Walk to Welcome
2. Set Up Your Fundraiser
Stewardship Guide
There are many ways to raise funds for Walk to Welcome, and you are welcome to use whichever fundraising platform or method works best for you.
However, we recommend using Stewardship whenever possible. Stewardship is a trusted Christian giving platform that makes fundraising simple and secure. It also allows Welcome Churches to provide better support if you have questions about your fundraising page or donations.
Why Use Stewardship?
Easy to set up and manage.
Secure online giving.
Supporters can add Gift Aid to eligible donations.
Donations are transferred directly to Welcome Churches.
We can more easily support you if you encounter any issues.
You can track your fundraising progress and encourage supporters as you move towards your target.
Setting Up Your Stewardship Fundraising Page
The process is straightforward and usually only takes a few minutes.
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If you do not already have a Stewardship account, you will need to create one first. You can register here: Open a Stewardship Account
You will be asked to provide some basic personal information. Once your account is set up, you are ready to create your fundraising page.
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Visit Create a Fundraising Page
When Stewardship asks you to create a "fundraising page web address"*, this is essentially the name of your personal fundraising challenge. Choose something memorable and relevant to your event. Examples:
Sarah's 10km Walk to Welcome
Cycling for Welcome
St John's Walk to Welcome Challenge
David’s Cook to Welcome
*Your fundraising page web address may not contain special characters or spaces. Only letters of the alphabet, numbers and the underscore character are allowed. So, if your challenge is called “Cycling for Welcome”, your page address will be “cyclingforwelcome”.
Feel free to be creative - but remember that your page title should help people quickly understand what you are doing.
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Once your page has been created, you can add information and images to tell people about your challenge and why you are fundraising.
Suggested Text
Start by describing your own challenge and why you have chosen to support Welcome Churches.
If you have space remaining, you may wish to include something like:
“Refugees travel thousands of miles to seek safety. But too often, their arrival in the UK is not the end of their struggle. You can help give refugees a welcome they can walk to: a local church that will provide friendship and support. Your gift today can say to a refugee: you're welcome here.”
You may also want to adapt Stewardship's suggested text:
Welcome to my Stewardship fundraising page. Donating through Stewardship is easy and secure. If you are a UK taxpayer, please consider adding Gift Aid to your donation, which increases your gift at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support.
Thank you for supporting this project. If we do not meet our fundraising target, or if we raise more than expected, the funds will be used to support the wider work of Welcome Churches.
Please note that Stewardship limits the total amount of text on your page to 1,000 characters, so you may need to keep your wording concise.
Images
Stewardship allows you to upload up to four images. We recommend making your challenge the main focus of your page by including photographs of:
Yourself
Your team or group
Your training or preparation
Your church or community
You are also welcome to use one or two Walk to Welcome campaign images provided by Welcome Churches. Campaign images can be downloaded here: [pending]
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Before publishing your page, it is good practice to explain what will happen if you raise less than your target - or more than your target. This helps supporters understand how their donations will be used and avoids confusion later.
We also recommend familiarising yourself with guidance from the Fundraising Regulator before launching your fundraiser.
Using Other Platforms
While Stewardship is our recommended platform, you are welcome to use other fundraising websites if you prefer. Popular alternatives include:
JustGiving
GoFundMe
Givey
Whichever platform you choose, please ensure that:
It clearly states that funds are being raised for Welcome Churches.
Donations are processed securely.
Supporters understand how their donations will be used.
You keep a record of donations received.
If you are unsure whether a platform is suitable, please contact us and we will be happy to advise.
Offline Fundraising
Not all fundraising needs to happen online. Many supporters prefer to give in person, especially during church services, community events, sponsored walks, and fundraising gatherings.
If you are collecting donations offline, we recommend:
Using a clearly labelled collection box or donation station.
Keeping donations secure throughout the event.
Recording donations received where possible.
Having two people count cash donations where practical.
Keeping clear records of income and expenses.
Transferring funds promptly after the event.
You can download a sponsorship form here [pending]. If you are using the Stewardship platform at the same time, you can also record the total amount raised offline as part of your fundraising campaign.
You may also wish to display a QR code linking directly to your online fundraising page so that supporters can choose whichever method is easiest for them.
Gift Aid
Gift Aid is a UK government scheme that allows charities to claim an extra 25p from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for every £1 donated, at no extra cost to the donor, providing the donor pays enough tax.
Stewardship provides donors with a way to claim Gift Aid on their donations. If you are using a different fundraising platform, please check how Gift Aid can be claimed on that platform.