Handling money is an important part of being a Marie Curie fundraising volunteer.
There are certain procedures that must be followed by all fundraising volunteers who are involved in the handling of cash, cheques and charity vouchers.
These have been put in place to:
- protect the charity from fraud, theft or embezzlement
- protect volunteers and staff from accusations of dishonesty
- assure donors their donations and gifts are used for the purpose for which they were given
- enable the charity to maintain up-to-date and accurate records of all our supporters and the contributions they make
- assist the charity in making accurate plans for the future
- help Fundraising Groups to keep accurate records of monies raised.
You can read through all the guidance in the ‘Dealing with money’ section of the Fundraising Volunteer Handbook.
Managing your group’s income
Keeping a meticulous record of our supporters and their contributions is crucial and the information that we ask you to gather in the income process helps us thank supporters and budget accurately.
You can use our Online Income Form to let us know how much money you've raised and how you've raised it.
Procedures and guidelines
The general procedure for processing income is outlined in your handbook. It is important that you follow the procedures and use the banking forms provided.
There are also specific guidelines for money gathered in the following income streams:
- donations
- collection boxes
- Great Daffodil Appeal
- street collections
- fundraising group events
- in aid of fundraising
- donated goods and services (gifts in kind).
Tracking your group’s spending
Marie Curie has guidelines on how much to spend on fundraising activities and events.
You will use the Event Activity Plan to plan your activity budget and agree it in advance with your Community Fundraiser.
After each event, it’s important to allow some time for follow-up to count and bank all money raised, allowing you to share income and expenditure.
Upfront costs
Most costs should be invoiced to the charity, but it might be necessary to spend a small amount upfront for minor expenses, such as refreshments for your helpers on the day.
It’s important to keep any receipts so that you can reclaim upfront costs from the event proceeds before depositing them. You can also submit these through the expenses procedure.
Invoices
Costs should have been agreed in advance with your Community Fundraiser and most should be invoiced directly to the charity.
Volunteer expenses
Volunteers are encouraged to claim back any out-of-pocket expenses - as agreed with the Community Fundraiser - through the Volunteer Expenses Claim Form.
We will reimburse travel expenses to and from the place of volunteering and any travel undertaken as part of the volunteer’s role.
We also reimburse the cost of a meal if a volunteer has given more than four continuous hours in one day, and covering a meal time. The maximum allowance is £3.50.