Sunfield is a member of the Fundraising Standards Board |
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| FUNDRAISING GUIDELINES |
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We are always grateful when someone offers to organise a fundraising event or activity on behalf of Sunfield. The following section highlights some of the things you will need to consider before embarking on your own fundraising activity. It is not an exhaustive list, and you should therefore ensure that any fundraising activity you carry out complies with the requirements of the Charities Act, national and local legislation. You should also ensure that you have considered all the relevant risks and, if necessary, have taken out relevant insurance cover. You should also obtain the permission of Sunfield’s Appeals Department and any other affected parties eg local police, landlords etc.
Keeping us informed
Please consult Sunfield’s Appeals department before carrying out any fundraising. This will enable us to make sure that there are no clashes of dates between the various events and that all efforts are co-ordinated. As Sunfield already has an active programme of fundraising with Charitable Trusts, companies and community groups etc, it would be helpful if you could let us know who you are intending to approach for donations, support, raffle prizes, sponsorship etc. This will help to ensure that potential donors are not getting bombarded with requests from lots of different people on behalf of Sunfield.
Publicity
It is important that all publicity relating to Sunfield is co-ordinated centrally and that it carries a message which is in keeping with the good reputation and image of Sunfield. We have a good relationship with the local media and it is therefore vital that all approaches to newspapers etc. are approved by the Appeals department prior to publishing or publication. Please also let us have copies of any publicity you see so that we can update our publicity file.
Authorisations & licences
Some activities such as raffles, car boot sales, collections in the street or in pubs or shopping centres require licences from the Local Authority and sometimes the police. Similarly, a licence is normally required if you are intending to sell alcohol at an event. It would therefore be helpful if you could consult us before proceeding with your fundraising ideas.
Insurance
Some activities and events will require separate insurance such as public liability etc. Sunfield cannot accept liability for events or activities organised by third parties.
Children and fundraising
There are various pieces of legislation regarding children and fundraising, but generally these are related to gambling (which includes raffles, lottery cards, race nights etc.), where children need to be over 18 to participate. Similarly, any event involving the sale of alcohol will be affected. Street collections are also affected by legislation, and children under 16 years of age cannot carry out collections.
Gift Aid donations
If you are making a donation from your own earned income on which you have paid income tax, you can increase the value of your donation by authorising us to treat the donation as ‘Gift Aid’ on a special form, available here. This enables Sunfield to reclaim the tax from the Inland Revenue. However, please note that Gift Aid cannot be claimed on the money you donate to us as a result of a collection from other people or where a significant benefit has been gained in return for the donation eg ticket price to enable access to an event, corporate sponsorship in return for advertising, sale of goods etc. However, under certain circumstances, such as donations for a sponsored run, it is possible to claim gift aid from each of the various sponsors, utilising a special sponsorship form which records each individual donor's contact details and their signature giving authorisation for gift aid to be claimed on their personal donation.
Accounting
It is very important that all fundraising is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act, and that it is accounted for correctly. This helps to ensure accountability and safeguards at all levels. You should therefore keep records of all items of income and expenditure associated with your fundraising and you should ensure that all monies raised are paid to Sunfield as soon as possible after the event. You should also specify what you would like the money to be used for ie our latest appeal, one of the projects, general funds etc. (please contact the Appeals Department to discuss our current needs). This will enable the accounts department to set aside your donation so that your money is used for the purposes for which it was raised. You will then be sent a formal receipt and thank you letter for your donation.
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