Cover Page Images: Page 1: Why donate to Concern? Getting Started

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2 Page 1: Why donate to Concern? Getting Started Page 2: Choosing an Event or Activity Do s and Don ts of Fundraising Page 3: Organising a Barbeque Organising a Table Quiz Page 4: Organising a Coffee Morning Organising a Gig/Music Night Page 5: Checklist Guidelines for Handling Cash Page 6: Be Safe & Legal Page 7: Fundraising Event Registration & Materials Order Form Cover Page Images: 3-year-old Amsalo Dosa eats Plumpy Nut, a highprotein paste, at a Concern Feeding Centre, Ethiopia during a re-covery from oedema. Photo Credit: Pieternella Pieterse A group of adult women in South Asia receive an education to improve literacy and gain a foothold in society. Young participants at the Scurlogstown Haymaking Festival in Trim, Co. Meath enjoy a Concern fundraising display. Photo Credit: Rory Sturdy Page 1: Mubarak Hussein accepts Plumpy Nut, a highprotein paste, in Ethiopia. Photo Credit: Danny Rowan

3 Why should anyone make a donation to Concern? Today, in the developing world, 1.1 billion people do not have access to water, and 2.6 billion do not have access to sanitation. This year, 10 million children will die before they reach their fifth birthday, and complications during birth and pregnancy will take the lives of half a million women. 1 Concern Worldwide, as a non-governmental, international humanitarian organisation, is dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world s poorest countries. Our mission is to help people living in extreme poverty achieve major improvements in their lives which last and spread without ongoing support from Concern. To do this, we work within poor communities and with local and international partners who share our vision to create just and peaceful societies where everyone can enjoy their fundamental rights. Getting Started One thing we ve learned over the years is that it s good to have a plan. This can make your life a lot easier in helping to achieve your goals. The first thing you should do is write EVERYTHING down. It usually proves very useful to keep a diary of all your activities. Generally, there are two main ways of fundraising - either holding an event or having sponsored activities. For either approach, you may require items to help with your fundraising, such as collection buckets, posters, bibs and sponsorship forms. (See page 7 for more information on what we can provide you with and how to make a request.) Publicity The most effective way of getting people to attend your event is to send a press release to your local radio stations and newspapers. If you don t know how to get in touch with them, you can obtain all the relevant details from the Concern Communications Department. Useful tips for writing a press release If possible, type it up, using double spacing. Try to keep it to one side of A4 paper. Always put a date on it. Keep it simple and to the point. The first paragraph is all-important and should contain the most relevant information. Remember to use the five Ws: Who, What, When, Where and Why. Make sure that you include your contact details on it, so someone can always get in touch with you if they need more info. 1 UNICEF (2007). Progress for Children: A World Fit for Children; World Health Organization (2007). Maternal Mortality in 2005.

4 Holding an Event Below are some examples of popular events and guideline amounts that can be raised. Can you do better? Give it a go! Bag packing in supermarket Barbeque event 400 Coffee morning Fantasy Football League Gig / Music night 500-1,000 Casual Office Day 500 Table Quiz Tip: Give yourself plenty of time to plan it. When choosing the date(s) for your event, make sure they don t clash with a local/national event. Have a few dates in mind. That way you can choose which one best suits the availability of all your family and friends - the more help you ll have to organise things, the better. Sponsored Activities To organise a sponsored activity, all you need is a great idea and a sponsorship form and you re away! Contact us to receive a sponsorship card (See page 7). Some tried and tested activities are: Cycle, Fast, Head-shave or Sponsored Silence. Choose one of these - or come up with a few ideas yourself. Tip: Approach the people who are likely to be sponsor generously first so that you get them at the top of your list. Raising money can seem like quite a daunting task, but once you ve started it does get easier. So don t be shy in telling people about your event, and more importantly, why you re doing it. Do s and Don ts Do: Prepare well. Develop a plan of action, showing what needs to be done, by when and by whom. Draw up a budget and stick to it. Costs should not usually exceed 30% of the planned return. Make a list of your fundraising sources: friends, family, work, local schools, pubs, clubs. Try to get your event sponsored by a local business or source free items from colleagues. Advertise your event as much as possible. Write a press release. Contact local radio and press and post on notice boards in supermarkets etc. Maximise your fundraising! If you re hosting a barbeque, why not hold a raffle at it also! Get permission from your local council and/or Garda station, if you plan to hold an event in a public area or organise a collection. Contact Concern for advice and to keep us in the loop. Don t: Over-estimate your fundraising target or the support you ll receive for your event. Rely too much on family and friends. Under-estimate the potential of tried and trusted local events. Lose sight of your target. Forget to have fun!

5 Getting started Sell tickets e.g. for 10 which includes All food plus a free drink. Approach local businesses for sponsorship of food and prizes. Try having more than one barbeque two or three smaller ones might be easier to manage. You could organise one for neighbours, one for family and friends and one for colleagues. What you ll need - The right sized venue - Organisation - e.g. who s going to do the cooking? - Food & drink - Ask your local butcher, off-licence or pub for help in providing free nibbles and drinks. You might even be able to use some of their donations towards prizes for an added event, e.g. a raffle! - Entertainment Use your own stereo and music or consider contacting a local DJ. - Invitations. They can add that personal touch, as well as tell everyone about your fun event. Guidelines for a safe Barbeque The 3 Cs for meat: 1) Keep it Clean, 2) Keep it Cold, and 3) Keep it Covered Make sure all utensils, counters and work areas are clean. Use clean utensils for each item. Where possible, use plastic cutting boards rather than wooden ones. Never allow raw and cooked foods to come into contact with the same surfaces. Getting started - Think of everyone you know who might want to get involved. Everyone loves a good quiz, so getting teams together shouldn t be difficult. - Look at ways of reaching them. e.g. word of mouth, , posters. - Approach local companies. Many are happy to donate prizes once they know it s for a good cause. Start off getting in touch with shops and companies you might already know. You can then contact others that you might not know by letter, followed up with a personal call. - Check if any local pubs already run a pub quiz. If any do, ask the landlord if one night the proceeds can be donated to Concern. - Decide on an entry fee. For every member of a team on a table. A good rule of thumb is 5 per person. Sell tickets in advance if possible. What you ll need - The right sized venue. A pub is an ideal venue. Don t forget to schedule with the pub well in advance and double-check closer to the date. - Quiz questions. Make sure you have enough questions for the night. Be sure to assign a firm but fair adjudicator and compère in advance of the quiz. - Raffle. This always adds to excitement of the night. Use foods within the recommended storage times or packaged dates. Do not leave perishable foods at room temperature for more than two hours.

6 Getting Started - Advertise the event - word of mouth, , facebook event, posters. Make sure that any ad says when, where, what time, how much plus where all the funds raised will be donated. - Decide whether to sell tickets in advance, or charge admission on the day It may be easier to charge on the day for this event, but selling tickets in advance does give you an idea of how many people to expect. - Approach local companies Get in touch with local shops/supermarkets to see if you can get the coffee, tea and snacks donated. Anything extra you can get donated could go towards a raffle on the day. - Raffle Obviously you ll want to sell as many tickets as possible. You can always enlist the help of friends and family to sell tickets too. Getting Started - Decide what kind of music you ll want. - Have a buffet or wine and cheese tasting. You could it in the cost of the ticket. - Decide on whether to send out tickets or charge on the door. It s best to sell tickets in advance so you can get a good idea how many people are likely to turn up. Decide how much the tickets should cost. Decide on where to hold your event. Depending on the number of people expected, look into booking your local hall. Make sure to book it well in advance, and enlist some friends to help you set up for the evening i.e. chairs etc. Your local pub is often a good bet too. What you ll need - Musicians. Local musicians draw a crowd as their own friends and family will come. Try to get a range of musicians for an evening of varied entertainment. Draw up a programme to hand out to your guests. - A good public address system. This is essential. If you ve booked a venue then they may already have one. If not, one can easily be hired out for the night. - Raffle. Contact local shops to see if they ll donate the prizes. Sell tickets on the night. - Wine reception. Your local shop/supermarket may well donate wine, cheese and crackers. - Ads. Local radio, press, notice boards, word of mouth, , website, facebook.

7 1. Decide what you want to do Discuss options with friends and try to stick with what is achievable if you are new to event fundraising. The tried and tested pub quiz/ bag pack/ sponsored runs are always a good place to start. If you have a BIG IDEA talk it over with friends and Concern fundraising staff before you commit - we are here to help! 2. Draw up a Plan Plan out a timeframe listing the dates on which key tasks must be completed. List everything you are likely to need, e.g. people to help, venue, promotional material, target audience etc. Allocate tasks to different people. Don t be afraid to ask for help. Not everything will go according to the initial schedule so have some contingency plan(s) in case things go better or worse than expected. 3. Draw up a Budget List your target income and expenditure. Allow for a contingency within your budget, as you will often overspend or underestimate in certain areas. Think about the likely return after costs a low risk/small scale event might be better than a high risk/high return large event. We ask that all those involved in fundraising adopt the procedures outlined below when transferring funds raised at collections or events: Cash received ought to be held in a secure environment, and counted and recorded by at least two individuals, preferably unrelated. Funds can be submitted by cheque, credit card or cash. Cash should be banked as soon as possible using bank credit transfer forms, (we can provide forms with our account number preprinted). If money is collected over a long period then we ask that you transfer it at regular intervals. Money can be lodged through any bank to our main account in Bank of Ireland. Account No: Sort Code: N.B. Remember to write your full name and address on all lodgement dockets. Counterfoils ought to be retained by the individual responsible for banking. If your funds are to be allocated to a specific project or appeal, this should be stated on the transfer document. Night safe facilities ought to be considered for large amounts banked outside working hours. Local businesses may provide this facility. Keep a record of what you have to spend (with receipts). 4. Thank all involved - Don t forget to tell Concern what you did so that we can thank you! 5. Evaluate the event as soon as possible afterwards.

8 Advance planning will reap dividends from your valuable time and energy. While we will endeavour to assist you in any way we can, we cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions on your part. Public Collections You need a permit from the Gardai to collect funds on the street or in a public place. While the owners of some private properties including pubs and shopping centres may allow collections onsite you should always check with the Gardai on the need for a permit. Permits may take a few weeks or even months to obtain, so advance planning is necessary. We can provide guidance on this when you register your event with us. Registering Your Event It s important that you let us know about your fundraising plans in advance. Raffles & Lotteries Simple raffles at one-off events usually do not require a licence but raffles involving tickets sold in advance may require one. Check with your local Garda station. Health and Safety You should ensure that your event is organised efficiently and safely. Ensure that participants are fully briefed about the event, including (where relevant) any risks, fitness requirements, special equipment or clothing required and standards of behaviour expected. Always check if a hired venue has adequate safety procedures in place; trained first-aid personnel may be required particularly if outdoor venues are used. Outdoor events may also require you to notify local authorities or to obtain special permissions. Supervision Ensure that your event is properly and adequately supervised. Where children are attending, this includes: Providing proper adult supervision at all times in a safe and secure environment. Checking that the child s parents/guardians have given permission for their child to take part. Insurance Consider what insurance cover you need for your event. Owners of venues with public access should have adequate cover in place but certain categories of events demand additional or specified insurance cover e.g. large scale outdoor events, adventure pursuits etc. Additional insurance cover may have to be factored into your budget. Fundraising Materials and Publicity All of your fundraising should make it clear that you are fundraising in aid of Concern rather than formally acting on behalf of the organisation. You should always check with Concern before using our logo in promotional or publicity material. We can provide posters and information on our work or letters of authorisation. You need to contact us in advance. Transparency A breakdown of costs and income should be available if members of the public request these details. For further help and advice about fundraising in aid of Concern, contact our fundraising department on (01) or info@concern.net

9 Fundraising Event Registration & Materials Order Form What are your contact details? [If you are requesting fundraising materials below, provide the delivery address for these items]. Salutation First Name Surname Address: County: Telephone Describe your planned fundraising event, including when and where it will take place. Please be as detailed as possible. Do you require any fundraising materials for your event? Just indicate the quantities below. For advice phone Jonathan Power on (01) Collection Buckets Picture Posters Blank Posters Day Glo Posters Blank Day Glo Posters Emergency Posters Sponsorship Cards Fundraising Bibs Before we can issue fundraising materials or approve your event, we ask you to provide two referees whom we can contact (not family members). Name Address Name Address Relationship to you Telephone: Relationship to you Telephone: I declare that the information provided on this document is correct and that I will not be in receipt of any personal benefit arising from this fundraising event. Signed: Date: Please return this completed form to Fundraising, Concern Worldwide, Camden St, Dublin 2