Golden Bond Target to raise £1500

Is anyone else struggling to raise enough for a golden bond place??

I have a target of £1500,and i think im really not going to be able to make it over £1000 even though tried my hardest!!

I havnt signed anything to say i would have to make up the difference. But a little worried they could turn around and say i need to pay the extra!!

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Comments

  • This seems to depend on which charity your running for, there was one discussed the other day that was quite nasty when a runner had to pull out. Did they give you a time limit on collecting the money?
  • I think i have about 2months after marathon to keep collecting, so i think i will try and keep going!!  I think it will be hard to get over £1000,so i might start saving now just incase they turn around and say i need to pay the extra!!

    thanks

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    Have you asked your employer (if you have one) whether they will match what you raise yourself?

    I believe they can write it off against tax, so it doesn't really cost them anything.

  • You taking a place off a charity and if you run that race, then you will have to pay the target.
    The charity have given you a place. If you are having problems, it would be wise to contact
    the charity.

    But if you completed the race, then you will have to pay. The charity will give you a deadline.
    But if you don't pay within that time, you will get letters from the charity, the London Marathon
    and possibly solictors, debt collectors. The London Marathon will put your name on a
    'blacklist`. If you apply again, your chances will be greatly reduced.

  • j0n3syj0n3sy ✭✭✭
    runnerman wrote (see)

    But if you completed the race, then you will have to pay. The charity will give you a deadline.
    But if you don't pay within that time, you will get letters from the charity, the London Marathon
    and possibly solictors, debt collectors. The London Marathon will put your name on a
    'blacklist`. If you apply again, your chances will be greatly reduced.

    Ouch, that's a bit harsh isn't it?

    I'm running for St Johns this year and only about half way to my £1500 target....image

  • Am also struggling to reach my target. Solicitors and debt collectors sounds a bit scary. I took the place with every intention of raising the money, but it's not easy. Am getting a bit worried now.
  • Trust me, if you get a place off a charity, they will want the money if you completed the race.
    They done their side of the bargain by giving you a place. If its a golden bond place, then
    the charity can inform London Marathon to put name on the 'blacklist`. Yes, LM do have one.

    The solictors and debt collectors are the last resort if you haven't paid after the deadline.
    But the charity want the money and if means being hard, then they can do that.
    Its abit like you don't pay your gas bill. You will get letters asking for their money. Then its
    goes to debt collectors and court. You took their business, so the business want their money.
    Is harsh but true.

  • If you havnt signed anything to say you will raise a certain amount,then surely they cannot force you to pay the target amount?!

  • Blacklist yes, but debt collector and solicitors ---really? I've been running for years, and have never heard of it going this far.
  • Have you emailed your link to everyone that you know? Send out regular email updates, with a link to your sponsorship page.  Many people have good intentions to sponsor, but often just forget. 

    As Wilkie says, there is also the matched giving system, but not all employers do this.

    Most charities have lists of ideas and help for fundraising - it might be worth contacting your charity and asking them what their advice is. 

  • I knew someone who ran for a golden bond place. He failed to pay up after the deadline.
    He had letters from the charity requesting the money. Then a letter from the London Marathon.
    It got so serious that the charity was threatening legal action because he took a place and
    'agreed' to pay the amount. If a charity gives you a gold bond place and the target is £1500, that
    is what the charity will expect from you.
  • Blacklist yes, debt collectors and solicitors, NO chance,the charidies know that if they DEMAND you pay a certain amount then that is NOT a donation and they are going to get taxed on it, beleive me they will not take a chance on that happening, do your best, thats all they should expect 
  • I work for quite large employer but they don't do matched giving. 

    They give you a flat £50 regardless of the event or distance so they are good value for a 5k but not a marathon.

    The long and short of it is that people generally want something for their money so you need to be creative with your ideas, even something as simple as organising a raffle is a good start.

  • Another idea is do a sweepstake of what time people think you will finish in at work / with friends, closest to the time gets a prize of your choosing (even better if you can get someone to donate a prize) and the money goes to your charity. Other options, dress down day at work with everyone paying £2, cake sale, car washing, I know these aren't running related but every little helps towards the sponsorship target and shows your willingness to the charity. If you are really struggling to meet the target and are worried about it I'd pick up the phone and speak to your charity and see if you can agree something.
  • I suppose how 'harsh' the charity would be depends on which charity it is, and what your relationship is with them.

    I have a Golden Bond place through Help the Hospices.. I got it through the hospice that looked after my mum when she died 18 months ago.  I was asked what target I thought I could achieve, I wasn't given a minimum and I wasn't 'contractually' obligated to pay up if I didn't make the target.

    I'm in regular contact with the Hospice's fundraising teann, and they've helped me put leaflets/posters up in areas where I wouldn't have had the contacts myself, so perhaps that's an option for you?

  • Assuming you've already emailed everyone in your address book (including people at work - I have found some of the more senior managers to be extremely generous even if they don't know me that well), have you thought of asking a bunch of three or four friends/relatives to ask THEIR friends/relatives?  My partner put it on his Facebook page for all his Facebook contacts, both business and pleasure, and I've been sponsored by several people I've never met, for which I'm very grateful.  Good luck and I'm sure you'll make it.
  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    It depends on what you signed - have a look at the agreement, and see exactly what it says.

    dave wood 4 wrote (see)
    Blacklist yes, debt collectors and solicitors, NO chance,the charidies know that if they DEMAND you pay a certain amount then that is NOT a donation and they are going to get taxed on it, beleive me they will not take a chance on that happening, do your best, thats all they should expect 

    Some charities appear to be taking the view that getting the full amount, and paying tax on it, is better than settling for a lower amount.  They have a point - £1,500 with tax paid is still more than £1,000 with no tax.

    Certainly Make A Wish are taking that route, so there are probably others.

  • One noval way which worked for me is to approach a firm to sponsor you.
    In return their name will be on your shirt or vest. The money will go to charity but its
    gives a firm exposure and brand awareness. It might be £100 or more but would
    be a good for you and the charity.

    Also, approach the local paper right now. They want pictures of people who running
    for the marathon and charity and its a good plug for you.

  • I think Frostys got the right idea. You need to organise things as well as asking everyone you know to sponsor you.  And always try and get round in person - I'm much more likely if someone turns up at my desk to sponsor them, than click on a link in an email out of the 100s i get each day.

     Good luck with it !

  • tanya - I had a target of £1500 back in 2008 to raise for the local MS therapy centre as my wife has relapsing/remitting MS.
    I set up a justgiving page and then sent out an e-mail to everyone in my work inbox irrespective of position. I asked people at every meeting I went to. I e-mailed all my hotmail contacts, all my facebook contacts and then went on to family members, running club members, cycling club friends. My employer match funded to a certain amount as well. My wife did the same at her work, my mum used her contacts within her social network (coffee mornings, church,etc). The therapy centre themselves helped out with marketing and raised money themselves on my behalf - they also helped with some pressurised chamber treatment when I got injured which got them and me in the paper. In the end we raised £2700.

    Don't think you should just rely on yourself to raise the money - get family to help out. Do you have children or neices/nephews in schools who could shake a bucket and raise for you? Utilise your friends, employers, sports clubs, gyms, pubs, anything! Someone I know had links to a scout troop and used them to pack bags at the local supermarket one Saturday afternoon which brought in a fair amount. Local papers love the charity angle for a good news story. Ring them up and local radio stations too. How about local businesses - have you tried them for sponsorship?

  • I got my local school to have a non uniform day -half went to the school and half to me and also my local primary school did a sponsored "mini marathon" (helped by the charity who gave prizes to those children that raised the most money and little badges for everyone else).  Again half the money went to the school and half to the charity. image
  • "But if you completed the race, then you will have to pay. The charity will give you a deadline.
    But if you don't pay within that time, you will get letters from the charity, the London Marathon
    and possibly solictors, debt collectors. The London Marathon will put your name on a
    'blacklist`. If you apply again, your chances will be greatly reduced."

    Horlicks

    The blacklist is small and used as a last resort for people who do not even attempt to raise the cash. If you are set a target of £1500 and you only raise say £1000 you will not go on the list for this. The Charity will give you the guilt treatment in the hope that you pay up the difference but 98% of them will do just this. As mentioned if you let the charity know in advance they will try and help as much as possible.

    If you approach local businesses for prizes for a raffle you may be surprised that a lot are happy to oblige. Bag packing at supermarkets and getting people to pay to come to yours for a night in all work.

    From a tax point of view if the charity are making you "buy" the place by making you guarantee rather than pledging to hit the target then from my understanding they are unable from the offset to claim the tax so they are making a gamble from the start

  • My gym often has some spin bikes set up in reception and they have day long spins - see if you could do that - everyone walking past will see you and donate if you're cheeky !
  • tanya123 and others.

    I was in a similar postion of concern very recently but luckily my fundraising has taken a turn for the better. As my experience of fundraising is limited... unsure as to the view charities take with defaulting on targets however as charities with good intentions and honourable agendas for raising funds you'd hope the majority of charities had a reasonable attitude to their runners sponsorship efforts.

    With that said, I was considering discussing various options of compromise with my charity if it came down to it... some of which were.

    • would they allow me to make up a shortfall through regular donations over a set period (say if 200 short, 20 pounds over 10 months or something) - see it on adverts all the time sponsoring a child or making regular donations etc.
    • could I run another marathon/race on behalf of the charity in future and make up the difference there. Rather than a Golden Bond would hope for a place without sponsorship constraints - ballot, half marathon race or smaller marathon perhaps.

    As a side issue my fundraising was/is probably reflected by the fact I chose for various reasons not to go down the bag packing in supermarkets/shopping centres and organising events route. However i've seen people who have gone down this route and some have made vast sums for their charity.

    Agree with many of the ideas mentioned... in particular my sister has been on my case and has generated some funds for me from people who wouldn't otherwise donate. 

  • I think that the pressure that may be put on you if the target is not met will depend from charity to charity.  It's worth remembering that it's in their interests to help you reach the agreed sum, so it would certainly be worth giving them a call to discuss ideas, changes to 'pay by' date, future events etc.

    I agree with lamkjo that bag packing can be incredibly lucrative, so it may be worth considering in the last couple of weeks.  Good luck!

  • The money making schemes which have been most successful for me are a sweep-stake board- with a £20 prize to the winner I have made about £350 from this alone we charged £2 a square.  I also arranged a quiz night hired a hall and charged people £5 to come along the raffle on the night was also very lucrative and added about £450 to the target.

    I do think that you have taken a place from the charity that would have been given to someone else if you had not.  It is only fair that you honour your pledge or come to a compromise with the charity concerned.  Get in touch with them sooner rather than later and see what they say.

    Good luck.

  • Hi all,

    Going back to some of the earlier comments. I would agree. I have been helping my wife raise money this year and we have had great sucess. Try different routes apart from just sponsor forms, as people can get a bit fed up with these. I think people like to think they are getting something in return.

    We spoke to our local Indian restaurant and booked the whole place for a Monday night (normally their really quiet night) charged people £10 a ticket for a meal. £7 goes to cover the cost of food and you can make £3 per person for charity. We held a quiz, raffle and got some really good stuff donated, so auctioned these on the night. We made £900 and it was so succesful people have asked us to put another night on !

    Charge £1 per raffle ticket, £1 quiz entry.

    Hope that helps and gives you some ideas 

  • silver gal wrote (see)

    I do think that you have taken a place from the charity that would have been given to someone else if you had not.  It is only fair that you honour your pledge or come to a compromise with the charity concerned.  Get in touch with them sooner rather than later and see what they say.


    The charities that are spoilt for choice normally make you fill in a form wanting info on how you plan to raise the cash, they then decide who they want so I wouldn't worry too much about those who "could have taken your place". In the current economic climate charities need to realise it is harder to raise cash. Totally agree that you should get in touch with them asap so they can help. Over the years they would have had plenty of people in the same boat and will have some great ideas

    Victor - what a cool idea. Great for both side (well as long as the curry was good so they get return punters) What did they get to eat for their £10? I guess the restaurant also made a nice profit on booze as well as maybe get in the local rag

  • Exactly - they will always make their money on the booze anyway. We got a choice of 3 starters and 3 mains, but a lot of places will normally do some sort of buffet for a fixed price. It seemed to go down very well

  • Sorry to raise this thread up from the recent dead but I didn't fancy starting a brand new thread to ask a question that may fit in another.

    I'm considering the golden bond route for 2011.

    Just wondering if anyone knows how quickly these places typically can get taken up? I see some of the charities I'm interested in running for are already taking applications. I don't want to apply on a whim and need to give it some proper thought but I don't want to leave it too late either.
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