Fundraising tips for success

Make the most from your event! We're on hand to help you achieve your target.

If you've already decided what you're going to do, set yourself a fundraising target and have a plan to achieve it.

Aim high and encourage people to sponsor you. Remember, if any of your event costs come from the money you raise, by law you must tell your sponsors.

Plan your event

Start early - give yourself a head start to avoid stress and enjoy preparing for your event. Use our event checklist.
Ask for sponsorship by setting up an online fundraising page and using the sponsorship form provided in your fundraising pack. Sign up today to receive advice from our events team about your fundraising event.
Don't forget Gift Aid - remind your sponsors to tick the Gift Aid box so you can raise around 25 percent more. Learn more about how Gift Aid works.
Ask your employer if they have matched giving. This means they may match your final fundraising total.
Make sure to keep your fundraising safe and legal.

Publicise your event

Tell people why - People want to know what you're doing, but also why you're doing it and how their donation will help. Publicise your story on social media and what it means to you!
Promote your event at work - tell your colleagues in staff newsletters, emails and notice boards.
We'll send you free fundraising materials in your fundraising pack.
Local media - Contact newspapers, radio and television stations. Visit www.media.info/uk for your local press contacts - radio, newspaper and magazine.
Word of mouth - ask friends and family to sponsor you and ask them to share your story.
Let us know! Tell us about why you're fundraising and share your event pictures with us by emailing us.

Get social media savvy

First you need to set up your online JustGiving fundraising page. Before you share your page, ask a few people close to you to sponsor you first to get things started. By setting yourself a target, you can increase your fundraising by 45 percent. Use the JustGiving Toolkit for hints and tips when setting up your page.
Give a reason for sharing your online JustGiving fundraising page such as if you've just met with the venue manager or if you've given up something, share how you've resisted. Every share on Facebook is worth around £10.
Set up a group or create an event on Facebook. Invite all your friends and remember to add a link to your online fundraising page.
Post a series of tweets, Facebook statuses or Instagram photos to keep people up to date with your fundraising and tell them about milestones e.g. I've just reached £100 and make sure you say thank you.
Share your JustGiving page on payday, usually at the end of the month.
Post lots of photos and videos of your event preparation. You could even post pictures of your pets. Don't forget to email your pictures to fundraisers-support@rspca.org.uk we love seeing them and we may even use them to help with promoting our events!
Use our social badges to help spread the word. We have a variety for you to pick covering popular social platforms Facebook, Instagram and X. We also have the RSPCA email signature, so everyone hears about your event. You can get them for free on our downloads page.

Keeping your fundraising safe and legal

Now that you've decided what you'd like to do to raise money for the RSPCA, here are a few things to consider to make sure your fundraising is safe and legal.

You may need public liability insurance for your event if it's open to the public. Check with your venue first they may have public liability insurance you can use. You can find hundreds of insurance providers by completing a quick internet search.
There are rules around raffles and lotteries. If you are selling raffle tickets and drawing the raffle on the same day you do not need any special licenses. If you are planning to sell tickets in the run-up to the event, please read the information on the Gambling Commission website carefully.
If you plan to collect money from the public via a bucket collection it is important you get permission from the local council (public land) or the landowner/manager (private land). Many supermarkets and councils will need you to show a letter of permission to collect money in aid of the RSPCA, email fundraisers_support@rspca.org.uk for a copy with details of your collection. Please don't carry out house-to-house collections.
There are some guidelines around selling food and alcohol at events. You can find lots of information about how to offer food safely by visiting the food standards agency. A license is needed if you intend to have alcohol at your event. Check if your venue has an alcohol license, if not you will need to submit a 'temporary event notice' to your local council and apply for a temporary license.
If you are capturing photos or videos at your event please ensure you ask for consent to take, store and share the images and video content. If your footage is of children you will need to ask their parent or guardian for permission.
You may find it useful to fill in a risk assessment for your event. This will help to flag any potential hazards and to plan how to minimize the risk. The RSPCA accepts no liability for injury caused at events organised 'In aid of' the charity.
If you would like to display our logo you can request a copy of our fundraising pack, which includes posters, bunting and stickers. Alternatively, if you would like a copy of our logo to use on your materials you can request a copy of ours.