How to do a sponsored event or run a fundraising event! Uganda

Fundraise for River of Life Uganda
How to do a sponsored event
or run a fundraising event!
‘Flying High’ in Masaka, Uganda
About River of Life
River of Life is a Church in Nyendo, a busy and overcrowded trading post of
about 35,000 people in Masaka, southern Uganda. It’s one of the areas most
badly affected by HIV/AIDS, the vast majority of people earn less that $1 a
day and live in extremely poor conditions. We have over 4,000 orphans and
vulnerable children literally on our doorstep.
We’ve been living and working in Nyendo since 1994, providing emergency
relief to the sick, infirm and those in need, teaching and mentoring young
people to be Uganda’s leaders of tomorrow and doing all we can to be a
beacon of God’s transforming love in our community.
We are helping nearly 50 orphan or vulnerable children to ‘Fly High’ through
The White Eagle Project, visiting the local hospital and prison every week,
providing Early Years Learning at a local orphanage, and running community
outreach programmes, a premier Football Academy, Cell Groups in local
schools, evangelistic events, youth events, and intercession meetings.
Our challenge to help transform the lives of some of the most destitute is
huge. Become part of the team and make it your challenge too!
Decide on Your Event
How you decide to fundraise depends on the type of event or activity that appeals to you. Do you want to put on
an event, or complete a challenge? Do you want to do it on your own, or do it as part of a team? Do you want to
ask for donations, or ‘earn’ support by doing something for others? Classic examples of events are:
auction, assault course, BBQ, bike race, car boot sale, coffee morning, concert,
dress down day, dog walking, dance off, fancy dress party, five-a-side footie
tournament, fun run, hike, garage sale, garden party, games night, ice skating,
jazz night. jumble sale. karaoke competition, marathon, music night, murder
mystery party, one-day fast, plant sale, quiz night, raffle, relay race, run, swear
box, silent auction, supermarket bag packing, swim, talent competition, treasure
hunt, triathlon, valet service, wine tasting, wax your chest or legs
Other ways to Get Involved with River of Life!
Follow us on facebook and twitter
and sign up for our newsletter
Help a White Eagle “Fly High”
through our sponsorship program
Buy your loved ones a gift with a
difference and help the White Eagles
For more information visit www.riveroflifeuganda.org/getinvolved
Read inspiring stories about Fundraising Events and download Spon
What’s your target?
£2,000 will run the
£1,250 will help build one
ensuring hundreds of patients
for the White Eagle Boys Home
Hospital Ministry for a year,
of the new washrooms planned
are visited, prayed with and
cared for.
£750 will support one of
£350 will support our
High’ for one year, paying for
to help deprived families in
their education and providing
Nyendo with housing, food and
the Great North ‘Try’Athlon – a bike,
a home
support
hike and swim spread over 3 months.
the White Eagle orphans to ‘Fly
Community Outreach Teams
Your fundraising target needs to be ambitious so that it’s a challenge to
you and spurs you and your supporters on past the ‘lull’ – that moment
in fundraising when you’ve got started and had a few donations, but
The Great North ‘Try’Athlon
In 2009 a team set out to complete
70 miles in the saddle, two mountains
and a 2 mile swim later, the team had
raised the grand total of £7,000!
need to push on to raise more.
At the same time, be realistic enough so it doesn’t feel like too much of
a mountain to climb. Keep your supporters informed of your progress –
you could send out email updates when you are at 25%, 50% and 75%
of the total – with reminders to give, or to buy a ticket or book you for
an odd job – whatever your chosen activity. It often helps to be able to
say what your total will achieve - for more examples email us at info@
riveroflifeuganda.org
Make it easy for people to give!
Quiz Night
With artwork from the White Eagles
The golden rule is that it must be easy for people to give! And the silver
themselves, a ‘build the boys home out
rule is that they must know why they are giving.
of lego’ challenge, and a DJ, this was
a quiz night to remember and raised
So, if you are organising an event, it might be easiest to collect cash
nearly £2,000
donations on the day but if you are taking part in a race, you probably
want to receive sponsorship money in advance. Remember you will
probably have to remind people at least a couple of times to pay up,
so keep a record of the money you have received so you don’t end up
pestering the wrong people! Try to collect sponsor money in advance –
collecting pledges afterwards can be very time consuming.
Set up a page on Justgiving.com – it can be a massive help in
collecting money from supporters. Keep your page up-to-date with your
progress, and keep pointing people to it. You can
link it to your Facebook account, and you can
keep emailing people.
The 10/10 Hike
On October 10th 2009, the White
And finally, write a simple paragraph that
Eagles themselves embarked on a 12
explains clearly why there is a need to support
mile hike through the African bush to
River of Life. You could use the ‘About Us’ box on
Lake Nabugabo – and two guys even
the previous page, or if there is a specific part of
ran home afterwards! Along with other
our ministry that you wish to support, you can
supporters in the UK doing hikes on the
email us for more details.
same day, £500 was raised.
sor Forms for YOUR event at www.riveroflifeuganda.org/fundraising
20 Top Tips for Fundraising
1.
Start as soon as possible
Quite simply, the sooner
you start, the more you will collect.
2.
Enlist the help of others
Encourage family, friends
and work colleagues to help fundraise on your behalf
or approach organisations, businesses or individuals
where you have a contact.
3.
Plan and be prepared
Adopt a similar determined
and planned approach to your fundraising as you do
for your training. Planning how you are going to raise
your sponsorship money from start to finish can save
you a lot of time and hassle later. Carry a sponsorship
form with you at all times.
10.Dog walking
How many of our family and friends
have dogs that could do with taking for a walk? Not
only can you charge them for exercising their pet
pooch, you may also be able to count the walking as
part of your training preparations.
11.Become a ‘slave’
You could auction yourself off so
that you are at someone else’s beckon call for a day to
do whatever they request (within reason!)
12.Clear out you clutter
Get rid off your unwanted
items and hold a jumble sale. You could also try
putting some of the better items on an internet auction
site like eBay for some of the best returns.
4.
Personalise your mission
Why are you undertaking
this challenge? Explain to people why River of Life is
close to your heart, and why it is you’re doing what
you are doing to help. This makes your request more
real, and encourages people to be generous.
13.Approach your local pub
See if they will let you
5.
Sponsorship from individuals
This will be your
main means of fundraising and is the main purpose of
doing your chosen challenge. Although you may feel
a nuisance, don’t be shy about approaching people,
particularly family and friends. Get someone generous
to sign your form first as this will set a precedent for
the amounts that other people sign up to.
14.Rope in a good friend / partner
You are not
6.
7.
8.
9.
Approach the local press
If you are participating
in a particularly challenging event and need to raise
a significant amount, then the local press may be
interested in giving you some publicity. Make it easy
for them by providing your own write-up and a picture.
You could include a phone number if anyone wants
to sponsor you, and get publicity for any fundraising
events you are doing.
Contact local businesses
Many of the larger
companies in your area will provide sponsorship for
individuals or provide a donation. After all, it’s good
for their public image to be seen to be doing so.
Also, if you require any equipment to do a particular
challenge, then some companies will help out. You
could offer to wear their logo on your t-shirt in return
for their backing.
Hold a party
Why not hold a party and then charge
people to attend? You could even be cheeky and ask
some of your guests if they would donate food and
drink too!
Dress down
Ask your boss if you can hold a charity
‘own-clothes’ day and ask everyone to pay an amount
to wear their own clothes to work.
organise a charity pool or darts competition. The prize
money can come out of the entrance fees. The landlord
will usually oblige, as your event will be bringing more
drinkers into his establishment.
superman, so it may be wise to involve a good friend
in helping organise some of your fundraising activities,
so you will have some time to fit in your training.
15.Approach your employer
As unlikely as it may
seem, see if your employer will give you any time off
for your fundraising efforts, or if they will ‘match’ any
funds you raise.
16.Get the money first
Try and get as much of the
money prior to the challenge, as people lose interest
quickly and find excuses for not paying up! You can
always give it back if for some reason you are unable
to take part.
17.Hold a quiz event
Hold an event, perhaps in the
workplace or in the local pub, with prize money coming
out of the entry fees.
18.Hold a raffle
Raffle off whatever you like. A bottle of
spirits or a crate of beer will often go down well.
19.Friendly competition
Just try getting your friends
together, whether it be for a round of golf or whatever,
and get them to thrown money into a kitty with the
winner taking half the cash and the remainder going to
charity.
20.Don’t give up
Keep at your fundraising efforts.
Remember, you are doing it for charity so you have
nothing to feel awkward about when it comes to
approaching people for help or money. The worst they
can do is say ‘no’, and more often than not they will
say ‘yes’!
River of Life Uganda is a Charity registered in the UK (No. 1110595) and Uganda (No. S5914/3687)
For more information please write to us at 136 Essex Rd, Leyton, London, E10 6BS
or PO Box 985, Masaka, Uganda; email us at [email protected] or visit
www.riveroflifeuganda.org
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SPONSO
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Sponsorship Form
A
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Do a sponsored event for River of Life!
River of Life is a Church in Nyendo, a busy and overcrowded trading post of about 35,000 people in Masaka, southern Uganda.
It’s one of the areas most badly affected by HIV/AIDS, the vast majority of people earn less that $1 a day and live in
extremely poor conditions. We have over 4,000 orphans and vulnerable children literally on our doorstep.
We’ve been living and working in Nyendo since 1994, providing emergency relief to the sick, infirm and those in need,
teaching and mentoring young people to be Uganda’s leaders of tomorrow and doing all we can to be a beacon
of God’s transforming love in our community.
We are helping nearly 50 orphan or vulnerable children to ‘Fly High’ through The White Eagle Project, visiting the local hospital
and prison every week, providing Early Years Learning at a local orphanage, and running community outreach programmes,
a premier Football Academy, Cell Groups in local schools, evangelistic events, youth events, and intercession meetings.
Our challenge to help transform the lives of some of the most destitute is huge – join us so it can become your challenge!
You can find out more about River of Life Uganda’s work at www.riveroflifeuganda.org
Sponsorship form for_________________
In aid of Uganda River of Life Ministries (UK Charity 1110595)
Or online at www.justgiving.com/_____________________________
Full Name
Home address (so we can claim Gift Aid)
Postcode
Amount
Just tick the box to
Gift Aid your donation.
It’s that simple!
Gift
Aid?*
Date
Rec’d
* If you Gift Aid your donation, we can increase its value by 28%. To qualify you must pay Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to
the amount that we claim on your donation in the tax year. It’s as easy that! **Please make cheques payable to Uganda River of Life Ministries
To collect more sponsorship, please just photocopy this page
Sponsorship form for_________________
In aid of Uganda River of Life Ministries (UK Charity 1110595)
Or online at www.justgiving.com/_____________________________
Just tick the box to
Gift Aid your donation.
It’s that simple!
Please return completed forms with cheques** to UROLM 136 Essex Road, London E10 6BS – don’t put cash in the post,
please bank it and send us a cheque.
Full Name
Home address (so we can claim Gift Aid)
Postcode
Amount
Gift
Aid?*
Date
Rec’d
* If you Gift Aid your donation, we can increase its value by 28%. To qualify you must pay Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to
the amount that we claim on your donation in the tax year. It’s as easy that! **Please make cheques payable to Uganda River of Life Ministries