Fundraising Guide Help us find thousands of dogs their forever loving homes and have a great time doing it! www.dogstrust.org.uk Reg. Charity Nos: 227523 & SC037843
Set up an online sponsorship page at www.justgiving.com. Justgiving is a website you can use to set up your own fundraising page to make and receive donations online it s easy and very simple to use! 2
Hello and welcome Thank you so much for requesting Dogs Trust s fantastic new fundraising guide. This guide is packed full of useful information and advice to help raise essential funds for Dogs Trust. No matter how large or small your event, it will go a long way to helping the dogs in their care. There is so much to get involved in from cake sales and coffee mornings to outdoor and sporting events. I have taken part in many charity runs and endurance races and can thoroughly recommend doing them for general wellbeing and for that amazing feeling of achievement that you get when you cross the finish line. Challenging yourself on an overseas trek is another really exciting way to get involved whilst exploring some of the most beautiful places on the planet. As an adventurer, the biggest thrill of all is owning a dog and there are so many ways to include our furry friends! Be it a sponsored dog walk or a companion dog show, bringing our canine partners on board can really inspire and help raise awareness of the work of Dogs Trust. Thank you so much again for supporting Dogs Trust and remember to be as great as your dog knows you are! Yours faithfully, long-time supporter and dog lover Ben Fogle About Dogs Trust Together we can ensure all dogs enjoy a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction. Dogs Trust is the UK s leading dog welfare charity and through our network of rehoming centres we try to find loving homes for thousands of unwanted dogs. We are reliant on voluntary donations to continue our work and without your support it would be simply impossible to care for over 15,000 dogs every year. Each year more and more Dogs Trust supporters decide to get active to raise funds for dogs in our care. There is plenty to get involved in! 3
Here are some top ideas: Sponsored dog walk Get together the dog walkers from your local park. Choose a scenic route for a 5k or 10k walk and make a day of it! For advice about taking part in a sponsored dog walk email our Fundraising Team at fundraiseforus@dogstrust.org.uk Dog show How about organising a Fun Dog Show? Invite local dog owners to the park to take pride in their pooches. Prizes could include best in show, waggiest tail, dog that looks most like their owner... Coffee morning/ Afternoon tea party Organise a relaxed coffee morning to catch up with your friends. Donations for coffee and cakes go to Dogs Trust. Bake sale Organise your own Great British Bark Off at work or at a summer fete. Then find an expert to judge the cakes by appearance and tastiness! Car boot/yard sales/jumble sales Make space in that garage and raise funds for Dogs Trust at the same time. Why not sell your unwanted items and donate the profits to the dogs. Talent shows We all have hidden talents! Organise an event with friends and family to show off their secret singing or circus skills. Donations on the door to go to Dogs Trust. Name the dog Play the classic game of Name The Teddy. 20p a guess and it all adds up! Birthdays Having a birthday party and bored of the same old gifts? Why not get your friends and family to donate to Dogs Trust instead. For donation envelopes email our Fundraising Team at fundraiseforus@dogstrust.org.uk Long distance walk Take in scenic countryside and plan a route along one of the UK s many historic walks. Camping or staying in B&B s along the way. Get family & friends to sponsor. Golf tournament Member of a Golf Club? How about organising a fun golf tournament on behalf of Dogs Trust. Football tournament Start a league at your sports hall and get local players to join in for a kick about, with proceeds going to Dogs Trust. Battle of the bands Booked your favourite local bands to play in a Battle of the Bands competition. All money on the door to be donated to Dogs Trust. 4
Karaoke evening Do your friends fancy themselves as the next Adele? Or maybe dad is a bit of an Elvis? Organise a karaoke evening and put their vocal talents to the test! Pub quiz A pub quiz is a fun way to get your friends in your local pub involved. Put their general knowledge to the test and remember to include a few dog related questions! Entry fees to be donated to Dogs Trust. Raffle Hold a raffle at work or at a local event by asking local businesses to donate prizes. A raffle can be an excellent way to raise funds but it does come with some rules. For details about holding a fundraising raffle, please visit the Gambling Commission website at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk Waggy tail trail! Organise a treasure hunt for your friend and their dogs. Search for clues around an area of interest to find a prize. Donations to take part go to Dogs Trust. Zumbathon Get fit and have fun with your friends! Come dine with me Host an evening for your friends and judge on meal, entertainment and ambience. Donations can be collected for taking part. Give up a vice Do you drink too much coffee or something else? Get sponsored for a month off. Murder mystery evening Get your Sherlock Holmes hat on and solve the mystery with your friends. Photo competition How photogenic is your dog? Ask a group of dog loving friends to submit a photo of their little treasure along with a donation. The best photo wins a prize. Photos request & story for blog Remember to send us your photos from your fundraising events! We love to see what you ve been up to and are always looking for photos and stories to use in our promotions and on our website. 5
How will it make a difference? Overlooked, homeless hound Ginger, has finally found the home she s always dreamed of, after being spotted by her new family at Dogs Trust Ballymena. Five-year-old Ginger is a sensitive soul who was a resident at the Ballymena based rehoming centre for a long time before Stephen and Audrey Slack spotted her on the Dogs Trust Ballymena website. Ginger found life without a family a little overwhelming and lacked in confidence, but when new owners Stephen and Audrey Slack met Ginger, it was love at first sight. However she warmed to us all very quickly and that was when we knew she was the one for us Audrey Slack said: When we visited the rehoming centre, staff explained that Ginger may be a little shy at first and would take her time getting to know us, especially the men in the family. However she warmed to us all very quickly and that was when we knew she was the one for us, especially as it seemed she had already decided we were the ones for her. At home, Ginger has settled in really well. In my spare time I crochet blankets for the family and she has immediately claimed a few as her own. So it s clear she also had good taste! We love Ginger to bits and would never part with her. She is a true member of the family, with her own personality and needs. Your fundraising helps more dogs like Ginger find their forever loving homes. 6
Here s a list of how your donations can help more dogs like Ginger: 1-5 Treats 12 Microchip 18 A cosy bed 20 Vaccinations 21 Special Formula (for puppies) 33 Weekly vet checks 40 Training classes 90 Neutering 7
Runs and challenge events Get active for dogs! Each year hundreds of Dogs Trust supporters decide to take on a challenge and raise funds for the dogs in our care. From running a 5k to a full marathon, cycling, skydiving, climbing a mountain or even taking part in an overseas challenge, there is plenty to get involved in! Run for the dogs! We have places in many fantastic running events If you are interested in running in any of the following, get in touch today! 14th May Superhero Run (Regent s Park, London) (5K & 10K) 27th/28th May Edinburgh Marathon Festival (5K/10K,Half/Full Marathon) 28th May Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run 10K 29th May Vitality London 10,000 9th July Virgin Sport Westminster British 10K London Run 10th September Simplyhealth Great North Run (13 miles, Newcastle) 24th September Scottish Half Marathon 7th/8th October Bournemouth Marathon Festival (5K/10K, Half/Marathon) 8th October Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon (London) 22nd October Simplyhealth Great South Run (10 miles, Portsmouth) December Santa Run (Victoria Park, London) (5K & 10K) Various locations & dates Dog Jog (5k) www.dogjog.co.uk Various locations & dates Tough Mudder www.toughmudder.co.uk April 2018 London Marathon If you ve already arranged your own place in an event please let us know and join Team Dogs Trust! 8
UK Challenges Take the plunge and Skydive for Dogs Trust! We can offer you a range of locations from which to skydive, so request a pack today. Call 020 7837 0006 or email fundraiseforus@dogstrust.org.uk Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 This 100 mile cycling events takes place on Sunday 30th July. It is the largest event of its kind which sees over 20,000 cyclists cycle from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London through the Surrey countryside and back into London to finish on The Mall. An incredible cycling challenge! London to Brighton Leave the city behind and join your fellow cyclists as you face the challenge of a 54 mile journey on two wheels on the iconic Do It For Charity London to Brighton Cycle! Thousands of people are expected to take part. Three Peaks Challenge The Three Peaks Challenge is the most popular mountain hiking event in the UK. Covering Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, it truly is an epic challenge. More details of this event and others visit www.threepeakschallenge.uk Overseas Challenges Get on your bike London Paris Cycle Ride Cycle through beautiful English villages into the stunning countryside of rural France where you ll pass historical landmarks and famous battlefields from the First World War until you reach Paris. Iceland Trek With its striking mix of wild volcanic landscape dotted with steaming lava fields, icecaps, glaciers, waterfalls, bubbling hot springs and geysers, the stunning Icelandic landscape is one you will never forget. With some of the most spectacular wilderness areas in Europe, visitors are compelled to return again and again. For the trip of a lifetime look no further. Come trek with us... Skyline also offer treks to Kilimanjaro and the Sahara. For further info on overseas treks and other events call our events partner Skyline on 020 7424 5500 or email fundraiseforus@dogstrust.org.uk 9
Work Fundraising Get your colleagues involved to raise funds and awareness of the work of Dogs Trust. Here are a few ideas for work place fundraisers: Dress Down Day We all like to relax sometimes. Maybe select a casual pair of chinos from your usual power suit! Bring your dog to Work Day Take your canine companion to work and collect donations from your dog loving colleagues. Bake sale Everyone loves cakes! Make your colleagues Friday by selling homemade cakes. Dress in Dogs Trust yellow At Dogs Trust we love yellow. Ask your colleague to wear all yellow for a hilarious day in the office. Hold a Raffle Details can be found on page (5) Sponsor a colleague How much tea can your colleague really make? Swear Box There s always one! 1 per cuss can really add up with certain colleagues. Payroll Giving Payroll Giving is a simple and effective way for you to donate to Dogs Trust on a regular basis. Because your donation is taken from pay before tax, it means every 1 you give it will only cost 80p (or maybe even less!) and the tax man pays the rest! To sign up or find out more go to www.hands-on-helping.co.uk/dogstrust or email gaye@dogstrust.org.uk 11
Other ways of Fundraising Street & Supermarket Collections Organised collections can be an invaluable way to collect much needed funds for the dogs in our care. However, they do require a certain amount of planning. Street collections and any collections in a public place require a licence from the local council. The first step is to contact them to apply for a licence. Then Dogs Trust will be able to allocate you with an ID badge and collection box. Permission needs to be gained from supermarkets or any other privately owned site in order to collect. Dogs Trust volunteer fundraisers do not partake in house to house collections. Weddings Favours Support Do gs Trust on your special day with our unique wedding favours. As you choose your menu, table decorations and colour schemes, go one step further to personalise your day by choosing to make a donation to Dogs Trust on behalf of all of your guests. Your guests can take away Dogs Trust lapel pins and exclusively designed doggy bride and groom cards, knowing that their attendance also helped to provide bedding, toys, medical treatment and behaviour training for the dogs in our care until we find their forever home. For more details about wedding favours visit: www.dogstrust.org.uk/get-involved/wedding-favours/ Recycling In the UK alone, 45 million ink cartridges end up in landfill each year, but each recycled cartridge could raise money to help us look after our dogs! So why not start a recycling scheme at work whilst providing an environmentally friendly solution for your business, or send in empty ink cartridges from your home printer using our freepost envelopes. It s totally free to use and will help us raise valuable pounds for our hounds! For more details contact the recycling team on dogstrust@ceseurope.com or call 01635 588600 10
Stamp collecting Send your stamps, postcards and foreign coins to help raise funds for Dogs Trust! Each year our dedicated volunteer Jenny Thomas raises thousands of pounds for from your stamps, postcards and coins. The money raised is used to fund 4 kennels each year. Jenny is happy to receive any stamps, both British & Worldwide but particularly pleased to receive the following: Collections Albums Foreign Coins & Banknotes First Day Covers Presentation Packs Jenny can also boost funds by selling postcards - old, new, wish-youwere-here, funny, pretty - anything and everything. Please send your stamps and postcards direct to Jenny at: 15 Wentworth Avenue, London, N3 1YA (Please note the any envelope over 5mm thick needs a large stamp) 12
Charity Shops Dogs Trust Charity Shops are calling on local dog lovers to donate any pre-loved items to help them fill their shops. The team is looking for donations of unwanted items from household ornaments and clothing, shoes and jewellery to electrical goods and DVDs. Proceeds from all sales go towards helping the dogs in our care. A list of charity shop addresses can be found on our website dogstrust.org.uk We are looking for volunteers to work half a day or more in our charity shops. We have roles such as window dressing, in-store merchandising, customer service, serving on the till, stock processing and many more... If you would like to volunteer in a shop to help raise funds for the dogs in our care then please go to: dogstrust.org.uk/shopping/charityshops In our charity shops, we can find a home for almost anything! Visit us and shop from our lovely collection of clothing, accessories, collectables, bric-a-brac, jewellery, bags, kids wear and books. Can you donate to help raise funds for the dogs in our care? www.dogstrust.org.uk Reg. Charity Nos: 227523 & SC037843 13
Fundraising Guidelines Before you start raising money for Dogs Trust, please think about the following The legal bit Permission If you are organising a doggy event in a public place, make sure the venue is dog friendly and you have permission. Street collections and collection boxes If you collect money in public, you must get approval from your council. Street collections require a licence from the council who will also give you guidelines to follow it s always best to do this in advance as they are popular! To collect on private land e.g. in a supermarket or shop, you must get permission from the owner/manager. We do not allow doorto-door collections. Please note: if you re collecting in public, you must get a badge to show you re collecting for Dogs Trust; contact us to get one (if you ve requested a collection box to sit on the counter in your shop or pub for example, a badge isn t necessary). We do not pick up collection boxes it is the collector s responsibility to empty and send the proceeds to Dogs Trust (please make cheques payable to Dogs Trust). Alcohol You need a licence if you have alcohol at your event. It s easier to hold your event on licensed premises i.e. in a local pub or by asking a local pub to organise a bar at your venue. Food If you re selling food or it is available please consider safety laws; to be sure, contact the Food Standard Agency on at www.food.gov.uk Dogs Trust branding If you re using our logo and charity numbers you must contact us for guidelines and approval. Stay safe! It is important to make sure everyone at your event, including spectators, stays safe while having fun. Consider first aid requirements for both humans and dogs. Dogs Trust cannot accept responsibility for accidents, so make sure your event is safe for everyone involved. If you are going to be carrying money around take care always use a safe route and always have someone with you and/or carry a personal alarm. For more information on health and safety please contact Dogs Trust. Insurance Ensure your venue has sufficient insurance to cover your event. If you organise an event that involves the public, you will need to ensure you have adequate public liability insurance. Check if you have a company policy covering you for such activities. Dogs Trust is not able to provide liability insurance for events. All poop must be scooped! Be a responsible dog owner and ensure you come prepared with poo bags. Speak to Dogs Trust if you need some. Keep your fundraising legal Fundraising is controlled by law and regulation. You as a fundraiser and Dogs Trust can be fined for breaking the rules, so if you re not sure, please do get in touch with us. 14
Fundraising Guidelines Phew, now the fun bit! Advice: Remember the Fundraising Team is on hand to give advice and help. People Get a team together of friends and family to help out and support you and make sure everyone knows what they are doing. The more people involved, the more fun the day will be! Publicity Word of mouth is an excellent form of free advertising - tell everyone about what you are doing. Social Networks such as Facebook and Twitter are a great way of getting the word out. Why not register your event on Facebook and let everyone know about it. Visit: www.facebook.com/dogstrust Get in touch Is your event press worthy or of special interest? Tell us in advance and we might be able to help you promote your event. Entertainment When two or more people are performing it is best to check with your local council to see if you need a Public Entertainment Licence. Online fundraising Set up a JustGiving page for your event to collect sponsorship and send the link to everyone you know www.justgiving.com/dogstrust a simple, secure and effective way to collect donations online. Personalise it with photos and updates about your event and your friends, family and contacts all over the world can add their encouragement as well. Why set up an online fundraising page? It's easy for people to sponsor you straightaway by credit or debit card, instead of sponsors saying they will and then forgetting! You don't have to chase anyone up for money. Gift Aid is automatically added, collecting a 25 per cent bonus with no extra cost or effort from you or your sponsor if they are a tax payer. It's secure, with all sponsorship money sent to Dogs Trust immediately after being donated on JustGiving. To set up your page please visit JustGiving and follow the links. It only takes a few minutes! If you ve raised money offline, please send your sponsorship to: Dogs Trust, FREEPOST, WD360, 17 Wakley Street, London, EC1B 1NA (cheques payable to Dogs Trust) If you have any questions about anything, please do not hesitate to contact the Community Fundraising Team at: fundraiseforus@dogstrust.org.uk or telephone: 020 7837 0006 15
Set-up an online sponsorship page at: www.justgiving.com/dogstrust Justgiving is a website you can use to set up your own fundraising page to make and receive donations online it s easy and very simple to use! Have fun, get active and tell us how you get on! www.dogstrust.org.uk If you need to get in touch with us for any reason please call our customer services on 020 7837 0006 Reg. Charity Nos: 227523 & SC037843