So, you've taken the plunge and pledged to undertake a fundraising event for Vitalise. What next?

Begin your fundraising

Raising your money is all part of the fun. Start now with these three simple steps:

1. set yourself at target
2. make a plan
3. get going!

Planning your fundraising target

Some events have minimum sponsorship targets, but even if not it makes sense to set yourself a target so that you have something to work towards. If you exceed it so much the better!

Work out the amount you want to raise and then set yourself monthly goals to make things more achievable. The Vitalise Events team can help you work out a manageable programme of fundraising and our sponsorship pack includes examples of how other people have raised their targets.

Create your own online sponsorship page

One of the best places to start when fundraising is to create your own online sponsorship page with Justgiving.

You create a personalised page, including a picture, and a message about your event. Then all you need to do is send an email to all your friends and family with details of your page. Sponsors can visit the site and make a donation using a credit or debit card or can pledge an amount, which will be automatically collected after the event is completed.

Justgiving is free to use and all money comes directly to Vitalise, taking the difficulty out of collecting money after the event, which can often be the most difficult task of all.

What's more, the Justgiving website has loads more fundraising ideas and you can create your own fundraising "widget" to advertise your page to your friends on sites like Facebook and Myspace.

Top tips for raising money

• Always be prepared by keeping sponsorship forms or online details with you
• Ask friends and family if they could take a form and raise sponsorship on your behalf. You could even offer a treat to the one who raises the most money.
• If you work, don’t forget to ask your employer for help. There are loads of ways they can support you: they may give you time off to go and collect sponsorship, they may match the funds you raise with a company donation or they may allow you to hold company events and activities to help you raise money.
• If you are walking, running, cycling or trekking why not use the challenge distance to guide your pledges - get people to sponsor you 50p or £1 per mile, or ask them to give you a bonus if you beat a certain time.
• Remember to ask people to "Gift Aid it". If your sponsor ticks the Gift Aid box we will get an extra 28p for every pound raised. Read more about Gift Aid.
• Persuade your sponsors to give their pledges straight away, as an unconditional donation. You could even collect donations by cheque and forward them straight to Vitalise, so your sponsors can be assured their money is going to good use immediately.
• Get local groups involved in your activities, e.g. Rotary clubs, the local gym, Scouts, Guides and Brownies. They may help you organise an event or display a sponsorship form or collecting tin.

Organise a fundraising event (or two, or three...)

This is an imaginative and innovative way to add to your sponsorship total. Remember that small events are often more lucrative than huge, costly affairs so be careful not to set your sights too high and end up doing loads of work for very little in return.

See our A-Z of fundraising ideas for some inspiration

Collecting your sponsorship

Make collecting your sponsorship as easy as possible by following these handy hints: 

• If you've set up an online sponsorship a page via Justgiving your sponsorship will come directly to Vitalise and will be automatically credited to your target.
• If you're using paper forms too, the sooner you collect money from your sponsors the better. In our experience, the longer you leave it, the harder it is to get people to pay what they have pledged. Aim to collect the majority within a few weeks of your event.

Money matters 

• If sponsors wish to pay by credit card, contact us for a credit card payment form, or better still tell them to visit the Justgiving website and use your personalised sponsorship page.
• Keep careful records of addresses and phone numbers. This will allow you to chase up your sponsors even if circumstances have changed after the race.
• Always enclose a copy of any paper sponsorship forms so we can see who has ticked the Gift Aid box and claim back the tax on their pledge.
• Please forward any money to Vitalise as soon as possible after it has been collected. Not only does this keep it safe, as an added bonus that we can put it towards our work right away. 
• Please ensure you send cheques in promptly (they are only valid for six months)