When people think of raising money or giving money to a charity, specific one-off fundraising events often come first to mind. But it’s regular small donations that are vital to charitable organisations.
Jessie May has partnered with the Local Hospice Lottery to help create a regular income stream for the charity, which also gives back to the donors.
Local Hospice Lottery began life in 1996 as Farleigh Hospice’s own lottery – a way to generate a regular and reliable income to help fund the care of people affected by cancer and other life-limiting illnesses across mid Essex. After eleven years of running the weekly draw, the decision was made to develop the lottery for the benefit of hospice care in other areas across Great Britain.
Through paying as little as £5 per month to enter a weekly draw, lotteries provide an easy, fun and affordable way for local people to support the work of their local hospice.
Since 1997, the Local Hospice Lottery has contributed more than £37 million to hospice care. In 2020, for each £1 entry in the weekly draw, the Local Hospice Lottery gave an average of 68p to hospice care.
Local Hospice Lottery is an ideal way to give a small regular amount to a chosen charity.
Kath Jones is the Individual Giving Manager at Jessie May,
“Jessie May is proud to work with the Local Hospice Lottery. Playing this lottery in support of Jessie May gives our donors a chance to win a brilliant cash prize every week. And as well as having a great chance to win, you will also make a difference to local families in your area that are in need of our specialist support, as the lottery provides regular income we can rely on.”
By giving monthly, you are helping a charity’s budget. These types of donations allow a charity to rely on some consistency. Every organisation has to spend time and money on finding new donors and these fundraisers and campaigns can be costly. Monthly donors are consistent and help non-profit organisations save their time and money.
Studies have shown that monthly donors are more likely to continue to give year over year. This is helpful for the organisation as it will have a sustained impact and allow plans to be made.
But can this regular giving benefit the donor too? The answer is yes.
It is convenient to donate small amounts regularly, instead of large amounts infrequently. This monthly giving does not have to be much – and just like saving – your money will add up.
Over a year, £3 a month could pay for half an hour of Jessie May support to a family. It doesn’t sound much, but that half an hour can be vital. It’s not uncommon for a parent to be at breaking point when a Jessie May nurse knocks on their door, that half an hour means they can take time for themselves, have a cry and let it all out knowing that their child is being taken care of by one of the Jessie May nurses. Donors often say it gives them peace of mind to know that a small regular payment can be put to such good use by the recipient charity.
You can still give regularly to the charity even if you aren’t interested in playing the lottery, you can set up a monthly direct debit to Jessie May and gift aid it, if you’re eligible, meaning your £3 turns into £3.75 per month.