• Spread the word
• Ensure it's safe and legal
• After the event

Spread the word

Shout about it

Now that you have got your fundraising plans in place, you now need to tell people about it. The more noise you make about your activities, the better - tell your family, friends, colleagues and your local community, 

Local papers

Let your local paper know what you’re doing to support Farm Africa. Think about what makes your story special and ensure you take lots of photos pre and post event.

Before you contact the media, let us know and we can provide tips to help get coverage and help you put together a press release. For more tips and guidance, please email events@farmafrica.org.

Post, chat and share

Use the power of social media to help spread the word. Link your online fundraising page to your social networking profiles, create an event and invite all your friends, and tweet about your training or preparation for your fundraiser.

Remember to follow us and include @FarmAfrica in your Facebook and Twitter posts and @farm_africa on Instagram.

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn

Spread the word at work

Put up flyers or posters promoting your event in your staff room or up on the notice board, attach your fundraising page link to your e-signature or write a story for the company newsletter. Why not recruit some of your workmates to help you out on the day - It’s a great team builder!

Photography

Take lots of photos! On the day, pre and post event, take everyone on the journey and share your story with some great photos. Send your photos in to Farm Africa so we can share what you’ve been doing and inspire others. You might even see your photo on our featured fundraiser page or future fundraising promotion materials (with your consent, of course).

Online fundraising page tips

When it comes to online fundraising, the more active your page is, the more you’ll raise. Make sure you personalise it with photos and a message. Fundraisers with pictures or videos on their page raise 14% more per photo. A perfect excuse for a #selfie.

Keep updating it with photos of your progress, blog about your fundraising success and don't forget to add any money raised offline to your running total too. Set up your page with JustGiving in just a few clicks!

Farm Africa branding

If you would like to use the Farm Africa logo for your fundraising or require something bespoke, please contact us on events@farmafrica.org with details of your request.

Ensure it's safe and legal

While you are having fun raising funds for Farm Africa, please remember to consider the importance of health and safety. If you are planning and delivering your own event in aid of Farm Africa, it is your responsibility, as the organiser, to ensure your event is safe and legal.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss this any further, please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing events@farmafrica.org or call us on 020 7841 5160.

Covid-19 precautions

Your health and safety is important to us. If you are participating in any fundraising activities for Farm Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic, it's vital this is done in a safe and secure way. If you are planning your own event, consider if there is any risk involved and complete a risk assessment.

When planning a fundraiser where you may come into contact with people outside of your household, please ensure you are checking the most up-to-date local, regional and national government guidelines on social distancing and adhering to these at your event. Latest guidance and restrictions can be found at www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

When promoting your fundraiser, we encourage you, where possible, to do this through digital platforms. If the event or activity you're organising requires a financial commitment to venues and suppliers, please make sure you are checking their policies around cancellation, postponement and refunds before booking.

If you're unsure about anything, please contact our team for further advice.

Get permission

To collect money in any public place you need to obtain permission from your local authority. If you are collecting in a privately owned place (a pub, cafe or shopping centre) then get permission from the owner before the event.

Also, some fundraising activities require permission from local councils or landowners. If you are unsure, just call us on 020 7841 5160.

Raffles, lotteries, sweepstakes and competitions

Activities like charity raffles (also known as a lotteries), sweepstakes and competitions can all be great ways to put a little fun into your fundraising. They’re also some of the most regulated areas of fundraising and are regulated by the Gambling Commission, under the Gambling Act (2005), in the public interest.

If you are planning any of these activities for your event, it is your responsibility to ensure you are compliant with the law. If in doubt, you should seek legal advice.

If you are holding a raffle with tickets being sold at the location and during the event, and the result of the draw declared either at the event or after it has finished, you do not need a licence for this. We recommend that you make it clear to your audience that tickets can only be purchased at the event and share when the result of the raffle will be announced. If you're thinking of selling raffle tickets in advance of an event taking place, obtaining a licence will be required - please seek advice from your local authority.

You can find further guidance on charity raffles and lotteries on the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and Gambling Commission websites. 

Handling cash

Unless you’re fundraising online, you’re likely to come into contact with cash. Whether raised at your event or given to you as sponsorship, please always keep money secure. When transporting cash, always ensure you’re with another person in a well-lit area.

We would not recommend posting any cash to us so please count the cash yourself, bank it into your personal account and then transfer the funds to us as soon as you can. You can make a card payment through our website, make a BACS transfer (please ask for our bank details), pay the funds onto an existing JustGiving or Virgin Money Giving page or send a cheque to us. Whatever way you're paying in, please ensure you include a note to say it's from you, with your name, address and details of how the funds were raised. 

During the pandemic, we do not recommend that you collect cash donations from your supporters and instead use online payment or donation methods. Please be sensitive to the anxieties of others during these unprecedented times.

Food safety

From brownies to banquets, if you're selling or making food, it's also important to follow the relevant food safety guidance. Visit the Food Standards Agency for more information.

Insurance

If you are organising your own fundraising event in aid of Farm Africa, you may need to arrange Public Liability Insurance. This will help protect you against claims made by third parties for injury or property damage as a result of negligence. Please remember that Farm Africa does not have any liability for the event, related accidents, damage, or any losses, even when the event is run to raise money for the charity.

When hiring a venue, insurance will often be included in the hire fee, however we recommend that you always check this with the venue before proceeding. We also recommend that you check whether any equipment you’ve hired is also covered.

For private events, insurance may not be necessary. But please always seek advice from a reputable insurance provider if you’re unsure.

If your event is overseas, you will need travel insurance, visas and vaccinations. Make a checklist and make sure you go through all necessary steps well in advance. If you’re planning to take on an activity such as an overseas cycle or mountain trek, we recommend you go through an event organising company who’ll be able to provide advice and guidance for your safety during the challenge. Companies we already work with include Discover Adventure and Charity Challenge.

Young people

Anyone under 16 must get permission from a parent or guardian before they start fundraising. Also, no one under the age of 16 can take part in a door-to-door collection.

If you take photos of any person aged under 18, involved in your event, you must get permission from their parent or guardian before sharing the photos publicly.

Do make your event child-friendly though, and encourage fun for the whole family. Get in touch for ideas or advice.

Health and safety

When planning your own event, it is your responsibility to manage risk. A risk assessment forms evidence that you have identified potential hazards at your event and assessed their likelihood of occurrence. Risk assessing is very important so you can also implement ways to minimise risk, keeping you and everyone involved, safe. 

Depending on the nature of your activities, you may want to consider having at least one trained first aider on site to respond to any accident or injury. For further advice on first aid, you can contact your local branch of St John Ambulance.

Please also be sure that your arrangements take into account people living with disabilities. Your risk assessment should include hazards specific to people with disabilities – such as access, comfort areas, safe viewing areas, carers and emergency procedures.

Ensure your event is organised efficiently and safely by completing a risk assessment and considering what insurance cover or any special licences you may need from your local council. All promotions of your event or activity should clearly state whether all funds raised at the event will go to the charity or whether any money will be used to pay for any costs. The Health and Safety Executive has further information on event safety at www.hse.gov.uk If selling food, contact the Environmental Health department at your local council for advice.

We have provided some further guidance around conducting your own risk assessment. But please note, when organising your own event in aid of Farm Africa, risk assessing is your own responsibility. If you are unsure of anything or have any specific questions, get in touch with us at events@farmafrica.org.

People with disabilities

Please be sure that your arrangements take into account people living with disabilities. Your risk assessment should include hazards specific to people with disabilities – such as access, comfort areas, safe viewing areas, carers and
emergency procedures.

The environment

Please respect and look after the environment when planning for your event, on the day and post event. Make sure you leave the land or venue the same as when you found it, and consider your plans for collecting litter and disposing of it. Try to reduce waste and recycle as much as possible.

Data protection

If your fundraising involves collecting or storing personal data from anyone, including name, home address and email address, you must comply with the Data Protection Act. This may occur if you're using paper sponsorships forms or donation envelopes, for example.

Always keep data securely stored, whether physically locked away or on a password protected computer.

After the event

You’ve done the hard bit and raised the money, here’s what to do next.

What to do with the money

Please try and get any money raised for Farm Africa paid to us within a month of your event. Here’s how you can pay your money in:

• Online through your fundraising page with JustGiving is a great, simple and efficient way to raise and pay in funds. If you've set up your own fundraising page and have linked Farm Africa as the cause you want to support, the funds will be paid direct to us. 
• Pay it in online - remember to post us any signed Gift Aid declarations on paper sponsorship forms or Gift Aid envelopes.
• Pay your funds through direct bank transfer. Please get in touch to ask for our charity bank account details. We would ask you to make sure you include an easily identifiable reference such as your full name and to let us know when you'll be paying this in.
• Pay all the money you’ve raised into a bank account, then make a cheque payable to Farm Africa. Post this also enclosing a completed donation form or note (with details such as your name, address and details of your fundraising activity) to Farm Africa, 3 - 5 Bleeding Heart Yard, Off Greville Street, London, EC1N 8SJ.

• If you've any raised cash, please count it, bank it then pay it via any of the methods mentioned in this section. Please do not send any cash by post. 

Gift Aid

Make sure you encourage your supporters to tick the Gift Aid box on any sponsor form if they are eligible, and Farm Africa will receive an extra 25p for every £1 that people donate. Make sure they complete the sponsor form in full, including their full name, postal address and postcode.

Tell us about it!

Your fundraising stories are a massive inspiration to people around the world, so please do share with us what you’ve achieved and how you did it.

Send us pictures, quotes and anecdotes. We really love to hear supporters' stories, so please don’t be shy. Also, we can tell others about what you’ve been doing, inspiring others to help reduce poverty in Africa. Send them to us at events@farmafrica.org