Collecting Money
Collecting money from individuals in the street, or from door-to-door, can be a good way to not only raise funds, but also raise the charity's profile.
However, certain basic guidelines must be observed.
If you want to carry out a street or house-to-house collection, you will be required to obtain permission from the Local Authority. Contact West Dunbartonshire Council's Licensing Department by phoning 01389 738 742, or e-mail Robert Mackie. Alternatively, you can download an application for license.
Organising a Collection
You should be sure that:
- You have written permission from the local authority to collect money from the public
- You make sure the person doing the collection has written authorisation
- No one collecting is under 14 (street collecting) or under 16 (door-to-door collecting)
- Every collector carries a collecting tin
- Every tin is sealed and numbered and clearly shows the name of the charity that is benefiting from the collection and the name of the organisation if different from the charity.
If you are doing a collection on behalf of a charity you need to provide a written proof of agreement from the charity to benefit.
After the Collection
You should:
- Collecting tins should be opened in the presence of a promoter and a witness, or if unopened, delivered to a bank to be opened and counted by the bank
- If opened, the contents of each tin should be listed and certified by each person present
- A return must be made to the council showing the total amount of money collected from each tin, along with a list of the collectors
Anyone associated with the collection cannot receive payment unless approved by the council.
