Must and should dos

Please read this guidance as it is intended to protect you and us. Advocacy Matters raises funds lawfully and in accordance with The Fundraising Regulator. More information can be found at; https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/ although all necessary training will be provided.

There are two types of volunteers ‘on behalf of’ and ‘in aid of’.

On behalf of volunteers are those who have signed up to become verified community fundraisers and are acting with the charity’s authority. Advocacy Matters trains and supports them.

In aid of are members of the public who choose to raise funds for Advocacy Matters but are unknown to the charity until they present the organisation with a cheque.

Must dos

• All good fundraisers begin with a big thank you to those who have made a cash donation, given their sponsorship or contributed toward much needed prizes for stalls and raffles. You can do this verbally, by sending them a letter or card. Let us know and we will contact the press with a summary of your event or activity.
• Always count the monetary proceeds in front of a witness or you could end a small event by counting the money and letting attendees know how successful their contribution has been.
• Always have an independent witness sign to confirm how much you have raised. See how to pay in the money.
• Always be honest about what you are fundraising for. Advocacy Matters has a proud tradition of giving those most vulnerable in our community a voice when those who should be listening are ignoring them. We want you to be proud too because it’s your efforts that will enable us to continue with this work.
• Any official documents such as a sponsorship form or flyer must show Advocacy Matter’s charity number. If you are not sure about how to go about this, download our sponsorship form and ask us for help in creating a flyer to promote your event.
• Always collect sponsorship as colleagues make their pledge. It can be difficult to track them down after the event. Any shortfall in the collection of pledges has to be made up by the person who is being sponsored. If the event doesn’t take place; all monies must be returned to the sponsor unless they agree to making their sponsorship a donation to Advocacy Matters.
• Never take advantage of a donor should they may have made a mistake. For example; if they enter £10.00 per mile onto your sponsorship form; check that this is correct. They could have put the decimal point in the wrong place and intended £1.00 per mile.
• Must never disclose the personal details of someone you know who has used the services of Advocacy Matters or those working for the charity in a paid or voluntary capacity. Such relationships must not be used to exaggerate your role within the charity or claims that the organisation has exceeded its role beyond advocacy.
• Must follow Advocacy Matters’ policies and procedures; use the Volunteer Manual as a source of continuous reference and to take part in Supervision and training as appropriate to the role.

Should dos

• When communicating in writing to prospective donors; letters and emails should be checked with the charity in order to confirm that it meets with the Fundraising Board’s code upon communications.
• When seeking invitees to events, donations and sponsorship, begin by asking friends, family and known neighbours. To widen the field; ask those known to you for introductions to their friends, family, neighbours and employers. It is inadvisable to cold call.
• A licence is not required when holding a tombola and raffles but volunteers should make clear that Advocacy Matters is the beneficiary of the proceeds.
• All volunteers should fundraise with the environment in mind. This means making crafts from recycled materials where possible, using crockery or recyclable cups and avoiding styrene or non-bio degradable bottles. Journeys by car should be made when absolutely necessary and to take advantage of electronic alternatives.
• Volunteers should not make street collections or put collecting boxes into public places.
• Volunteers should not make applications to grant making trusts.
• Volunteers should always make their own safety and that of their colleagues and donors a priority.
• Should check with the charity if you have any questions, doubts or concerns about your volunteering role.