Community Fundraising » How to start

How to Start

Once you have chosen your community fundraising activity/event it is time to think about all the other details….

When?

Pick a date that will give you enough time to organise your fundraising activity/event but also consider key dates e.g. long weekends, public holidays, other local fundraisers or events which may be held in your area. You want a date where people would be available to attend, so be careful it doesn’t clash with other events or holidays.

Where?

Decide on a location, check if it is available and whether you can get it free of charge or at least at a discount.

Then consider:

Is the venue an appropriate size (not too big or too small)?

Is it accessible e.g. can it be reached by public transport, does it have parking, can it be accessed by people who have a disability, etc?

Does it have the appropriate facilities e.g. catering facilities, audio-visual equipment/requirements, etc?

What are the risks, if any e.g. if outside consider wet weather, toilet facilities, etc?

Once you have decided on a venue, book it well in advance so you don’t miss out and then confirm the reservation closer to the activity/event.

Who?

For bigger events you will most likely require help from a other people, so consider forming a Fundraising Group, it helps, if the members are passionate, committed, experienced in fundraising and have good contacts. Most importantly they should be able to dedicate time and effort.

Think about who will attend or who you will invite to your fundraising activity/event. Make sure you give them lots of notice and to tell them what you are doing and why you are raising money for IDFA. Consider how you will promote your fundraising activity/event.

Also consider who you may ask to sponsor your activity/event and look into who may be able to donate items e.g. food or drinks or even raffle/auction prizes.

Set Your Fundraising Target

Draw up a realistic budget. Set a challenging but realistic fundraising target and create a plan on how you will achieve it. Distribute this event plan to everyone involved in the fundraising activity/event as this will help keep everyone motivated and let them know what you are working towards.

Next consider how much it will cost to run the fundraising activity/event and look at how you can reduce costs e.g. by getting businesses to support your or donate goods or services e.g. catering, venue hire or promotional materials.

Register Your Fundraising Activity/Event

Once you have decided which fundraising activity/event you wish to conduct, have some of the activity/event details finalised, and have an idea of how much you want to raise at your fundraising activity/event and how much it will cost to run – it is time to register your community fundraising activity/event (Registration Form) with the Immune Deficiencies Foundation Australia.

To actively start fundraising approval is first required from IDFA

To register your fundraising activity/event please thoroughly read IDFA’s Community Fundraising Guidelines so you get an idea of what the responsibilities are for individuals, businesses and community groups who wish to conduct a fundraising activity/event to raise funds for IDFA. If you agree to the guidelines, please complete the Community Fundraising Registration Form to register your fundraising activity/event and return the completed and signed form to IDFA for approval.

If you are located in and/or conducting your fundraising activity/event in Victoria you may also be required to complete and submit an Application for Fundraiser Registration to Consumer Affairs Victoria. IDFA will notify you if you are required to complete this application form. Please note that if you are required to complete this application process it can take up to 28 days to receive a response and you are not able to begin fundraising until you receive approval from Consumer Affairs Victoria.

If your fundraising activity/event is approved, IDFA will send written notification by post, including your Authority to Fundraise letter, confirming your legal ‘authority to fund raise’ on behalf of IDFA, along with your fundraising Identification Badge, which means you can start fundraising.

Please note that your fundraising activity/event is not an IDFA event. It is a third party fundraising activity/event to help raise funds to donate to IDFA. Accordingly, the fundraising activity/event shall be conducted in your name and is your sole responsibility. IDFA is not able to take a coordination role in your fundraising activity/event and cannot assist in soliciting prizes, organising publicity, or providing goods and services to assist you to run your fundraising activity/event.

Thank you for your support

of

The Immune Deficiencies Foundation Australia

You have just made a difference……