Just spoken with the Premier’s Appeal. We are now approved to raise funds on their behalf and don't need to have Office of Fair Trading Sanction. There are some rules:
We’re NOT allowed to use the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal logo (that’s a biggie)
100% of proceeds are to go to the Appeal.
All events have to be completed and money sent in by end of March.
If anyone makes a cash donation and wants a receipt for tax purposes I need to know their name, address and phone number. I log the donation and the Appeal will send out a receipt.
A tax receipt cannot be issued for money given where something is received in return – eg payment for class, door charge etc.
We are registered as of NOW (2.30pm 20/1/11) and can go ahead with fund raising. They will mail me an Approval Number and other documentation, but as they are short staffed from the flood it might take a little while. Once received I'll pass on anything that pertinant.
Other things to be aware of - we are NOT allowed to use the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal logo on ANYTHING. I will have an Appeal poster emailed to me and you can use this in conjunction with Corrosie's poster and any personal advertising. They are also going to send me a label that can be used on collection tins.
We're officially rolling Ladies and Gents!!!!
Shimmy In The Sun group to Raise Funds for the Premiers Disaster Relief Appeal
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
SHIMMY IN THE SUN - About....
This is my first ever blog thingie!
Living in Hervey Bay, being affected only slightly by the flooding happening all over Queensland and other parts of Australia and being totally unable to help, I was getting rather frustrated. I'd been on Face Book with a couple of friends talking about doing something. So on 14th January I set the ball rolling and came up with Shimmy In The Sun.
I've been a dancer and fitness freek all my life and just 3 years ago discovered belly dancing. I'm about to start teaching my very first class (tomorrow actually). One of the things that makes me so very passionate about belly dancing is the dancers themselves. Belly dancers are one huge sisterhood that stretches around the world and embrases all who this love artform. A wonderful extended family.
When I put together a Facebook Group called Shimmy In The Sun and sent invites to my dancing friends, the best I hoped for was that a group of about 10-20 people would want to pull something out of their collective hats to raise funds for the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. Instead, just 48 hours later we have 120 members and growing, and interest from dancers all over Australia.
We have 4 registered events already, a logo, promotion stuff being worked on, items donated for raffles and so much more.
My sisters in dance have really come up to the mark and I am so proud and honoured to be part of a group of people who care so much about others.
We haven't yet got all the kinks sorted out but with a lot of very talented people all doing their bit to help those unfortunate victims of the the floods, we plan to help bring some sunshine into their lives.
Living in Hervey Bay, being affected only slightly by the flooding happening all over Queensland and other parts of Australia and being totally unable to help, I was getting rather frustrated. I'd been on Face Book with a couple of friends talking about doing something. So on 14th January I set the ball rolling and came up with Shimmy In The Sun.
I've been a dancer and fitness freek all my life and just 3 years ago discovered belly dancing. I'm about to start teaching my very first class (tomorrow actually). One of the things that makes me so very passionate about belly dancing is the dancers themselves. Belly dancers are one huge sisterhood that stretches around the world and embrases all who this love artform. A wonderful extended family.
When I put together a Facebook Group called Shimmy In The Sun and sent invites to my dancing friends, the best I hoped for was that a group of about 10-20 people would want to pull something out of their collective hats to raise funds for the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal. Instead, just 48 hours later we have 120 members and growing, and interest from dancers all over Australia.
We have 4 registered events already, a logo, promotion stuff being worked on, items donated for raffles and so much more.
My sisters in dance have really come up to the mark and I am so proud and honoured to be part of a group of people who care so much about others.
We haven't yet got all the kinks sorted out but with a lot of very talented people all doing their bit to help those unfortunate victims of the the floods, we plan to help bring some sunshine into their lives.
Licensing
Licensing
I've mentioned previously about the possibility that this fund raiser could need to be licenced. I want to share an email I recently sent to someone who raised the question - not out of concern that I might do the wrong thing (no chance there girls) but so that she can assure others that we are a bone fide group. I think the questions raised are very valid - after all most of you don't know who I am from Adam! I hope that this will allay a concerns, but if you have questions I am more than happy to answer them (might be a few hours later because unfortunately I have my "real' job to do too!!
"I don’t believe that you need to be licenced at your local level. You’ve probably done some fund raising before and would be aware if your local council requires anything specific. The licence issue is probably not really required at all – I’m just somewhat anal about making sure I do the right thing! In this case, because I’ll be handling money donated by other people, and intended for a charitable appeal, I’d rather go for overkill and be able to assure people that the funds will not be mis-appropriated. I don’t actually need a licence, but there is the possibility that I need to have the fund Sanctioned. It may be that even this is unnecessary. I’ve tried to contact the Office of Fair Trading (who handle these things) but obviously they just have a recorded message that they are affected by the floods and are only dealing with emergencies at present. However much we want this to be resolved – it’s not an emergency.
What I do plan is to spreadsheet every event that is registered, track all monies raised and deposited to the central bank account and reconcile all deposits with the bank statements. I’ve been in touch with my banker and asked him to organise an account which will accept deposits but which cannot have withdrawals. There will be just one withdrawal, performed by the banker, when the money will be transferred to the Premiers Disaster Relief Appeal. So I personally will not handle any money. It’s because of this that I feel (but still want to check out officially) that we don’t even need Sanction.
All records will be available to any registered event, on request (excluding contact details) so that they can make sure to their own satisfaction that everything is above board. I’ll try the OFT again next week and as soon as I get any resolution on this, I’ll make sure that everyone in aware.
I am happy to register an event where you deposit any funds raised directly to the Premier’s Appeal, under the name of Shimmy In The Sun. I can keep a register of events who prefer to go this way. Perhaps a copy of the deposit could be sent to me and then that amount can be added to our total.
This is mind-blowing. I expected maybe 15-20 people to be involved but I’m staggered at the response. Belly dancers a beautiful people indeed!
Best wishes
Sue Thomson
suelovesbellydancing@gmail.com
"I don’t believe that you need to be licenced at your local level. You’ve probably done some fund raising before and would be aware if your local council requires anything specific. The licence issue is probably not really required at all – I’m just somewhat anal about making sure I do the right thing! In this case, because I’ll be handling money donated by other people, and intended for a charitable appeal, I’d rather go for overkill and be able to assure people that the funds will not be mis-appropriated. I don’t actually need a licence, but there is the possibility that I need to have the fund Sanctioned. It may be that even this is unnecessary. I’ve tried to contact the Office of Fair Trading (who handle these things) but obviously they just have a recorded message that they are affected by the floods and are only dealing with emergencies at present. However much we want this to be resolved – it’s not an emergency.
What I do plan is to spreadsheet every event that is registered, track all monies raised and deposited to the central bank account and reconcile all deposits with the bank statements. I’ve been in touch with my banker and asked him to organise an account which will accept deposits but which cannot have withdrawals. There will be just one withdrawal, performed by the banker, when the money will be transferred to the Premiers Disaster Relief Appeal. So I personally will not handle any money. It’s because of this that I feel (but still want to check out officially) that we don’t even need Sanction.
All records will be available to any registered event, on request (excluding contact details) so that they can make sure to their own satisfaction that everything is above board. I’ll try the OFT again next week and as soon as I get any resolution on this, I’ll make sure that everyone in aware.
I am happy to register an event where you deposit any funds raised directly to the Premier’s Appeal, under the name of Shimmy In The Sun. I can keep a register of events who prefer to go this way. Perhaps a copy of the deposit could be sent to me and then that amount can be added to our total.
This is mind-blowing. I expected maybe 15-20 people to be involved but I’m staggered at the response. Belly dancers a beautiful people indeed!
Best wishes
Sue Thomson
suelovesbellydancing@gmail.com
FAQ
FAQs
Hopefully I can answer questions as they crop up, but I thought I’d stick all the questions that are relevant to everyone, in one spot! If you think of something else….just post it!
Who exactly are we raising funds for and how does the money we raise get to them?
Money raised will go to the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal. There will be 2 ways to make your donation – you can deposit the money you raise directly with the Appeal under the name of Shimmy In The Sun. If you then send me a copy of the deposit I can add the amount to our total. The other way is to deposit the funds into a central bank account (still in the process of being set up) and send me an email with the amount deposited. I can reconcile that with the bank statement and add the amount to our total. Once all the registered events have made their deposit and we have a final total, we can send that amount to the Appeal.
How do I know that the money will be handled responsibly?
I am currently licenced with the Office of Fair Trading to handle other people’s money in the 3 holiday resorts I own the management rights to. This means I undergo 3 audits every year for each of the resorts – yes that’s 9 audits each year! (6 of these are ‘surprises’ where the auditor just turns up out of the blue) and also have annual police checks. I have tried to contact the OFT but at the time of writing this they were closed to all but emergencies due to the flooding. A Collections Licence is only needed by charitable organizations, and we don’t fall into that category. I may need to have the fund raising Sanctioned by the OFT and I already have the paperwork to get that done. However, as this is a one-off with everybody working as individuals to raise funds, and I won’t physically be handling any money, it is possible that I don’t even need the Sanction. Once this matter is cleared up I’ll let you know.
In the meantime, please be assured that all recording of funds will be fully available to all registered event holders. That means that from the time of the first deposit onwards, you can ask to see the financial records and I will email them to you. I won’t include contact details of the event holders.
I have been in touch with my banker to arrange the central bank account and have asked that this account be enabled to accept deposits from anyone, but there will be no withdrawals other than the final collected amount being withdrawn and sent to the Appeal and the account closed at that time. If it is possible for the bank to arrange the transfer of the funds to the Appeal I will arrange this. This also gives another degree of separation from the funds.
Do you have any prior experience of fund raising?
Yes, but it was many years ago. I was a fitness instructor in the UK working at local, national and international level. I was heavily involved in getting the public to seek qualified instructors and making both the public and other instructors aware of the need for qualifications. Locally I raised money for items such as a kidney dialysis machine, humidicribs, heart monitors and even a flying-squad ambulance!
With this event I hoped that a few friends would rally around and we could do something locally to raise funds for the Appeal. I am quite amazed at how many people want to take part and I thank each and every one of you for your efforts!
So, How do I go about it?
First of all decide what you want to do to help. Get together with friends, other teachers, class members if you don’t have any ideas of your own. It’s amazing what a bit of brain-storming can come up with. Try to think outside the box! Once you have decided that you are definitely going to take part, fill in a registration form and send it to me at suelovesbellydancing@gmail.com or fax to (07)4194 9555. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t hashed everything out yet. I just need your name and contact details and any ideas you may have. Once you know exactly what you want to do and have settled on a date and arranged your venue, send a 2nd form in with the final details.
Then it’s up to you to get your event rolling. If you need help with advertising, promotion etc – get in touch with Black Thorn Corrosie she is looking after this area and has heaps of experience. Make sure that any sign-in forms or other documentation you use in your event has the Shimmy In The Sun logo very clearly included.
Keep records. This is very important. Make sure that you know how much money you have collected; keep receipts and other records of how much the event has cost. Do your best keep this to a minimum. Try to get your venue for free or at least at a reduced cost. Local newspapers, radio etc are often eager to promote fund raising events for free. Corrosie can help with press releases if you need it. Make sure that Shimmy In The Sun (and your own logo) is included in any advertising.
Once you have collected your funds and know how much you have raised, let me know and then deposit those funds directly to the Appeal or into our bank account.
Hopefully I can answer questions as they crop up, but I thought I’d stick all the questions that are relevant to everyone, in one spot! If you think of something else….just post it!
Who exactly are we raising funds for and how does the money we raise get to them?
Money raised will go to the Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal. There will be 2 ways to make your donation – you can deposit the money you raise directly with the Appeal under the name of Shimmy In The Sun. If you then send me a copy of the deposit I can add the amount to our total. The other way is to deposit the funds into a central bank account (still in the process of being set up) and send me an email with the amount deposited. I can reconcile that with the bank statement and add the amount to our total. Once all the registered events have made their deposit and we have a final total, we can send that amount to the Appeal.
How do I know that the money will be handled responsibly?
I am currently licenced with the Office of Fair Trading to handle other people’s money in the 3 holiday resorts I own the management rights to. This means I undergo 3 audits every year for each of the resorts – yes that’s 9 audits each year! (6 of these are ‘surprises’ where the auditor just turns up out of the blue) and also have annual police checks. I have tried to contact the OFT but at the time of writing this they were closed to all but emergencies due to the flooding. A Collections Licence is only needed by charitable organizations, and we don’t fall into that category. I may need to have the fund raising Sanctioned by the OFT and I already have the paperwork to get that done. However, as this is a one-off with everybody working as individuals to raise funds, and I won’t physically be handling any money, it is possible that I don’t even need the Sanction. Once this matter is cleared up I’ll let you know.
In the meantime, please be assured that all recording of funds will be fully available to all registered event holders. That means that from the time of the first deposit onwards, you can ask to see the financial records and I will email them to you. I won’t include contact details of the event holders.
I have been in touch with my banker to arrange the central bank account and have asked that this account be enabled to accept deposits from anyone, but there will be no withdrawals other than the final collected amount being withdrawn and sent to the Appeal and the account closed at that time. If it is possible for the bank to arrange the transfer of the funds to the Appeal I will arrange this. This also gives another degree of separation from the funds.
Do you have any prior experience of fund raising?
Yes, but it was many years ago. I was a fitness instructor in the UK working at local, national and international level. I was heavily involved in getting the public to seek qualified instructors and making both the public and other instructors aware of the need for qualifications. Locally I raised money for items such as a kidney dialysis machine, humidicribs, heart monitors and even a flying-squad ambulance!
With this event I hoped that a few friends would rally around and we could do something locally to raise funds for the Appeal. I am quite amazed at how many people want to take part and I thank each and every one of you for your efforts!
So, How do I go about it?
First of all decide what you want to do to help. Get together with friends, other teachers, class members if you don’t have any ideas of your own. It’s amazing what a bit of brain-storming can come up with. Try to think outside the box! Once you have decided that you are definitely going to take part, fill in a registration form and send it to me at suelovesbellydancing@gmail.com or fax to (07)4194 9555. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t hashed everything out yet. I just need your name and contact details and any ideas you may have. Once you know exactly what you want to do and have settled on a date and arranged your venue, send a 2nd form in with the final details.
Then it’s up to you to get your event rolling. If you need help with advertising, promotion etc – get in touch with Black Thorn Corrosie she is looking after this area and has heaps of experience. Make sure that any sign-in forms or other documentation you use in your event has the Shimmy In The Sun logo very clearly included.
Keep records. This is very important. Make sure that you know how much money you have collected; keep receipts and other records of how much the event has cost. Do your best keep this to a minimum. Try to get your venue for free or at least at a reduced cost. Local newspapers, radio etc are often eager to promote fund raising events for free. Corrosie can help with press releases if you need it. Make sure that Shimmy In The Sun (and your own logo) is included in any advertising.
Once you have collected your funds and know how much you have raised, let me know and then deposit those funds directly to the Appeal or into our bank account.
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