LENT 2017Fundraising Guide forSchools

Welcome to our Lenten campaign 2017.

Fundraising is the oxygen of our organisation.Without the generous support of the Irish public,and in particular schools, we would not be ableto respond so quickly to emergencies such asthe earthquakes which struck Nepal in April andMay 2015, and Typhoon Haiyan which hit thePhilippine Islands in November 2013.

This year we are asking you to transform thelives of those living in communities most at riskof natural disasters.

In the last 13 years, Trócaire has responded tomore than 18 emergencies globally thanks toyour support.

During Lent 2017, we are asking you to join usin our fundraising efforts towards helpingvulnerable communities to prepare for, andrespond, in the event of a natural disaster suchas earthquakes, floods, droughts and cyclones.

Honduras is one of the most vulnerablecountries in the world when it comes to naturaldisasters caused by climate change. Trócaireworks with partner organisations to put inplace Disaster Risk Reduction systems,supporting the people most at risk and living infear of these disasters, people like Miriam andher daughter Maria.

When it comes to working with students,you are the experts. Fundraising would nothappen in your school without someonelike you driving it.

We understand the pressures you face aseducators and acknowledge all that you areasked to do. We are keen to work inpartnership with you and provide anysupport you need if you decide to organisea fundraising activity for Trócaire.

We have designed this guide to do just thatand will assist you if you're thinking ofraising money for Trócaire in your school.

Welcome to Trócaire’s Schools Fundraising Guide for Lent

WHAT’S IN THIS GUIDE?Pg 3 Why Fundraise during Lent?Pg 4 Miriam and Maria’s StoryPg 5 Josiane UpdatePg 6 Fundraising IdeasPg 7 Top Tips

This guide sets out information about Trócaire,our focus for Lent 2017 and the impact of ourwork. It outlines some practical tips, tools andideas you could use when organising yourfundraising activities.

Our guide will support you in ensuring that theyoung people in your school involved infundraising learn from the experience, developkey skills and competencies and get the mostout of their fundraising activities!

So if you would like to fundraise for us, thankyou, and we wish you the best of luck in youractivities. If you’d like further information or toget involved please get in touch.

Fundraising packs and Trócaire Boxes aredistributed to schools, throughout Ireland, fromJanuary onwards. Contact us today to orderyour Trócaire boxes or additional fundraisingpacks.

For schools in the Republic of Ireland, contactRachel Bruce, School Fundraising Officer, atrachel.bruce@trocaire.org or on 01-6549135.

For schools in Northern Ireland, contactTrócaire's Belfast office at infoni@trocaire.orgor on 02890 808030.

2

Maria, 6, Honduras. Maria lives in constant fear offloods and rising water levels which force her, andher family, to flee their home regularly.

The Lent Campaign has been theflagship campaign for Trócaire here inIreland since 1973.

This campaign is vital to the success ofour work helping support and transformthe lives of those living in the mostvulnerable communities.

The money raised through schoolsfundraising during Lent ensures Trócairecan continue to work with partnerorganisations in delivering sustainablechanges.

Lent takes place from Ash Wednesday 1stMarch to Good Friday 14th April. Theteam at Trócaire are here to support youwith your fundraising so please don’thesitate to get in touch to discuss ideas,request support materials or to arrange atalk to your class or school.

Involvement in fundraising activities canbe motivating and fun for young peopleas well as supporting developmentagencies in their work. Such experiencescan also have huge educational potential,offering opportunities to develop youngpeople’s understanding and skills asactive, responsible citizens.

One of Trócaire’s roles is to educate andempower young people about global issuesand to give them the necessary tools to takeaction and create change. Fundraising is one ofmany actions students can take.

A set of guidelines for good practice infundraising with young people, which isdesigned to support you when organisingfundraising activities in your school, isavailable on our website atwww.trocaire.org/fundraise.

What Skills CanStudents Learn &Develop ThroughFundraising?

Organising a fundraisingactivity in your school is afun way to engagestudents and will supportthem in developing keyskills and competenciessuch as:

• Decision making

• Organisation

• Research

• Planning

• Problem-solving

• Reflection

• Team-work

• Creativity

• Communication

• Project management

Students from Corpus Christi National School, Limerick

Why Fundraise during Lent?

3

4

You can help people likeMiriam and MariaMiriam and her young daughter Marialive in constant fear; they are affectedby life threatening floods up to fivetimes a year.

Rising seawater has depleted much of thecoastline on the peninsula in Honduraswhere they live. After each flood, the seaends up closer to their village leavingthem even more exposed next time.

"I panic when I hear the water is coming. Ifeel fear for my daughter"

During a storm, the only way to safety isby boat. Safety canals, maintained withthe support of Trócaire, lead to dry landand security.

After surviving a flood, they must beginagain. Miriam has to salvage whateverhasn't been destroyed and rebuild theirsimple home. Vegetable crops have beenpoisoned, animals drowned and food willsoon be running short. The other familiesin their community face the samestruggle, day after day, year after year.

"From the moment we know the storm iscoming, we know we will lose something. Wecan't eat. We can't sleep. We're so worried."

With your support, we are helpingcommunities in the poorest of places byproviding early warning systems,classroom training for children and

construction materials to preventflooding, amongst other vital activities.

Thousands of people all over the worldare affected by storms, floods, droughts,earthquakes, famine and conflict as partof their daily lives. It is the poorest ofpeople whom these disasters affect thehardest. For the most vulnerable, it is aquestion of when, not if, they will facedisaster again.

By making a donation today, you can bethere for communities like Maria'sbefore, during and after the headlineswhile ensuring Trócaire can respondwhen disaster occurs.

4

5

You first met Josiane Umumarashavu13 years ago. She was 12 years oldand living in a village in southernRwanda.

During Lent in 2004, Josiane appeared inhomes and schools all over Irelandwhen her photograph adorned the frontof the Trócaire box.

Josiane’s father, sister and two of herbrothers were killed during thegenocide. Josiane’s mother and twoother brothers survived but in 2004 theywere struggling to make ends meet,living off a small piece of land andconstantly facing the threat of hunger.

Eleven years after appearing on theTrócaire box, Josiane graduated fromuniversity in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2015.

Last summer, Josiane sent Trócaire’sExecutive Director, Éamonn Meehan,this excited email;

“I really appreciate what Trócaire hasdone for me. I finished my bachelordegree in business management,specialized in accounting. Now I’m agraduate!”

Josiane later added, “I still have a copy ofthe photograph and the Trócaire box inmy home,” she said. “It makes me veryhappy to look at it and to think thatpeople in Ireland saw my photo andthought about life in Rwanda.

“When I look at the photograph now Ithink of all the progress I have made. Iwas in primary school back then butTrócaire helped me to pursue my studiesand I feel very proud that I am now inuniversity. It was amazing to think thatpeople from a different country wereinterested in my family.”

Trócaire supporters in Ireland continuedto help Josiane and her family long afterthat campaign had finished. By payingher school fees and helping to buy books

and other materials,Josiane was able tofinish her education.

“I enjoyed school andI always wanted to goto university but I didnot know how I wouldbe able to,” she said. “My dream has cometrue. I hope to one day be able to travel toIreland to say thank you to the people therewho made this possible.”

In October 2016 Josiane starting workingas accounts intern with Trócaire in Kigali.Josiane will be visiting Ireland to launchour Lent 2017 campaign.

Support Trócaire this Lent campaign andhelp others like Josiane reach their truepotential.

Where Is She Now? Josiane Update

5

6

Hollypark Girls National School, Foxrock, Lent 2016

Rearcross National School Lent 2016

St. Francis Primary School, Lurgan, Lent 2016

Scoil Aireagal, Kilkenny, Launching Lent 2016

Mercy College, Belfast, Lent 2016Tubberclare National School, Athlone, Lent 2016

We are here to support you in whatever waywe can when it comes to you organising afundraising event or activity in your school.

Fundraising packs and Trócaire Boxes aredistributed to schools throughout Ireland eachJanuary. Contact us today to order your Trócaireboxes, additional fundraising packs or book aschool visit.

Choosing what to do is the perfect opportunity tobring your students together to get creative anddecide on an event or activity that is best suited toyour school.

Give It Up or Take It On for Trócaire this Lent - getinspired and set a new challenge to test yourboundaries and raise funds. Can students give uptheir favourite item or treat? Or how about takingon a challenge such as a sea swim or climbing amountain!

There are also many tried and tested ideas such asa Sports Day, Sponsored Walk, Cake Sale, TableQuiz, etc.

These are just some ideas that work. For moreinspiration please check out our websitewww.trocaire.org/fundraise.

Watch out online and via our social media for anew fundraising challenge coming along with Lent 2017!

Fundraising Ideas

Mount Mercy College, Cork, School Award, Lent 2016

1. Start EarlyEncourage careful planning and start earlyto ensure you’re well organised.

2. Decide What You Want To Do

3. Select a Date

4. Set Out Your GoalsHow much do you want to fundraise? Howmany people do you want to attend yourevent? Work with your students to agreeyour goals and targets for the event.

5. Write the Details DownOutline the key details about yourfundraiser on paper setting out your planof action. Include budget, venue, yourtimeline, who needs to do what etc.

Remember to be safe and legal and don’tforget to outline your contingency plan…beoptimistic but realistic.

6. Form a Fundraising CommitteeGroup your students together and assigndifferent roles and activities to differentstudents and/or groups. This could includea creative team, PR team, planning team,events team etc.

7. Tell Everyone!Make sure to advertise and promote yourfundraising event or activity. Involvestudents, encouraging them to roll outdifferent promotional activities (seepromotion ideas on the next page) and totell everyone who will listen not onlyabout what you’re doing but also whyyou’re doing it.

Promotion Ideas:- Talk at the school assembly.- Visit different classes and give a

5 minute talk.- Talk at an event or mass in the

local community.- Create posters and put them up

in the school and localcommunity.

- Distribute information flyers.- Talk to the local press and ask if

they’ll promote your fundraiser.- Write an article for the local

newspaper, community paper orschool newsletter.

- Send emails.- Write a blog.

- Use social media….Twitter,Facebook.

- Tell Trócaire and we’ll promote iton our website and social mediaplatforms.

8. Get FundraisingDon’t be afraid to ask for sponsorship.Make a list of people who you could ask.When asking, make sure to not just tellpeople what you’re doing but why you’redoing it.

Set up an online fundraising page atwww.trocaire.org/fundraise.

9. Say Thank You!Make sure to thank everyone whodonated and supported your fundraiser.Don’t forget to tell people how much youraised. Cont’d4

Students from St. Mac Dara’s Community College,Templeogue

7

Top Tips for Organising Your Fundraising Activities

10. Sending the Money Back &Evaluating Your EventDon’t forget to return the money youraised to Trócaire, along with yourcontact details so we can thank you!

Please also send us on any photos orstories from your fundraiser. We’dlove to hear how it goes!

Bring your students together as agroup and discuss how the fundraiserwent. Identify what worked well andwhat you’d do differently next time.But most of all celebrate your successand be proud of what you and yourstudents have achieved!

How We Can Help You

We have a dedicated fundraisingteam who are happy to help youwhen it comes to organising yourfundraising event or activity. Wecan also provide you with a varietyof fundraising materials to makeyour job easier including:

• Collection Buckets

• Sponsorship Cards

• T-Shirts

• Stickers

• Posters

• Balloons

• Pictures, stories, videos

• Lodgement slips andbusiness reply envelopes forreturning money

Send us on details of yourfundraiser and we’ll promote it onour website and through socialmedia. For more info andfundraising materials contact us orvisit www.trocaire.org/fundraise

8

Students from Our Lady Queen of ApostlesNational School, Clondalkin.

Working fora just world.

Trócaire is the overseas development agency of the Catholic Churchin Ireland. Charity No. CHY5883 (ROI) / XR10431 (NI)

www.trocaire.org

Head office: Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Tel: +353 (0) 1 629 3333

Dublin: 12 Cathedral Street, Dublin 1,

Tel: +353 (0) 1 874 3875

Trócaire is the overseas development agencyof the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Charity No. 20009601 (ROI) / NIC103321 (NI)

Join us on:Facebook: facebook.com/trocaireireland

Twitter: twitter.com/trocaireYouTube: youtube.com/trocaire

Flickr: flickr.com/trocaireVimeo: vimeo.com/trocaire

Pinterest: pinterest.com/trocaire

www.trocaire.org

Cork:9 Cook Street, Cork,

Tel: +353 (0) 21 427 5622

Belfast: 50 King Street, Belfast, BT1 6AD,

Tel: +44 (0) 28 9080 8030

Republic of Ireland

Northern Ireland

When you donate to Trocaire you are directly helping transform the lives and communities of those living in fear.Our school is fundraising for Trócaire this Lent. FUNDRAISING DETAILS:

Find out more about the Lent campaign by logging on to www.trocaire.org CHARITY REG. NO. 20009601 (ROI), NIC103321 (NI)