Fundraising for Refuge FAQs

Q. I’d like to fundraise for Refuge but I’m not sure what I’d like to do yet.

A. We’re thrilled you’d like to support survivors of domestic abuse. We recommend that you register your interest in fundraising with us through our web form here. We will then send you a fundraising pack which will give you plenty of inspiration and help you decide on the activity you would like to do.

Q. How can you support my fundraising?

A. When you register your fundraising activity with Refuge, we can send you a fundraising pack — like a banner, balloons or collection tins, free t-shirts and materials — to ensure your event is a success. We also have downloadable posters with information on our helpline and the signs of domestic abuse.

Our experienced team of community fundraisers are also on hand to answer any questions you may and will support you throughout your fundraising journey. Feel free to email us.

Q. How do I get a free t-shirt and what sizes do they come in?

A. You can order your t-shirt. Please allow up to 10 working days for your t-shirt to arrive. T-shirt sizes are:

•  S 35/37″
• M 38/40″
• L 41/43″
• XL 44/46″
• 2XL 47/49″
• 3XL 50/52″

Q. What is the best way to collect money for you?

A. To get started with your fundraising, we recommend setting up an online fundraising page. Setting up your page takes just five minutes and is a simple way to collect donations ahead of your challenge.

Here are three tips to help get the most out of your fundraising page:

1. Set a target. Sounds obvious, but people who set a target raise almost double that amount!
2. Upload a profile photo. People want to know it’s you.
3. Share why you are doing this challenge. If you have a personal connection to the cause or a reason why you care, let people know.

Learn how to create a team page with JustGiving, so that anyone doing individual fundraising activities can contribute to the group total.

Q. Can I raise money for Refuge through Facebook?

A. Yes you can. Learn how to create a nonprofit fundraiser on Facebook. Please note that we are not always aware of the fundraising activities on this platform, so please keep us up to date with your fundraising by emailing us.

Q. How do I pay in my fundraising? 

A. You can pay in your offline fundraising through our online donation form. For JustGiving you can pay the donations into your own bank account and make an online donation to your fundraising page. If you choose this option and are a UK taxpayer, make sure that you un-tick the Gift Aid box. Gift Aid should only be claimed when an eligible donor is making their own donation. If you are doing an offline event and want to pay in your fundraising by BACS transfer, please email community@refuge.org.uk and we can provide you a reference and our bank details. Alternatively if you want to pay by cheque, please make cheques payable to ‘Refuge’ and send it securely by post to:

Refuge
3rd Floor
One America Square
17 Crosswall London
EC3N 2LB

Please also enclose a letter with your full name, address, contact details and information about your fundraising so we can process your payment smoothly.

Q. I’d like to fundraise for Refuge by donating a percentage of profits from my business. How do I get started?

A. As your fundraising activity is based around sales, it means there are some legal requirements with donating. To make sure Refuge doesn’t end up paying VAT on any money you donate, the best way to donate is via Work for Good, a small business fundraising platform. Work for Good lets you track your giving, set donation targets, and it offers you a page to tell your giving story to your customers or clients.

Q. I’d like to fundraise for Refuge by selling items online. What is the best way to do this?

A. You can sell unwanted items on eBay for Refuge and you have the flexibility to donate a percentage, or even all, of the sale price to us. Visit PayPal Giving Fund for more information or visit eBay to start selling your items for Refuge today.

Q. What is gift aid and can it be applied to the donations I raise?

A. Gift Aid allows charities to reclaim tax on a donation made by a UK taxpayer. This means donations will be worth an extra 25% to us at no extra cost to you. Under UK law, certain donations are not eligible for Gift Aid. If your donation falls into any of the following categories, Gift Aid shouldn’t be claimed:

• Donations made by anyone who is not a UK taxpayer
• Donations made on behalf of someone else or a group of people – For example, you collect money from your friends and family and then make a bulk donation.
• Donations made in exchange for something. For example, a ticket to attend an event, a cake sale donation or raffle ticket purchase
• Donations made on behalf of a company (however, the company can claim tax relief on the donation when donating directly to the charity).

Q. Can I use your logo for my fundraising?

A. We receive a lot of requests to use our logo and we respond based on the specific nature of the enquiry. If you’d like to make a request to use our ‘In Aid of’ logo for your activity, please email our team, providing as much detail about your event as possible.

Q. Can someone from Refuge speak at my event?

A. Whilst our community fundraising team occasionally delivers talks at external events, due to capacity we are currently only able to deliver these to specific groups who have committed to fundraise for Refuge. If this is something you would be interested in, please email the team, providing as much information as possible about your event and fundraising plans.

Q. Can I have a letter of authorisation to collect money for Refuge?

A. A letter of authorisation confirms that your event is an official Refuge fundraising event. You may need a letter like this if you plan to do a collection or approach organisations for raffle prizes. Email the team with your name, address and what you are doing to fundraise so we can send out the letters to you.

Q. Can you do social media coverage on my fundraising event?

A. The main focus of Refuge’s social media pages are to share information about our services, campaigns, events and impact of our work, so there is limited opportunity to promote fundraising events. We do use our social media platforms to celebrate fundraising successes, so keep us informed about your activity and we can check if it is possible to post about it on our social media.

Q. How do I make sure my fundraising event is safe and legal?

A. If you are organising a fundraising activity for Refuge, we strongly advise you to consider your own personal safety and put in place safety protocols, as we cannot provide logistical support on the day. It’s important to consider how to organise your event safely.

• If applicable, complete a risk assessment which takes into consideration any insurance cover or special licences you may need to apply to e.g. a gambling licence for certain raffles or prize draws.
• We aim to provide you with as much support as possible, but Refuge is not responsible for your fundraising activity. Please do not do anything that could cause danger or harm to yourself or other people.
• Refuge cannot accept any responsibility for your event or its participants. We advise that all fundraisers consider taking out public liability insurance if your event involves the general public as your event will not be covered by our insurance.
• If there is a valid and serious risk to personal safety or potential damage to the brand or reputation of Refuge, we reserve the right to withdraw our support.
  If you have any more questions or need advice email the team.

Q. I want to organise a boxing event for Refuge. Can you support this?

A. We are so grateful you want to support us, but we are conscious not to align ourselves to boxing events as it can upset some donors and service users and pose a potential reputational risk to our organisation due to the nature of our cause. Therefore, we ask that our fundraisers do not do boxing related fundraisers for us.

Q. I’d like to organise gifts for the women and children at your Refuges, how can I do this?

A. If you’d like to organise gifts for one of our Refuges you would have to reach out to the service managers directly about their needs and organise the delivery of items with them directly. You can access the Women’s Aid Directory for contact information, and our services are under ‘R’. Unfortunately we do not have capacity to store any items at our head office, so you would need to organise your own space to collect items.

Q. How does Refuge manage my personal information?

A. For information about how we process your data, please view our privacy policy. You can also change the way you hear from us by emailing our supporter care team.

Q. Any other questions?

A. Please email the team and we will respond to your query within 2 working days.