Fundraising with Children - a Brief Guide

Fundraising with Children – a Brief Guide

By

Tess Milligan

Fundraising with children is not an easy task, but it is great fun, and teaches children the value of charity work and fundraising. It also allows children to have some effect on the world around them, which in turn increases their self-esteem, and awareness.

Before You Begin Fundraising

Before you begin fundraising and involving children in those efforts, take some time to discuss the cause with them in a way they will understand. Children are surprisingly aware of the world around them, and if the cause is explained to them in a way that makes sense, they will be excited to be part of it.

Remember to keep your explanations age-sensitive. For example, if you are explaining that you are raising money for a charity for terminally ill children.

You might explain to a small child that the money will help children who are very poorly and have to go to hospital.

But to an older child, you could explain what the illness is and how it affects not just the sufferer, but also their family, friends, school life etc.

That way the children know, regardless of their age, just how they are helping someone who needs help.

How can children get involved with fundraising?

There are lots of ways children can get involved and support a great cause.

There are fundraising things that they can do school:

• sponsored silence
• sponsored walk around the school yard
• non-uniform day
• beat the teachers quiz

If there are no fundraisers going on at school, don't be afraid to suggest things to the teachers or head. Schools are often keen to get the children involved in fundraising events, as it helps build their confidence and social skills, as well as teaching them the value of charity.

They can do fundraising at home:

• donate their penny jar or pocket money
• make cakes or biscuits to sell

And some other ideas of how children can help:

• they can help at bag packs, jumble sales and school fairs
• they can do a sponsored fun run, mini run or short walk
• they can come up with their own ideas of fun things to do and get sponsored!

What should you know when fundraising with children?

Here are some important issues you need to consider when organising fundraising with children.

1. Safety.

Safety of you, your fundraisers and the children in your care is always paramount. Make sure you have taken all possible precautions to safeguard your children. Ensure the event you are organising is insured if necessary, make sure all parents have signed waivers/permission forms, and make sure the event is held in a safe place where children can be safely supervised and will not be able to wander off alone. There should also be an adequate amount of adult supervision for the children involved, and CRB checks should be carried out for volunteers involved in the event.

2. Boredom.

Children get bored very quickly and easily, and it is important to ensure you have enough entertainment available to keep them going for the time of the event. Putting the radio on, handing out balloons, having a snack break - all simple little ideas to break up the time and keep the children happy. You could also have a fundraising progress chart (or charity thermometer) for the children to put stickers on each time a donation is made.

3. Legalities.

Ensure that the children are legally allowed to participate in your event. For example, street collectors must be eighteen or over, and some events may require age limits.

Charities which already offer fundraising ideas specifically for children

A lot of charities offer specific fundraisers for children, for example:

• Water Aid has a section for children under 11 years old.
• Children with Leukaemia have a great fundraiser for kids, the Paper Plane Challenge
• The BBC Children in Need website has some good ideas for children.

If you would like to add anything to this article, or have any comments or suggestions, please send me an email with your thoughts.