Guide Fundraising
Welcome to #TeamTangerine!
A huge thank you for choosing to fundraise for Meningitis Now.
We understand that fundraising is a personal journey for everyone, and we are here to support you every step of the way. Our goal is to make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible, so you can focus on raising awareness and funds for this important cause.
This guide is designed to help you get started, but if you have any questions or need assistance at any time, don’t hesitate to contact us.
You can reach us via email at fundraising@meningitisnow.org or by phone on 01453 768000 — just ask to speak to a member of the fundraising team.
Thank you again for being a part of #TeamTangerine. Together, we are stronger in the fight against meningitis!
Leah, Claire, Kat, Kyra, and Maizie The Fundraising Team
Thank you for fundraising for Meningitis Now. Without your support, we couldn’t do our vital work – our research, our support for people affected by meningitis, and our lifesaving awareness campaigns. But fundraising is about much more than just raising money. It’s about raising awareness of meningitis, about being part of the Meningitis Now family, and about doing something that is satisfying and fun. Thank you for what you’re doing - and I hope you enjoy it too.
Dr Tom Nutt, Chief Executive, Meningitis Now
In 2011, Nicola’s young son Mattia was given a 20% chance of survival when struck by meningococcal septicaemia. Mattia is now a lively teenager and in 2024, Nicola made the jump and completed a skydive, raising an incredible £1,812!
I jumped into the void for only few seconds. This is nothing compared to the void that Mattia’s loss would have been to all of us if MenB had the better of him. We have been very lucky and now we try to keep helping others through Meningitis Now.
Raised
£1,812
Raised over
£2,000
Emma and Scott have played to their strengths while fundraising for Meningitis Now. After daughter Noa-Rose contracted MenB meningitis in 2022, Scott conquered Mont-Blanc, raising over £2,000 for the charity!
Meanwhile, Emma and Noa-Rose have kept their feet firmly at sea level, organising a fabulous Halloween party and breakfast with Santa Claus, complete with a rather special Buddy the Elf-style breakfast!
Without the team at Meningitis Now, our daughter would have died. I say that because without the research they fund and support, there wouldn’t be any vaccines to fight this awful illness.
Find your Fundraiser
Want to fundraise but not sure how? Let us give you some ideas!
How do you spend your free time?
What do you like to do together?
With my friends and family
I like to get out of the house
We love to see what you get up to while fundraising! Send us any photos from your day or use #TeamTangerine in your social media posts!
Click here to visit our Fundraising Hub
Not sure on any of these ideas? Check out our Fundraising Hub.
Do you like to keep it chill, or are you more of an adrenaline junkie?
We have a range of fundraising materials available free of charge for your event, contact fundraising@meningitisnow.org to place an order.
Social/hosting
• Put on your fanciest outfit and host a charity ball
We like to spend our time with each other/whatever we do, I’m the host!
We all bond over the same activity
We like to try new things
Adrenaline junkie!
• Test your general knowledge and organise a quiz night
• Gather some prizes and host an auction or raffle!
• Get your friends together and throw a party to raise funds for Meningitis Now
A hobby you already love
Have a hobby that takes up a lot of your time?
Why not use this to raise money for Meningitis Now?
• Brew and Bake
• Love to get crafty? Why not sell some of your creations in aid of Meningitis Now
• Need an excuse to spend more time on the golf course? Organise a golf day
• Host a games night with family or friends
• Love the thrill of finding a bargain? Organise a car boot sale
Adrenaline/get your heart racing?
Thrill-seeking for a good cause:
Getting outside
• Tough Mudder
• Skydive
• Cycle
• Abseil
• Run
Keep it chill
• Walk/trek
• Put together a treasure hunt
• Do you and your little one like to explore the outdoors together? Organise a Toddle Waddle
Fundraising steps
Our Fundraising Team are here to support you with your fundraiser but here’s some steps below to get started with planning!
STEP 1 - What?
To start with, you’ll need to decide how you ‘re going to fundraise! Whether it’s running a 10k, hosting a quiz night, or anything in between, make sure it’s something you are excited about! If you’re stuck for ideas, check out our event selector on the previous page.
STEP 2 - Who?
Think about who you are going to be asking for donations and the best way to tell them about what you’re doing. Will it be through social media? Advertising your activity at work? This also applies if you are inviting people to an event – what is the best way to advertise it?
STEP 3 - When and where?
Once you have an idea of what you want to do, you’ll need to think about when and where your activity will take place. Do you need to run a date past other people? Book a venue? Plan a route? Thinking about these details in advance means you can focus more on getting everyone excited in the run-up to your event!
Click here to visit our Fundraising Hub
Click here to visit our Fundraising Hub, where you’ll find our logo, and downloadable posters to help you advertise your event!
Importantly, who might be able to help you with planning? You may have friends or family who want to support you by doing more than just donating and are happy to get involved!
STEP 4 - Order your fundraising resources
Get yourself kitted out with everything you’ll need on the day. We’ve got Meningitis Now T-shirts, stickers, signs and symptoms cards, and much more.
Order your fundraising resources by clicking here:
Click here to visit our Fundraising Hub
STEP 5 - Decide your fundraising target
How much do you want to raise? Having a target can really help you to stay motivated and creates a real sense of achievement once you’ve met that goal. It can also inspire others to donate to make sure you reach your total.
STEP 6 - Set up your JustGiving page
STEP 7 - Spread the word
Social media can be a great way to spread the word about your event and to ask for donations. Tell people a bit about Meningitis Now and why you are choosing to fundraise for us. Posting regular updates in the lead-up to your event or challenge will help keep people interested!
Tell us about it – our Fundraising Officers are here to provide any support you may need. We also love to hear about what you are getting up to, so do let us know your plans and make sure to use #TeamTangerine in any social media posts.
Just after payday is always a good time to ask for donations!
Setting up an online page with JustGiving is the easiest way to fundraise for Meningitis Now. Visit https://www.justgiving.com/ for-fundraising/how-to-create-afundraising-page to set up your page. Once you have set up your fundraising page, our team will send you an email with handy hints on how to make the most out of it.
STEP 8 - Have fun!
We know that hosting an event can sometimes be stressful, but now that you’ve put the hard work in, it’s time to enjoy yourself!
Things to remember
There are a few laws that govern fundraising activity and we want to make sure you are aware and take account of them. If you have any questions or want to double check anything listed below, please contact us.
Promoting your fundraiser
Any fundraising materials, posters and advertisements in support of Meningitis Now, must feature our registration number. Please make sure to use the correct one on any materials you create. England and Wales (803016) and Scotland (SCO37717).
If you’re creating your own posters, banners or T-shirts, please ensure they comply with fundraising regulations and use our official ‘in aid of Meningitis Now’ logo.
Click here to visit our Fundraising Hub
You can download the logo from our Fundraising Hub or find it in your welcome email.
Gift Aid
UK taxpayers can include Gift Aid when they donate, which means we receive an extra 25p for every £1 you raise from the taxman!
If you are using an online fundraising page, this will be collected and sent to us by the platform, but if your family and friends donate cash, make sure to collect their Gift Aid details on a sponsorship form.
extra 25p for every £1
Being part of #TeamTangerine
Please remember that by fundraising for Meningitis Now, you are a representative of the charity. Please ensure that you are polite and respectful when representing the charity.
Collections
Before holding a bucket collection, make sure to obtain permission and inform the team at Meningitis Now. We can then make sure you have a Letter of Authority, which proves your fundraising is legitimate.
If you want to host a bucket collection in a public space, such as your local high street, you will need to secure a public collection licence or permit from the local authority. If you want to place a collection tin in a pub or shop, make sure to get approval from the owner or manager first.
Food hygiene
Please make sure to follow basic food hygiene standards when handling food, including listing all ingredients, to help people identify allergens. Help can be found at https://www.food.gov.uk/food-hygiene
Alcohol
You will need a license if you plan to serve alcohol at your event. Please contact your local authority for more information.
Raffles and lotteries
For raffle and lottery advice, please visit https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk
Insurance, health and safety
While your fundraiser is in support of Meningitis Now, the charity is not liable for any damage, loss or injury at your event.
Your event isn’t covered by our Public Liability Insurance Programme, so you may need to arrange your own insurance.
You are also responsible for your own health and safety and should complete any necessary risk assessments and secure First Aid provision if it is required.
Making your fundraising accessible
We want fundraising to be accessible for everyone, from the event organiser to guests and donors. Below are some things to think about when organising your event to help make your event enjoyable for everyone.
Venue
• Is there step-free access?
• Is accessible parking available?
• Are accessible toilets available?
• Can you provide a quiet space, break out or prayer room?
Food and catering
• Are there options for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages?
• Consider who is attending, is the menu suitable for everyone e.g. do you have halal options?
Communication
• When your guests are registering for your event, make sure they can share if they have any special requirements or require additional support.
Do you have any special requirements?
We want to make sure that you have everything you need for your event to be a success.
If you have any requests or special requirements, for how we can best support you through your fundraising journey, please let us know. Our main method of contact is email, however, if you prefer, we can contact you via text, WhatsApp, call or social media message.
• If you have guests attending who are hard of hearing or deaf, consider whether you need a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter present.
• If you are hosting a seated event, reserve seating for those who require additional support and make sure this is communicated to your events team and the guest.
Click here to visit our Fundraising Hub
Making your fundraising accessible
Post event
Once your event is finished, there are a few things to do to wrap up your fundraising.
Speak to your Fundraising Officer about writing a blog post and/or press release with our Communications team – this can be a lovely way to celebrate the success of your event and help raise awareness of meningitis in your local community.
If you post about your event on social media, make sure to tag @MeningitisNow and use #TeamTangerine – we will do our best to share these on our stories.
Pay in your fundraising
Round up your collection tins and buckets, pay the money in and return any unused materials to our head office: Meningitis Now, Fern House, Bath Road, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 3TJ.
If you’ve set up a JustGiving page with Meningitis Now, then your money will come through to us automatically
If not, here are the other ways to pay in your donations:
• Go to www.MeningitisNow.org or phone us on 01453 768000 to donate using your credit or debit card.
• Ask your Fundraising Officer for Bank details to complete a BACS transfer.
• Send a cheque made payable to ‘Meningitis Now’, along with your name and contact details to: Meningitis Now, Fern House, Bath Road, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 3TJ.
We are here to help all those affected by meningitis, please call our nurse-led Helpline on 0808 80 10 388
Where your money goes!
£5 Could pay for 143 students to each receive a meningitis signs and symptom card.
£7 Over the period of 10 months, could pay for a person to attend one of our activity packed Family Days.
£10 Could pay for 2 initial calls to our nurse-led Helpline.
£32 Could pay for one person to attend a session of our mental health courses.
Support after meningitis
Meningitis Now know how tough life after meningitis can be.
We provide emotional, practical and financial support for people of all ages in the UK who have been affected by meningitis.
Contact us to find out more about our support services:
Tel: 0808 80 10 388
Email: helpline@meningitisnow.org
Web: MeningitisNow.org/getsupport
£50 Could pay for one hour of professional counselling. @meningitisnow fb.com/meningitisnow @meningitis_now @meningitisnow The support we offer is free of charge. Click here to find out more.