Fundraising FAQs

Where does my money go?

Alzheimer Scotland is committed to making sure the vital funds you raise ensures people living with dementia and their carers get the support they need. For every £1 you raise or donate to Alzheimer Scotland, 84p goes towards the support that we offer, with 16p used to help us generate additional fundraised and donated income. Alzheimer Scotland is also registered with independent regulator, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) who monitor and encourage charity compliance.

Did you know that Alzheimer Scotland needs to raise around £20,000 every single day to help people with dementia, their carers, partners and families? Your generous support helps us continue to make sure nobody faces dementia alone. With over 90,000 people diagnosed with dementia in Scotland, and that figure set to rise, almost everyone knows someone with dementia.

Your support will help us:

• Deliver support across Scotland in the heart of local communities, including in our 21 Dementia Resource Centres
• Provide information about dementia to those carers and people living with dementia, but also to professionals wanting to learn more about being dementia friendly
• Support our Dementia Nurses to improve standards of healthcare for people with dementia
• Fund scientific, clinical, social and policy research into dementia. Together we can continue our mission to Prevent Now, Care Today, Cure Tomorrow
• Make sure that day or night – all through the year – our 24 hour Freephone Dementia Helpline is available to everyone who needs it
• Campaign to make sure the voices of people living with dementia are heard by both local and national governments

How your fundraising helps

• £9.38 – could provide an hour of support from our 24 hour Freephone Dementia Helpline
• £50 – could fund the materials used in our reminiscence groups
• £80 – Could help our Dementia Advisors support people with dementia, their carers and the community for half a day
• £100 – Could help our Community Activity Organisers run a community group like Music Memories
• £245 – could fund our mobile information resource, the Memory Bus for a week
• £880 – could fund a days worth of dementia research
• £3,333 – could help to keep your local Dementia Resource Centre open for a month

Find out more about the work your fundraising supports.

How can my workplace or company help support Alzheimer Scotland?

There are lots of ways you can fundraise in the workplace. Our Corporate Fundraising Team are here to support you every step of the way and to give you hints and tips to make your activities a success. We also have corporate partnership and Charity of the Year opportunities to fit all types and sizes of businesses.

Find out about workplace fundraising and corporate opportunities

What is Gift Aid?

Gift Aid can allow you to generate an extra 25p for every £1 you raise. The Government operates the Gift Aid scheme to allow charities to claim the basic rate tax on every pound donated. So if you are a UK taxpayer and you donated £100 to Alzheimer Scotland, it means that we will actually receive £125 at no extra cost to you. Learn more about Gift Aid.

This section is dedicated to questions relating to sponsored and third party events like marathons, cycling events and any event not run directly by Alzheimer Scotland.

I want to take part in an event for Alzheimer Scotland, how do I get involved?

Running, walking, cycling, treks, Bungee Jumps, Swings and more there are so many great third-party events out there to choose from. Whether you're taking on the London Marathon, EMF or even jumping out a plane, our Fundraising Events team are here to help support you every step of the way. Check out our favourite events here including events with exclusive charity entries.

I want to take part in an event but it's not on your website, can I still fundraise?

Absolutely! Get in touch to let us know a little bit about your event and we can send you a fundraising pack and start supporting you. If you already have a place in an event, we'd love for you to make Alzheimer Scotland your named charity.

Email us, or call 0131 243 1453. 

Do you have any tips for fundraising?

We've got you covered on this one! Our Fundraising Events Team can give you access to our Fundraising Hub which is full of toolkits and materials for getting the most out of your fundraising in the countdown to your event. Email us, or call 0131 243 1453. 

How do I pay in my sponsorship money?

Any funds raised online through JustGiving will be automatically transferred to us, so you don't need to do a thing! Just make sure to link your page to Alzheimer Scotland when setting up your page. You can do this by clicking on the link here.

If you have cash that you'd like to submit to us, there is a couple of ways to make sure the money gets to the right place, safely and securely. 

How to submit cash donations or sponsorship money

What happens if I get injured?

If you get injured or have any health concerns while training we recommend that you contact your GP, physio or specialist sports injury clinic in the first instance. They will be able to advise you if you are fit enough to take part in our sponsored events or continue training. If you do need to withdraw, please let Alzheimer Scotland and the race organisers know as soon as possible. Depending on your event, your place may be able to be deferred.

What does 'minimum sponsorship' mean?

For some of our events we set a minimum amount to raise when you secure a charity place, this is so that we can raise as much as possible to continue our vital work.

We have lots of hints and tips for raising as much as possible and our events team will be on hand to help you reach your target. If some of your minimum sponsorship is to be used to cover the costs your event (e.g. a trek or skydive) you must make your donors aware of this. And we always ask that you inform us as soon as possible if you can no longer take part with your charity place, so that Alzheimer Scotland can limit the risk of paying for an unused event place. 

If you have purchased your own place directly through the event organisers you do not have to raise a minimum amount. You can set your own target and fundraise as much as you can!

For access to your fundraising hub, please get in touch with our Fundraising Events Team.

I’m interested in supporting Brain Health Scotland, how do I do this?

Your brain is amazing. Let’s keep it that way! Developed in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government, Brain Health Scotland has been established with the singular objective of reducing the incidence of dementia over the next 10 years. You can support Brain Health Scotland by fundraising for Alzheimer Scotland in one of our challenge events- not only will you raise vital funds, you will be helping to keep your own brain healthy with the regular exercise from your challenge. Want to find out how your brain health is? Click here to take the quiz to build your personal Brain Health Plan.