Fundraising tips from the Sutton Group

In August, the Sutton Group hit their target of raising £100,000 towards the Stop MS Appeal. Congratulations to everyone involved!

We asked the group to share some fundraising tips. We hope you’ll find them useful and inspiring.

Top 10 things to consider when fundraising

1. Wear an MS-branded T-shirt or fleece.

2. Hold a bucket/tin AND a contactless device, as many people don’t carry cash these days.

3. In supermarkets, most donations are still cash but at rail stations more than two-thirds are now contactless.

4. Ensure the bucket/tin is properly sealed.

5. Don’t shake your bucket/tin. Stand in silence and wait for people to come to you before you speak.

6. Have a supply of Gift Aid forms with you and, at your discretion, ask anyone donating over £20 if they’re happy to complete a form. Their donation will then be increased by 25%.

7. Expect fundraisers to do a minimum of two hours. Some will be prepared to do longer, such as four hours.

8. Only collect if you have permission to do so. Since Covid, some supermarket chains no longer allow store collections. And high street collections are hard to get now.

9. Set an appropriate default sum on the contactless device. Perhaps £2 for a supermarket and £5 for a rail station.

10. Don’t be disheartened: fewer people donate since Covid, but the average donation is two or three times higher. So the overall total remains about the same as pre-Covid.

For more information about contactless devices, please click here.

5 top tips for engaging with the public

‘There’re remarkably few uncomfortable interactions with the public. In fact, we can’t think of any. The MS Society has a glowing reputation, and you’ll often be told that it’s a donor’s favourite charity. When a member of the public, whether or not they’re someone with MS, says “Thank you so much for doing what you do”, it makes it all seem very worthwhile.’

1. Try not to look bored! Collecting is a marathon, not a sprint.

2. Be prepared to chat with donors, particularly if they or a family member have MS.

3. If donors ask, tell them how their money will be used, such as for research or for grants to MS affected-people in the local area.

4. Expect to be treated as an information desk and be asked questions, some of which may be daft. For example, at Marylebone Station, a few metres from the platform barriers, we were asked: ‘Where are the trains?’

5. If (as happened), Sir Paul McCartney makes a donation, just say ‘Thank you, sir’ and don’t try your impression of ‘Yesterday’.

Stay organised

‘Count the donations as soon as you can and let your collectors know the total and, if appropriate, their individual amount.’

Advice for Group Coordinators

‘Make sure you’ve got a committed Fundraising Lead and then leave it to them!’

Bonus tip from Sutton Group Coordinator Vicki

‘When you’re out collecting, don’t put the contactless device in your pocket if that’s where you keep your wallet. Our Fundraising Lead went for a coffee break with the device in his pocket and accidentally donated 12 times in a row!’

Read about Vicki’s volunteering journey here.

If you have any fundraising advice or milestones you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].