Preparing for your role in business. Money for a good cause

Charities and environmental groups have always been dependent on donations and money raised by the public to carry out their work. In recent years financial pressures have increased partly due to competition from the National Lottery and changing perceptions of the role of these groups. Large scale funding, such as Comic Relief, has encouraged people to 'give' while expecting a 'return' on that money, such as being mentioned on local TV. At the same time the Government has been actively encouraging young people to be involved in their communities and become 'active citizens'.

In this activity you are asked to work in a small group to raise money for a local charitable or environmental organisation by setting up a small fund-raising venture. This will also enable you to increase your knowledge of business. It will be important to raise this money bearing in mind ethical considerations and with a view to maximising the profit for the organisation following sensible business practices. You might find it useful to look at some of the links to help you determine what would and would not be appropriate. As receipt of monies is involved in this activity it is essential that a member of the group is over 18 years of age, otherwise a tutor or other suitable adult will have to be responsible for handling any donations received.

Accurate records will have to be kept of all the work you and your group carry out as well as keeping details of useful sources and advice sought over the duration of the project (at least 3 months) You are advised to read through all the tasks before beginning the activity.