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Fundraising can be a fun part of YAC branch activities and many branches already build a fundraising drive into their annual programme of activities. This can be both to raise money for the ongoing work of your own branch and to support the wider YAC network. Several branches have also been successful in applying for larger amounts of funding of around £10,000 for specific projects from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other funders and we want to encourage this type of funding for branch activities as well.
North Wiltshire YAC recently raised £1,000 with a sponsored walk. Their Leader, Katy, had these five Top Tips to share:
The full costs of running YAC are around £80,000 a year and inevitably most of this covers staff time, including the direct services from the YAC team to back-office and senior management support. While CBA staff work to bring in income from a range of sources including building CBA membership, applying for grants, and taking part in sponsored activities, our current financial forecasts show there is still likely to be a shortfall over the coming years, so the support of branches is also important if we are to continue to build a sustainable future for YAC.
To put this into context, it costs:
We are currently working with more than 75 YAC branches across the UK and around 450 volunteers, so your help in fundraising really is important. For example, if each YAC branch raised just over £200 a year to contribute to the costs of running YAC this would cover almost 20 per cent of the total running costs.
If you wish to fundraise, there are many things you can do. To fundraise small amounts, you might like to consider running a sponsored event. You can download a YAC sponsorship form from the website.
The following are examples of things you can do:
There are a few types of fundraising you should not do, to comply with charity regulations:
Cash – simply collect any donations or sponsorship monies and deposit them into your YAC branch’s bank account. There is a sponsorship form template available in the Leaders’ Area. Once you have collected your sponsorship money, please forward any donations to the CBA at our usual address. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Council for British Archaeology’ – please mark that the money is a donation to YAC to ensure that the amount is allocated to the YAC budget. You will receive a receipt from the CBA for your records.
JustGiving – if you wish to fundraise through the JustGiving website, you can easily set up a page using the CBA Charity number (England and Wales (287815) and in Scotland (SC041971). Please note, however that the CBA finance team will not be notified that the donation is for YAC funds when it is received from JustGiving. Simply notify us directly of how much your fundraising generated, and we will ensure that the money is corrected allocated to central YAC funds. Only use JustGiving to collect sponsorship if you are planning to donate the whole amount raised to YAC HQ at the CBA. If you wish to keep some of the money towards your own branch’s sessions and materials, JustGiving is not appropriate, and you should collect sponsorship monies as cash or cheques made out to your own branch’s bank account.
If you are wishing to acquire a specific piece of equipment, cover the costs of an expensive trip, or even if you want to replenish your stationery supplies, you might like to consider writing to local organisations or businesses. Many supermarkets, for example, have ‘community champions’ who liaise with local community groups and are available to assist with fundraising or donations of materials. If you do opt to approach businesses or organisations, please adhere to the following:
Write your letter on headed paper; if you are a CBA-managed YAC branch ensure that this includes the YAC and CBA logos and the CBA’s charity numbers. You can download a letterhead template from the Leaders’ Area to use. If your branch is an affiliated YAC, please use your organisation’s own headed paper, and include the following statement:
**** YAC is an affiliated branch of the Council for British Archaeology’s Young Archaeologists’ Club. The CBA is a registered charity in England and Wales (287815) and a charity registered in Scotland (SCO41971).
YAC branches are encouraged to apply to charitable trusts and/or for grant funding for specific projects or activities. There are a range of different opportunities and sources of funding, including the Heritage Lottery Fund, that are appropriate for you to approach. Your local library may have a directory of bodies that award grants in your area. The Heritage Lottery Fund website introduces their range of funding opportunities.
If you are considering making an application to a charitable trust or grant-giving body, please contact us before you start your application. We will be able to advise you on the process, and assist your application with supporting documents and statements. While affiliated YAC branches will usually make funding applications in the name of the organisation they are affiliated to, for all other branches we must agree with you in advance in whose name the funding application is being made as your branch is part of the CBA and our wider charitable activity. In some cases, the application will need to be in the name of the CBA and grant funding is claimed on your behalf and then forwarded onto your branch to cover the costs of the project or activity for which it was secured.
Good luck with your fundraising and grant applications! Do remember that we’re available on the end of the phone or email if you need any help or support. And please remember to contact us before beginning any grant applications!
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