Planning your event

Choosing your event

  • Choose an event that you know people will enjoy, and that you'll enjoy too!
  • Think about your target audience - how many, who?
  • Start small - you can always develop the event later on.

Team work

  • Delegate responsibilities to make sure everyone feels involved in the planning process and to spread the work around your group members/friends.
  • Does anyone involved have any hidden talents - catering, any budding artists?
  • Have a brainstorming session for local contacts, interests and talents.
  • Produce a fundraising events plan - giving everyone involved a copy with names, dates and responsibilities clearly marked and agreed.
  • Let the Amnesty International office know what you are planning.  The fundraising team is here to help.

Dates - get the timing right! 

  • Choose the date of your event carefully and give yourself time to organise everything so that your event is a success.
  • Avoid competing with other local or national events.
  • Think about your personal time commitments and be realistic about how much time you and everyone else involved has available to spend on this event.
  • Think about holding your event on a significant date (for example, International Human Rights Day - 10 December, International Women's Day - 8 March).

Venues

  • Select a suitable venue and book it well in advance.
  • Make sure that the venue staff know exactly what your event is.  Check to see if there is anything they could help you with – for example, equipment and publicity.
  • Confirm your reservation nearer the time to avoid double bookings.

Budget

  • Draw up a budget.
  • Be realistic - costs can add up.
  • Remember your plan is to raise money!

Involve local businesses - ask for sponsorship, prizes, the loan of equipment or premises and in return publicise their organisation. Choose carefully with ethical matters in mind - if in doubt, please contact us.

 

Insurance and legal regulations

  • Check insurance requirements (particularly for dangerous sports events).
  • Events such as art exhibitions and concerts might require additional cover.
  • Street collections are subject to Garda permission - however, your local Amnesty Group may have collections planned in your area and would welcome your support.
  • Raffles are also subject to strict guidelines - draws must take place during your event and all tickets must be sold during your event on the premises.
  • Please note that local by-laws or legislation may affect some of these ideas e.g. gaming/gambling licenses, food hygiene regulations, company policies on collections/sponsor forms on company premises. Some events have safety issues and the cost of insurance may mean that the event is not feasible.

Add that bit extra

    • Always try to add extra little fundraising activities to your event, such as raffles, competitions and refreshments.

Publicity                                                                                           

Publicise your events!

  • Try to get lots of local publicity for your event.
  • Be sure to tell the fundraising team about your event so we can publicise it.
  • Use everything and everyone you know to publicise your event; local radio, local newspapers, free-sheets, e-mail, friends, family, your workplace or clubs you belong to.
  • Posters! Posters! Posters! Put leaflets and posters in libraries, sports centres, schools, workplaces, clubs, and shops making sure to make clear the date, time, venue, type of event and your contact details.
  • If you’re in school or third level education:
    • Make your own posters and plaster the walls with them.
    • Reduce the posters to A5 fliers and hand them out between lectures and lessons or leave them on tables in the canteen, cafes or bars.
    • Ask your teachers/lecturers if you can announce your event at the start of classes/lectures.

Raise awareness

  • Use the opportunity to raise awareness of human rights so that people know why they are donating to Amnesty International.
  • Focus on a particular campaign or raise awareness of Amnesty International generally. Make sure you have lots of leaflets and posters available.
  • Ask people to take action by signing a petition or postcards. Not only will you be able to tell people about how much money you have raised but how many signatures you have collected also.

What to do after your event

 

  • Collect the money you've raised. Write a cheque or postal order made payable to 'Amnesty International' and send it along with details and any photographs of your event to: Amnesty International Irish Section, Seán MacBride House, 48 Fleet Street, Dublin 2. We will send a letter acknowledging your efforts and the amount contributed.  You can then display this to show your supporters the fruits of your joint efforts.
  • Tidy up! Return any equipment you have used. Write a thank you letter to everyone who has helped you and let him or her know the result of your efforts.
  • If you have sent in photographs and details of your event we will try to publish them in our publications and on our website.
  • You can get some follow-up publicity by acknowledging the support you got from sponsors and the general public by sending a “Letter to the Editor” to your local newspaper or free-sheet. The same applies to your local radio station.

Good luck!

 

Contacting the Fundraising Team

The Fundraising Team is here to help you at every stage with your fundraising event.
Please call us on 1850 882 400 or email: fundraising@amnesty.ie

 

 

Tell us about your event
Please contact us and let Amnesty International know if you are planning a fundraising event.

When you get in touch please try to give us the following details:

  • your name, postal address, e-mail address and contact phone number,
  • whether you are part of an Amnesty group,
  • what type of activity you have planned,
  • where the fundraiser is taking place,
  • when the fundraiser is taking place,
  • the number of people involved,
  • how much you aim to raise.

If you send in photographs from your fundraiser and a written account of how well your event went, we will put it on our website.

Happy fundraising!

Raise Sponsorship Online

Create your own personal online fundraising page, then simply e-mail your family, friends and colleagues with the link to your page and they can sponsor you by credit or debit card.

Start fundraising for Amnesty International online now!

Set up your page at www.mycharity.ie
All funds are transferred securely to Amnesty International’s bank account.

 

 

Contact the fundraising team

Post: Amnesty International Ireland, First Floor, Ballast House 18-21, Westmoreland st, Dublin 2.
CallSave: 1850 882 400.
Fax: 01 675 1731
E-mail: fundraising@amnesty.ie

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