Thank you for your generous offer to raise funds for the Public Education Foundation.
We are very grateful to the many individuals, schools, P&Cs and companies who support the work of the Public Education Foundation by holding external events or activities to support public education and help raise funds for scholarships and other activities.
You may wish to raise funds for the Public Education Foundation in general, or for a specific scholarship or area of interest. We have developed these guidelines to both assist you in your fundraising efforts as well as outline your responsibilities when fundraising for Public Education Foundation. Please read through these guidelines carefully before filling out a Proposal to Raise Funds form.
Your fundraising efforts will go toward:
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Once you have thought through both the scope and details of your event/activity to raise funds for the Public Education Foundation, the next step is to fill out a Proposal to Raise Funds form so that Public Education Foundation can assess your application.
- Applications are approved based on whether we are satisfied that:
- the event/activity is in line with the Public Education Foundation’s aims and values
- the event/activity will produce a reasonable return after expenses
- the event/activity is not high risk
- applicants have appropriate experience to run the event/activity
- applicants have understood and agreed to our fundraising guidelines
Every event/activity will have risks associated with it which also means potential risks for the Public Education Foundation. Risks include physical harm to participants or contributors to the event/activity, not being able to raise the anticipated funds, as well as the risk to Public Education Foundation’s reputation (for example if the event/activity is not well managed or receives bad publicity). Your application will be assessed on its risks, but most importantly how the risks will be managed. It is essential that you continue to manage all risks if your event/activity is approved.
To ensure your event or activity meets our criteria we may contact you to discuss the proposal further.
Any person or organisation wishing to raise funds in New South Wales must, by law, have an ‘Authority to Fundraise’. Once your event/activity is approved, we will provide you with confirmation and a letter giving you legal ‘Authority to Fundraise’ for the Public Education Foundation. Until you have received this letter you are not authorised to fundraise, or advertise that you will be fundraising, for the Public Education Foundation. Each state has different legislation, so please contact us to discuss requirements if you are interested in raising funds in a state other than NSW.
It is important to continue liaising with the Public Education Foundation after you have received initial approval for your event/activity. Additional or altered plans for the event/activity must be approved by the Public Education Foundation.
It is also important for you to remember that the event/activity you hold will not be a Public Education Foundation event/activity. It is an event/activity to raise funds that will be donated to the Public Education Foundation upon the completion. When promoting your event/activity, suggested wording is:
“Funds raised will support the Public Education Foundation to deliver life changing scholarships for students and educators in public education…”
The Public Education Foundation does not have the resources to assist with each event/activity individually, but on request, subject to resources and availability may be able to supply:
- Public Education Foundation information leaflets
- Public Education Foundation donation forms (which we will process and receipt)
- Public Education Foundation banners or posters for the event
We also understand that some events may need a representative of the Public Education Foundation to either speak or accept a cheque on behalf of the Public Education Foundation, however we cannot guarantee that a staff member will be able to attend your event/activity.
Please let us know on your Proposal to Raise Funds form if you need a Public Education Foundation representative and we will let you know if this is possible.
Any additional needs you have to carry out your event/activity should be outlined on your Proposal to Raise Funds form.
Accurate records must be kept to enable the Public Education Foundation to comply with the regulations of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991, this means you must:
- Keep a balance sheet which records the income and expenditure for your event/activity.
- Expenses must be kept to a minimum and the fundraiser must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the total expenses are no more than 30% of total proceeds.
- Expenses must be recorded and accounted for.
- If you are planning a large event; open a special bank account and close it at the end of your event
- Money raised and the above financial documentation must be returned within 14 days of the event/activity.
Money raised should be returned as a lump sum, however in some circumstances the Public Education Foundation can assist in processing payments including credit card donations. If you require payments or receipts to be processed, please return payments or payment details to Public Education Foundation immediately after the event/activity.
The Public Education Foundation can also provide official receipts as required, however it is important to note that not all payments will be tax-deductible. As a general rule only straight donations (for which nothing is given in return) are tax-deductible, items such as tickets or auction purchases are not normally tax-deductible. If contributors will require tax-deductible receipts, you should note this on your application as you will need to discuss this with Public Education Foundation before your event/activity.
The fundraising event/activity will be the sole responsibility of the approved applicant including ensuring all requirements of current and relevant laws and regulations are met.
These may include:
- Insurance (i.e. it is the responsibility of the applicant to arrange public liability cover)
- Licences and Council Permission (i.e. local council approvals)
- The provisions of the Charitable Fundraising Act and Regulation
For more information please read the Charitable Fundraising guidelines issued by the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing at http://www.olgr.nsw.gov.au/charitable_home.asp
When we approve your event/activity we may endorse the use of the Public Education Foundation’s name or logos for your promotional material. However each time you wish to produce materials (either electronic or physical) with the Public Education Foundation’s name or logos you must obtain written approval from us first. This includes, but is not limited to, press releases, brochures and signage.
Approval must be granted by the Public Education Foundation before printing, distributing or displaying our name or logos publicly.
Our logos are our property and must not be changed or modified in any way. If we approve the use of our logos we will provide the logos to you along with our style guides.
Approaching companies for sponsorship for your event/activity can be a great way to minimise expenses, however it is important to gain approval from the Public Education Foundation before approaching sponsors to ensure that they are not existing or prospective sponsors of the Public Education Foundation.
We want your fundraising event/activity to be a fantastic success and hope that many people will support it. We have found that the best support comes when people have some interest in the area that you are fundraising for, or have either read or heard about the event/activity. The most common ways of gaining publicity are:
- a story in your local or regional newspaper or a specialised publication
- talkback radio
- an article in your work, church or school newsletter
- producing a poster or flyer to be distributed through targeted sources
- circulate information through your local Probus, Lions, Rotary clubs and specialised
- interest groups
- recruit the help of friends, family and colleagues to spread the word
- banners to promote the event
Always promote – first and foremost – the goal of your fundraising drive. If you are fundraising for a particular scholarship offered by the Public Education Foundation such as the Friends of Zainab Scholarship which helps refugee students, ensure that this message is heard by the people you would like to attract to the event/activity.
Once again, we thank you for your support for public education and for thinking of the Public Education Foundation as the beneficiary of your fundraising. We hope this information has been useful and has given you some helpful guidelines. To begin the process we ask that you complete the Proposal to Raise Funds form attached. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
