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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for help? Charities..

34 replies

Rubbleonthedouble1 · 12/10/2020 10:35

Has anyone set up a charity and would help me?

I’m setting up a charity to help low income families in my area.

How do I raise money?
How do I get people to prove they are low income? Worried it will be exploited?

OP posts:
romeolovedjulliet · 12/10/2020 10:39

it's great you want to help but tbh i think i would do something like volunteering in the local food bank or something similar rather than going down the road with something that involves money and the potential pitfalls.

wheresmymojo · 12/10/2020 10:40

I haven't set one up from scratch but I've been a Trustee...

My first advice would be to find some likeminded people to be Trustees with you because it's an awful lot of work to take on as one person.

If you go to the Charities Commission site there's lots of info about this kind of governance side.

Second advice would be to find other charities that started recently (in the last 1-2 years) and approach them to see if they'd be willing to share their experience with you over a (virtual) coffee as it will be invaluable to you.

It also means that via their wisdom you can hopefully avoid any pitfalls or challenges they had to go through.

Reclinehard · 12/10/2020 10:43

Lovely idea! Definitely look at the charity commission website, and also check there isn't something already in your area. There probably is and teaming up might be a better choice overall.

wheresmymojo · 12/10/2020 10:44

Funds come from a variety of sources:

  • Grants from central or local Govt
  • Grants from funds like the Big Lottery Fund. That's the biggest one in the UK but there are many, many different funds
  • Corporate donors
  • Individuals giving by direct debit
  • Fundraising activities which can be anything from silent auctions, sponsored runs, etc through to the old 'shake a bucket in the high street' approach
  • Donations from individuals when they die in their wills
  • Profits from a charity shop
wheresmymojo · 12/10/2020 10:48

Getting funds from grants usually involves a fair amount of web research to identify ones that are relevant to you.

Then there are application forms to complete and send in. They can be pretty substantial due to the competition for funds.

I definitely recommend seeing if there are existing charities you can partner with or support as their local person on the ground in your area as a first port of call.

IMO having been involved in start up business and charities, starting and running a charity is a lot harder work than a business!

So if there isn't anything you can partner with you'll definitely need to bring on other people because just the fundraising aspect is a full time job TBH.

parietal · 12/10/2020 10:48

why do you need to set up a new charity? are there any existing charities that you can work with? It is a LOT of work to set up something new, and if that duplicates the work done by an existing charity, then it is very inefficient. You'll have to repeat the same procedures / paperwork etc with no extra benefit.

Maybe there is a charity in a different location that does the same kind of work that you want to do? If so, you might be able to partner with them and expand into your region, but draw on their expertise & procedures?

Original poster
Rubbleonthedouble1 · 12/10/2020 10:51

Thank you.

I’m a private tutor and wanted to offer free sessions for children from low income families. However as tuition is my income I can’t do this without external help as also low income myself as I’ve been very ill and have been told to give up full time work x

OP posts:
romeolovedjulliet · 12/10/2020 10:58

your update throws a different spin on the original question, but it's a great idea.

FuzzyPuffling · 12/10/2020 11:01

It sounds as though you want to set up a charity to pay yourself for the services you are offering to low income families. Have I read that right?

kittykat35 · 12/10/2020 11:04

It sounds as though you want to set up a charity to pay yourself for the services you are offering to low income families. Have I read that right?

This!

Racoonworld · 12/10/2020 11:05

So you want others to pay for tuition for low income families so you still get paid for it? Not sure that’s really a charity as such. Maybe it could be a ‘sponsor a local child’ type set up?

AriettyHomily · 12/10/2020 11:07

I think you need to do a lot of research.

Original poster
Rubbleonthedouble1 · 12/10/2020 11:19

Yes. I’d like to do it for free but this is now my only income and can’t afford to.

OP posts:
BarbaraofSeville · 12/10/2020 11:30

Can't you just set up as a tutor in the normal way and put some pointers to accessing grants to help with the cost on your website/social media pages?

All the accountability of setting up a charity for what you describe is probably a lot more hassle than it is worth.

hotchocdrinker · 12/10/2020 11:32

I work for a charity and think you would find this very difficult to do as I think you would have trouble raising funds to basically pay yourself. I think a better route would be to look at charities local to you to see if there are any which deal with providing educational opportunities for low-income families or those who need additional support. They may have funding in place (or may be able to get funding) to pay you, and you could perhaps charge the charity a reduced rate. That way you are not having to jump through hoops setting something up, and you have no involvement in deciding who 'qualifies' for your help.

Viviennemary · 12/10/2020 11:32

I would think twice about doing this. Too much red tape and open to exploitation.

Viviennemary · 12/10/2020 11:35

Just read your second post. In other words you want to provide tuition and be paid for it but raise the money through charity. No I don't think this is feasible.

AlexaShutUp · 12/10/2020 11:35

It sounds like a bit of a conflict of interest, OP. Tbh, I wouldn't support a charity like that.

If this is genuinely about helping low income families, then perhaps you could recruit a group of volunteer tutors to provide free tuition for disadvantaged kids?

If it's about your own income, you'd be better off looking for clients who can afford to pay.

I think very few people would want to give money to a charity which financially benefits its founder.

JaceLancs · 12/10/2020 11:37

Contact your local CVS if you have one
If not NCVO have lots of help online
You may be better setting up a CIC (community interest company) not for profit but you could pay yourself a wage
I’m CEO of a charity but also an unpaid director of a CIC which provides free services to people in need of our help which we fund by selling training and other products

Cocomarine · 12/10/2020 11:42

www.gov.uk/guidance/payments-to-charity-trustees-what-the-rules-are#pay-a-trustee-to-do-work-for-the-charity

There are, understandably, strict rules about a charity paying its own trustees.

user1471538283 · 12/10/2020 12:23

This isnt a charity. This is you trying to raise funds for your work and I doubt there is any money for this. You could try schools to see if any of the enrichment funds could be used for this but I doubt it.

Invisimamma · 12/10/2020 12:31

So, you want to offer free tutoring but be paid for it? By fundraising for 'charity.'

I don't think that one is going to fly tbh.

user1471457751 · 12/10/2020 12:53

I can't see people wanting to pay you to tutor other people's kids. It sounds like you can't make the tutoring a profitable business and are looking to get people to fund your failed business under the guise of a charity

chomalungma · 12/10/2020 12:58

Set up your own company.
Hire some cheap tutors
Get a grant from the Government to pay yourself lots of money to do it- ideally you should know someone in Government to do this for you.

Quids in

FuzzyPuffling · 12/10/2020 13:19

Yes. I’d like to do it for free but this is now my only income and can’t afford to.

The Charity Commission won't buy this one. And quite rightly. As a business model this would be so open to fraud and exploitation. And I can't think of anyone offhand, who would choose to fund you. (Speaking as an ex charity Director of Fundraising)

You'll need to find another way.