Fundraising guide and resources

There are many ways your business can support our charity so we can continue fuelling innovation and advances in cancer care. Helping the team at Guy’s Cancer push boundaries will benefit your business too – by showing you care about your community, raising awareness of your products or services, and helping your staff develop new skills.

Making gift In kind donations – Gifts are welcome any time of year, but especially at Christmas. Help spread some festive joy for patients at Guy’s Cancer or staff needing a little boost in morale. Gifts for use around Guy’s Cancer are always appreciated, such as handwash or admin equipment.

Sharing business resources – It would be fantastic if you could donate a meeting room or event venue for free to support our work, saving us the cost of having to fund this.

Supporting a charity event – Staff can support us by swimming, running, cycling and so much more – or they could sponsor a colleague or provide a prize. Whether they donate time or money, it all helps us deliver moments of progress that transform people’s lives.

Donating regularly – Make a long-lasting impact with a regular financial donation from your business. You could even ask staff if they want to set up Payroll Giving so they make a donation straight from their salary.

Here are some easy fundraising ideas for in the workplace:

Show and tell – Whether it’s yoga, baking or flower arranging, host a lunchtime or post-work session to share your skills with colleagues. Ask for a donation from everyone who attends.

Jargon jar – Turn workplace buzzwords into donations! Create a jargon jar and watch the contributions pour in every time someone says a phrase like “close of play” or “let’s circle back.”

Dress-up day – Break out of the office routine for a day. Whether it’s dressing up, dressing down or going all out with fancy dress, ask for donations from colleagues taking part.

Lunchtime treats – Treat your colleagues to a delicious homemade lunch in exchange for donations. Whether it’s soup, chilli or potluck dishes, everyone will dig deep for a good cause.

These are just a few ideas to inspire your fundraising. Remember, every donation helps us be there for the people behind every moment of progress, from major medical breakthroughs to advances in cancer treatment. Let’s make a difference together!

Download our full workplace fundraising guide here.

Take lots of photos – Regularly posting pictures (including a profile photo) can boost donations by an amazing 23%. It’s a quick and easy way to keep your supporters in the loop. And it’s often the first thing donors will notice on your page. Share on your Instagram stories, Facebook profile and X (formerly Twitter) for full effect.

Tell everyone why you’re fundraising – Sharing your story on social media is a great way to engage your donors. Plus, you’ll create a personal connection with the charity. You could potentially raise up to  60%  more in donations!

Press the share button  – Now you’re all set up with your story and photos, sharing your page is the best way to increase donations. And it’s quick and easy to do. Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Snapchat and LinkedIn are great platforms to reach as many supporters as possible. Make the most of them!

Connect online fitness groups and apps  – Are you taking on one of our fantastic challenges? Connect online with other fundraisers doing a similar challenge and share your journey with each other. Raise more by letting supporters track your progress through a Strava account or digital fitness app.

Download our full social media fundraising guide here.

It’s thanks to supporters like you that we can help the dedicated team at Guy’s Cancer make advances in cancer care that enhance lives. Discover how to organise a successful raffle or lottery to raise funds in aid of Guy’s Cancer Charity, including some important laws and restrictions to keep in mind.

When collecting on private premises, such as a pub or home, you’ll need permission from the property owner. No special permits or permissions are needed for collections in private premises, but you still need to think about other things like cash handling, Gift Aid and the use of personal data.

When holding a collection on public property or in the street, you must get a licence from the local council. Information on how to do this is usually on the local authority’s website.

Raffles and lotteries are a more heavily regulated area of fundraising because they’re a form of gambling. There’s no legal difference between a raffle and a lottery. For more information, visit the Gambling Commission website.

You can hold a raffle, permission-free, if it takes place on the same premises where a non-commercial event is taking place. For example, if you’re holding a fundraising dinner that includes a raffle. These are known as “incidental lotteries”. Please make sure you follow the Gambling Commission’s guidance on incidental lotteries if you’d like to run one: How to run a fundraiser with lotteries or raffles at events.

Lotteries and raffles promoted to the public require a licence from the local authority or Gambling Commission, depending on their size. Details are available on the Fundraising Regulator website. If you’re running a lottery or raffle that is only open to members of your workplace, society or within your dwelling, you may not need a licence – please carefully check the Gambling Commission’s guidance on the types of lotteries you can run without a licence.

If you’re collecting prizes for raffles of a considerable size or contacting large companies, please get in touch to tell us which companies you plan to approach and ask us for an authorisation to fundraise letter.

Please make sure that when you advertise your raffle or lottery, you make it clear that it is “in aid” of Guy’s Cancer Charity and that you are responsible for running it.

To protect children and vulnerable people, and ensure overall fundraising transparency and responsible gambling, you must:

1. Provide a warning to potential customers that underage gambling is an offence.
2. Ask customers to affirm that they are of legal age when purchasing tickets.
3. Set an upper limit on the value of raffle or lottery tickets which may be sold to a person, whether as part of a single transaction or over a period of time.
4. Make participants aware what percentage of their ticket cost is donated directly to the charity throughout the promotion.
5. Make terms and conditions for entry available throughout the full duration of the promotion.

Follow this step-by-step guide to organising a charity quiz night that will help smash your fundraising target!

Step 1: Choose your quiz theme

Decide on the type of quiz you want to hold. It may depend on the audience’s interests or time of year – for example, a Christmas, Halloween or James Bond theme.

Step 2: Set the date and your fundraising target

Choose a date that doesn’t clash with any big sporting occasions or other events. Then, set your fundraising target. Work out how many quizzers you need and what to charge. You could make more money on the night by holding a raffle or auction.

Step 3: Find the perfect venue

Look for a suitable place to hold your quiz night. It could be a pub, social club or community hall. If you need a PA (Public Address) system, check whether the venue can supply the equipment or if you need to organise it.

Step 4: Spread the word

Send out invites to friends, family and colleagues. Get creative and make posters and leaflets to display in your local area. Contact your local newspaper and radio station to see if they will advertise your quiz.

Step 5: Create the questions

Consider your audience and tailor the questions accordingly. Aim for up to eight rounds of 10 questions each and include a variety of questions spanning different categories.

Step 6: Enjoy the night

Organise a small team of helpers so things run smoothly. That way, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the night. Make sure you take lots of photos to share with us!

Step 7: Count donations and say thanks

Work out how much you’ve raised by adding up all the donations and deducting your expenses. Don’t forget to send a big thank you to all your helpers and sponsors.

Please contact Supporter Care on email or call us on 0208 106 5434 for our bank details.

Or you can pay in funds via the website: Donate today.

Please send cheques to:

The Grain House, 46 Loman Street, London, SE1 0EH.

Or pay into your fundraising page if you have set one up. We recommend using Just Giving.