeamLivability at X {event name}. The road will be long and tiring but I plan to make it to the finish line! Support me: {justgiving link}

Social media post 2

Ready, get set, go! Help me reach my fundraising target of X{£}. Together we can make a difference to the lives of people with disabilities. Donate: X {justgiving link}

Useful resources

Contact our team for further resources including:

• Press release template

• A poster template

• Our logo

Thank

Share your story

Please remember to share your story and photos from your fundraising – we may feature it on our blog or social media, to inspire others.

your story and photos to: shareyourstory@livability.org.uk

Your complete guide to fundraising

Your complete guide to fundraising

To support with a regular gift or donate please call us on 020 7452 2121 or visit livability.org.uk/donate Leave

To give in memory of a friend or loved one, or to set up a tribute fund please call us on 020 742 2121 or visit livability.org.uk/inmemory