Planning Fundraising Events

This guide gives you some helpful pointers about organising fundraising events. Please let us know if you’re planning an event on Foundation Nepal’s behalf and we’ll do our best to help in any way we can.

Initial planning:

Start planning well in advance! Be clear about what type of event you are organising, the date and time, how much you intend to raise, initial finance required, the venue, required equipment, the target audience, who can help, publicity and possible sponsorship. Remember to tell Foundation Nepal about what you’re planning.

Teamwork:

Working with others shares the work load and gives you access to a wider skills base and network of people. Plus, it can be more fun!

Check dates:

Make sure the date you’ve chosen for your event doesn’t clash with any other major event taking place in your area.

Develop an action plan and assign responsibilities:

Draw up a plan of action outlining what needs to be done when, and who is going to do it.

Timing:

Things often take longer than expected, so build in extra time and regularly check your progress.

Budget:

Draw up a strict budget and stick to it. Know what costs are involved and when deposits are due – for example for room hire, equipment hire, catering etc. Please note that Foundation Nepal is not responsible for costs incurred in running events that we do not organise ourselves.

Maximising income potential:

Are there other ways you can generate income at the event? How about organising a raffle, a competition or a mini-sports tournament that people can participate in for a nominal fee?

Get permission for holding events in public areas:

If you’re planning to hold your event in a public area, make sure to get permission from your local authority and inform your local Garda station.

Collecting money:

A permit from the Gardai is required to collect money in a public area. You will need to ask the owner’s permission to collect in a private area. Children under the age of 14 are prohibited from collecting. Please contact Foundation Nepal if you have any questions.

Sponsorship:

Investigate if a local business might be willing to sponsor your event by covering some costs or donating prizes, refreshments etc.

Tell the world:

Tell everyone you know about your event and ask them to spread the word. Publicise the event in local shops and pubs, on notice boards, on events websites, in local schools, companies, parish news and local newsletters. Contact your local radio station and send press releases to local papers. To reach even more people, you might want to create a website and email the link to your contacts.

Health and safety:

Safety needs to come first at all times.

On the big day:

Make sure everyone involved knows what order things are happening in and who is responsible for each task. It can often be helpful to give people helping out on the day a short fact sheet outlining the order of events and contact mobile telephone numbers.

Afterwards:

Remember that you’re representing Foundation Nepal, so leave things as you found them. Ask yourself if you need to have a team of people organised to help clear up at the end of the event and do you need to bring rubbish bags etc.? Thank everyone involved and get their feedback.

Funds raised:

Store the money raised in a secure place. It’s generally a good idea to count it with somebody else. Send your money to Foundation Nepal as soon as possible – you can send a cheque or bank draft made payable to Foundation Nepal, 3 New Road, Galway, or call us on +353 (0)91 446864 to get our bank details for lodging it directly to our account. Don’t forget to send us pictures of the event, so that we can thank you on our website!

Questions?:

Please contact Foundation Nepal at +353 91 446864 or info@foundation-nepal.org for further information or just to run an idea by us.