A coordinated fundraising approach is required to sustain the charity in its entirety.  SSAFA’s Council of Trustees has an obligation to manage the resources of the organisation responsibly; to do which, it directs the use of funds to best deliver the objects of the charity regardless of whether those funds are held in Central, or Network accounts.

This allows the organisation to support the core fabric of the charity through professional and accountable management, governance, IT, HR and training, without which SSAFA (or any compliant and properly regulated charity) would not be able to function.

In the current environment, most charities actively fundraise to survive  each fighting to build support and recognition from the public and other funders.  Increased media scrutiny, regulation and governance standards have made managing a compliant and well-run charity increasingly challenging and expensive.

For many years, a significant part of SSAFA’s annual income has been derived from UK and overseas MOD contracts providing health and social work services to serving personnel.  The most significant of these, in Germany, ended in September 2020.  The future of the other contracts remains uncertain in the longer-term.  This will have an impact on SSAFA, which is why more resource has been invested in fundraising to help bridge the anticipated gap in future income, as well as support the development of casework provision.  

Fundraising Together

Our Fundraising Together approach is based on a coordinated and supported strategy that makes the best use of available resources to support and sustain SSAFA’s charitable objects, including:  

• a range of fundraising campaigns and events led by the Fundraising Marketing & Communications (FMC) Directorate which, where appropriate, includes Network participation.
• community and regionally led activities in partnership with the Network; and,
• facilitating/supporting fundraising activities generated by the Network.

A coordinated and supported approach to awareness and fundraising across ‘One SSAFA’ enables our supporters and the public to become aware of, and better understand, the full range of our activities and our impact in the military community, and wider society.

Development of confidence and expertise in awareness and fundraising techniques helps Network volunteers to generate higher levels of income locally and regionally.  There are also CO-led initiatives and campaigns that raise our profile within the Network’s own communities.

The CO FMC directorate’s teams of professional fundraisers generate income for SSAFA through the following activities: -  

• Individual and Regular Giving.  Activities include mailing campaigns, private site fundraising, social media-based campaigns, the SSAFA Lottery and In Memory giving.
• Gifts In Wills. Many of our generous supporters choose to remember SSAFA in their Wills. These are administered by our Legacy Manager.
• Major Donors.  Income is generated from wealthy/high net worth individuals.  
• Trusts, Foundations and Statutory Grants. Support in the form of grants may be received from trusts, foundations, statutory funders (such as local authorities and ICBs), institutional funders (such as BBC Children In Need, Comic Relief, the National Lottery), government departments (such as the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, Govt Dept of Digital Culture Media and Sport).
• Corporate Partnerships. We work with many companies to raise funds for SSAFA, many of whom become official corporate partners.  Support can be through donations, employee fundraising, sponsorship, or a combination of these. Some of our partners offer further support through volunteering, gifts in kind and raising awareness of SSAFA through their communication channels. We also work with supporters - individuals or organisations - who raise money for SSAFA through the sale of a product, book, or service. These must sign a Commercial Participator Agreement (CPA) either with SSAFA or via our partner, Work for Good, depending on the level of income that the partnership is expected to generate.
• Trading and Merchandise. SSAFA’s online shop sells a wide range of items including books, clothes, gifts, and Christmas cards. All purchases through the shop or catalogue directly benefit SSAFA.
• Special Events. These include organised events (e.g., Defence Industry Charitable Dinner, Reservist Reception) and ‘in support of’ events, including dinners and concerts where SSAFA is the named charity beneficiary. We also run a programme called Corporate Friends, which hosts networking events in Central London, with keynote briefings given by senior figures from the military community.  
• Challenge Events and Supporter Events. Challenge events include running places where places are purchased by SSAFA (e.g., London Marathon, Great North Run), and SSAFA-organised events (e.g., 13 Bridges Challenge, Ride the Plain).  Supporter events are those organised directly by fundraisers, in support of the charity.
• Network and Community Fundraising.  The Network & Community team raises income to support the running of the Network’s regional hubs. A Regional Fundraising Officer (RFO) is allocated to each region and raises funds for the region from a spread of fundraising activities including corporate supporters, membership organisations, community and challenge events, and small to medium size organisations such as trusts and local authorities.

Some of the activities described above are formalised or contractual agreements between supporters and the national charity and are account-managed by specific CO teams.  In such cases, it may not be possible or appropriate for the Network to play a direct part in those activities.

These may include funders or potential funders with whom a relationship already exists or is being developed and stewarded by a colleague in the CO fundraising directorate. Examples might include national trusts and foundations, large businesses and companies, which may also have a regional presence.

These should not be approached by the Network or RFO colleagues, without first checking on our SAVI database and with the relevant CO Team (see below).  

However, many opportunities do arise for the Network to work alongside, or benefit from, a wide range of fundraising initiatives. These include:  

• Individual Giving. In Memory fundraising (largely funeral collections) can operate through the ‘Much Loved’ website by those wishing to raise funds for a branch or SC if specified with the Individual Giving team in advance. In addition, the Individual Giving team assists with Gift Aid claims. Contact: Liz Graham, Head of Supporter Engagement.
• Gifts in Wills and Major Donors. The CO Legacy team is responsible for administering all legacies left to SSAFA, whether a branch or SC is specified or not. In the case where the Legacy is gifted to a branch or SC the funds are transferred over once banked. Where a branch or SC is aware of a Legacy left to them, they should make the Legacy Manager aware at the earliest opportunity. Local high-net-worth individuals may also provide opportunities for donations.  Contact: Iqtadar Hasnain, Head of Philanthropy.
• Trusts and Foundations.  Local or regional trusts and foundations may provide opportunities for smaller grants i.e., less than £10,000.  Contact: James Chappell, Head of Trusts & Foundations.
• Corporate Fundraising.  National corporate partnerships often provide opportunities for volunteering or fundraising at local or regional Network level.  The Corporate team will also refer local corporate partnership leads directly to RFOs where there is a better fit in terms of local or regional support and/or a focus on local delivery.  Contact:  Emma Taylor, Head of Commercial & Corporate Partnerships.  
• Merchandise.  The Network and RFOs can request their own unique login from CO to purchase SSAFA merchandise through the online store.  This offers generous discounts on orders from our online product ranges.  A small number of items - stocked and delivered directly by our suppliers - are excluded from this discount.  Purchased items can be re-sold at the full recommended retail price to generate income for the Network.  Contact:  Brian Gray, Trading Manager.
• Special Events.  These include events organised by the CO Events team, or ‘in support/aid of’ events. Where these are in support of the charity, they may also provide opportunities for volunteers to fundraise alongside staff, and to raise Network funds through their own efforts.  The CO Events team will discuss and confirm the basis of engagement to ensure mutual agreement and transparency.  Contact:  Verity Harding, Head of Events.
• Challenge Events.  SSAFA’s Challenge Events include bespoke events (e.g., 13 Bridges Challenge, Ride the Plain) and open events, where places are paid for in third-party organised events (such as the London Marathon or Great North Run). Participants are set a minimum fundraising target.  If the target is exceeded, there may be scope for some of the income to be shared with the associated branch, division or SC. Contact:  Verity Harding, Head of Events.
• Supporter-led Fundraising.  When fundraising enquiries are received, enquirers are asked whether they wish to raise money for their region, branch, division or SC, in which case they are passed over to the relevant contact; or for the national charity, in which case they will be supported by the CO Events team. Those that have a stated personal connection to a part of the Network are referred directly for follow up.  Contact: Verity Harding, Head of Events/Helen Fergie-McGowan, Head of Network & Community Fundraising
• Fundraising training.  The regional fundraising team can provide fundraising courses for volunteers across the UK.  These are free to attend.  Contact:  Helen Fergie-McGowan, Head of Network & Community Fundraising.
• Volunteering at Events.  Where the CO Events team engages with Network volunteers to help fundraise at an event or as part of a campaign, the Events team will clearly explain the proposed terms of engagement and share of activities.  Where this includes an opportunity for volunteers to fundraise alongside staff -e.g., bucket collections - then the Network will retain all monies generated through its own efforts.  

The following framework is intended to promote a culture of transparency, fairness, trust and collaboration that will maximise separate and joint awareness and fund-raising opportunities for the Network in pursuing its own local awareness- and fund-raising efforts.

This framework is described as a set of 11 guiding principles which seek to minimise common areas of contention and misunderstanding, and against which disagreements may be resolved.  

Following these principles will, hopefully, minimise most causes of misunderstanding and disagreement.  However, in the few cases that a dispute arises which cannot be resolved by the relevant RFOs/RFMs and Head of Network and Community and other team Heads, the relevant Network Chair should inform the Director of Fundraising, Marketing & Communications and Director of Volunteer Operations of the circumstances for requested resolution, with an appeal to the Controller and/or National Chairman available if needed.