Guide to fundraising in aid of the RNLI

Keep it safe

It’s your responsibility to ensure your event runs safely. The RNLI can’t accept liability for accidents or damage to people or property as a result of your event or activity, even when that activity is run to raise money for the RNLI.

• Carry out a risk assessment before your event or activity to ensure that everyone involved with your event – participants, helpers and spectators – stays safe. You can find out more at hse.gov.uk.
• Make sure that everyone involved with your event is aware of any potential risks and of any special requirements for taking part, eg fitness levels, training or specialist equipment needed.
• Supervise your event properly and adequately and take particular care if children are involved.
• Your event MUST be covered by insurance and, if you’re the event organiser, you may need to take out specific insurance cover. Consider obtaining personal accident insurance cover for any activity involving risk of injury. 

Keep it legal

Charity fundraising is regulated by law and you’ll find a lot of useful information in the Legal and insurance section of how2fundraise.org.

You’ll need to:

• obtain all necessary licenses, permits and consents for your event or activity.

• follow good food hygiene procedures and comply with food safety regulations.

• comply with any fundraising codes of practice relevant to your event. Find out more at institute-of-fundraising.org.uk or fundraisingireland.ie.

• get permission from the owner before you collect on private property, including in shops and in pubs.

• speak to your RNLI contact before conducting any raffle or tombola.

• get a licence before you can sell alcohol at your event (you may wish to get your local pub to organise the bar for you).

• get RNLI permission to use the RNLI logo, images or other RNLI trademarks.

After the event

​Thank you for everything you’ve done to support the RNLI! After the event, please remember to:

• say thank you to everyone who helped or donated.
• send us your photos along with a few words for us to publish on our website or in our magazines, making sure you’ve got permission from the people in the picture first.
• send in what you’ve raised – cheques made payable to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution – to your RNLI contact no later than eight weeks after your event.

Thank you once again for helping save lives at sea.

Money matters

Get your fundraising off to a cracking start with a few of our fundraising hints and tips:

• only use official RNLI sponsorship forms and get a generous sponsor at the top of each sheet to set the standard!
• encourage people to sign up to Gift Aid so that the RNLI can claim a further 25% on every pound a person donates.
• set up an online fundraising page or post a link on social networking sites, remembering to send the link to your RNLI contact and all of your friends.
• ask your employer to match or part-match what you raise.
• tell your sponsors and donors – as well as the RNLI – if any event costs will come out of the money being donated.
• please don’t approach charitable trusts or large companies – other than where you work – without discussing it with your RNLI contact first.

Looking after the money

Legally, anything you raise in aid of the RNLI belongs to the RNLI, so make sure you:

• collect and store all money raised – particularly cash – safely and securely.
• keep everything you raise separate from your own money.
• keep accurate records of all monies received or pledged, plus a record of all activities you carried out to raise that money (on occasion we may need to see these).
• return all original sponsorship forms to the RNLI , along with the monies you’ve raised.
• pay everything you’ve raised to the RNLI no later than eight weeks after the event or activity.
• ensure any cheques from you and your supporters are made payable to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, not to you personally.
• offer donations back to your supporters should your event be cancelled, but if anyone declines their refund - or if you are unable to trace the donor - you’ll need to pay it straight to the RNLI .

Shout about it!

​You might want to make some posters or leaflets to promote your event, so here are a few things to bear in mind:

• Make it clear that you’re raising funds in aid of the RNLI and that you don’t actually represent the RNLI .
• We’re happy to supply pre-printed RNLI fundraising materials – electronically or as hard copies – with space for you to insert your event details. Using these will save you and the RNLI time, as we won’t need to approve your materials before you can start using them.
• If you’d prefer to create your own materials using the RNLI logo or any other RNLI trademarks or images, you’ll need to complete one of our RNLI trademarks forms and get RNLI approval of all your materials before you start distributing them.
• Your local RNLI contact will be happy to help with any queries in conjunction with our PR team.

Top event tips

​The best way to have a successful fundraising event is through good planning, realistic targets and a lot of enthusiasm! Here are a few tips to get you started:

• It’s a date! Pick your date well in advance and watch out for clashes with other events.

• Location, location, location! Consider how many people will be coming along and what facilities you’ll need to lay on, such as car parking, refreshments and toilets.

• Stand out from the crowd! Consider decorating your venue to enhance your event and to  promote the RNLI – we’re happy to supply the fundraising materials.

• Know your audience. Think about who’ll be supporting your event and attract their support with invitations and posters you know they’ll like.

• It’s all in the planning. Set yourself a fundraising target, break it into manageable chunks, then decide how you’re going to raise each bit.

• Be creative! You could hold a disco or themed party at your local pub; start an office swear box; organise a five-a-side competition or do something completely different!

• Get promoted. Allow plenty of time to promote your event and ask family, friends and colleagues for their ideas and support. You could even ask your RNLI contact to help you with a press release.

• Keep in touch. Speak to your RNLI contact if you have any questions and let them know if you need any RNLI fundraising materials