Fundraising and the law

When fundraising for Alzheimer's Society, there are a number of guidelines that need to be followed in order to ensure that the Fundraising Regulator's Codes of Fundraising Practice are adhered to.

A brief guide to rules and regulations for some common fundraising activities is listed below but if you are doing street collections you must contact us first to gain further information.

Raffles and Lotteries

There are three kinds of lottery or raffle and each has different rules and regulations. These are governed by The Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 (as amended).

For the most up to date information on organising a lottery or raffle, visit the Gambling Commission website.

Collecting money with tins

Please contact us on 0330 333 0804 before you embark on fundraising with collection tins.

Food and drink

There are many regulations governing the use of food and even if you are only providing food on a one-off basis you must still comply with these.

For specific advice on food safety legislation please contact the Environmental Health Services department at your local council.

We recommend that you contact your local authority before your event to discuss with them what you plan to do.

Every person involved in the preparation and serving of food to the public must have a basic understanding of food hygiene.

If you plan to sell alcohol, you need to have a liquor licence. You get this from your local Magistrates Court.

Entertainment

If you are planning to have some form of entertainment (this means two or more people performing or dancing) in a building, which does not already hold a Public Entertainments Licence, you need to get one. This licence is provided by your local authority.

Our fundraiser's code of practice

Thank you for your commitment to fundraise for Alzheimer's Society. We appreciate your efforts and ask you to agree to the fundraising code of practice below.

1. Obtain and pay to the Society all sums pledged/received from sponsors no later then 28 days after receipt.
2. Ensure that all donations made by cheque from the donor are payable to Alzheimer's Society as appropriate.
3. Not raise funds by carrying out house-to-house collections.
4. Not collect in any public place without first obtaining a collector's licence from my local authority and checking first that this does not conflict with any fundraising activity planned by Alzheimer's Society in your local area.
5. Not collect on private property (including shops and pubs) without first obtaining the permission of the owner.
6. Contact the Society well in advance of putting on any public event.
7. Not reproduce the Alzheimer's Society logo, but obtain all fundraising materials direct from the Society. In the event that I do feature the logo on my own materials, I will ensure it is approved by the Society. I will ensure 'In aid of' appears to the left of the logo.
8. Not do anything to bring the name of the Society into disrepute.
9. Ensure that any information obtained/used in the course of fundraising, will be owned by the Society, and any other client or charity will not be allowed to have the benefit of that information without the Society's consent.
10. Abide at all times by the Data Protection Act 2018 and all other relevant legislation and regulations.
11. Abide by the Codes of practice maintained by the Fundraising Regulator.

Finally...

If in doubt about the legal implications of anything you are proposing to do, please do check with us and we will be able to give you more information. 

Always think about safety, both yours and others.

Depending on what you are organising, think about whether you need insurance or a licence.

Enjoy yourself while fundraising but don't take risks or cause distress to other people.

Good luck with your fundraising.