Charity fundraising versus private sweepstake context

Identify the purpose without promotional shorthand

Write down who would benefit and how the benefit would be calculated. Is the intention to cover costs, allocate prizes, support a named cause or provide private benefit? Distinguish the organiser from the beneficiary. If an organisation is named, ask whether permission is needed to use its name or branding and whether any relationship has actually been confirmed.

For a wholly fictional £40 draft, an intended £10 charitable allocation describes an assumption about a future use of funds. It does not mean £10 has been donated, that the charity has approved the activity or that the remaining £30 may be used in any particular way. Keep tentative figures labelled as tentative and never turn them into evidence of money received.

• Do not invent a beneficiary partnership.
• Separate intended amounts from collected or transferred amounts.

Check the actual setting

The Gambling Commission’s work-lottery guidance concerns people who work at the same physical location. It discusses physical tickets, equal pricing, non-transferability, sales at the workplace and a draw on the business premises. It does not authorise an online fundraising campaign among every colleague in a multi-site organisation. A charitable intention does not remove the need to check the stated conditions.

The guidance says work-lottery proceeds must be used for reasonable expenses and prizes, or donated to charity, and that no profit can be made from that work lottery. Read this in its specific context rather than turning it into a rule about every format. Residential, society, event and public fundraising proposals may raise different questions requiring their own authoritative sources and advice.

Explain proposed benefit and proposed costs honestly

If an activity is ultimately reviewed and permitted to proceed, public statements need to match the actual benefit arrangement. CAP’s promotional marketing rules include charity-linked promotion requirements. Depending on the proposal, the amount, percentage or basis of the benefit may be significant information. Obtain advice on what needs to be said and where, rather than promising that a vague “for charity” statement is sufficient.

Prepare a private budget with separately identified assumptions: gross hypothetical contributions, proposed costs, proposed allocations and intended beneficiary amount. Do not use the local worksheet’s three allocation labels to disguise an organiser margin or make a deduction look approved. The calculator validates arithmetic only. It neither checks expense eligibility nor transfers or reconciles any money.

Create a review gate and an evidence plan

Before making invitations or collecting money, obtain suitable qualified review of the proposed classification, purpose and administration. Include the jurisdiction: the Commission guidance discussed here concerns Great Britain and should not be read as a UK-wide approval. If the proposal changes from a single workplace to a public online audience, return to review rather than assuming the earlier discussion still applies.

Decide what evidence would be needed if a permitted activity later takes place: approved communications, relevant receipts, the basis of any donation statement and confirmation of any transfer. Collect only necessary personal information and protect access. These are planning questions, not a universal recordkeeping schedule. This website provides no legal certification, accounting service or charity assurance, and no actual activity can be launched from its worksheet.