Charity Fund Raising

Charity fund raising can take many forms. Just about every idea worth pursuing to raise money for a charity has been tried and tested. Some work better than others, of course, but if they work at all it is likely they will be used over and over again by someone somewhere.

Charity fund raising is big business. The big charities have big PR and advertising companies working out how to best promote the charity to raise funds for them to operate with. The small charities often do it themselves, or get volunteers to help. Then of course, there is leaving money to charity in your will.

Volunteers have always been a mainstay of charity fund raising. Their tireless efforts have raised many millions over the years that have in turn helped millions of people, animals, endangered plants or buildings – or indeed, any of the many reasons that charities are founded to help take care of.

We are all familiar with the collecting tin that many charities use. They are generally wielded by volunteers who shake them in front of you, presumably in the hope that the sound of many coins jingling will spur you on to making a generous donation. It usually works too. Most of us happily drop a few coins or a folded note into the tin.

Each tine may not bring in a lot of money for the charity, but when you consider that sometimes there are hundreds, if not thousands, of similar tins being shaken up and down the country, it becomes obvious that this is a very good charity fund raising method.

Charity collecting boxes are also common. They are usually seen in public places where people can drop a coin or two into the box of their own accord. You will often find a charity collecting box on the counter of a bar, opposite the till. This obviously works well too. People who are enjoying a drink in pleasant surroundings often feel more generous than usual, and when they collect their change form the barman after paying for their drinks, it becomes easy to put some of the small change into the collecting box conveniently placed close by.

You can help with charity fund raising in a way that you may not have thought of. You could leave a legacy in your will to your favourite charity. Of course, make sure that your family is provided properly for first, but if you could spare it, your legacy could make a big difference to a charity. Your legacy could be subject to a tax-free status, meaning that the charity would get all the money and the taxman none. That alone makes it worth considering!