Fundraise for us

Street party donation
SUPPORT US

Fundraise for us

Go wild and fundraise

We rely on the help of people like you to raise money for our work, and also to encourage people to get closer to the amazing wildlife and wild places thriving in this region.

Projects to restore precious wild places, protect endangered species such as red squirrel and water vole, and ongoing conservation work on our 60+ nature reserves would not be possible without generous supporters like you.

From setting up a sponsored run to organising a special event like cake bake or bring and buy sale, or personal challenge you can help raise funds for your local Wildlife Trust in all sorts of ways.

 

Getting started

Organising a fundraising event gives you the chance to get together with friends, family and your community to help support NWT, and is most importantly about having fun, doing something you love (or trying something new!) for a cause you care about. First things first - contact us to register your event by phone or by completing our online form, and we can send you some fundraising materials and give you plenty of support. Before setting any plans in motion, read our fundraising toolkit, to make sure you adhere to safety and legal regulations and download a sponsorship form.

Hints and tips

Keep it simple – take a look at our fundraising ideas to make your event/activity extra special.

Remember we’re a local charity – all the work we do is to protect wildlife and habitats in your region – this can help people to dig deep to protect nature on their doorsteps

Plan ahead - Think about the seasons (and the temperamental North East weather) and avoid clashes with public holidays or sporting events. Set a target to aim for and remember to give yourself plenty of time to spread the word and get lots of sponsors.

Location is key – Think about where to hold the event, ease of getting there and ensure you consider health and safety requirements. Remember sometimes venues are free for charity activities so don’t be afraid to ask.

Many hands make light work - Enlist help from friends, family and colleagues – raising money as part of a larger team can be lots of fun and it’s motivational.

Be seen to be green - Don't forget to make your event as environmentally-friendly as possible. Avoid using items which could be harmful to wildlife and the environment, such as plastic bags and balloons; make sure people can get to your event by public transport/walking/cycling; and remember to recycle as much as possible!

Make it easy to support! - A Local Giving fundraising page is quick and easy, and you can share the page with everybody (we will also promote the page from our website).

Spread the word! – Let us know about your event so we can share your efforts with supporters and make the most of your own networks through work, friends and family. Social media is an excellent way to share what you’re doing through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – don’t forget to tag NWT. You could even write a blog about your efforts which we can help to share too.

A photo speaks a thousand words – Please take some photos during the process. Interesting images, especially action shots, really help get people’s attention on social media (or even a short video clip). Please share your pics with us which we can use for media releases, social media or on our website to share your story, get you more sponsorships and inspire others.

Useful information

Here’s some suggested websites to help you with planning your activity. We have also created a Fundraising Toolkit complete with fundraising resources such as posters, stickers and sponsorship form here.

The Health & Safety Executive
www.hse.gov.uk

The Institute of Fundraising
www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk

Food Standards Agency
www.food.gov.uk

Local Giving
www.localgiving.org.uk

Charity Challenge
www.charitychallenge.com

St John's Ambulance
www.sja.org.uk

Newcastle City Council
www.newcastle.gov.uk

Northumberland County Council
www.northumberland.gov.uk

North Tyneside Council
www.northtyneside.gov.uk

Northumberland Life
www.northumberlandlife.org

Wherecanwego
www.wherecanwego.com

Bdaily
www.bdaily.co.uk

Fundraising ideas

You probably already have some great fundraising ideas, but if not, we have plenty of suggestions! No matter how big or small your event, or how much money you raise, every penny will be making a difference to wildlife and precious landscapes in your region.

At home...

  • Enter the Great North Run (we secure spaces every year!)
  • Pull on your fancy dress and organise a bag packing event
  • Hold a film night/coffee morning/bake sale
  • Organise a dawn chorus walk or an evening bat walk
  • Go extreme by taking part in a zip-wire event or even a tandem skydive!
  • Hold a quiz in your local pub and get the community involved
  • Recycle your unwanted goods and hold a jumble/car boot sale
  • Set up an 'open garden' with tea stalls and charge an entry fee
  • Be a good neighbour and mow lawns/wash cars/weed gardens for a donation
  • Set yourself a personal challenge, take part in a sponsored cycle ride or get friends to sponsor you for the Boxing Day dip (brrrr). Visit www.charitychallenge.com to explore a really wild way to raise money for our charity!

In the workplace...

  • Organise a fancy dress or 'dress down' day
  • Set up a swear jar!
  • Run a seasonal event such as selling mince pies at Christmas, heart-shaped biscuits for Valentine's Day and pancakes for Pancake Day!
  • Enlist your colleagues in a wild workplace challenge like a charity abseil 
  • Hold a workplace raffle/auction with some unique prizes (extra-long lunch break, cups of tea made for a day etc.)

At school...

  • Run an 'Eco Afternoon' and turn all computers and lights off
  • Hold a non-uniform day (encourage wildlife-themed fancy dress!)
  • Organise a family fun day with a tombola, a raffle, stalls, and even a 'throw wet sponges at the teacher' stall!
  • Use your school hall to bring the crowds in with an art exhibition, school play or talent show and charge an entrance fee
  • Take part in a sponsored silence/litter pick/swimming contest
  • Design and make greetings cards to sell, and donate the profits

Collecting and transferring your donations to us

There are several ways for you to donate the money raised from your event:

NWT Website

Visit our donations page to donate the proceeds using a credit/debit card. You can also pay over the phone in this way if you prefer – call us on (0191) 284 6884.

Just Giving

It's easy to manage your donations online using Just Giving. You can set up your own page, so everybody can donate directly to it! When all your donations have been received, Just Giving sends the money directly to us! When you’ve set up your page contact us and we can help spread the word on social media.

Visit us!

We would be more than happy for you to pop into the Trust and pay with either a cheque or cash (cheques can also be posted – made payable to Northumberland Wildlife Trust).

Collection boxes

Assemble flat-pack collection boxes (available from NWT) and collect cash donations at your event. You could even enlist volunteers to walk around asking people to give spare change - every little helps! If you require larger capacity boxes or buckets, please contact the Trust on (0191) 284 6884, and we will happily provide them. You can either return these boxes to our offices for counting, or bank the money yourselves and send us a cheque or make a donation online.

Sponsorship

Contact us for a form to complete your sponsors' details. After you have collected your donations, please include the sponsor form when delivering them to our offices.

Your sponsors can donate in a number of ways - by completing your sponsorship form and giving you cash or a cheque, donating via our website and quoting your event, or through your Virgin Money Giving page. To set up your page, visit www.virginmoneygiving.com (you can search for NWT from the homepage) - it's easy to manage your donations this way, as you can customise the page yourself, email the link to anybody who might be interested (especially people living far afield who may wish to support you!), and the funds raised are sent directly to the Trust.

Think about local organisations, companies, or small businesses who can also help. Getting corporate sponsorship can mean big money, and means that companies can promote the fact that they're helping a charity. They might let you use their building for the event, or even donate equipment, prizes or refreshments! You could ask your own employer to match-fund your donations, ask local businesses to display a collection bucket for customers to donate to, or even sell stall-space at your events.

Gift Aid logo web small

Remember to tick the Gift Aid box (if you are eligible), and remind all sponsors to do the same - there is a box on the donations page on our website, and the paper sponsorship form, specifically for that purpose. Gift Aid is a great way for us to reclaim the tax paid on the donations you make to us, with no extra cost to yourself. This means for every £1 you/your sponsors give the Government will give us an additional 25p to help wildlife. To be eligible for Gift Aid the amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax you, or your sponsors, pay in each tax year must be at least equal to the amount of tax that we will reclaim on your gifts for that tax year.

Thank you!

On behalf of everybody at Northumberland Wildlife Trust, a huge ‘thank you’ for your interest in fundraising for us! Contact the NWT fundraising team if you have any questions on (0191) 284 6884.