1) Spread the Word – Now that you have a great fundraising idea, spread the word! Inform your local paper about what you are doing and why, promote it on Facebook and tweet about it before, during and after! Put a flyer for your event on the notice board at work or write a story in the company newsletter. Even better, recruit some of your colleagues to help you out on the day, it’s a great team builder! Be sure to think about what makes your event special, why it is important to you and communicate this to your audience. Take lots of pictures and remember to follow us and mention @BlueCrossTweets in your tweets!
2) Keep it safe!
a. Get Permission: To collect money in a public place, you need to obtain permission from your local authorities. If you are collecting in a privately owned place (café, shopping center, clubhouse) then getting permission from the owner should suffice.
b. Insurance: You may need to ensure that you have public liability insurance for your activity, depending on what is involved. If your event is overseas, you will need travel insurance, visas and vaccinations. Make a checklist and make sure you go through all the necessary steps well in advance.
c. Involving Youth: If your activity involves youth, you may need to get permission from a parent or guardian before they start fundraising. Also, if you take picture of anyone under 18 involved in the event, please get permission from their parents before using the photos.
d. Health and Safety: Health and Safety are important factors to consider when organizing any event. Assess the risks in advance and ensure that you plan to avoid any hazards. It’s also good to have at least one trained first aider on site in case of accidents or injury.
3) Collect Contact Information – Be sure to have a template to collect contact information of your participants, volunteers, passerbies and contributors (only if they are willing)! We can use the information to keep them updated about what’s up with the Blue Cross around the world.
After the Event:
- Provide instructions on how to pay in
- Share it with us! Don’t just send us the money you collected, for which we are ever grateful, send us pictures, testimonials, stories, videos or any other information from your event! We would love to hear all about how it went and may even post your stories on our social media.