Frequently Asked Questions

Who can use Sponsor Me?

Any individual can use Sponsor Me to raise money for charity and good causes. There is also the option to create team events so that you can work with others to increase the donations in support of your cause. Please note that Sponsor Me cannot be used to raise money for an individual. All funds raised using Sponsor Me must be paid to a registered UK charity. Companies can also use Sponsor Me - in fact we have a corporate Sponsor Me option for companies to use, which can help them to get the results from their fundraising campaigns. Companies interested in a corporate Sponsor Me should contact us for more information.

Which charities can I support with Sponsor Me?

Sponsor Me is open to all UK registered charities. We have a database of thousands of verified UK charities and good causes that can receive donations as soon as you've set up a Sponsor Me page. If we do not have a charity listed, you can complete a 'Request Charity Not Listed' form and they will be added to our database once they have been validated.

How many charities can I raise money for?

You can raise money for up to six charities for each page you set up. You can also decide how the money is split between the charities.

Is there a minimum donation?

Yes, if you are donating via a Credit or Debit card the minimum donation is £5. This is only so Charities Trust covers the bank charges applied to any online transactions. If you are donating from a My Giving Account then there is a minimum donation of £1.

I’ve forgotten my log in details

Your username will be your email address, please follow this link if you have forgotten your password: sponsorme.charitiestrust.org/forgotten Usernames would only be applicable for first sign ins for profiles from the old look Sponsor Me. Your email address will be used for future sign ins.

My event is no longer accepting donations

If your page is no longer showing the option to make a donation, it will be because your page has now closed. Your page will close at 23:59:59 on the date you selected.

Can I re-open an event?

Sorry - once a page has been closed it cannot be reopened, we suggest keeping your pages open a month after the event has taken place to ensure all donations can be made.

I can’t upload my image onto my profile/event

Your banner image should be a minimum of 1600px x 800px in JPEG format If you’re having issues please contact us on info@charitiestrust.org  or 01512865129.

When will my funds pay out?

Currently Charities Trust makes fundraising payments to charities once a month, around the 15th of each month. Please note, this is not a bulk donation that pays once the page has closed but is paid across in stages during the life of the event, until the event has finally closed.

My link is not working

Please contact us on info@sponsorme.org or 01512865129.

How do I create a Sponsor Me event?

Once you have created a profile you will be able to create an event from within your profile. Select ‘Create Event’ and you will be able to:

1. Add the name and date of your event.

2. Add a closing date for your fundraising - please note, after this date no donations will be accepted. Please note your page will close at 23:59:59 on the date of selection. Once your page has closed you cannot reopen it.

3. Choose whether this is a private event, and add the location if you wish

4. Add your target fundraising amount, if you wish.

5. Set what charities you are going to raise money for. You can choose up to six charities. Use the search option to find the charity/ies that you want to support. Please note that once you have started fundraising you cannot change your charity selections.

6. Choose how the money you raise will be divided between your chosen charities - this is shown as a percentage and must add up to 100% split of your funds.

7. Add an image - this image will be shown at the top of your fundraising page. If you do not select your own image, a standard image will appear.

8. Add a description about your event - what are you doing and why? This will help to engage with your donors and encourage them to donate.

How do I edit my Sponsor Me event?

Follow these easy steps to edit your Sponsor Me event:

1. Once you have logged in, go to ’Events’.

2. Select the event that you wish to edit.

3. Press the 'Edit ' button. This will take you through to the option of editing any of the information you have added.

4. Make your changes.

5. Press the 'Update Event' button at the bottom of your page.

Please note that once you have started fundraising and received a donation you cannot change your charity selections.

Can I create a Sponsor Me event to raise funds for more than one charity?

You can split your money between up to six charities - the split must add up to 100% of the donations you receive. This is all done in your event set up process. You can change the split or the charities using the edit function, but only before you start receiving donations. Please note that once you have started fundraising and received a donation you cannot change your charity selections.

Can my Sponsor Me event be used in conjunction with colleagues?

Sponsor Me gives you the option of creating a team event, so as the creator of a team event you can invite other team members via email. They can choose to accept their place in your team.

Team members share the event page and the fundraising target, meaning that you can set bigger targets and raise more funds for your chosen charity/ies. Please see ‘creating and editing a team page’.

How do I add a photo to my Sponsor Me event?

You can add an image during the setup of your page, described above- please note that a size limitation applies for uploading images.

You can also change your image at any time through the 'Edit ' function of 'Event'.

Can I add a fundraising summary to my Sponsor Me page?

When adding an amount to the ‘Event target’ during the event creation process, there’s a tick box which, if ticked will make a totaliser appear on the page showing the percentage funds raised towards your target.

If you prefer, you can also leave this tick box unticked so instead you will just be able to see how much you have raised so far.

How do I edit a comment that a donor has left on my Sponsor Me event?

Please contact us on info@charitiestrust.org  or 01512865129.

Can I change the charity I am supporting?

Before your fundraising commences you can change your charity by following the instructions for editing your page (listed above).

Please note that once you have started fundraising and received a donation to your page you cannot change your charity selections.

If you are supporting more than one charity you must allocate the percentage split of funds at the start of your fundraising and you cannot amend this later.

What if I cannot find the charity I want to support?

If you cannot find your chosen charity, you can complete a ‘Request Charity Not Listed’ form within your Sponsor Me event and they will be added to our database once they have been validated.

You will need to know:

• Charity name

• The Charity Commission / OSCR / HMRC registration number

• Charity address, including website and email

We can make payments to any UK based registered charity or recognised good cause such as schools and churches if they have registered with the HMRC, which makes them eligible to receive tax effective donations.

How do I change the date of my event on my Sponsor Me event

In the 'Edit ' function of 'Events’ you will be able to change the date of your event - this must be a date in the future. If you have entered an incompatible date you will not be able to save your edit and will need to enter a correct date before saving. Please note, once your page has closed you cannot change the date.

My event has been cancelled; can I get my donors' money back?

If an event is cancelled or you have pulled out for any reason, we recommend that you update your event to confirm this has been cancelled. This will prevent any further donations to your event.

We would also suggest that you update the summary of your event with an explanation of why your event has been cancelled, and that any money you have received will be given directly to the charity.

Any money already donated to an event will be paid directly to the charity. We cannot refund any donations made to your event since we are holding the donations in trust for the nominated charity.

If your donors wish to receive a refund, they will need to contact the charity directly.

I have finished my event - what do I do next?

Once the closing date for sponsorship for your event has passed it will no longer be able to receive donations and will be automatically shut down.

Any eligible Gift Aid will be processed and claimed, and payments will be made to your charity. The time taken for charities to receive donations will vary depending on whether we hold the charity bank details, which will need verifying for charities new to Charities Trust.

Funds raised using your Sponsor Me event will be paid to the charity automatically in the form of a BACS transfer.

How do I claim Gift Aid?

Charities Trust will claim Gift Aid on all eligible donations and pass the funds to your chosen charities after we have received the claimed funds from HMRC.

The application of Gift Aid will be processed once the event has been closed.

When will my charity receive the donations?

Donations made to your page are passed to charity on a monthly basis using the BACS payments service.

To ensure charities receive their money quickly and they do not have to wait until the end of your event donations to your page are paid out on a monthly basis using the BACS payments service.

Will my charity/charities know the funds have come from my fundraising event?

We provide a monthly charity statement facility where charities can log in and securely download details of the funds we have transferred to them. This will include your details so that they can thank you. The details of your individual sponsors will not be passed to the charities. This is a free service that your chosen charity can use to find your donation.

My charity has not received the funds I have raised.

Please ask your charity to ensure they are looking for a payment from ‘Charities Trust’ this can appear in their account mid-month. We may not have received bank details from your charity. These details must be provided to us on official bank stationery in the name of the organisation with the sort code and account number clearly displayed. This can be sent or scanned into us in the form of a voided cheque or bank statement.

How do I set up a fundraising team event?

You will need to set up your event through the event tab, this is the same process to creating your event (you can find any additional information in Section 3 – creating and editing an event), once you have completed you event you can start to invite team members to set up your fundraising team.

How do I add/remove team members to my event?

Once you have created your event you will be able to add and remove team members to your page:

1. Head to manage events

2. Select the members tab on the page

3. Invite members to your event. You can do this by using the search bar to find a colleague or alternatively add their email and press ‘invite’

4. The additional member will then receive an email to join your event

5. You may receive requests from friends/colleagues to join your event, this will appear in the Approvals tab on your dashboard.

6. To remove a member, go to the members tab on your event, you will see all members have a button coloured blue, please click this to turn it grey and remove the member from your event

How do I find a team page?

To find a team page please go to the search bar and select ‘events’ from the drop-down list. Type in the fundraisers name or name of the event and search. The page will then appear. Select the link to head to the event.

How do I become a team member?

There are two ways to become a team member

1. Receiving an invite – The fundraiser will add you to their event and you will receive an email notifying you that you have been added to the event. You will then need to go to the invitations area on your dashboard and accept the invitation. You will then be a member of the event.

2. You can request to be added to an event – you can request to join an event, please go to the event tab and begin typing in the name of the event you wish to join, when you see this event from the drop down list please select it and click join. The event owner will then confirm or reject your request to join the event.

How much does Sponsor Me cost?

There is no cost associated with setting up a Sponsor Me page, and charities do not pay to be listed in our database.

Our costs are covered by a small administration fee of 4% of funds raised which is deducted before the monies are transferred to charities.

This fee covers all costs of providing the Sponsor Me service including the bank processing charges for credit and debit cards.

Donation Example

*Once the money has been received from the HMRC we will then pay the appropriate charity(ies).

Payments to charities

Our standard practice is to pay charities via Bacs as this is the most cost-effective way to make payments. We do not normally pay charities by cheque due to the high costs of processing. However, where we have been unable to pay a charity by BACS we may issue a cheque but this will be subject to an additional processing charge (currently £2.50 per cheque) which will be deducted from the funds raised.

Will I be able to choose or amend the amount that I can pay into My Giving Account?

Payroll Giving is usually offered as an 'anytime' benefit which means you can increase or decrease the value of your deduction from salary at any point during the year, please contact your payroll or HR department for more information. If you want to change your choice of charities, or the amount you are donating to a charity, you can login to your My Giving Account at any time to amend these details. Please note, it can take up to 12 weeks for your first donation to show in your account.

How quickly will the charity receive my donation?

Charities Trust makes two regular pay outs each month, (mid month and end of month) ensuring that the charities you support receive donations quickly and cost-effectively. If you make a one off donation from your account it will be sent to your charity on our next payment day, if you have a regular monthly donation set up this will be included in our end of month pay out.

When will my deductions be processed into my account?

Deductions are processed by Charities Trust in line with the Payroll Giving regulations. For the majority of deductions this means that the donation is passed to the charity within 35 days of receipt from the employer; in some circumstances it may take up to 60 days. Charities Trust makes two regular pay outs each month, ensuring that the charities your employees support receive deductions quickly and cost-effectively.

Is there a minimum or maximum number of charities that I can support?

There is no minimum or maximum number of charities you can support. The My Giving Account allows you to make regular monthly donations or alternatively you can accrue some funds which will then allow you to donate larger amounts of money when your charity needs your help the most.

Can a charity claim Gift Aid on a My Giving Account donation?

No - if your donation is taken direct from your salary through Payroll Giving it has already received its full tax benefit. This means that no further tax allowance can be claimed on the donation.

Why is there no money in My Giving Account?

If you log on and there is no money in your account, this could be due to the processing that needs to take place between your payroll department and Charities Trust. Once we have received the deductions from your employer we have 35 days to process them into your account under HMRC guidelines.

Why does my transaction history only go back two years?

Your transaction history displays the last two years of activity because older records are archived for data management and system performance. If you need information beyond this period, our support team can help retrieve it for you.

When will my regular donations from an MGA be paid?

Monthly donations set up from within your account will be paid over to charities in our end of month pay out. Regular donations that are set up for any other frequency will pay out at the end of the donation period you have selected.

How long does it take for My Giving Top Up to appear?

MGA Top Ups can take 7–10 days to process and be credited to your account. They won’t appear in your transaction history until the funds have fully cleared.

Can I claim Gift Aid on MGA donations to event fundraising pages?

Gift Aid can’t be claimed on MGA donations made to event fundraising pages, even if you select the Gift Aid option. This is because MGA funds are already tax-efficient and don’t qualify for additional Gift Aid.

Can I use My Giving Account to donate to other fundraising platforms such as Just Giving?

Unfortunately, you cannot use your My Giving Account to donate to Just Giving or other fundraising platforms as our systems are not compatible. You may wish to donate to the charity directly using your My Giving Account instead. This can then be displayed on the relevant page as an offline donation. You may be interested to know that you can use your My Giving Account to donate to Sponsor Me pages. For further information on Sponsor Me please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions which can be found here: https://sponsorme.charitiestrust.org/faq

Why can’t I donate to an event using my MGA without setting up a profile first?

To donate to an event using your MGA, you must first create a profile using the email address linked to your MGA. The system won’t allow an MGA donation until your profile is fully set up.

What do I do if I have misplaced my password or log in details?

If you misplace your password, visit https://sponsorme.charitiestrust.org and click on the link 'Forgotten Password', enter your email address and a link will be sent to you to create a new password. If you have misplaced your username, please email Charities Trust at info@charitiestrust.org with your account number and we will verify your account and provide further details.

What will happen to My Giving Account if I leave the company?

Payments from your salary will stop at the end of the month that you leave. Your My Giving Account with Charities Trust will remain active, until you decide to close it but will remain accessible using the same sign in details.

What if I am experiencing difficulties with My Giving Account online?

Email us on info@charitiestrust.org with as much detail as possible or contact Charities Trust's Customer Service Team on 0151 286 5129.

When I have logged in and searched for my charity I can't find them on the database.  Can I ask for my charity to be added to the Charities Trust database?

Charities Trust has a database of thousands of UK registered charities but if your preferred charity is not listed, you can complete a 'Charity Request Form' within the 'Donate to Charity' section of your My Giving Account and as long as the charity is eligible, it will be added to the Charities Trust database once validated. You will need to know the full charity name, address, registration number (Charity Commission, OSCR, HMRC etc.) and you will need to add your contact details to the form.

Can I change my charity once I receive My Giving Account login details?

You can change the choice of charity at anytime by accessing your account and amending your instructions.

Do you provide a charity cheque book?

Charities Trust has withdrawn the use of the MGA paper voucher as of 31st October 2024, to reflect our commitment to sustainability, security, and better service for both donors and charities. All donations must be processed through our easy-to-use online system, where you can manage your donations securely and conveniently.