There are many ways to raise funds directly from the public, for example:
- collections, door-to-door or street fundraising
- lotteries and raffles
- events or sponsored activities
- online, on the television or by telephone
You can raise money even before you become a registered charity, so long as you make it clear that you are not yet registered.
The Institute of Fundraising has lots of ideas to help you start fundraising, plus guides on staying safe and following the law.
Find out more about the legal requirements and standards which apply to fundraising from the Code of Fundraising Practice and its supporting guidance.
No matter how you decide to fundraise, you should have effective systems in place so that your charity complies with the law and fundraising legal duties. The Charity Commission’s guidance on charity fundraising sets out 6 principles to help trustees comply with their legal duties. The commission has also produced a checklist which is a series of questions for trustees to evaluate the performance of their fundraising activities.
If you are collecting money for your charity, it is important to put controls in place to make sure the money goes towards meeting your charity’s aims. You should make sure that:
- all collection tins are regularly opened and the contents counted
- at least two people are involved in handling and recording the money received
- all cash you collect is banked by your charity as soon as possible without deducting expenses
You will find a handy help guide to fundraising using collecting tins on our Resources page.
Gift Aid is a way for charities to increase the value of donations from UK taxpayers. When people donate using Gift Aid, you can reclaim tax from HM Revenue and Customs. For every £1 donated, you can claim an extra 25 pence. You can claim Gift Aid online.
Your organisation may want to have a fundraising policy and we have created writing a fundraising policy to help you write one.