How to raise a huge amount of money under charity rules in a couple of weeks?

Counting_Pennies_2

I wonder if you can help.


A local school needs to raise £40,000 by the end of the summer term. Naturally that is impossible to do with the usual fetes and tea sales in a couple of weeks.


If they don't match fund raise by then they don't get the government grant and a huge amount of money potentially theirs disappears.


So my question is what other options are available to them? Are there organisations out there who can offer interest free loans, and for the school to promise to fundraise for the next two years and pay it off? (they definitely can raise this amount in two years based on past performance)


Is there a company tax assistance scheme that enables companies to give a charitable donation to a school (with charitable status) that effectively gopes against their tax bill, so the company themselves don't pay the money, it is a tax thing?


Can anyone think of the options if any that there are out there?


Thanks

PasturesNew

Too short a time. Is there a chance to get that funding next year?

I think you'd need to raffle off a naked/hot/popular celebrity as a sex slave to get close to that much .... and then you'd probably have to do that a number of times!

Pthree

Not sure if there are rules against it or not, but could local business become sponsors?

Counting_Pennies_2

Pthree wrote: »

Not sure if there are rules against it or not, but could local business become sponsors?

That's the hope but thinking of a tax deductible scheme that might help incentivise


My head is rather blank of ideas

heartbreak_star

If you find anything OP, please let me know, it makes me sad that my cheer squad work so hard but seem to be continually scratting for funds to replace mats etc!

Good luck

As a suggestion, could they cover a big picture with 5p pieces? School logo or some such?

Also sponsored events can get in quite a bit.

HBS x

Counting_Pennies_2

heartbreak_star wrote: »

If you find anything OP, please let me know, it makes me sad that my cheer squad work so hard but seem to be continually scratting for funds to replace mats etc!

Good luck

As a suggestion, could they cover a big picture with 5p pieces? School logo or some such?

Also sponsored events can get in quite a bit.

HBS x

Thanks the problem is they only recently raised a huge amount of money for a vital improvement to the school, so squeezed everyone they thought of for that, so at such short notice I don't know if it will have any effect. Hence thinking what can be done outside in the business world

cazziebo

PasturesNew wrote: »

Too short a time. Is there a chance to get that funding next year?

I think you'd need to raffle off a naked/hot/popular celebrity as a sex slave to get close to that much .... and then you'd probably have to do that a number of times!

This is probably your only hope. Even to go out to crowd funding you would need something to capture people's imagination and you just don't have enough time to set that up.

Regarding business sponsorship, larger companies tend to have very strict rules and this would be part of their budget decided before the financial year. SMEs might be a bit more flexible but again, you don't have a lot of time to go round them. If there are companies which employ a lot of parents you might find them more receptive but they have probably been squeezed several times before.

Tax effective schemes have been tightened up dramatically due to widespread tax avoidance and abuse. The company could only get tax relief on a bona fide donation, I can't think of any scheme where they could donate at no cost to themselves.

Best fundraisers in my experience:

Auctions and silent auctions
High profile sponsored events
Corporate dinners (sad but true)

Good luck

Brighton_belle

Try:


http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/about/about-us

LEJC

how many children are in the school....would it work that each child is given a target to raise as well as the standard cake sales etc...


Do you have some creative kids who can make loom bands and sell...
Would the school let parents and grandparents buy bricks or something that they sponsored that were then built into a wall of thanks or something creative for the school.



Its a huge ask of the children and parents but you never know if its split down into individual targets and with the help of family and friends it may be possible but it is a very short time frame


Perhaps you could get some local businesses to agree to match what your raise

Tropez

Pyramid scheme?

On a more serious note, has this school got any sort of famous alumni? It's amazing what famous folk will do for some positive PR. Sharon Stone once raised a couple hundred thousand dollars for whatever cause it was in fifteen minutes.

If the school does have some famous former pupils, then perhaps a little nudge on Twitter asking them to point out/share the plight of the school (not asking them for money, I would add) might get them to raise a bit of awareness and in turn generate some donations.

Person_one

Fundraising is never going to get that amount in two weeks without a miracle.

Can the head go public? Local papers, regional news etc. asking the LA to reconsider the grant?