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Getting sponsored

Ten-year old Pip Sayers and his dad raised £1,123 with a sponsored bike ride from Lands End to John O'Groats! "I hope this money will help you make the world a better place for poor people," said Pip.

Whatever your fundraising challenge - climbing Kilimanjaro, shaving your head, or cycling from London to Paris - people are always willing to sponsor you to do something inspirational.

But how do you turn your challenge into a top-notch fundraiser? Here's some advice on guaranteeing yourself plenty of donations.

Collecting sponsorship

There are a couple of easy ways to collect sponsorship:

Download a sponsorship form (PDF, 273KB) and ask your donors to fill in their details - and tick the Gift Aid box.

Use an online fundraising page such as Virgin Money Giving or JustGiving. These sites do the hard work for you, sending the donations to Oxfam and automatically claiming Gift Aid on donations - that's an extra 25% at no extra cost to you or your supporters!

Tips for sponsorship success

  • Make it personal.

    People are much more likely to donate if your fundraising page is personalised, so upload photos and tell people what you're doing and why. Inspire donors by talking about Oxfam, our work, and how their donations make all the difference.

  • Keep it up to date.

    The more you keep everyone up to date with your training and preparations, the more likely they are to sponsor you. Set up a blog, Twitter, Facebook page or website, and be sure to post regular updates. Once you've completed your challenge, send a letter or email out. Include a picture of the event and let everyone know when you'll be collecting donations.

  • Make sure your first donation sets a good standard.

    This is really important, as people often decide how much to sponsor you based on the last donation made. Ask a family member or one of your more generous friends to get the ball rolling!

  • Tell everyone.

    Make sure you tell everyone - including your local paper - about your challenge. Ask the paper to advertise your fundraising attempt and link to your fundraising page.

  • Chase the money

    The challenge is over? That doesn't mean you have to stop fundraising. Chase up the people you couldn't speak to before and show them some snaps of your struggle and achievement to guarantee a donation.

Sending us your sponsorship money

Once you have completed your fundraising, please send in your sponsorship form along with the money so the Gift Aid can be processed.

Find out everything you need to know about paying in your fundraising.

If you've used JustGiving or Virgin Money Giving you don't need to do anything - the donations will automatically be sent to Oxfam.

Not found what you're looking for?

Get in touch on 0300 200 1300 or email fundraising@oxfam.org.uk

Sponsorship resources

Download a sponsorship form (PDF, 272KB)

Set up an online fundraising page at Virgin Money Giving or JustGiving

Send us a photo of your efforts and we could feature you in the fundraiser showcase!

Check out our Oxfam fundraising events

Find ideas for your own fundraiser