How to boost your fundraising

However you're fundraising, whether you're shaving your head, organising a sponsored walk or taking on a marathon, there are plenty of simple ways to raise even more money.

Every pound you raise helps Terrence Higgins Trust support people living with and affected by HIV, tackle stigma, and improve access to HIV testing and prevention. Here are our top fundraising tips.

Creating an online fundraising page is one of the easiest and most effective ways to collect donations and get funds to us quickly.

JustGiving is one of the UK's most popular fundraising platforms and only takes a few minutes to set up. Once your page is live, share it on social media, WhatsApp and by email to help spread the word.

You can also create a QR code for your JustGiving page by adding /qrcode to the end of your page URL.

Boost your online donations  

• Make it personal: Add a profile photo and tell people why you're taking part.
• Set a fundraising target: Pages with a target often raise more money, so aim high.
• Share regularly: Post your fundraising link on social media and include it in your email signature.
• Keep people updated: Share training milestones, fundraising activities and progress towards your goal.

All donations to your JustGiving page will come directly to us at Terrence Higgins Trust.

Gift Aid is an easy way to increase the value of every eligible donation at no extra cost to the donor.

Although the extra money we receive isn't included in fundraising totals, every penny is used to help people affected by HIV.

So please encourage your family, friends and colleagues to boost all of their sponsorship money by ticking the box to add Gift Aid – they just have to be UK taxpayers.

Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok have revolutionised the way people fundraise.

Remember, the people most likely to donate are your friends, so social media is a great place to start publicising what you’re doing. Tag us on your X and Instagram posts using @THTorguk and @THTchampions and we’ll look out for them.

Some employers offer a matched funding scheme. This is where they either donate a fixed amount towards your target or match the amount you’ve raised. Ask your HR department and find out if this is something your employer does.

If you’ve asked your company about this and they’ve agreed to support you, please let us know. Simply email [email protected] and tell us:

• Name of your company.
• Amount they’re donating.
• How they’ll be paying – by BACS or via website, for example.
• When they’ll be making the donation.

We need this info to ensure your donation goes towards your fundraising total. If you have any questions at all about paying your money in, or about your fundraising, drop us an email at [email protected].

Add a raffle to your event and raise even more for Terrence Higgins Trust. Donations from local businesses can make great prizes and help encourage participation. 

Please note that raffles are subject to specific rules, so check the Gambling Commission website before getting started.

Chat to businesses in your area and see if they'd be willing to help. Could a local business owner donate something for you to raffle?

Reach out to newspapers and radio stations in your area and see if they're willing to get behind your fundraising and share your story.

You can create a sweepstake for just about anything, from predicting your finish time in a race to guessing how many sweets there are in a jar – the choice is yours.

• £10 could help us provide trusted HIV information to people who need it.
• £25 could help us reach more people with HIV testing and prevention messages.
• £50 could help support our vital services for people living with and affected by HIV.

We'd love to hear what you're planning. Complete our short form or email [email protected] and we'll help support you along the way.

Thank you for supporting our work at Terrence Higgins Trust.