Fundraising Your Way FAQs

There are so many ways to fundraise, big and small! Whether you hold a bake sale, break a sweat, or get crafty, know you’ll be helping Battersea be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us. Have a scroll through our fundraising ideas to find an activity that you will enjoy. Then, register your fundraising with us to so that we can be here to support you every step of your fundraising journey.

We simply could not and would not exist without the efforts of our incredible fundraisers. The funds you raise mean that Battersea can offer our love and expert care to the dogs and cats who need us by rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals at our centres. We share our knowledge and resources with rescue organisations around the world. However, they need us and wherever they are, we're all in, for them. Find out more about our impact on our What we do page.

From finding a venue and spreading the word, to keeping it safe and legal, there can be lots to think about when planning your fundraising event. Take a look at our top tips to keep it simple. 

Remember, we're here to help, so please contact us if you have any questions about your fundraising plans. 

Here are a few things you might need to think about, depending on the nature of your event:

• Public Liability Insurance - Any person organising their own fundraising activity for the benefit of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is not covered by our insurance. We advise that you obtain your own cover as necessary.
• Food and Drink - Food safety laws apply when food is available at an event whether it is for sale or not. For information on food hygiene and safety legislation contact your local authority environmental health department. If you want to sell alcoholic drinks at your event you will need Temporary Event Notice licence unless you use a venue that is already licensed, such as a pub or restaurant.
• Safeguarding and Risk Assessments – It is your responsibility to ensure that you have appropriate plans for public safety. Visit the HSE website for further guidance and template risk assessments forms.
• Gambling Licenses – Some fundraising activities, including prize draws, raffles and lotteries, require a registration or licence to run. Check the Gambling Commission website to see if you need to apply for a licence.
• Marketing – We are not resourced to promote fundraising events in aid of Battersea, this is your responsibility as the fundraiser. However, we are happy to advise you on how to spread the word about your fundraising!

Battersea would love to support you on every step of your fundraising journey. Here’s how we can help you smash your fundraising goals:

Once you’ve registered your fundraising with us, you can request any materials you might need, including balloons, banners, collection boxes, posters and more! You will also get instant access to our fantastic digital fundraising pack.

We’ll send you regular support emails, packed with practical tips and information about how your support makes a real difference to dogs and cats everywhere.  

Our dedicated Events Team will be on hand to answer any questions you have about organising your fundraising activity! 

The Battersea Events team will do everything we can to support your fundraising event (see above) however, we are only a small team and unfortunately do not have the resource to deliver events in collaboration with individual fundraisers.  

We ask that you use the expression "in aid of” to describe how you are raising funds – this distinguishes your fundraising activities from our own and signifies that all aspects of the events are organised by you.

If you are a business and would like more information on how you could support the animals in our care, visit our Business Partnership page. 

You can request any materials you might need, including balloons, banners, collection boxes, posters and more, by registering your fundraising with us. Please allow up to three weeks for your fundraising pack to arrive by post. 

You will also get instant access to our fantastic digital fundraising pack. 

The easiest way to raise funds online is to set up a JustGiving page – it’s quick, simple and all of the money raised will automatically come to Battersea. 

If you are under-18, you can fundraise for Battersea online at SuperKind.Org, an online fundraising platform that can be used by children and their schools.

There is no minimum fundraising commitment. Every amount raised – small or large – is vital for Battersea to continue our work. However, we strongly suggest setting yourself a target. Having a target will not only keep you focused and motivated but give your supporters a goal to get behind! 

If you are organising a bucket collection in aid of Battersea, we require written permission from your chosen venue. This would be the owner or manager of a private site, such as a shop, or your local council for a public site, such as on the street. Please email doyourownthing@battersea.org.uk once you have obtained this, and we will arrange sending you your buckets along with a letter of authorisation and collection guidelines.

You can request a plastic collection tin by completing our online application form. Please allow up to two weeks for your collection tin to arrive by post.

Absolutely! Fundraising can be a fun and rewarding for children; getting creative, learning new skills and helping Battersea’s dogs and cats.  

Please remember that any fundraising activities undertaken by under-16s should be age-appropriate and fully supervised by an adult. No child under-16 should be given overall responsibility for handling money or responsibility for counting collected money

We have partnered with SuperKind.Org, an online fundraising platform that can be used by children and their schools. Please note that, if a child plans to fundraise at school, they should have the permission of their headteacher.

For more information, please refer to our Guidelines for Dogs at DYOT Events.

The Battersea Events Team are small and, unfortunately, we are not resourced to attend community events. 

We are happy to direct you to some of the resources on our website if you would like to share information about Battersea at your event.  

We are not able to bring our dogs and cats to community events.

Animal welfare will always be our priority and often the dogs and cats we have onsite are our newest arrivals settling in, those recovering from operations, or undergoing medical treatment. Many of our animals who are up for rehoming are in temporary foster care, looking for their new homes.  

The best way to spread news of your fundraiser is through word of mouth! Utilise your networks of friends, family and colleagues, both in real life and through social media. Remember you can also access branded promotional materials, including event posters, once you have registered your fundraising with us. Find out more about making the most of your fundraising.

It is important that you ensure there is full transparency in how you promote your event, to ensure none of your supporters are accidentally misled:

• We ask that you use the expression "in aid of” to describe how you are raising funds – this distinguishes your fundraising activities from our own and signifies that all aspects of the events are organised by you.
• If you are planning to use any of the funds you raise to cover the costs of your event, please make sure that any promotional materials you produce reflect this, for example: “X% of ticket sales” or “Xp for every £1 raised”. 

The priority for our social channels is promoting the dogs and cats in our care looking for their next forever home, which means we have limited space for other activity. This means, we are unable to guarantee the promotion of fundraising events in aid of Battersea on our social media channels.

We do suggest you tag us in any social posts @battersea, for our Social Media team to see and reshare if they have the capacity to do so! 

As Battersea is trying to reduce our environmental footprint, we no longer print leaflets about our work and direct people onto our website to find out more information about how we spend our funds. Find out more about our impact.

To donate funds through the sales of a product or service, we ask you to pledge your fundraising through our Work for Good page. This is a quick, easy and legal way to create the Commercial Participation Agreement your business needs to fundraise for us through sales. You can choose the amount and frequency of your support and you’ll be able to publicise your giving in plain text, alongside the Work for Good logo. 

For more information about how your business can support the animals in our care, visit our Business Partnership page. 

Battersea's logo can only be used on our licensed products and by our corporate partners. However, by registering your fundraising activity with us, you’ll get instant access to our digital fundraising pack, jam-packed with branded materials you can use to promote your activity!

If you are a business, consider pledging your fundraising through Battersea’s Work for Good page. This is a quick, easy and legal way to create the Commercial Participation Agreement your business needs to fundraise for us through sales. You’ll be able to publicise your giving in plain text, alongside the Work for Good logo. 

There are a few different options for paying in your donations once they have been banked.    

You can make a single donation here on our website. Please make the donation type ‘Event Sponsorship’ and enter the details of your fundraiser.  

You can send us a cheque by post, using our money return form. Please address this to Do Your Own Thing Team, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, 4 Battersea Park Road, London, SW8 4AA.  

Alternatively, you can give our Supporter Services Team a ring on 0300 3231 216 and pay over the phone. 

You are welcome to pay in your funds at our Main Reception. We ask that you also hand in a completed money return form so that we can send you a proper thank you!  

Please note that we have taken the decision to keep our centres closed to visitors for general browsing, as the dogs and cats we have onsite are often our newest arrivals settling in, those recovering from operations, or undergoing medical treatment, and it can be stressful to have visitors looking in. However, we do offer behind the scenes tours on select dates which you can book online.

No, unfortunately we don’t hold stock of raffle prizes, but we can create a Letter of Authority for you to encourage businesses to support your fundraising efforts with some prizes. Please just contact the team at doyourownthing@battersea.org.uk.