Planning Your Event

Hopefully after reading through our A-Z of fundraising ideas, you will have decided on the type  of fundraising event you hope to organise.  The following steps will ensure the smooth-running of your event and help you put the FUN into fundraising!

Plan – Planning is a key part of any fundraising event.  Firstly, decide what your fundraising target is, and then look at the various steps you will need to take in order to achieve this.

Budget – Once you have decided on how much you wish to raise from your event, you need to decide what your costs are.  As this is a charity event, it’s important to keep your costs as low as possible.  Local businesses are usually very helpful and will sponsor food, beverages and spot prizes for your event.  In some cases you may be able to obtain the venue or entertainment for free.

Sponsors – We have attached a sample letter requesting sponsorship which you can tailor to  your event for distribution to local businesses in your community.  The ISPCC will provide you with a letter of authorisation stating that you are fundraising on our behalf.  You should include a copy of this letter, when requesting sponsorship from your contacts.

Family & Friends – Remember that you cannot do everything yourself!  It’s very useful and more enjoyable to work in a team so rally friends and family around to help with your event.  Make sure that everyone involved knows what tasks they have to complete and most importantly why their help is so important.

Venue – Depending on the type and size of your event you may need to choose a venue.   The types of venues to consider are your home/garden, community centre, local pub, local school/playground or even your workplace. If your event is taking place outdoors, you will need to be prepared for bad weather, so you may need to consider hiring a marquee or have plenty of umbrellas at hand.  

Advertise  –  You will need to drum up as much interest in your event as possible.  We have attached, a sample press release which you can tailor and distribute to your local newspaper or radio station.  Distribute flyers all around your area and make sure that as many people as possible know about your event.  Get local celebrities or perhaps your local/county GAA/soccer or rugby team involved.

Permits – Check with your local Garda station to see if you require a permit.  This is normally  required for events taking place in a public area e.g. street collections etc.

Health & Safety – Please make sure that the venue where your event is taking place is safe for your guests.  If you are running a children’s event, make sure that there are enough adults to supervise the number of kids present.

Public Liability Insurance – The ISPCC can provide you with a copy of our public liability insurance.  You should retain a copy of this for when your event is taking place.

Merchandise  -  The fundraising office can supply you with the following merchandise to help make your event a success:

• Sponsor cards
• T-shirts
• Banners
• Bucket wraps
• ISPCC stickers
• Balloons
• Event posters

Items can be collected from the fundraising office, or alternatively we can send them out to you:

ISPCC Support – At the ISPCC, we are always happy to attend your organised event and give a short speech to show our thanks for your support and to let you know how your money can help.  Please let us know in advance if you would like an ISPCC representative at your event and we will do our best to accommodate you.

After the event – It’s important to remember that there is still work to be done even after your event has taken place.  You may need to follow up on monies still outstanding and it’s vital to remember to thank everyone for their support and involvement.  You can do this by sending thank you letters or even placing a notice and some pictures in the local paper with details of the total  amount raised.