Don’t let your fundraising events end in tears

Fun runs, bake sales, Himalayan treks. Holding an event can be a great way for your charity to swell its coffers, especially in these hard times when donors appreciate a little fun for their money.

But before you jump on the bandwagon it pays to stop and think. If something goes wrong at your event the cost can far outweigh any income you make, both for your organisation and the people taking part.

We’ve been insuring charities for decades and some of the events claims I’ve come across make for very sobering reading. On the extreme side of examples I have seen one charity we insured decided to set up a water slide as part of a Fun Day fundraiser but it went disastrously wrong and a child lost her arm. Another charity held a sponsored bike ride around a lough in Ireland and one cyclist accidentally clipped the wheel of another, who died under the wheels of an oncoming car.

Tragedies like these are not only heartbreaking for everyone involved, they can also be financially crippling when victims or their families sue. This is especially true for smaller charities with everything to lose.

These days, with attitudes changing and money in short supply, people are also becoming more litigious over less. We had one claim from a participant who slipped on a crisp packet at a charity football match!

But whether a claim is reasonable or not, tough new health and safety legislation means charities really have to be on their toes. Risk assessments are vital otherwise you could be deemed responsible before your case even gets out of the blocks.

It’s important to remember that the price you pay for an event that goes wrong isn’t only financial. It’s distressing to know you played a part in someone getting hurt – and the damage to your charity’s good name can be considerable and long lasting.

So what can you do about it?

First of all, get some sound advice. Google ‘independent charity insurance brokers’ and they can steer you towards low risk events – or help you manage the high risk ones more carefully. They can also make sure you have enough insurance cover to protect your organisation in case something does go wrong.

You can also protect yourself. Always have the right safeguards in place before holding an event – a good broker can point you in the right direction here too. For example, set up an incident management procedure in advance and make sure everyone knows how to implement it. Have a protection policy in place if children or vulnerable adults are taking part. Arrange medical care on site if you think it may be needed. Time saved can mean lives saved.

It’s also worth paying www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk a visit to have a look at their guidance or book onto the FSI’s free Community and Events training course.

Then, when you’ve crossed all the T’s and dotted all the I’s, all you have to do is sit back, enjoy your event and watch those pounds come rolling in.

Richard Lane is Managing Director of Ansvar Insurance, specialists in the third sector.