We rely on people to fundraise for us to make a real difference to children’s lives. Here’s some helpful advice to get you started raising money for Sparks.

S – starting out

• Take a look through our fundraising ideas for inspiration and decide on something that would make your family, friends and colleagues get involved.
• Think about your budget – how much you aim to spend, as well as how much you hope to raise. Make sure you are realistic about what you can achieve.

P – plan of action and practicalities

• Making a plan will ensure that you break down your fundraising into manageable small steps so it can easily fit around work, looking after children or other commitments. Make a checklist of things you need to do and share tasks with others if you can.
• Think about when and where your event will be, what equipment or helpers you might need on the day and have a contingency plan – what will you do if it rains?

A – alert us

• We love to hear from you. Once you have an idea in mind, let us know – we can advise on the practicalities of an event and help you to reach your fundraising goals. From sending you posters to setting up an online fundraising page, we’re here to help. Email or call 0207 091 7750.

R – read all about it

• Remember to make the most of your event by shouting about it! Advertise your event, put up posters and get online to tell people what you are doing, including your work magazine or intranet, social networking sites and online donation pages.
• Contact your local media to tell them about your event and your inspiration for supporting Sparks – let us know first and we can give you some handy tips.
• Let local companies know what you are doing – they may want to sponsor your event or help to cover your costs.

K – keep it safe and legal

• Your safety is the most important thing. Think carefully before undertaking anything which might put you or someone else at risk. Download our event safety checklist and easy risk assessment form to help you.
• By organising a fundraising event, you are responsible if anything goes wrong. Check that the venue or equipment you’re using is covered. You may need to organise public liability insurance to protect you against any claims as Sparks cannot accept any liability for your event. You will need to organise this yourself but you can contact your local fundraiser for more information.
• If you are doing a collection, selling alcohol at your event or providing any public entertainment, check whether you need a special licence or permission – eg. collecting money on the street should not be done without permission from the local council. Talk to your local fundraiser for advice on how to get a license.
• There are strict rules on organising a raffle, lottery or prize draw – please do not organise anything before talking to your local fundraiser on the rules you need to follow.
• If you’re planning a particular challenge or public event, let us know and we can give advice on steps you might need to take.

S – sending in your money and saying thank you

• Say thank you to everyone who supported or helped at your event, including any companies that helped to cover your costs and your volunteers on the day.
• If you have already raised money, you can donate it here. Otherwise you can set up an online donation page to send money directly through to us.
• Alternatively, you can send a cheque (made payable to ‘Sparks charity’) to our head office. Make sure you tell us who you are, your contact details (including your address) and how you raised the money!
• However you’re raising money, send it in to us as quickly as you can so we can put it towards our research projects straight away.