Frequently asked questions
Here’s a quick and easy way to find the answers you need to the most common fundraising questions:
- Where can I hold my activity?
- Can I advertise my event on the Cancer Research UK website?
- I’d like to get my company and colleagues to raise as much money as possible. What could I do?
- Do you have any fundraising materials?
- I want to get the local press to come to my activity – what do I do?
- How do I set up an online fundraising page?
- How do I return the money that I've raised to Cancer Research UK?
- How can I cover the costs of my event?
- Can you help me with raffle or auction prizes?
- Are there any legal issues around doing a collection?
- Can I have a celebrity to attend my event?
- How do I get companies to sponsor me/donate goods/services for free?
- Can I use your logo on my website/product/publicity materials?
- I have had cancer and would like to share my story – what do I do?
- What is Gift Aid?
- How will the money I raise be spent?
1. Where can I hold my activity?
Anywhere you like – as long as you have permisson! You could hold your activity:
- at work – inviting all your colleagues, clients and suppliers
- at home – inviting your family, friends and neighbours
- at a community venue like a village hall, church hall, sports centre or gym
Browse our fundraising ideas for more inspiration.
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2. Can I advertise my event on the Cancer Research UK website?
Yes. Your event can be featured in our postcode search so that even more people can find out about it and take part.
When you register for a fundraising pack, your local Cancer Research UK contact will get in touch to find out more about your event and help you set this up.
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3. I’d like to get my company and colleagues to raise as much money as possible. What could I do?
To raise extra money you could:
- ask everyone to donate a particular amount
- ask suppliers to donate prizes and then hold a raffle or auction
- ask your manager if your company has a matched giving scheme, where for every pound that staff raise for charity, the company donates the same amount
- set up an online fundraising page, so it’s even easier for people to support your fundraising and you don’t need to chase sponsorship money after your event.
You’ll find more on how to raise as much money as possible in our fundraising pack.
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4. Do you have any fundraising materials?
We have invitations, sponsor forms, banners and balloons. We also have a poster with a blank section for you to add the details of your activity to, which you will receive when you register for your fundraising pack.
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5. I want to get the local press to come to my activity – what do I do?
You can find advice about approaching the media along with sample press releases here. All you need to do is add the details of your activity and send it to your local papers and radio stations.
You can contact the fundraising hotline on 08701 60 20 40 to be put in touch with your local Cancer Research UK contact if you require further advice.
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6. How do I set up an online fundraising page?
It’s really easy. Take a look at our online fundraising pages to find out more. Or raise money online for breast cancer awareness here.
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7. How do I return the money that I've raised to Cancer Research UK?
After your fundraising activity, you can pay in the money you’ve raised by cheque or telephone. Please remember in both cases to send in your sponsorship form so we can claim the valuable funds through Gift Aid.
If you have an online fundraising page your funds are collected automatically, so you don't need to do anything more.
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8. How can I cover the costs of my event?
For every pound you raise you should only use 20p to cover costs which means that at least 80% of the money you raise is clear profit and goes towards our life-saving work.
Find out more in our simple guide to budgeting.
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9. Can you help me with raffle or auction prizes?
As there are so many brilliant supporters fundraising for us, we can’t provide everyone with raffle or auction prizes. Get on touch with your local Cancer Research UK contact for more ideas.
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10. Are there any legal issues around doing a collection?
Yes, there are. Contact us for advice and we’ll be able to give you information on any other legal issues about fundraising.
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11. Can I have a celebrity to attend my event?
We’d love to be able to help everyone who asks for a celebrity at their event, but with so many events happening around the UK, unfortunately it’s impossible. Contact us to talk about the options available and we can give you the information we have.
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12. How do I get companies to sponsor me / donate goods / services for free?
Your local Cancer Research UK representative will be able to give you ideas on this. When you register for your fundraising pack, they will get in touch with you and you’ll be able to ask them questions.
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13. Can I use your logo on my website/product/publicity materials?
We need to protect our logo carefully as our brand is well-respected and trusted by the public. There are ways we can provide you with a logo, but first you need to register for your fundraising pack. Your local Cancer Research UK contact will then be able to help.
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14. I have had cancer and would like to share my story – what do I do?
If you’d like to share your experience of cancer for publicity purposes, please get in touch with us. We'd love to hear from you.
You can also visit Cancer Chat, our online forum, to share your cancer experiences.
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15. What is Gift Aid?
Under the Government's Gift Aid scheme, Cancer Research UK can reclaim the tax paid on donations by UK taxpayers. This means that, if you pay tax in the UK, your gifts to us can increase by 25% at no extra cost to you.
For example if you give £10 we can reclaim an extra £2.50 giving a total of £12.50.
The amount of tax you pay in a financial year must be at least equal to the amount of tax reclaimed by Cancer Research UK on your donation in that same year, even if this is paid in the form of lower-rate (10%) Income Tax.
This amount is calculated over the whole financial year, there is no requirement that tax is paid regularly.
The amount of tax we will claim back will be at least 25% of the total value of your donations in that financial year. If you are a higher-rate taxpayer, you are entitled to claim back the difference between the standard rate which we will claim and the amount of tax you have actually paid. For more details on how you can do this, please contact your tax office.
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16. How will the money I raise be spent?
At Cancer Research UK, we’re working tirelessly to find ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. We are one of the few organisations with the ability to take the discoveries we make in the laboratory and turn them into treatments for patients.
80p in every pound we receive is available to spend on our work to beat cancer. Cancer Research UK is entirely funded by donations from the public.
Find out more about where your money goes.
If you can’t find the answer to your question, please give us a call on 08701 60 20 40 to be put in touch with your local Cancer Research UK contact.
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