Fundraising for 2024
As we start into the New Year we are focused on raising funds so we can continue to help Past Pupils in need of support. In 2023 we gave grants to the value of €185,000 to Past Pupils to help them through difficult times. You never know when a crisis might come along, and it is ALWAYS when you least expect it. The requests we receive range from support with heating bills, serious illness medical expenses, hardship due to bereavement or marriage breakdown, university education expense support, emergency funding following a house fire at Christmas, even to purchase a new set of dentures for one of our older past pupils. Thankfully we had enough funds to meet all these requests.
This year we need your help to raise the money for these grants - will you help us? We can support your fundraising many ways including Sponsorship Forms, Graphics for Social Media, Buckets, Prizes and more.
Here are some easy ways you can raise some essential funds for the Benevolent Fund and fellow Past Pupils in need.
How YOU Can Help
Normally we run events throughout the year and we raise a very generous €100,000 but with Covid we have been very restricted and raised a lot less. The first quarter of 2022 looks bleak for our events. To help us with the shortfall, perhaps you would consider raising some money for the Benevolent Fund.
You and Your Company
If you are working in a company there are many ways your company or employer can support our work such as donations, employment giving scheme, match funding, sponsorship, and donating services. Matched giving (also known as match funding) gives employees the chance to boost their fundraising where the employer matches the money you have raised. Some companies offer this on a euro-for-euro basis, while others will specify the amount they're prepared to give.
Here are some of the many ways you and your Company can get involved
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Choose us as your Charity of the Year
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Organise a company donation or grant
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Join one of our fundraising events or campaigns
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Get a team involved in the Mini Marathon or Marathon
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Do a 10k challenge
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Use your office’s special skills and organise your own fundraising effort
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Cause-related marketing – sell something in aid of the Benevolent Fund and donate a percentage or € amount
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Set up payroll giving
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Matched donations
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Sponsor a campaign or event
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Run a Birthday Fundraiser
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Buy our Christmas Cards and Notelets
Your continued endorsement of our work is greatly appreciated.
Contact us for support with your Fundraising
We have some fundraising packs, information and prizes to help you with your Fundraising ... and we have lots of ideas. Drop us an email and we will be delighted to support you!
You and Your Year
Don't wait for your 10 Year Reunion to meet up with your School Friends. Many of us have some classmates we are friendly with. Could you join together and raise a few € for the Benevolent Fund while having a bit of fun talking about the 'Good old Days'.
Here are some of the many ways You and Your Year can get involved
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Coffee Morning - Organise a coffee morning in your home. Set a date, bake some treats, put on the kettle, and invite your family and School friends to join you for a few hours. Collect donations from your guests.
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Bake Off - Get all the wannabe GBBO Bakers together and see who can bake up the sweetest treats! Invite your school pals or neighbours by to sample and buy the goods.
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Sponsored physical challenge - Put your stamina to the test by challenging yourself to a marathon cycling or spinning event. You could even recruit your School Friends from your Class to take part. Collect pledges from your friends and family and then make your event happen!
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Join our Mini Marathon Team – Get yourself fit for the Mini Marathon and gather a few classmates and join our Pink Team on the 5th of June – hopefully it will be real and not virtual this year.
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Fundraising Dinner Party – Host your own Come Dine With Me event, charging your guests to taste your culinary delights. You could even inject a little competition and get friends and family to host their own as well, so you can score the evening and the cooking.
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Car Wash – Get a few young people together and offer to wash Cars in your neighbourhood. It's more than just good clean fun, it's also a great way to raise funds!
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Book Sale – Selling unwanted books at a coffee morning is a really simple and effective way to raise money. Make sure you ask as many people as possible to donate their books, so you have enough stock to sell and display reference or text books prominently, as these are often expensive when bought new and may command a higher price from purchasers.
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Bingo Night - Bingo nights are a fun way to get both young and old together. Bingo cards and markers are cheap to source (there are websites from which you can print free cards) and all you need is someone with a microphone or a loud voice and a basic knowledge of bingo-lingo to make the night a real success. This is a great zoom event if people are not local.
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Walking Tours - If your area is architecturally beautiful and steeped in history, why research the history and offer walking tour to your friends and neighbours? You can charge a small fee. This will appeal to residents who want to know more about the local history.
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Summer BBQ – Not just a great fundraising idea, a summer barbecue is often a hotly anticipated event in everyone’s social calendar. Charge a small fee for a set BBQ menu and approach local musicians to provide the entertainment.
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Spare Change – Tell everyone in your household that all money left unattended - on the floor, down the back of the sofa, left in pockets to go in the washing machine - is fair game for the collection box for the Benevolent Fund.
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Teddy Bear’s Picnic – A fantastic fundraiser for past pupils with little children, a teddy bear’s picnic is a great excuse to enjoy delicious sandwiches, indulgent cakes and teatime treats – you could even go on a bear hunt as well and all Covid friendly outdoors.
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Girls Night In – Staying in is the new going out! Host drinks, a casual dinner or a film marathon at your home and donate the money you would have spent on a night out to the Benevolent Fund. Guests can bring their own food and drink and - if you’re feeling brave and the neighbours won’t mind - you could even throw a bit of karaoke into the mix.
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Shave Your Head – If you’re brave enough, why not shave your head for the Benevolent Fund? Make sure you get someone to film it for you and share the footage on social media, along with the link to your fundraising page. Using social media to ask for sponsorship helps to spread the word even further.
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Recipe Book – If you enjoy cooking, ask your school pals to contribute recipes that you can collate into a printed cookbook. You could even sell an e-book version to reduce printing costs. People will love seeing their recipes in print, and you might find a new dish that becomes your family favourite.
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Birthday Fundraiser – If you have added your birthday to your Facebook profile, your friends will all be reminded of it on the day. Take advantage of this free fundraising opportunity on your birthday and request donations instead of gifts.
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Online Wine and Cheese Tasting – Get a group of friends for wine tasting and pairing it with delicious cheeses. You could host this wine tasting night and live stream it to a small group of paying friends. Sell tickets and include bottles of wine and food that is easy to find in your local supermarket which everyone can then taste and discuss during your event.
No matter what event you choose the money you raise will help us help Sacred Heart Past Pupils.