Fundraise
The important but boring stuff
Answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.
When planning your fundraising, it’s important to consider any risks that may occur and regulations you must follow. This could include some of the points below. Don’t panic, we’re here to help – just give us a shout!
Frequently asked questions
Food safety laws apply when food is given away or sold. Please make sure you follow food hygiene procedures or if you are using caterers check their certificates.
Gaming law applies when you hold a raffle, lottery or prize draw, so please make sure you read them to check you run yours properly. You do not need a license for a small raffle, provided you charge the same price for each ticket, and don’t offer deals like 5 tickets for the price of 4. Remember raffle tickets can only be sold by and to someone aged 18 years or over.
If you want to hold a collection as part of your fundraising. please call us first. We have collection tins and buckets. We also co-ordinate some collection sites from our office and we’d love to hear your suggestion for places to collect. If they are not already on our list, we’ll be sure to approach them.
For some activities, you may need to identify any hazards and consider what you can do to reduce the chance of people being harmed. This may include following professional advice of suppliers and contractors, arranging first aid cover, having marshals, checking a venues fire certificates or limiting the number of people who can take part.
You can only keep details of people involved with your fundraising with their permission and only if it’s needed to run your event. These details must only be kept for the time it is needed and must never be shared with other people or organisations.
We recommend that you ask your local authority if you need any special licenses. If you’re fundraising in the open you should get the permission of the landowner, which could be the council.
Remember, you’re responsible for the activity and Treetops cannot accept any liability for any fundraising activity or event you undertake. For advice speak to a local insurance company. Check with your home insurer about events held in your house or garden.
Treetops can’t meet the costs of your fundraising activity, but you can use a proportion of the money you’ve raised to cover reasonable expenses. Think about where any money you raise that’s needed to pay the costs will be kept. For big fundraisers, some people open a separate bank account. All cash should be kept in a secure place and banked as soon as possible. Ideally, there should be two people managing the money. The money you receive and pay out should be witnessed so that the second person verifies the total amount raised.
