Questions
Answers
What can I do to raise money?
There are literally hundres of ways you can help us by raising money. We can't list them all but our Fundraising ideas should provide you with a good starting point to help you decide what you and your friends / colleagues /classmates might enjoy doing.
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How can I get a fundraising toolkit?
Your fundraising toolkit is available to download here and is full of advice and ideas to help you plan your fundraising event.
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If you are holding a sponsored event you may wish to visit the Justgiving website where you can set up your own online sponsor form. This can be personalised with a picture and your own text. You can then email this link to everyone in your address book and ask them to forward it to everyone they know.
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Will money raised on my Just Giving page be paid to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity?
We receive any sponsorship money which is given on Justgiving.com in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity into our bank account on a weekly basis.
We will acknowledge your overall total once your Justgiving page has closed. To cut down our administration costs we would be grateful if you could collate any cheques you have as offline sponsorship and send them in one go, bearing in mind that all cheques must be cashed within 6 months of the date written on them.
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Can I claim Gift Aid on my donation?
The gift aid scheme allows us to claim back the tax paid on donations made by individuals. You can increase the money you raise by simply completing a gift aid declaration form.
Gift aid can only be claimed on sponsorship and donations. Please note that we are unable to claim gift aid on ticket sales, raffle sales, corporate sponsorship, sale of goods or auction proceeds. Where participants are taking part in a challenge event and the participant is seen to receive a benefit for example the cost of the parachute jump, or the overseas trip is paid for by the charity, donations from sponsors connected* to these participants do not qualify for Gift Aid.
If you are paying the full cost of taking part in the challenge yourself this payment does not qualify for Gift Aid and this payment should not be made via the justgiving website.
*What is a ‘connected person’?
A person is ‘connected to the donor’ if they are: the donor’s husband, wife, civil partner or linear relative - for example son, daughter, parent, grandparent, or grandchild any linear relative of the donor’s wife, husband or civil partner or a company under the control of the donor, or under the control of any of the above.
For more information and to download a gift aid form please click here.
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I’m running a Raffle, what do I need to know?
Small raffles can be held as part of a larger event. The ticket sales and announcement of results must be held during the event. No more than £250 can be spent buying prizes and no cash prizes can be given. Tickets should not be bought or sold by children under the age of 16.
There are strict and complex laws relating to raffles and lotteries which do not fall into this category. Full guidelines on raffles and lotteries are available from your local authority or the Gaming Board; these must be followed in full. For details please visit the Gambling Commission's website or speak to one of our fundraising team.
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How can I cover the costs of my event?
Try to keep expenses to a minimum by approaching local companies to get goods or services donated.
Some events will require a bit of expenditure which you can cover with the money you raise. However, please make sure that you are aiming to raise at least three times as much as you need to spend (for example if you spend £100 you should aim to raise a minimum of £300). If you are spending any money, keep all your receipts so that you can keep track of what you have spent.
If you are concerned that you will not be able to meet these guidelines or are participating in a challenge which will cost more than £500 please contact one of our fundraising team to discuss your event in more detail.
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What do I need to think about to keep my event safe and legal?
No matter what type of event you are planning, there will be legal and safety issues that you will need to consider.
Risk Assessments : These should be conducted to ensure that you have proper plans for the safety of participants. Please visit The Health and Safety Executive's website for further information on how to do this.
Supervision : You will need to ensure that your event is properly and adequately supervised. If children are included check that you have permission from their parents/guardians and carry out appropriate background checks if adult volunteers are to have unsupervised access to children.
Insurance Cover : Ensure that you have the appropriate insurance for your event. Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity cannot accept any responsibility for your event nor for anyone who participates in it.
Special Licenses : Check whether you need any; e.g. a public entertainment licence or licence to sell alcohol. Your local council will be able to help you with this.
Counting your money : Always make sure that there are two people present when counting any money raised at the end of your event.
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I want to approach companies for prizes or sponsorship, do I need to tell you?Local businesses are often happy to help with fundraising events in their area so we advise that you approach these first.
If you are approaching any national or international companies for sponsorship, prizes or auction items then please do let us know.
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I would like to organise a collection for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, what do I need to do?
If you are living in London, Essex or Surrey then please contact your local Regional Fundraiser who will be able to give you more information on any collection opportunities in your area.
If you do not live within one of these areas and are a member of a registered group, organisation or company then please contact a member of our fundraising team who will be able to help you.
Unfortunately we can not authorise individuals to organise public collections in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.
Please note that the charity does not sanction house to house collecting.
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I would like a collection box for ongoing collections at my business (eg. shop, office, bar or reception area), what do I need to do? Collection boxes are an easy and efficient way to help raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity and to create awareness of our work.
Order your collection box online here.
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I want to volunteer, what do I need to do?
We currently have volunteering opportunities for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity in Hertfordshire, Surrey and Essex.
Find out about volunteering in Essex, London or Surrey
If you would like to volunteer at the hospital please note that they will only accept applications from volunteers over 18 years of age who are able to commit for at least 12 months. For more information please visit the the hospital's volunteering page.
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How do I send you the money I have raised?
In order to minimise administrative costs please wait until you have collected all the money from your event and forward this to the charity in one payment.
Donations can be made online here. Please ensure that you complete your details and in the “Reason for Donation” drop-down box click “Own Event/Special Occasion” and then in the “Please Specify” box please include brief details of your event. Please note that online donations will be acknowledged by email only.
Alternatively, cheques can be made payable to ‘GOSHCC’ and sent to
Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity
40 Bernard Street
London
WC1N 1LE
If sending payment directly to the charity, please include your own name, address and supporter number (if you have one) so that we know who to thank.
