By the time you read this, I will have left Localgiving after a very happy year and a half as North Wales Development Manager. Though I’m sad to go, I have many brilliant memories to take with me. Since July 2016 I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside nearly 90 community groups across North Wales. In that time, I’ve witnessed some incredible fundraising. Over £50,0000 has been raised so far by 59 organisations; ranging from tiny volunteer led community groups, to registered charities working across the whole region - with a few Community Interest Companies thrown in for good measure. Throughout 2017, Wales was celebrating its folklore and heritage in a festival called “The Year of Legends”. The fundraising in North Wales this year has been nothing short of legendary, so let me introduce you to just one of the brilliant groups I’ve met that will surely go down in history. Cadair Idris Cadair Idris, which literally translates to Idris’ Chair, is a mountain in the southern part of Snowdonia. It stands at 893m high and overlooks Dolgellau. So who’s this Idris guy anyway? Depends who you ask - but he’s got to be pretty big to warrant a 2,929ft tall chair. Needless to say, Idris often appears in Welsh folklore as a giant. Ever walked along a mountain trail and got some annoying pieces of grit in your boot? Idris was no different - only giant feet need giant boots, and that can only mean one thing. Giant grit. Yes, legend has it that one day Idris sat down in his massive seat to extract the pesky pebbles from his shoe. He cast them down the mountainside, and there they still lie today - three humongous boulders embedded in the landscape. Other tales of Cadair Idris say that anyone who sleeps on the mountain will have one of three things happen to them.   One: They’ll awaken as a poet. Two: They’ll awaken as a madman. Three: They’ll never wake up again. Like, ever. Wales is known as the paradise of the bard, but I don’t like those odds!   One group that is very familiar with Cadair Idris (and the other 170 or so other peaks in Snowdonia National Park) is Cymdeithas Eryri. The Snowdonia Society is a conservation charity working to protect, enhance and celebrate Snowdonia. There’s a lot to protect, too - the park has 1,479 miles (2,380 km) of public footpaths, 164 miles (264 km) of public bridleways, and 46 miles (74 km) of other public rights of way. The Snowdonia Society hosted one of the most innovative fundraising challenges I saw whilst working at Localgiving. In a bid to illustrate the sheer breadth of their work, and the mounting challenge posed by heavy footfall and the resulting environmental impact, a volunteer with the charity decided to do a sponsored litter pick over a two day period. But this wasn’t any old litter pick. Conservation Volunteer Bob Smith scaled 15 of Snowdonia’s tallest peaks - all the ones that are over 3,000ft tall - whilst collecting litter on his way up (or down)! Of his challenge, Bob said: “I started at Pen-Y-Pass and set off up the Pyg track (up Snowdon) and took about 10 steps before finding my first piece of litter! Not surprisingly there was plenty of rubbish on the summit and after a quick visit in the mist to Garnedd Ugain I headed down the Llanberis path collecting plenty of litter. I then headed to Nant Peris to walk back up again. The bulk of the litter was plastic bottles and sweet wrappers collected on Snowdon (2 bags full) with the rest of the peaks relatively clear of rubbish, but still filling 1 bag.” So Bob’s Legendary challenge cleared 15 beautiful peaks of 3 bags of litter, and managed to raise £404 at the same time! Match funding from the Big Lottery-funded Wales Development Programme brought his total to a fantastic £604, which will go towards the Snowdonia Society’s 50 Years Future Fund - set up to celebrate the charity’s 50th anniversary. What a shame Cadair Idris wasn’t on Bob’s hitlist, standing just shy of 3,000ft. On second thoughts, perhaps it was for the best. Who knows what might have happened if he’d have stopped for a well-earned snooze in Idris’ spooky seat?! I may be leaving Localgiving, but the fundraising frolics will continue - with the central Localgiving team providing support for groups and Lauren Swain (based in South Wales) on hand to help as well. Any North Wales group that would like support should call 0300 111 2340 or email help@localgiving.org Found this blog post useful? You may also like:     Chandos House are giving someone vulnerable a home and a future Tractor Aid: Get Well Tilly  

The power of imagery is undeniable, research has found that people are much more responsive to charitable pleas that feature a single, identifiable beneficiary than they are to statistical information about the scale of the problem being faced. Information in images are more readily understood and retained. Images engage audiences and support your written points. The right image can affect what a user thinks, feels or does and make your website or social media page more engaging. Visual content allows you to emphasize important messages and motivates the viewer to take action. According to Zabisco, 40% of people will respond better to visual information than plain text. So, how can you use imagery to reach and engage new and existing supporters? For many charities the answer lies in online and social media campaigns. Most charitable organisations now incorporate online strategies into their awareness, PR, and fundraising campaigns. Through email, blogging and social media, charitable organizations now have the potential to deliver information about their cause to a much larger audience. As seen in the rise of Snapchat and Instagram Stories, social media users strive for the “in the moment” feeling. As charitable organizations the use of real and appropriate imagery can connect with followers on an emotional level and drive positive action. These images are memorable and stay in the minds of social media followers so that the next time they see your charity’s logo or image they can more easily take in the information you need them to know. Seeing others taking action makes an individual more likely to take action. Including images and testimonials from real life supporters in your social media posts can have a positive effect on donations and awareness. When you encourage people to take action, it will spread into their social networks where people will feel the urge to follow and take action too. It’s not just online, using imagery in printed flyers, posters and adverts can have a dramatic effect on the success of charitable events. But as a charitable organisation with limited resources, how do you create high quality designs for social media and print?  Design Wizard is an online graphic design tool suitable for beginners that makes it easy to create digital and print designs in seconds. You can upload your own images, logo, colors and fonts to create custom graphics for every platform. The company offers access to over 1.2 million images and 17,000 templates including a range of fundraising templates, flyers, posters and social media posts. It’s premium version, Design Wizard Pro, is offered free to registered nonprofits on application. Claire O'Brien is the Marketing Manager at Design Wizard. Claire has more than 10 years experience in content creation including visual content, digital marketing, email marketing, social media and advertising. She has an avid interest in all things digital and software related. Found this blog useful? You may also like: 7 digital tactics for small charities in volatile times  

Hi, I am Maz, one of the Co-managers of a very unique social enterprise, The Prospects Trust at Snakehall Farm. I am just one of many who make up a team of talented support workers, volunteers, trustees and of course our Co-workers (adults with additional needs) here on our 18 acre organic care farm in rural Cambridgeshire.   The Prospects Trust at Snakehall Farm was established in 1989 to provide work placements and supported training for people with disabilities (our Co-workers) on a County Farms estate in Reach, Cambridgeshire. Run as a social enterprise, the charity supports over 50 individuals per week. In addition we host visiting school groups, provide seasonal respite placements and create lots of valuable volunteering opportunities. As a social enterprise, all income generated from the sale of organic produce and our off-site gardening contracts is ploughed back into the running of the Trust. We are a real farm proudly growing differently! All of our produce is sown, grown, harvested and graded by our Co-workers, sold in our farm shop and through a reliable wholesale customer supply chain. We are a real working farm with real produce lines and real customers. Our Co-workers (adults with additional needs) attend the farm as part of a supportive placement programme and we endeavour to always offer a taste of the real world of work. We support, cajole, encourage and develop skills every day in every way. We place our Co-worker's at the heart of the operations and find ways to break down any disability that normally stops them taking part in an active life. We harvest lots of smiles along with the organic tomatoes, potatoes and carrots of course. We have 10 produce popping polytunnels, 3 large fields, a heritage planted orchard, nature trails, coppice, an accessible product kitchen, free ranging chickens, a Farm Shop, a woodwork workshop and even a social media tweeting Tractor - follow Tilly Tractor on Facebook All busy activity has taken its toll on Tilly! Our farm figurehead is rather poorly.  She has been booked into the Tractor Hospital (I must point out Farmer Mark states this should be called the agricultural mechanics) for some much needed TLC (Tractor Loving Care).  Tilly captures the heart of every Co-worker who comes through our farm gates, she is the tractor everyone wants to learn to drive but currently is too "tyred" to farm! Tilly Tractor was supported by ITV People's Millions Lottery funding, with the regional Anglia news viewers voting in shed loads for our amazing project and helping us secure a much needed tractor.  She has been used daily in all seasons and in all weathers and driven by everyone! She is now having a head to plough service, repairs to her hydraulics and we are facing a tractor sized repair bill.  We are hoping that the general public will get behind our Tractor Aid appeal and donate to our Get Well Tilly pot.  Find out more and donate to the Tractor Aid Appeal     

Since 2000, Rewrite has been working with young people to challenge racism and fight prejudices surrounding asylum and migration. We do this by using the arts to bring together young people from different nationalities and background. Through our creative activities, we support young people to improve English language & literacy, build their confidence and develop strong social relationships with their peers.  We run three core projects in South London as well as bespoke activities; working with over 300 young people annually. At the centre of Rewrite's work is our pioneering Creative ESOL project.  Creative ESOL is a  creative language learning project working with newly arrived refugees and migrants to learn English through drama, play, dance, art and music. Our workshops are delivered by a trained ESOL teacher and an experienced drama practitioner who foster a supportive and safe environment for our participants. We believe that young people can effectively learn through play, relaxation and a creative space to express themselves engaging the body.  Once our young people feel confident, they progress onto our other creative projects We bring together young people from different nationalities and backgrounds, to build new friendships whilst learning English. Once they feel confident in language, Creative ESOL graduates can progress onto our Creative Writing group: Free Writers and/or our Youth Theatre: ReACT where they will meet other local young people from their local area. The groups offer opportunities to access cultural spaces in London, work with professional performers and take the stage at least twice a year to showcase their work to public audiences. We make a huge difference to the lives of our service users - as S's story shows S moved to London from Bangladesh in 2014 at the age of 13 knowing no English. Following a Rewrite outreach session at his school, his teachers recommended him to join the Creative ESOL project.  Three years on, S is 16 with a good command of English and is continuing to participate in the CESOL project as a Young Leader. This leadership role has given him the opportunity to give back to CESOL by “supporting the team, behaving well and helping others".  Last year, S progressed on to the React youth theatre project. He made the decision to join this programme to challenge himself further: “I can feel that I’m improving a lot and if I go to React, I can step up … because it’s been a few years now and they helped me a lot so I need to step up to show them I can do it.” “Rewrite is a great option and opportunity for people to come and learn English. Rewrite helped me a lot. I’d like to say thank you a lot for the help. Thank you.” - S The Rewrite team are so proud of S’s progress and are glad to have him as part of our team. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This month, we are raising funds for our Creative ESOL Project. To support our work and help us reach our £5000 target, take advantage of Localgiving’s Grow Your Tenner campaign and donate now to double your money. If you would like to learn more about what Rewrite does, get in touch with Farha on 07575 743103.

  1. Knowledge is power Familiarise yourself with the full terms of the campaign. Once you know how everything works, plan what you’ll do to make the most of it. Remember to let everyone in the organisation know (don’t forget the trustees!) so everyone is prepared and can do their bit. Afterall, Grow Your Tenner comes but once a year! Think about how Grow Your Tenner will complement current or ongoing fundraising activities. For example, do you have a fundraiser raising money for you at the moment? If yes, encourage them to do an extra push for donations during Grow Your Tenner. You can help by sharing their fundraising page via your social media and other networks. 2. Don’t ask, don’t get Letting supporters know Grow Your Tenner is happening is just the first step. To maximise your chances of getting donations, you’ll actually have to ask! Remember to ask nicely, and to be specific - so rather than saying: “Donate £10 to us today and it will be doubled.” Try saying: “Donate £10 to our new building appeal today and it will be doubled by Localgiving! £20 is enough to buy a new chair for the community room.“ A good rule of thumb when crafting your “ask” is to focus on the donor, as opposed to your organisation. Let’s look at an example. A homeless charity might say something like: “Support our outreach work with homeless people in [town] - your £10 donation will enable us to provide a hot meal for a person in crisis.” To help the donor feel a bit more connected to the cause, and therefore a bit more likely to donate, they could instead say: “Reach out to homeless people in [town] - because of your £10, a person in crisis will be able to enjoy a hot meal today.” 3. Once upon a time Effective storytelling is key to fundraising. Stories engage us, and are much easier to remember than statistics.They also have the ability to trigger an emotional response, which helps build rapport between your cause and your supporters. Stories are most effective when they are told by the people you support, in their own words. As a charitable organisation, you touch the lives of so many people! Chances are, some of them would be delighted to “give something back” by providing a short testimonial or case study. Use these storytelling tips to help you get started! 4. Make it your own If you can add additional meaning to the campaign, it will make it more personal to your cause and more tangible for your supporters. For example, if you’re currently running an appeal, how many doubled tenners will it take for you to reach your target? Or perhaps there’s something specific that the extra £10 will enable you to do? Let’s go back to the homeless charity example: “Your gift of £10 will buy a person in crisis a hot meal, and the £10 match funding will give them a safe bed in the shelter tonight.” Finally, can you do something unique to bring the campaign to life? Belfast Print Workshop came up with this fun, share-worthy video in advance of last year’s Grow Your Tenner. 5. Is there anybody out there? Once you’ve planned your approach, it’s time to start spreading the word! Social media is a great place to start. Use any platform you are on to let people know about the campaign. Encourage your volunteers and/or staff to share posts made by your group’s page so the message reaches more people. Keep it visual, using photos and videos where possible. South Denbighshire Community Partnership recently used Facebook Live to broadcast their fundraiser, Alex, being waxed before competing in the Iron Man Wales triathlon! It was a great way to get people involved (the video got over a thousand views) and it generated more donations for Alex’s page.   As a Localgiving member, you’re part of a lively and diverse community of grassroots organisations across the UK. During the campaign, get inspiration and support each other by following #GrowYourTenner on Facebook and Twitter. Not only will you see all the great fundraising other groups are doing, you’ll also get the latest updates from Localgiving. Remember to use the hashtag in all your posts, too - we’ll share when we can! Don’t forget about your other communication channels. Have you approached the local news? You can upload a press release right from the Localgiving website! 6. Let me check my schedule Trying to stay on top of multiple social media channels can be tricky. Picture this: Grow Your Tenner starts at 10:00 on the 17th of October, and you’ve organised a special coffee morning at your local community centre to launch your fundraising appeal. You really should put some things on social media, but you’ll be busy speaking to people at the event. What a dilemma!   Enter: scheduling tools. Scheduling enables you to plan posts in advance, meaning you can be active on social media even when you’re busy doing things in the real world. Some platforms have scheduling features built in (e.g. Facebook), or you can use a dedicated service (e.g. Hootsuite) to manage multiple accounts. If you’ve never tried scheduling before, check out these handy guides: Scheduling a Facebook post Scheduling social media using Hootsuite   7. Let’s stay together Direct Debits account for 31% of all donations to UK charities. Regular donations are hugely important for small, local charities, helping them to stabilise their finances and plan for the future. A one-off donation of £120 can be daunting for many people, whereas £10 a month seems much more reasonable. A £10 monthly donation set up during the campaign will raise £210 over a 12 month period (including Gift Aid and match funding) - that’s a whopping £60 extra thanks to Grow Your Tenner! Tune in to our next webinar at 1pm on the 12th of October for some hints and tips on how to attract regular donors. 8. Mind your Ps and Qs If someone put money in your collection tin, you’d give them a friendly smile and a cheery thank you - so remember to do the same online! A timely and well-written thank you will make the donor feel appreciated. Nothing, on the other hand, might make them think twice about giving again in the future. Lots of thank yous to do? Remember you can send messages to donors directly from your Localgiving dashboard using 3 saved templates. Not sure where to start? Have a look at our guide to writing a good thank you message. If you’re feeling adventurous, try experimenting with different methods of sending thank yous - like TAPE Community Music & Film, who made this simple video after their recent appeal!   9. Don’t stop me now You’ve prepared well for the launch of Grow Your Tenner, and you get a few donations in on the the 17th. Success! Time to relax, right? Not yet! The campaign will run for as long as there is money in the pot (or until 16th of November - whichever comes first), so be sure to keep the momentum going. Because there’s a target to aim for, an appeal will help you to focus your fundraising and keep people engaged for the whole campaign. Keep posting on social media throughout Grow Your Tenner, and give updates about your fundraising. Remember to celebrate when you reach a milestone, and remind people that their donations will be matched for a limited time. Check out these 13 tips to help you run a successful appeal.   10. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship Your interaction with a donor shouldn’t end at the point where they give - that’s only the start! Firstly, you’ll (ideally) be getting in touch within 24 hours to say thank you. From there, you could go back to them again at the end of Grow Your Tenner, to let them know how much you raised and your plans for the money. Once you’ve started using the money raised, get back in touch again with a progress update. This is your opportunity to really demonstrate the difference their money is making to the people you support. If you’re working on a capital project, could you send some before and after photos? If the money was for an event, could you send a video with snippets from the participants? Your aim should be to keep the donor interested, so you can go back to them in the future to let them know how they can get involved again - be that volunteering at an event, doing a sponsored challenge or donating to your next appeal. With these 10 tips, you should feel prepared to take on Grow Your Tenner - but remember you can call 0300 111 2340 or email help@localgiving.org for friendly help, support and fundraising advice. Good luck!  Found this blog post useful? You may also like:    Storytelling Tips for Charities by Becky Slack  5 free tools to share your organisation's story by Nisha Kotecha 

Walking into the office of the Community Foundation of Northern Ireland in July 2015 was nerve wracking enough but made worse with the knowledge that this was no ordinary first day. After the usual flurry of names that come with the first day in any new job, I was being sent off to the airport and a flight to London to meet the staff in our London Localgiving HQ. From there, it feels like it has been a whirlwind ever since! In my first week of working for Localgiving, the very first group that signed up was the Aisling Centre, a counselling charity in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. Supporters of the centre were engaging in a poignant and bittersweet fundraising campaign in memory of a young man from the town. I am not sure if it was because it was my first campaign to work on, or whether it was the passion and love behind the cause, but the name and memory of the young man will always be with me. It was very quickly apparent that this was a job like no other! The group has gone on to raise over £13,000 through Localgiving, which is fantastic! I have relished getting out and meeting our groups, getting to know their work and figuring out how we can support them in their fundraising activities. No day was ever the same and no group had the same needs. I have loved it. From the community transport organisations helping elderly ladies get their weekly shopping done; children’s charities offering teenagers a safe space to find themselves; music and art centres who open their doors and make art accessible to all; women’s centres who literally save lives to sports groups who thrive at the centre of communities. Each one has been different and yet all facing the uncertainties that come with the vulnerable community and voluntary sector, especially here in Northern Ireland. I discovered that although Northern Ireland has one of the most experienced and relied upon charitable sectors in the UK, many groups are heavily reliant on grants and aid from government bodies. This has posed a massive threat on a number of the organisations we worked with and unfortunately, a number were forced to close despite even the most valiant fundraising efforts. One of which was the Carrick Women’s Centre. I had been working alongside their volunteers for over a year and the work they engaged in was so vital and had such an impact that I even sent my mother down to them to volunteer as their reflexologist. I will always be so disappointed that they had to close their doors due to funding pressures. In the middle of my time with Localgiving, some will know I went off and had a baby, a little boy called Alfie. The first Localgiving baby as far as I have been told. It meant that I came back and was able to see the work of some of our parenting organisation members like Parenting NI and Parent Action in a whole new light. During my maternity leave, I was replaced by another wonderful Coordinator, Nicola Hanna. Nicola was just as passionate about the groups we work with as I was and she brought a whole new dimension to the role. In total the Localgiving project in Northern Ireland has helped so many organisations in the three years it has been piloted here. It has delivered dozens of training projects and hundreds of one-to-one help sessions. We have encouraged and supported the marathon runners, the people who jump out of planes, skate round rinks for hours, climb stairs over and over, walk for miles, stay quiet all day and even the amazing lady who swam the channel between Africa and Europe! I am forever grateful to our members who taught me so much about passion and commitment to a cause. I hope that those I have engaged with in my role have and will continue to see the benefit of the Localgiving platform. In my eyes, it is the only donations platform that has a heart for the work it’s raising money for. Thankfully, this doesn’t mean that groups in Northern Ireland who are currently members of Localgiving or future members will not receive support, fundraising help and access to match funding campaigns. Support will be provided by our brilliant helpdesk staff who can be reached on 0300 111 2340 or by email help@localgiving.org. Found this blog post useful? You may also like:     A volunteers view: Supporting groups in the West of England How the Cardiff Half Marathon is helping our groups in Wales   

When Healthy London Partnership began working with communities to tackle childhood obesity two years ago, I knew we were in for a challenge. Not only is childhood obesity an epidemic in London – with one in three children leaving primary school overweight or obese – and putting an increasing strain on the NHS; but we’re also seeing cuts to public health and prevention budgets. So our challenge was – how do we tackle childhood obesity in a way that is financially sustainable? The approach that evolved was one that included the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, and which can be applied to almost any community-based challenge, anywhere. With an increasingly challenged health and care system, the need to stem the flow of demand is essential. We need place based services which understand the challenges, needs and assets of the communities around them; who know how to connect with those groups who are sometimes called ‘hard to reach’ and who are able to tailor and personalise their approach. I believe that organisations in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector are some of the best to help fill this role. There are many examples of where they are already doing so, and providing invaluable support to their local communities. Not only do they often share many of the same health and wellbeing goals as public sector organisations, but they often add additional social value through the employment of local people, volunteering and training opportunities. On top of this, they are able to harness additional capital toward health goals – whether that be through trading revenue, grants, fundraising or social investment. Could the sector therefore play a critical role in tackling complex problems, in a sustainable way?  I am one of a growing tide of people who believe this to be the case. That’s why it’s so important that funders, including public sector commissioners, recognise this and do more to support the sector. Data shows that public sector funding to smaller charities has fallen by a third, and although they are trying to adapt to these changes by becoming more enterprising, they don’t always have the skills or support around them to do this successfully. A resulting 23,000 charities stopped operating across England and Wales between 2008 and 2013. We know that sustainable, diverse business models are possible for many voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations, and organisations like Localgiving are supporting this transition. Between 2008/09 and 2012/13, small and medium-sized charities increased their income through fundraising and charitable trading by up to 60%; and 31% of social enterprises reported making a profit last year. Funders should understand the unique role of their local voluntary, community and social enterprise sector but also their support needs. Where an organisation is creating positive impact in the local community, funders have a joint responsibility to support the shift toward a sustainable business model where possible. This is firstly important for their local communities to ensure they continue to have access to high quality and effective local services. Secondly it’s also important to reduce reliance of voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations on public sector funding - therefore reducing the risk posed by any future funding cuts and ensuring public sector funding is spent both effectively and efficiently. In my role as project manager in Healthy London Partnership’s prevention team, I’ve written this guide which discusses some of the ways commissioners can begin to take a more proactive role in supporting their local sector to deliver sustainable impact. This can be done within existing resources and can include adapting commissioning processes to recognise wider social value and ensuring money can reach smaller organisations; it can include supportive – or incubation - techniques such as sharing knowledge and skills with local organisations, brokering partnerships and networks or access to assets like office space; it could also include using blended finance to drive the development of sustainable income streams. While commissioners have a role to play, they aren’t solely responsible for the sustainability of their local voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. The sector itself will need to look within to ensure it is demonstrating impact and developing sustainable business models, including forming partnerships and alliances where appropriate. And other funders, infrastructure bodies, and the private sector will need to come together to ensure the value provided by local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations is sustainable. Read and share the Commissioning Guide here. For more information about the guide or the work of Healthy London Partnership please email nwlccc.healthyinlondon@nhs.net Jessica Attard, Healthy London Partnership Found this blog post useful? You may also like:    How the Cardiff Half Marathon is helping our groups in Wales Sunshine Fundraising on our London Development Programme!    

Fundraisers are a wonderful way of inspiring supporters to get behind your cause, primarily by dedicating their own time and effort. Individuals can take something they enjoy doing - or perhaps something they don’t enjoy - and turn it into a fundraising challenge! An even easier way to generate fundraising ideas is to be aware of existing events taking place in the local area. At Localgiving we encourage all of the community groups we work with to ask their networks to consider fundraisers. And through Localgiving it is super easy for fundraisers to set up pages that send all donations directly into the cause’s bank account. People will then always support their mates doing fundraising challenges – extending a group’s network! On Localgiving every fundraiser page will attract an average of 16 donors that may not have directly supported the cause, but are more than happy to support their friend. On top of that, the average amount raised by each fundraiser is £520 - groups can’t go wrong!  In Wales, there are a significant amount of causes who are making the most of the Cardiff Half Marathon, which is coming up on October 1st. There are 6 groups who have supporters taking part and collectively they have 23 fundraisers that are focusing on 2017’s event. I wanted to share a few current fundraising stories with you:     Paul Popham Fund, Real Support Wales This group has 4 fundraisers taking part in the Cardiff Half Marathon, to support their work of giving children with kidney disease a better life. They have focused on asking parents and friends of the organisation to undertake a variety of physical challenges throughout the year. Indeed they hold the title for the highest amount raised so far, out of all members of our free Wales programme. Their current donation total stands at over £7,500 and this is predominantly from fundraisers. “Localgiving has helped support our fundraising initiatives in so many ways. It is easy to use and there is a representative on hand to help with any queries - that is invaluable. We have various projects that the funds will be used for. Our Cardiff Half Marathon Team will be supporting our Christmas Appeal to send children with kidney disease and their families on a day out to see a Christmas pantomime.Localgiving is a proactive platform that encourages its members to actively raise more funds with the different campaigns. The support given by Localgiving is amazing. No other platform gives the support Localgiving does.” Joanne Popham – Volunteer, Paul Popham Fund, Renal Support Wales   Student Volunteering Cardiff: This group has 9 fundraisers taking part in the Cardiff Half Marathon. The majority of the supporters are students who have taken part in their programme to encourage young people to volunteer for local causes whilst they study. “We are very proud of our team of 10 runners who will be taking part in the Cardiff Half Marathon this 1st October to raise money for our student-led, independent charity Student Volunteering Cardiff (SVC). All the money will go towards supporting one of our 28 volunteering projects working with children and young people, those with disabilities, the elderly, the homeless and the local community.”  Malou Hascoet - Project Coordinator, Student Volunteering Wales   Music in Hospitals Cymru: This group has 8 fundraisers taking part in the Cardiff Half Marathon. The majority of the supporters are students, musicians or hospital employees who are part of the work to bring live classical music performances into hospital wards. “We are delighted to have 11 runners in total this year. Each person has done a fantastic job with their fundraising so far, together they have helped raise a total of nearly £2000 for the charity, and we still have a few weeks to go! Many of our runners haven’t taken part in a half marathon before, so the Cardiff Half will certainly be memorable as well as challenging! Our supporters know that raising money for Music in Hospitals will make a huge difference in enabling us to carry out our work. The aim of the charity is to create joy through live music, and we do this in healthcare settings across the country. In Wales we organise around 500 concerts a year for unwell, elderly and vulnerable audiences, bringing the therapeutic benefits of live music to over 15,000 people a year. Music in Hospitals is currently working on an exciting new project with the Archbishop of Wales Fund for Children. The foundation have kindly given us a grant to spend on live music concerts for unwell or disadvantaged children in care settings across Wales. Money that our Cardiff Half runners are helping us to raise will contribute to this fund, allowing us to provide an additional 10 free concerts for the children! A big thankyou to everyone who has donated to the team, it means such a lot to us.” Hannah Beadsworth – Development Officer Wales, Music in Hospitals Cymru   Further Wales groups fundraising through the Cardiff Half Marathon: North Gwent Cardiac Rehabilitation and Aftercare Charity Pembrokeshire Citizens Advice Bureau FYD Technology Club   Example fundraiser page:    If you would like to support the work of any of the mentioned groups, please click on their links.  

Thanks to funding from The Indigo Trust and the London Leg Up Fund, Localgiving launched a programme in London in October 2016, supporting 75 groups with online fundraising. The programme aims to help the groups participating to develop digital marketing skills to raise awareness and support for their causes online. All 75 groups who are taking part also benefit from £300 of ring fenced match funding each to help kick start their online fundraising. This acts as an incentive to both the groups participating and their potential supporters as the first £300 raised per group is doubled by Localgiving. The first year of the programme is coming to an end in September and we have now recruited all 75 groups, however watch this space for future projects that we might be running in London. Several of the groups on the programme are launching campaigns this summer to use their match funding. This blog highlights some of the campaigns currently being run by groups in London, and draws on examples from other successful campaigns over the last few months. The money can be used to match any fundraising page they have on Localgiving (this could be their main fundraising page, a project page, an appeal page or a fundraising page) and allows them to tailor the match incentive to their needs. A real highlight of the programme so far has been the imaginative ways in which groups have come up with their own bespoke methods of unlocking this £300 match funding. Here’s a snapshot of what some of the groups are doing this summer in London: Taking on a Summer challenge for a local London charity Individuals taking on challenges has proved to be one of the most popular ways for groups to raise money. This light touch approach to community fundraising is ideal as it can create a new ambassador who can tell everyone about the great work the charity does and what they are fundraising for! In May, Geoff at Westbourne Park Family Centre set up a fundraising page while he was running the London Marathon and the first £300 raised was doubled by Localgiving. This challenge based style of fundraising has proven to be a popular way to unlock the match funding, and now North London Cares also have a fundraiser, Amy, who is running the Royal Parks Half Marathon on the 8th October 2017. Check out her fundraising page and help them have the first £300 they raise doubled by clicking here! Further north in Enfield, Joe Wilkinson also took part in the Prudential Ride London 46 mile Cycle on the 29th July 2017 to fundraise for the Enfield Deaf Social Club. Not all challenge fundraisers need to be physical. Over in West London Anoushka Yeoh is a self-confessed Twitter addict. Along with a group of amazing supporters at Focus West London, she pledged to go on a 24 hour ‘Digital Detox’ in aid of the charity - No TV, phone, Facebook, Spotify, nothing! Six people chose to set up fundraising pages and take part in the detox, which allowed the group to get creative with their £300 match funding, by matching the first £50 raised on each of the six fundraiser pages. This incredible campaign generated thousands for Focus West London and is a brilliant example of a D.I.Y approach to community fundraising. The thousands of pounds that were raised will help cover vital core costs of the organisation over the coming year. New Projects and Appeals in Sunny London Matching the first £300 through an appeal page has proven to be the most popular way of using the London match funding. Groups like Journey to Justice through their ‘Hyde Park Speakers Corner Marathon’ and Tower Hamlets Friends and Neighbours through their 70th-anniversary appeal have leveraged their first few supporters generosity to launch their appeals with a promise that the first £300 raised would be doubled by Localgiving. Now, Making Room, a charity who help people with hoarding behaviours, have launched an online fundraising appeal. Everything they raise will go towards the running of their help line and with a target of £10,000, they are seeking donations that will cover staff costs (£7,600), equipment and office space costs (£1,200) and promotion & advertising of this vital service (£1,200). Check out their appeal page here and help them double the first £300 they raise.  Meanwhile, over in East London Casa Lusa want to reach out to those families struggling to make sense and learning how to make sense and adapt to with autistic children in their family and in the society. Their appeal is live on Localgiving, the first £300 they raised will also be doubled, and if you would like to donate all you have to do is click here! Another imaginative way that a group is using their £300 match fund pot is through a direct debit ‘friends of’ campaign. The Mill, an independent community space run for and by the people of Walthamstow, have taken this approach. Hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds each week visit the centre and volunteer. The Mill has now launched a ‘Friends Scheme’ in where their supporters and volunteers can set up a direct debit through Localgiving and have it matched every month until they have used their £300! If anyone is interested in hearing more about how you can get involved with our London Programme please let Conor, our London Development Manager know. Thanks again from all of us at Localgiving for the support for the programme from the funders, partners and participating groups! Found this blog post useful? You may also like:    LSE Volunteer Centre: Do you have opportunities for volunteers? Neymar your price: what is a footballer worth?  

I was lucky enough to volunteer for two weeks at Localgiving, more specifically on the West of England Development Programme. I am interested in NGOs and the voluntary sector; particularly how to tackle the challenges of increasing demand for services and a more competitive fundraising environment. One of the main insights that I gained was how much Localgiving does to help local charities and community groups with their online fundraising.Localgiving provides the support and mentoring needed by groups to find their feet in this area - this was a very positive thing to witness. It really is a charity that invests directly in the sector. I spent the first week in Frome and the second in Bath and Bristol. My main responsibility was researching potential community groups and charities, in the Somerset and Bristol areas, who I thought might benefit from Localgiving support.I collated groups through visiting the library, a leisure centre and of course, the Internet. I was also able to sit-in on training sessions and meetings with charities and groups who were already members of Localgiving. I found these meetings particularly interesting, as I was able to gain an insight into how passionate they were about their causes. I also learnt about practical online fundraising and how much it can raise for a charity or community group. This was a subject I knew very little about, besides occasionally donating online myself. My volunteering showed me how useful online campaigning and fundraising for small charities can be. The statistic: ‘an online donation is worth double the amount of an offline donation’, emphasises this. Through Localgiving I came to understand the sheer number of charities and groups working within each local area. This opened my eyes to how great local communities can be - everyone should get involved in some way. There are huge numbers of people dedicating their skill and time to volunteering - to help others. This was a wonderful insight into the charity sector and reassuring in such challenging times. Found this blog post useful? You may also like:    LSE Volunteer Centre: Do you have opportunities for volunteers?  Neymar your price: what is a footballer worth? When Being Angry Is Not Enough