Do you love dogs and cats? Do you play games or stream content online? Then absolutely! Whether you love to play video games, live stream vlogs or even just having a good old fashioned board game night, everyone is welcome to take part in raising money for the rescue dogs and cats at Battersea.
Gaming to the rescue Fundraising tips and FAQs
Fundraising tips
Create your fundraising page
If you haven’t already, make sure you create a fundraising page – it’s the easiest way for your friends and followers to donate to you. You can choose to use either Tiltify or JustGiving.
Create a Tiltify pageCreate a JustGiving page
Set the date
Giving yourself enough time allows you to big up your fundraiser and gives them notice to put some money aside to support you and Battersea. Better still if you are planning on streaming, it gives you time to get yourself set up and your community ready and excited. Make sure they know what time your stream will begin!
Plan your fundraiser
Think about what will make your challenge successful. Get together with your friends to plan some ideas or reach out to people who have held a gaming or streaming fundraiser to give you some tips. Things to think about:
- What type of event is it? Are you streaming the event or staying offline?
- If you are streaming, are you streaming your gaming or are you streaming different types of content?
- If you are gaming, what game/s are you going play? Are you doing a gaming marathon, a speed run or a bespoke challenge?
- Are you going to do any fun challenges for donations at your event? (e.g. for £20 you will do your next Fortnite match with only common equip)
What types of video gaming challenges/marathons can I do?
Here are a few examples of challenges you can set yourself:
- Speed runs: completing a level or a video game as fast as possible
- Completion lists: obtain all achievements in your chosen video game
- Marathons: non-stop video gaming for 6, 12, 18 or 24 hours (include breaks for the bathroom, food and to sleep!)
- Tournaments: set up a system of points and invite your friends, family or colleagues
- Unique challenges: a challenge bespoke to the game you’re playing. This can be non-death play throughs of survival games, completing campaigns with basic equipment, or design and build challenges in sandbox role-playing games.
What type of stream could I host if I’m not a gamer?
You don’t need to be a gamer to take part, if you stream content regularly or even if you’re new to streaming but have always wanted to give it a go, we’ve put together a few ideas of the challenges you could take:
- Fitness challenges: Set a fitness or workout challenge – this could incorporate games like RingFit or VR streaming
- ‘How To’ sessions: Stream a live ‘how to’ of any skills you have, be that drawing, make-up tutorials or even knitting – you could even take suggestions live!
- Virtual Pub Quiz: Step up as the quizmaster and host a night of trivia
- Yoga or workout class stream: Don your lycra and downward dog for Battersea dogs!
- Comedy Night: Have you always fancied your skills at stand-up? Why not host a stand up night and perform your best work to a virtual room of potential fans
Setting a fundraising target
This is both a great way of motivating yourself and encouraging your supporters. Letting them know that they are getting you ever closer to your goal may just encourage them to give that little bit more. Plus, there’s no denying how satisfying it is when you see it tip that 100% mark!
Tiltify extra incentives
If you choose to fundraise on Tiltify, there are several additional features you can use to help encourage your supporters to donate those extra pennies:
Upload lots of photos
This is one of the easiest and most effective ways of personalising your page. When your supporters first visit your page, greet them with a beaming picture of yourself. And as you can upload multiple photos, why not add a few more to really tell your fundraising story. As they say, a picture tells a thousand words, so update your page with new photos to keep your page looking fresh.
Add a video
If a picture tells a thousand words, just imagine what a video could, and it’s a super-easy way to connect with your sponsors on a whole new level. You can add a YouTube video to your fundraising page the same way you add photos.
Show donors what their support will do
Read up on Battersea and the cause. If you’re going to be encouraging your community to donate, you need to be able to tell them why so that that they know why their support is so important.
£2 – A microchip for one animal to ensure if they get lost they can easily be found
£5 – A treat pack, such as a bouncy ball or a tasty snack, to reduce stress and brighten up their time with us
£7.50 – Vital vaccinations for two animals
£10 – A blanket to ensure they keep warm in their kennel or cat cabin
£25 – An enrichment package for a cat, including a wand, food enrichment toys, and a scratching post
£75 – Housing a cat for one day in one of our comfortable, safe cat cabins
£90 – An enrichment package for a dog, including a kong, thunder shirt, slow feeder, for anxiety, treat ball, tough ring and treats
Tell your story
An engaging story can make all the difference so let your supporters know why you’re fundraising and what it means to you. You’ve taken on an incredible challenge; let people know how much effort you’re putting in.
Share with your followers
Post updates to your social media channels. If you’re streaming, advertise the same way you do for your normal stream. Twitter is a great platform for updates throughout your challenge. Tag #Battersea #GamingtotheRescue and #TeamRescue. Ask other streamers you watch/sub to if you can tag them/advertise in their Discord. People also tend to match the amounts already listed on the page, and your family and close friends are more likely to get you started with some generous donations!
Matchfunding
Speak to your employer and see if they support Matchfunding. If they do, you can double your fundraising because for every pound you raise, they will match it.
Thank people
Saying thank you is important and there are plenty of ways you can say thank you to your supporters. You can update the story on your page, send emails out to your donors, tweet a thank you, update your Facebook status or even give them a shout-out as you stream. Let people know how your fundraising went, just what their support has meant to you and what a difference it will make to the rescues at Battersea.
And remember, your health matters
Regardless of how you choose to fundraise, but especially if you’re considering a marathon challenge, please make sure you take the time to think about your health. Give yourself breaks from the screen, walk around and stay hydrated. If you’re not feeling well, stop your challenge straight away.
Keep in touch
The team here at Battersea would love to hear how you’re getting on, and we are ready to help with any and all questions you may have!
You can join our Discord server or pop us an email at gamingtotherescue@battersea.org.uk.
Or you can call our supporter services team on 0207 627 7883.
FAQs
How do I take part?
Simply create a fundraising page and you’re good to go! Sign up on either Tiltify or JustGiving to do so.
Do I have to do it on a certain day?
No, you can choose whenever suits you to do your fundraising. You can set yourself the goal of completing your challenge in one day, or you can spread your challenge across days, weeks or even months if you wish!
What do I need to do?
NAll you need to do is pick whether you want to play a video game or stream other content, and then set yourself a challenge around what you are doing. Whether it’s World of Warcraft or Minecraft, Fortnite or Fifa, Overwatch or Overcooked, set yourself a goal that you think is fun but challenging and ask your friends and family to sponsor your ambition.
We’ve put together some fundraising tips to help your plan your fundraiser here.
How do I promote my Gaming to the Rescue fundraiser?
You can share your JustGiving or Tiltify fundraising page details across your social media platforms so your friends, family, colleagues and followers can support your Gaming to the Rescue challenge. You can post updates to your fundraising page and on your social media channels using #GamingToTheRescue and #TeamRescue.
We have also put together some downloadable social media assets and stream overlays to help advertise your stream.
Do I have to stream my Gaming to the Rescue fundraiser?
Not at all – please do not stream your challenge if you do not feel comfortable or happy doing so. You can still join Team Rescue and fundraise for Battersea offline, whether it’s through a boardgame night or a round of Crash Team Racing with friends.
How do I stream?
If you need help getting set up on a streaming platform we’ve put together this handy streaming guide.
If you need help linking your stream to your fundraising page, there is guidance at:
JustGiving: https://gaming.justgiving.com/toolkit
Do I have to play a game that has cats/dogs in?
No - you can choose to play any video game you like! If you do want to include dogs or cats as part of your challenge, there are some great games and characters to set your challenge around.
Here’s some examples the Gaming to the Rescue team came up with:
- Set out on a 12-hour adventure as a Khajiit or a Werewolf in The Elder Scrolls Online
- Pick up a dog/cat skin in League of Legends and challenge yourself to win 25 battles with Corgi Corki or Pretty Kitty Rengar before October
- Tame an ocelot or wolf in Minecraft and set out as a duo on a no-death adventure for as long as you can in Hard or Hardcore mode
- Create a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament with your friends, where you play as Isabelle or Lucario
- Recreate Battersea Dogs’ and Cats’ Home in The Sims 4 Pets
We’ve put together some fundraising tips to help your plan your fundraiser here.
Can I take part if I am under 18 years of age?
Absolutely – you will just need permission from a parent, guardian or legally responsible adult.
If you plan on streaming your Gaming to the Rescue challenge, make sure you and your parent, guardian or legally responsible adult have a read through the Twitch Moderation and Safety links here.
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a simple way to increase the value of your donations to Battersea - at no extra cost to you or your donors. If your friends and family that sponsor you pay tax in the UK, we can reclaim the basic rate tax (25%) on their gift to you. So, if you receive a donation of £10 and this is eligible for Gift Aid, it is worth £12.50 to Battersea.
Do my donations qualify for Gift Aid?
To claim Gift Aid on your fundraising, we must have the first name or initials, last name, full home address and postcode of each individual donor/sponsor. If you use JustGiving to collect your donations then your supporters will automatically be asked if they’d like to sign up for Gift Aid.
Are my personal details safe and secure?
We make sure we limit the data we collect to only those necessary to facilitate your participation in our events. We are fully compliant with GDPR and committed to safeguarding your privacy when storing and processing your data. Please see our privacy policy for further information.
How do I contact the Gaming to the Rescue team?
You can get in touch with the Ultimate Showdown team by emailing gamingtotherescue@battersea.org.uk, joining our Discord server or by calling our supporter services team on 0207 627 7883.