Collecting for charity

From UKRag Guides (wiki)

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Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 What is a Raid? 1.2 Raids, Megaraids & Tours 2 Why Go Raiding? 2.1 What's in it for the Rag? 2.2 What's in it for the Charity? 3 Organising Collections 3.1 Choosing Permits 3.2 Getting Permits 3.2.1 From Charities 3.2.2 By Yourself 3.3 Collecting on Private Property 3.3.1 Pub Crawls 3.4 Getting People 3.5 Getting Resources 4 Working with Charities 4.1 What the Charity Expects of You 4.2 What You Should Expect From the Charity 5 The Law 5.1 Before the Collection 5.2 During the Collection 5.3 After the Collection 5.4 Common Misconceptions 6 Collecting Techniques 7 Expenses 8 Collections Glossary 9 Useful links 10 Acknowledgements

Introduction

What is a Raid?

[Raid]

noun.

- A surprise attack by a small armed force.

- A sudden forcible entry into a place by police

- An entrance into another's territory for the purpose of seizing goods or valuables.

- A predatory operation mounted against a competitor, especially an attempt to lure away the personnel or membership of a competing organization.

- An attempt to seize control of a company, as by acquiring a majority of its stock.

- An attempt by speculators to drive stock prices down by coordinated selling.

verb.

- Raided

- Raiding

- Raids

Raid is also the term often used by many in Rag circles to describe collecting money off the general public.

Probably a reference to the way in which minibuses full of students descend on a sleepy, unsuspecting village early one morning and following a brief encounter with the local population leave, carrying away with them much of the wealth of the area, in a style somewhat reminiscent of a Viking attack (although much less violent)

The word Raid can be used to encompass a wide range of different types of collections from small events involving you and a few members of your Rag to huge events lasting several days and involving over a hundred people.

The place you collect can also vary considerably from villages, towns and cities to football stadiums, concert venues, shopping centres and stations. As a general rule of thumb if there are members of the public with cash someone has probably tried to collect there.

Broadly speaking there are three types of collection that Rag’s are likely to organise or take part in

1. Raids

2. Megaraids

3. Tours

Raids, Megaraids & Tours

Raids Although the word raid is used to describe all manner of collections as described above it also can be more specifically used to describe a collection involving just your Rag, the collection could be in your own town or the other end of the country.

Megaraids If Raids are what happen when your Rag goes out collecting on its own, Megaraids are when several Rags are involved in a single collection.

Just like Raids, Megaraids vary in size, some with just a few Rags in one City while others involve two or three days of collecting in a number of different cities.

As a rule it tends to be charities rather than Rags who organise Megaraids although the Rag’s in the city hosting the Megaraid often work closely with the charity to help the event run smoothly.

Tours For the dedicated collector, usually taking place during the Easter or Summer holidays are Rag Tours. Tours are a series of collections over the course of a few days or a week. Usually carried out in aid of one particular charity, tours are a great way of raising serious amounts of cash. And a great team builder for any Rag.

Why Go Raiding?

Both Rags and Charities have very good reasons for organising collections. In this section and throughout the guide we have tried to cover topics from both the sides of the coin (excuse the lame pun!).

What's in it for the Rag?

• Money for the charity you’re supporting. First and foremost this is the reason collections happen. Rags raise huge amounts of money each year through collections, for some it represents the majority of their income.

• It’s fun (or at least it’s meant to be). It’s often difficult to explain to yourself or others why standing on a wet and cold street corner being ignored by the public can be fun but almost all collectors will tell you they enjoy it.

• It can be a great way to see the country and meet new people. As in most cases the cost of your transport and your accommodation will be covered you get to visit new cities and places every weekend for free. You will also get the chance to meet loads of new people from the general public, to members of other Rags to the charity reps.

• Collecting can be a great teambuilding exercise for a Rag. You will end up spending a lot of time travelling, collecting and getting to know each other.

• Many Raggies enjoy the sense of achievement associated with collecting. It can be collecting your highest total or just simply because you done something to help.

• Raids can really boost your confidence because you become used to talking to strangers and making lots of eye contact. Some people will stop in the street to talk and congratulate you on your efforts.

• The final reason for Raiding? because you can. Many students are living on a shoestring budget throughout university life. You can’t afford to regularly donate to charities but by raiding you can do your bit.

What's in it for the Charity?

• Just like the reasons why Rags collect, the motivating factor for charities to get involved with Rag Raids is money. Some of the larger charities can hope to raise over £100,000 from Rags in a year with most of that money comes from collections.

• Not only to Rags raise a lot of money but they raise the right type of money. Major donors, trusts or companies often place restrictions on how their money is spent. What makes Rag money valuable is that it’s unrestricted meaning the charity is free to spend it where it’s needed most

• Rag raiding is a very high profile method of fundraising. When collecting you will be mentioning the charities name and talking about their work to the public, as well as displaying the charities name and logo on your bucket, t-shirt and on the stickers you hand out.

• Life time value, as a student you may be penniless but hopefully it won’t always be like that. Once you’ve left uni and got yourself (hopefully) a well paid job being a nice warm hearted person you’ll want to support a charity (perhaps the one you worked closely with as a student).

Organising Collections

In order to go collecting there are three essential things with out which there is nothing you can do. The three things are.

1. A permit / permission to collect

2. Sealed buckets (or tins) displaying the charity name

3. People

Other items such as t-shirts and stickers are desirable but by no means essential to collecting, however collecting without items (1) and (2) will be illegal and can land you in serious trouble.

Choosing Permits

When choosing your permits try to think about a few of the following points.

1. When is it? – will the permit clash with another Rag event you’re running or is it during exam or revision time. Also remember to take into account what the weather is likely to be like at different times of the year.

2. Where is it? – is the raid somewhere you can easily get to and would you have to stay overnight? How would you get there car, minibus, train. Have you collected there before, was it any good? Many Rags try to avoid collecting in the same place week in week out to stop collectors getting bored.

Getting Permits

It is a legal requirement that if you are collecting that you have permission to do so, this section deals with street collections, later on collections on private ground are covered.

Permission to collect on the streets is usually granted by the city, town or borough council in the area. This permission to collect is referred to as a licence or permit to collect.

The ease in which permits can be obtained varies between councils. Some councils will only grant a single Saturday permit per year to each charity, while others allow multiple collections. Some larger cities applications need to be up to a year in advance in order to be successful. If the charity doesn’t carry out the collection or the council receives a complaint then it can mean the charity will be refused a permit the following year.

Permits can either by applied for by you or the charity. Most Rags will rely exclusively on permits that have been applied for by charities as this reduces the amount of work needed to organise a colleciton considerably

From Charities

Most charities that deal with Rags will apply for a number of permits ready for each new term. Details of who’s of got what can be found in the Calendar & What’s On sections of UKRag. Most charities will also either post or email lists out on a regular basis.

Charities will often allocate permits on a first come, first served basis meaning that it’s worth planning well in advance when and where you want to go raiding.

If you can’t find a the right permit you can always ask a charity to apply for a particular permit for you, but remember it usually takes around a month to apply and be granted a permit and that’s providing the date is free. Don’t expect to phone a charity rep on Monday for a new permit that weekend it will almost never happen.

If you want to collect in a particular city or town you can always phone the licensing office and ask which charity has the permit for the day your after.

By Yourself

It is possible to apply for permits yourself. In some cases such as Children in Need or for some smaller local charities this is what you may have to do if you want to go collecting.

If you are going to apply for a permit remember that you will be legally responsible for the collection and will have to fill in all the paperwork both before and after the collection. This will include the return of statement which needs to be send to the council within 28 days of the collection taking place. This will need to be signed by a qualified accounatnt so before you apply make sure you have the procedures in place to do this.

To apply for the permit first contact the charity you want to collect for and get them to write you a letter confirming they are happy for you to collect on their behalf (most councils ask for some evidence of this if you don’t work for the charity in question)

Next contact the council or local authority, in most cases you will need to deal with the licensing section. If you’re phoning the council switchboard be sure to stress you want to speak to someone who deals with charity street collections or you might end up speaking to the person in charge or bin collections!

Ask them to send you an application form for a street collection permit. When the application arrives you will need to complete and return the form along with any documentation requested by he council such as a letter from the charity, bank account details into which the collection money will be paid, literature about the charity.

Collecting on Private Property

Private property such as shopping centres, train stations and sports grounds often don't require a permit from the council (although there are some exceptions so be sure to check). Instead you will need permission from the landowner.

The application process is often simpler than for street collections with just a letter required although again this varies considerbly between venues.

Although the street collection rules only at present cover public collections most private venues have adopted the same rules and regulations regarding collector numbers and behaviour and the results of the totals raised often need to be sent in afterwards.

Pub Crawls

The one exception to collecting on private ground are pub crawl collections. Although private properties are exempt from needing a permit a collection that involves moving from one venue to another such as pub crawl collections does require a permit know as a house to house permit

House to House permits are applied for by the same method as a street collection just a different form is used. Some councils waive the need for house to house permits for small house to house collecitons such as visiting 10 pubs on one day however to be safe it is worth phoning your local licensing department in advance.

A house to house permit does not automatically grant you the right to collect you will still need to get permission from the managers of the bars you are plannign to visit.

Getting People

Often the hardest part of the collection is recruiting volunteers on a regular basis to go out and collect. Collecting doesn't at first glance look all that much fun or exciting and overcoming that first impression will be the hardest part.

The best way to start is to be organised and to plan ahead so that you can give your volunteers plenty of advance warning of when and where collections will be happening and ideally give them a choice of different dates and places so they can fit going collecting in with the rest of their life.

The UKRag recruitment & Retention guides offer tips on how to get and keep volunteers to Rag and many of the same principles apply to collecting.

Once you're out collecting make sure you regularly check up with anyone new to make sure their happy, let them know it's OK to take a break or change to a new spot. If they enjoy the day they'll come back again.

Some Rags ask for a refundable deposit from collectors especially if the trip is going to be popular or will incur a lot of expenses which will need as many people as possible to make sure enough is raised to cover them. If you are worried about lots of drop outs this method can help to alleivate this problem as people tend to be more serious about something once they've paid a deposit, however this is something you should do sparingly to ask for deposits week in week out is going to be difficult to keep track of and is likely to be offputting.

Getting Resources

All you need to go collecting is a sealed bucket with the charity name on. Other items such as tshirts and stickers are a really useful addition but aren't essential. If you Rag doesn't own their own buckets then you can either buy them if your budget allows (depending on quantities a bucket and lid costs around £4) or you can borrow them from the charity you are collecting for.

Again seals can be bought or supplied by the charity but if you find yourself in difficulty then remember that there is no legal requirement to use specially made security seals, all the law requires is that the contents of the bucket cannot be removed without breaking the seal so you can always make your own.

Bucket wraps are easily made if the charity is unable to supply them but remember to let the charity see whatever you have made before you use them. For buckets A4 paper is the right size while for collecting tins A4 paper cut in half landscape is the correct size to wrap all the ray round.

T shirts and stickers will need to come from the charity. Remember that they do cost money so ask for enough and send back anything unused if you're not likely to use them again soon. If in doubt get tshirts that are too big rather than too small, at least they'll fit over you. In fact for the autumn and winter bigger is better as they can go over hoodies etc.

Make sure that you ask for proper amounts of kit, if the Charity doesn't work with Rags often make sure you say we need X rolls of stickers, and then check how big the rolls are. As a rough rule of thumb you'll need 500 stickers per person per day. it's better to have too many then too few, this applies to everything, a spare bucket or two never did any harm.

Do not rely on the postal service getting it to you on time, make sure that it will arrive at least 4 days before you need it, that way if it turns up damaged, or something is missing, you can get extra or replacements sent up.

Make sure you have a safe place to send it to and that someone will be there to recieve it, if it's your union, let them know you are expecting stuff.

Working with Charities

What the Charity Expects of You

Applying for a permit can be a lengthly process so to avoid wasting time only ask for a charity to apply if you are serious about the collection

If you are unable to do the collection let the charity know as soon as possible. If you know before the collection then let the charity rep know so that the permit can either be offered to someone else or the council can be informed.

Be honest with the charity about your numbers. It can be fustraiting for the charity to find out after the day that a Rag has only sent a handful of collectors to a big city especially if other volunteers could have been sent as well.

While you are collecting you are representing the charity therefore it is important to make sure you are behaving in an appropriate manner.

Finally make sure that the charity gets the money raised, the totals from each person and any expense claims as soon as possible so that the return form can be submitted on time.

What You Should Expect From the Charity

Just as the charity expects certain things from a Rag it is also reasonable to expect a few things from the charity.

Firstly is for the charity to keep the Rag up to date with the progress of a permit application you've requested just as it is bad for the charity if the Rag lets them down at the last minute it is just as bad for the Rag if you find out a few days before you're meant to go collecting that the permit hasn't come through.

If you have spoken with a charity and asked for a particular permit the charity should consult you before offering the perrmit to someone else. It may be that the permit is big enough for more than one Rag but equally your Rag may have enough collectors to cover it.

The Law

All information here is intended as a guide. If in doubt please seek qualified legal advice.

Before the Collection

You will need permission to collect either from the local authority/council if you are collecting in on the streets or in public areas. If you are collecting on private ground such as shopping centres , stations then you will need permission from the landowner.

Every collector needs to be issued with a copy of the permit and written authority from the promotor to use the permit. This authority can be in the form of an ID badge from the charity which is signed by the colleciton organiser or it could be a letter on headed paper.

Each collector will also need a sealed bucket or tin. The seals must be places so that the lid can not be removed without breaking the seals. All the buckets should clealy display the name ofthe charity you're collecting for.

Each bucket or tin should be numbered

All collectors should be aware of the collection regulations and/or any special requirements placed upon you by either the council or landowner. If your volunteers are new to collecting it's a good idea to quickly run through the do's and don'ts of the rules to prevent trouble later.

During the Collection

Whilst collecting it is important that you observe the rules and regulations associated with collecting disregarding them could result in trouble for you, your Rag and the charity for who you are collecting for.

The law that governs collecting states that no collector shall collect in a manner that is likely to importune a member of the public. The context of this law is that whilst collecting you should do nothing that is likely to cause offense to the public. This means that you should be polite and not be overly aggressive in your collecting style (e.g. not asking people more than once for a donation). There is obviously a grey area here but if you are sensible then there shouldn't be any problems.

As well as your collecting style the other main points to remember are to stay still. This doesn't mean you have to stand statuesque all day it just means you shoudl pick a spot and stay there rather than walking up and down the street collecting as you go.

Each collector (or pair of collectors) should be at least 25 yards from the next this is to make sure you are evenly apaced throughout the town.

Finally you must abide by the limits of your permit. If you are collecting in a city centre then you shouldn't attempt to collect on private ground such as inside shopping centres.

The above cover the general points you should remember whilst collecting but some councils may impose other restrictions such as limiting you to certains streets etc so it is important to read the regulations sent to you by the council to check before you go out.

After the Collection

All buckets should be left sealed until they are returned to where they are being counted. If you are collecting with other people it's a good idea to label the buckets as to which belongs to which person at this stage to prevent confusion later.

Once back to where the money is being opened and counted in the presence of at least 2 people. Each bucket needs counted seperately and the totals recorded so that you have a total for each person who collected.

The full names of the collectors and their individual totals need to be recorded on the return form for the council. If the charity applied for the permit on your behalf then all you need to do is send this information to the charity as soon as possible along with the money raised.

If you applied for the permit yourself then you will need to complete the form yourself which then needs to be signed by the person who applied for the permit and an accountant. The form then needs to be returned with 28 days to the council. Remember to take a acopy of the form before you post it for your records.

Many councils also require you publish the results of the collection in a local newspaper, some councils will also specify which paper(s) the statement must be printed in. For the newspaper statement you will need to print the name of the charity, the place and date that the collection took place and the total raised.

Common Misconceptions

You need photo ID - You don't all the law requires is that each collector carries a copy of the permit and written authority from the colleciton organiser. Some councils also issue their own non-photo ID bagdes for collectors examples being Huddersfield, Guildford and Middlesborough, so make sure you get enough from the council or make sure the charity does.

You can't speak to anyone / ask for money - The law says you can not collect in a manner that will cause offense to others. While this obviously leaves a grey area what one person thinks is OK another will think is wrong, the general rule of thumb is that providing you are polite and not constantly shouting to all who pass by speaking and asking for money is OK.

You can't rattle your bucket - Again just like asking for money this comes down to whether or not what your doing is deemed to be an annoyance to the public. Constant shaking should be avoided as this could irriate people. Also it is worth remembering that it's very hard to get your message across while shaking your bucket as passers by will find it harder to hear what you're saying and to read what's written on your bucket.

Collecting Techniques

Everyone is differenrt what works for one person won't necessarily work for someone else. There isn't a single method to being a good collector instead there are a number of key points to remember, the rest is just down to experience and learning what works for you.

The first and golden rule of collecting is to have fun, collecting requires you to be out for several hours or longer if you're not enjoying it then you're really going to struggle.

Take a break when you need one, if you're tried or cold (or on the vary rare occasion too hot) then you'll find it hard to do your best.

Take time to find what works for you. It's unlikely that straight away you'll find a style that suits you so don't give up if things don't work out first time round. Some people like to collect in a busy crowd, other prefer a quiet side street. Take a few collections or try a few different spots over the course of a day to see what works for you.

Learn about the charity you're collecting for. You're bound to be asked questions overthe course of a days collecting if you can explain briefly what the charity does it will help.

Many collectors will dress in fancy dress while this obviously attracts attention unless you're happy and comfortable wearing the costume it won't work for you. Also you don't to be in full drag or dressed as superman to attract attention just wearing a silly hat will do the job.

Come up with a few simple clear phrases to get your message across e.g. help the aged, help fight meningitis

Be polite and smile at people.

Make eye contact that way people know you are talking to them.

The first half an hour is often the worse part of the day don't get disheartened.

Try to avoid taking a break at busy times of the day like lunchtime, take your breaks either side of lunch to get the best out of the permit.

If you can make someone smile they'll often donate.

Many people will only donate if you speak to them directly. Shouting towards the direction of people walking past doesn't usually work as well as making eye contact and asking people individually.

Hand out stickers to everyone who's donated it's great brand awareness for the charity and it means that everyone else out collecting won't ask that person again. Likewise if you see someone with a sticker don't ask them there's plenty more people out there for you to target.

If someone says they've already given or that they give in another way, say "thank you" as not replying is rude.

For a really quick and Easy Guide to Collecting, click this link.

Expenses

Getting expenses refunded is important to most Rags as without it they wouldn't be able to afford to go collecting however the way in which expenses are claimed and paid often leads to some confusion.

The term expenses is generally used to cover any out of pocket expenses encured by going collecting. This usually means travel expenses (e.g. train fares, petrol, parking etc) it may also cover such items as food and accomodation, however it is important to agree in advance with the charity what types of expenses you would like to claim for and an idea of the cost to the charity. Most of the charities actively working with Rags are used to collectors claiming expenses but others may be new to the process and so getting confirmation is important.

As a rule of thumb most charities will agree to pay up to 10% of the total amount collected to the Rag to cover expenses. This does not mean you are entitled to 10% of the proceeds. If you raised £100 and you train fare was £4 then you would be entitled to £4 not £10. Any expenses you have must be accompanied with reciepts.

Expenses should always be claimed back from the charity not taken directly from the collection. i.e. all the money you raise should be paid to the charity and then any expenses you have sent as well for the charity will then reimburse you.

Deducting your expenses directly from the collection before sending the money to the charity is illegal as it breaks the collection law which states that no deductions should be made from the colleciton proceeds.

Collections Glossary

Below are a list of common terms associated with collecting an a brief explanation to help you overcome some of the jargon associated with collections

Bucket Swap When your bucket gets to heavy to comfortably carry it can be swapped either by returning to the count room or by a bucket swap team coming to empty it where you are.

Count Room The place where all the money is being counted (often at megaraids) it can also be the place you can get your bucket swapped, pick up fresh stickers etc

Flag Day Name for a collection that often appears on street collection applications.

Megaraid Large collection involving several different Rags collecting on the same day in aid of one charity.

Permit Legal permission to collect on a particular day for a particular charity granted by a council or local authority.

Raid General term used to descibe collections by Rags

Return / Return Form Document detailing the collectors and their individual totals that needs to be returned to the council following a collection.

Spot A certain place within a town where you will be standing to collect

Tour When a Rag spends a few days or longer collecting in a series of different locations.

Useful links

Acknowledgements

This guide was written by IanB

with contributions from BigDave, Adam George Wood, Iain Elliott, Ian Johnson and members of the UKRag community