That’s up to you. You can give to Tearfund Ireland’s work as a whole or direct your donation to a particular area of our work or country. If you would like to direct your church’s donation to a particular fund, just let us know when you send in your gift.

1. Formulate your idea: The first step to any successful fundraising activity is knowing exactly what activity you are going to carry out. Original and unique ideas can work well but existing events can also be adapted to raise funds. The next thing you need to do is decide on the date, time and size of your activity.
2. Decide what you want to raise funds for and set a target: It is a good idea to decide what you want to raise funds for at the beginning of your preparations and the minimum amount you hope to raise from your event or activity. Having this goal in mind will motivate both you and your participants to succeed.
3. Get people to help: Depending on the size and nature of your activity, you may decide to involve a number of friends, family or colleagues. They can help you to organise the activity or act as a support network. You may need to assign specific roles to individuals, such as media contact, treasurer, someone to look after food, music or invites.
4. Make a plan: Whether there are many people involved in your activity or only yourself, it is nonetheless important to plan your activity or event. Decide on your goals, your timeline, people to approach, venue, ways to advertise, target audience etc. For activities involving more than one person, make sure to distribute your plan to all those involved, well in advance of the activity.
5. Make a budget: Draw up a budget for your event or activity, with all income – both cash and in-kind – and expenditure. Always allow for a contingency within your budget, as you will often overspend or underestimate in certain areas. Costs may include printing, postage, technical equipment, advertising, venue hire or catering.
6. Be safe and secure:  Remember to always consider the safety or your team and participants. Taking part in high-risk activities is not advisable and it is important to ensure the safety of your venue for events. It may be necessary to take out insurance for certain activities.
7. Be sure of your legal requirements: There are a number of laws and regulations relating to how people can fundraise for charity. It is essential that you comply with these rules when collecting for Tearfund Ireland as you are representing the organisation. To comply with legal requirements, many fundraising activities need special Permits from the Gardaí. These are available from your local Garda station. If collecting money on private property, you may also need to seek permission from the proprietor.
8. Advertise and spread the word: After all your hard work and effort, it is important not to forget to spread the word about your activity. You may be able to advertise your event on prominent notice boards, on local radio stations and in local newspapers, in shops etc. The type of advertising you need to carry out will vary depending on your type of activity. Don’t forget to set up your Fundraising page and use sites like Facebook and Twitter to get your ideas out there and gain more support. Take photographs and send them to us. We will be happy to include them on our website, Teartimes magazine or on Facebook or Twitter!

How much unwanted stuff do you and your friends have? You could have a clear-out and sell items on auction sites like eBay, then donate the proceeds to Tearfund Ireland

Get on your bike… for a sponsored cycle!

Serve cream teas! Top tip from our fundraisers: open up your church on Sunday afternoons to serve scrumptious scones.

Invite friends for a fundraising dinner. You could cook up a lovely meal, play one of our video between courses, and then simply ask for donations at the end.

Next Eurovision song contest night, why not hold a themed party? Have fun and cheer for the country of your choice, with everyone making a donation to attend. Top tip from our fundraisers: turn on the subtitles - it only adds to the fun!

 Fast for 24 hours and get people to sponsor you for your efforts. It will also raise awareness of those regularly going to bed hungry.

Do you play the guitar (or any other instrument, for that matter)? Organise a recital or gig, and charge people an entrance fee with proceeds going to Tearfund Ireland.

Shave your head, a particularly big fundraiser when someone goes from having lovely flowing locks to near (or total) baldness!

Italian food is always a winner! Why not hold an Italian dinner party, asking people for a donation in return?

Host a jazz evening (or a jive or jitterbug evening if you prefer!). You can raise bucket loads of money and enjoy brilliant music at the same time!

Run kite-making workshops in your church, charging people to take part. It’s a creative way of getting all ages together to fundraise. Top tip from our fundraisers: go and fly your kites together afterwards.

What could you give up this Lent? Donate the money you saved from giving up chocolate or whatever it is, and you could even top up the pennies by getting people to sponsor you.

There’s nothing like completing a marathon, and the hard work is even more fulfilling when you know that all your efforts are going to help others. Why not walk, jog or run the VHI Mini Marathon or the Dublin Marathon this year and raise funds for Tearfund Ireland.

Hold a nearly new sale. Find those dust-collectors and forgotten items, gather together friends and friendsof-friends, and sell your nearly new things to each other to help people in poor communities.

Hold an open air event in your garden or church grounds, and charge neighbours and friends to come along. Top tip from our fundraisers: garden parties work well.

Let’s be honest, you get them every year, so why not give up presents this time around and get your friends and family to give to Tearfund Ireland instead?

Quiz evenings can be fun for all ages! Top tip from our fundraisers: why not hold an ‘Are you smarter than a 10 year old?’ event. The questions were set by the children, and the adults had to prove they were smarter! You can charge the teams to play and be guaranteed everyone will have fun.

Recycle your old mobile phone/camera/Sat Nav/ink cartridges/mp3 player and so on. Many places will give you cash back for trading in these items and as a result you can then send some money to Tearfund Ireland.

Make a splash and do a sponsored swim for Tearfund Ireland. You could swim the equivalent of the River Shannon over a number of weeks at your local swimming pool.

Have you got a talent? Perhaps you’re a singer or a mean curry chef, or you just love to bake cakes. Whatever you do, there’s a chance it can be used to help others.

Take on a sponsored University challenge: compete against other students to see how far they could travel free of charge. Why not think of your own university challenge?

It’s the date you either love or hate: Valentine’s Day. Think about sharing the love in a different way this year – instead of buying cards or presents for your beloved, give the money to Tearfund Ireland.

This is for the adults, and it’s always popular! Have a wine- tasting evening where people pay to attend. Top tip from our fundraisers: ask everyone to bring a bottle to save you having to buy all the wine.

 X-factor frenzy has seized much of Ireland and the UK. Why not host an X-factor party and charge people to attend? If you know someone who really has got the X-factor, ask them to share their talent for Tearfund Ireland!

Events for young mums are always fun. Top tip from our fundraisers: one group decided to meet regularly for tea and cake, and give a donation to Tearfund Ireland each time.

Why not kick-start healthy lifestyles by hosting a zest for life lunch? Serve up lots of tasty and healthy foods to share with friends, and charge an entrance fee. You’ll go away feeling full of goodness!