At the
Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind (SRSB) we understand the significance of
donations and how much they are relied upon. Our charity provide information, support, and
friendship to partially-sighted individuals and people living with complete
blindness. Just £10 helps to buy special equipment that allows people with
blindness to pour themselves hot drinks without risk of injury. £1000 funds the
children’s Christmas party and £35,000 would buy a new minibus for our trips.
We appreciate every penny that is raised for SRSB but understand that sometimes
raising money for a good cause is tricky. We have broken the process down into 5 simple steps to help you:
1) Pick a Great Cause
The first step is to decide which cause you are fundraising for. SRSB is a charity that helps adults and children living with blindness. Our mission is: to provide opportunity, support, friendship and services to blind and partially sighted people in Sheffield, helping them to achieve whatever they wish to do and whatever they aspire to be. Smaller charities such as ours always need help because we do not receive much publicity but any charity that is close to your heart is a worthwhile cause.
The first step is to decide which cause you are fundraising for. SRSB is a charity that helps adults and children living with blindness. Our mission is: to provide opportunity, support, friendship and services to blind and partially sighted people in Sheffield, helping them to achieve whatever they wish to do and whatever they aspire to be. Smaller charities such as ours always need help because we do not receive much publicity but any charity that is close to your heart is a worthwhile cause.
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| Blind and Partially Sighted Children with Parents |
2) Think of an activity
You might be really fit and decide to push yourself to the limit; or you could be very unfit but doing something completely out of character to raise money. A charity run is a great idea because there are several national runs throughout the year that you can join, or you can design your own route. A more adventurous activity such as a charity skydive is likely to create a lot of interest and enthusiasm from friends and family. Choose a date well in advance (3-12 months) and book it as soon as possible. Booking far in advance prevents the charity skydive from being overbooked and will give you a solid time frame in which you need to raise the money.
3) Gain as Much Support as
Possible
Don’t
be afraid to ask colleagues for support. Some people find this awkward but if
you don’t ask then you don’t get. If you would rather not ask people directly then
leave a charity box at the reception (or anywhere where everybody passes) and
leave it up to people’s discretion. Ask neighbours, family, friends,
colleagues, your boss, members of your local sports team (or any hobbies you have), and
more.
4) Use Social Media
From the very beginning you should set up a Facebook charity page. This a really easy way to raise funds quickly. You might not have spoken to half of your Facebook friends for years but you will be surprised by some of the people who choose to sponsor you. After setting up the page you can also link it to a blog. If you are training for the event then keep the blog updated with what you have done each day in preparation; this keeps people interested and they will respect your hard work.
5) Raise Additional Funds through Cake Sales, Auctions, and Raffles
There
are lots of additional activities that you can do to raise those extra funds. A
cake sale is an easy way to raise profits because making them is very cheap and
you can easily sell them for a good profit. Auctions, bingo, themed parties, and
raffles are also a good alternative and can raise a lot of money.
