Fundraising Handbook - UCA Students' Union

Fundraising Handbook

Contents 2. What is fundraising 4. What the ‘Pros’ do 6. What works here at UCA 10. Ideas of fundraisers 13. Fundraise application form

Introduction to this booklet So you’ve found yourself in a position where you need money. Not to worry, we’re here to help. We have created this Fundraising Handbook to tell you a little about what fundraising tips are useful both professionally and within UCA. If you need any further assistance with fundraising please fill in the application form and bring it to the SU office and we will try to help you!

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What is fundraising?

What is Fundraising: Fundraising is an activity people do to raise money for a certain cause. This cause could be anything. Whether it be a charity helping those less fortunate, a project you could be working on, maybe you just need some more money, but either way the goal is to ‘raise funds’.

There are many different ways to fundraise. Some may require using skills, some may require an investment of money first. The bottom line is, there is no perfect way to fundraise. No way to guarantee you take money, as methods will fluctuate with circumstances.

For example: arranging an event where you’re booking live bands, and spending money on decoration. It will be a lot more effort and may not reap the same results if you are trying to raise less than £200. Maybe selling your artwork at 50% of the usual cost would be a more appropriate route to take with this goal. On the flip side, if you are trying to make upwards of £1,000 then unfortunately a bake sale just won’t cut it.

The Students’ Union is actually a charity itself. Take a look through this handbook to see what we advise for fundraising, what different methods work, and to see if we can help you at all.

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Professional ways of fundraising Activity It goes without saying that sport is a big part of many people’s lives. It also is important to know that some of us are terrible at it, that’s why we leave it to the professionals.

Many people love to see individuals that aren’t good at sport, competing. Soccar aid is a huge hit every year as people turn up to watch non-athletes attempt to take part in sport. Some fail and some succeed, wither way it’s good watching.

For Comic and Sport relief many celebrities have taken part in: Danceathons, Hiking up mountains, or Swimming the English Channel. It’s always great to see somebody come out of their comfort zone and attempt a sport they don’t usually do in the name of fundraising.

Why not try challenging somebody who is good at sport to a match? People may pay to see you succeed, they may bet against you, they may even pay to see you fail, but the most important part of that is that they have paid…

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Skills People have been known to put their skills to the absolute limits in order to gain money. A common thing Choirs do is a 24-hour Singathon. This works on the same idea that people will pay to see you go through a difficult situation.

Sometimes pushing your skills to the limits is the way to make people turn their heads. Radio 1 DJ’s Scott Mills and Chris Stark have on more than one occasion done a 24hour broadcast on the Radio. With enough advertisement you could really generate interest in doing a marathon of a certain task. Just remember to know your limits. Don’t push yourself too hard, you come first.

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Ways which work within UCA Competition Although your first port of call may be a bake sale, I urge you to think outside the box. Yes, bake sales do often work but you’re at a creative arts university so I’m here to tell you. Be more creative. With UCA being such a small campus, we have both the blessing and a curse of knowing many of the people here.

This is often a blessing, a great example of why is competition. Who wouldn’t to see friends battling against each other at a certain task. In recent years the Rugby club challenged the Football club to a charity football match claiming they could ‘destroy them’. This ended up raising over £139 for both of the clubs chosen charity Prostate Cancer UK. Isn’t this a great example of friendly competition for a greater cause?

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Put yourself out there Putting yourself through discomfort is often very appealing to friends and course mates.

People get a certain amount of humour from this. Previously people have taken part in sponsored leg waxes or head shaves. With something like a head shave, it becomes a lasting reminder of what you did for a certain amount of time. You can use this to strike up conversations about what you are raising money for, what you did and can encourage future donations. Last years sponsored Head shave raised around £700 for the charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK.

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Use your skills You have the benefit of learning a skill within UCA that not many people will either know about or be able to do.

If you are good at drawing, use those skills. Most of our campuses have a community space that many people walk through.

In Canterbury there’s the main reception area. Epsom there’s the Quadrangle or the Backspace. Farnham the Quad and canteen. And Rochester you have the reception/canteen.

These are areas which attract a lot of footfall. By setting up shop here and showcasing your skill you could get lots of donations or sales. Think about being interactive, don’t expect people to come straight to you. Could you draw caricatures as people go past? This gets people talking and donating time to hearing about what you’re doing.

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Perform Events are obviously a great idea. But it’s not always the best idea. Events often require a high upfront cost of: Venue hire, bar staff, security, and decoration. You could end up spending more than you expect to make! You could however take part in an event.

Maybe you’re a skilled magician, a soul singer or maybe even fancy 80’s dancing, why not work for one of our event nights and donate your earnings to your cause? Many people think hosting their own event will bring in more money but something as simple as being the DJ for four hours could bring you more money for much less effort.

Events That being said there are certain types of events that do earn money. Spoken word society host a monthly Open mic evening where they allow students to perform and showcase their talents. They later go round with a donation bucket and ask for donations to the chosen charity of the week. Over the course of the year they made hundreds of pounds for many different charities.

We also have an opportunity for you to make money through The Platform. This is a simplified way of having your event get on to the Glasshouse calendar. The Glasshouse calendar is often packed with different events and it’s difficult for you to get a spot on there. By going onto The Platform, you can battle it out against other ideas for a spot to gain any profit you make!

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Ideas of fundraisers: Some ideas you could use: • Challenge a Sports team to a charity match • Be a caricaturist for the day • Shave your head • Perform at a Glasshouse event • Wax your legs • Full day Danceathon • Sell your artwork • Create an escape room experience • 10k fun run • Arrange a fête/fair with other fundraisers • Bag pack at a shop • Tattoo auction (people bid to choose a tattoo for your body, the highest bidder gets to choose)

• • • • • • • • • • •

Eating Competitions Raffles Karaoke Auctions Sports days Sell your skill

(ceramics, handmade accessories)

Speed dating events Hot Wings challenge Naked Calendar Singathon Work a shift for free

(donate the money you would receive to the cause)

• Hike up a mountain • Prize penalty shoot-out • Submit an idea to The Platform

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• Sell handmade candles/soaps • Street performances • Host a Talent Show • Take bets on sport fixtures • Sponsored Silence • Prize fun games • Gross eating contest • Video Game competition • Drag race • Yoghurt bath • Sumo wrestling competitions • Break a Guinness world record

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Important information I think something to always remember is that you need to be thinking outside of the box. Yes a bake sale is easy but if you put yourself out there with wacky ideas, you might find you get more in return. Think about what you would rather donate to, a bake sale, or seeing your friends sumo wrestle? I know which one I’d rather do.

Although an idea is good to have, advertising is just as important. Getting people there and donating could be the make or break of you hitting your target. Print out posters, get your friends down, make sure people are going to be there when you plan your ideas. Do whatever you can to make sure people see what you’re doing and grab their attention, convince them to donate.

Thank you for reading the Fundraising Handbook. If you want any more information for fundraising please email surrey.su@uca.ac.uk. Also if you have an idea and want us to help, please fill in the application form to the right and return it to the SU office!

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Fundraising Application Form Name

Fundraising Goal ÂŁ

Email

Number

What are you fundraising for? (personal, uni project, club/society, charity)

Do you require any of our pre-existing fundraising opportunities? (if so which ones: Platform, Seasonal Markets, Termly Fairs, Perform at an event) Yes / No

What is your idea?

Please return this form completed to the Students Union office on your campus

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