Keep it legal

Games like raffles, sweepstakes and charity lotteries can all be great ways to put a little fun in your fundraising. They’re also some of the most regulated areas of fundraising. Read below for all the essential info!

The safest and easiest way to hold a raffle is to hold an incidental raffle. This means a raffle that is held at another fundraising event. For this type of raffle, you can use “cloakroom” style tickets. There are some rules which you must adhere to:

What you must do:

• Only sell tickets at the event – anyone at the event can purchase a ticket.

• Only take £100 maximum out of the profits of the draw to cover costs and prizes.

• Hold the draw at the event itself.

What you must not do:

• Sell tickets before the event, or to people not attending the event.

• Apply Gift Aid to the money – legally, buying a ticket does not count as a donation.

• Rollovers are not permitted.

For more information on raffles, you can visit the Gambling Commission website.

Public collections

• You must have a licence from your local authority to collect funds in public places. You can apply for this on behalf of the charity, or we can do it for you. Some areas have a very limited number of licences to issue, so it’s best to ask us first.

• Collections have a minimum 28 day application timeline to process and each council will have different rules and regulations. Please contact your local authority to find out more.

• If you are collecting on private property, you will need written permission from the landowner or manager.

You are not allowed to collect funds by going door-to-door, even if you know them. The Fundraising Regulator has strict guidelines on who can carry out this type of fundraising.

For more information, please visit the Institute of Fundraising website

Please note that we can’t accept any responsibility for accident, injury, loss or damage as a result of your event. We therefore strongly recommend that you check that you have adequate insurance and take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of all concerned. You will also need to check any third-party supplier’s public liability insurance.

You can carry out a risk assessment to help you recognise the potential risks and hazards that your event may bring, and how you can minimise them.

To find more advice about health and safety, please visit the Institute of Fundraising https://ciof.org.uk/events-and-training/resources/key-considerations-for-event-fundraising

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team if you prefer to chat over your event, and we can help make sure you have everything covered.