Up and down the country, people are counting down to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and a four-day weekend. Whether you love the monarchy, or you’re just partial to a few days off work, it’s a great opportunity for a spot of fundraising.

Here are some quintessentially British things that you could do to raise money for your favourite charity.

Host afternoon tea

Originating in the early 1840s, afternoon tea is a time-honoured British tradition. So why not dust off your finest china, invite your friends over and indulge?

It’s all about light snacks and finger food so serving the perfect spread doesn’t mean hours in the kitchen. Channel your inner Delia Smith and bake a Victoria sponge, rustle up some cucumber and mint sandwiches and serve a well-brewed, proper pot of tea. As you sit down with your friends for a gossip, ask them to make a donation to your favourite charity in exchange for their afternoon treat. Set up a JustTextGiving code and they’ll be able to donate right there and then.

Organise a British-themed pub quiz

Getting to show off your general knowledge over a nice cold pint makes pub quizzes ever popular in the UK.

Get in touch with the pubs in your local area and see if they’d be interested in letting you host a British-themed pub quiz. Then pop up some posters, let people know when it’s happening and ask them for a donation as entry. Hopefully the pub will let you offer a bottle of wine or a free drink as a prize and all of the money raised can go to your charity.

When it comes to questions, stick to the traditional rounds and just give them a British theme. You could have questions on British history, film, music, sporting triumphs and of course, a round on the British monarchy.

Bake some scones

Who doesn’t love an extra couple of days at the weekend? The only drawback is the post-holiday blues that circulate the office when it’s all over.

One way to brighten up a back-to-work morning is a sweet treat for elevenses. Involve your colleagues by offering up Devonshire cream tea. All you’ll need is some homemade scones, a pot of clotted cream and a jar of strawberry jam. Then pop the kettle on and ask your colleagues to text a donation in return. They won’t be able to resist!

Have a street party

With an estimated 10 million people attending street parties during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, you can expect a lot of bunting and trestle tables decorating the UK over the bank holiday.

Street parties are a great way to meet your neighbours and involve the community in your Diamond Jubilee celebrations, but they require a lot of planning. For starters, you’d need to get permission from your local council to close the road.

An easy alternative is to organise a ‘street meet’. A street party but on a smaller scale, a street meet could involve gathering in a park, on your driveway, or if there’s one close-by, you could congregate in a cul-de-sac. Just make sure you’re somewhere safe and traffic free and ask your neighbours to join you in exchange for a small donation. There are lots of great ideas and tips for arranging a street meet on the Streets Alive website.

Get competitive with your favourite sport

There’s a lot of debate when it comes to naming Britain’s national sport.. Football, cricket, tennis, they all guarantee plenty of occupied sofas during major tournaments. But there’s also rugby, snooker, darts… in fact, the only thing not up for debate is how much us Brits love our sport.

So how about celebrating the long weekend with a charity match of your favourite game?

Or with the Olympics only weeks away, you could organise a mini-athletics tournament that rivals any sports day you had at school. Find out which of your friends is the Usain Bolt of the egg-and-spoon race, partner up for the three-legged race and dig out some old pillow cases for the sack race. Everyone makes a donation to take part and all of the ‘gold medalists’ get the money-can’t-buy prize of pride.

Do you have plans for any fundraising over the Jubilee weekend? Or do you have a quintessentially British idea for fundraising? We’d love to hear it. Leave a comment on our Facebook wall, send us a tweet or leave a comment on the blog below.

Earlier this month, Claire Lomas became the first person to complete a marathon in a bionic ReWalk suit. Unable to walk without it, Claire conquered the London marathon in 16 days, raising more than £160,000 for Spinal Research. Inspired by Claire’s epic achievement? Follow in her footsteps by trying some of her fundraising techniques:

- Give people an opportunity to donate by wearing your JustTextGiving code

Claire gave onlookers the opportunity to donate by putting her JustTextGiving code on her shirt. The result? Over £13,000 raised by text alone. Find out how to set up your JustTextGiving code.

- Reach out to people on Twitter

Twitter is a great way to get people talking about your fundraising.With Claire regularly tweeting along the route, word of her heroic effort quickly spread. Keep your followers updated and always remember to include a link to your page.

- Get in touch with your charity

Spinal Research supported Claire along her entire journey. Not only can your charity be a great source of encouragement, it can also help you tell people just how important their donations are.

Thank you from Claire

Claire’s heroic effort struck a chord with so many of you. When we first mentioned her story on the blog, you told us just how inspired you were by Claire as you eagerly supported her fundraising.

Half-way through her marathon course, Claire had already beaten her £50,000 target. She’s now more than trebled it, raising over £160,000 for Spinal Research. Thanking you all for your support, Claire had this to say:

Thanks to everyone who has donated, supported my challenge and helped raise so much for Spinal Research, who I believe will go on and help so many people.

Thank you from Spinal Research

Spinal Research funds medical research around the world to develop reliable treatments for paralysis caused by a broken back or neck. Here’s what Jonathan Miall, the charity’s CEO had to say about how Claire’s fundraising will help them continue with their ground breaking work:

We’re overwhelmed by Claire’s determination and commitment to complete the London marathon for Spinal Research – it is a stunning effort.   Not only has she raised substantial income for our potentially life-changing research but also awareness of our charity and the impact of spinal cord injury.

Make a donation to Claire’s page

You can still make a donation to Claire’s page here. To donate by text message, just send LEGS60 followed by an amount (£ 1, £2, £3, £4, £5, or £10) to 70070.

Congratulations Claire from everyone here at JustGiving!

Next month, people up and down the country will be celebrating the Diamond Jubilee. If you’d like to mark 60 years of the Queen’s reign, how about a donation to one of the charities Her Majesty’s supports? The Queen is patron to over 600 charities, and her fellow royals support almost 3,000 more. You can see a full list on The British Monarchy’s official website.

Charities all over the country have the royal seal of approval, with causes including education, health, animal welfare and environment. We took a look through and found a great charity based in each area of the UK for you to support – find your local one below.

Do you know of a different charity in your area that’s supported by the royals? We’d love to hear about it. Let us know by leaving a comment.

Scotland

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland – The Queen is a patron and The Duke of Kent is the charity’s president.

Through medical research, advice and support in the community, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland aims to improve the quality of life of people who have been affected by chest, heart and stroke illness in Scotland.

North West England

The Royal School for the Blind, Liverpool - The Queen is a patron.

The Royal School for the Blind, Liverpool is a non-maintained special school and a totally independent charity. It caters for pupils that are aged between two and 19 years with a visual impairment and additional disabilities, including multi-sensory impairment.

North East England

Children North East – The Duke of York is a patron.

Founded in 1891, Children North East support over 5000 children, young people and families every year. The charity helps them overcome problems associated with poverty and deprivation, enabling them to reach their full potential.

Yorkshire and The Humber

The Prince of Wales Hospice, Pontrefact – The Prince of Wales is the charity’s president.

The Prince of Wales Hospice supports people with life-limiting illnesses and their families. The charity is an integral part of the Five Towns’ community, offering round-the-clock support 365 days of the year.

West Midlands –

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity is the official charity of the Queen Elizabeth & Selly Oak hospitals in Birmingham. It includes the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine where military patients are treated from around the world.

East Midlands –

I CAN – The Queen is a patron.

I CAN supports children with speech, language and communication difficulties. Its mission is to ensure that no child who struggles to communicate is left out or left behind.

East of England

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices – The Duchess of Cambridge is a patron.

East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice support children with life-threatening conditions and their families. Services can be provided in the family home, the community or the hospice.

London

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home – The Queen is a patron.

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s vision is of a world where all dogs and cats are in caring and permanent homes. They reunite lost dogs and cats with their owners and, when this can’t be done, they care for them until new homes can be found.

South West England

Cornwall Community Foundation – The Duchess of Cornwall is a patron.

Cornwall Community Foundation is committed to supporting local projects in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, engaging local people in making their communities better places to live.

South East England

Queen Elizabeth’s  Foundation for Disabled People (QEF)

QEF works with people living with physical and learning disabilities or acquired brain injuries to gain new skills and increase independence. Whether it’s learning everyday life skills or training for future employment, QEF supports disabled people to achieve their goals.

Wales

St Davids Cathedral – The Queen is a patron.

St Davids Cathedral is a place of worship, a centre for pilgrimage and one of the most visited heritage sites in Wales. With over 300,000 visitors a year, the running costs of this working cathedral are over £2,500 a day.

Northern Ireland

Co-operation Ireland – The Queen is a patron.

Co-operation Ireland is a peace-building charity that works to advance mutual understanding and respect between the people of Northern Ireland and of the Republic of Ireland. It gives people the opportunity to meet and share experiences and opinions with those of a different religion or tradition.

If you’re running in the Edinburgh marathon next weekend, your fundraising could be £500 closer to your target with our Edinburgh marathon photo competition. To enter, all you need to do is send us a photo from the day.

It could be a photo of you at the finish line proudly wearing your medal. Or maybe your family and friends capture a snap of you mid-marathon. Whether it’s of a charity mascot, a celebrity runner or a great atmospheric photo of the route, our favourite photo will win an extra £500 for your charity.

To enter, email us your best photo from the day to yourstories@justgiving.com.

The competition closes on Monday 4^th June and we’ll announce the winner shortly afterwards.

Good luck!

After nine months, the football season is over. As football fans around the country think of new ways to fill their Saturday afternoons, everyone else can triumphantly return to their living rooms and reclaim their couches; at least until the start of the Euros next month.

To celebrate we have highlighted some footie-related fundraising that has caught our eye.

Arsenal – ‘Be a Gooner, Be a Giver’

This season, Arsenal raised a whopping £120,689.86 for its charity partner Save the Children.  Fundraising events included ‘Be a Gunner be a Runner’, a 10-lap fun run around the Emirates Stadium. The club also had a dedicated match day where players and staff donated a day’s wages to the cause. Does your sports team have a JustGiving page? Why not link your fundraising page to your sports team if it has a JustGiving page?

Aston Villa – Record breaking half time fundraising

During a Premier League match, Aston Villa legend Paul McGrath asked fans to reach for their mobiles and donate through JustTextGiving by Vodafone. In doing so the crowd broke the record for the most amount of money raised during a game, helping Acorn Children’s Hospice raise £7,500. JustTextGiving codes are available to anyone with a fundraising page and can make it easier for your friends and family to donate on the go. Find out more about how you can use JustTextGiving.

Homeless World Cup – Beating Homelessness through Football

The Homeless World Cup Foundation uses football to energise homeless people to change their lives. They engage with over 30,000 homeless players and are active in over 64 different nations. Last year supporters of the organisation from around the world raised funds to get their teams to the annual world cup event, held in Paris. Scotland were the eventual winners, beating Brazil in the final to win the event for the second time.

There has been lots of football-related fundraising going on around the country this season. Let us know what your football team has been up. Leave a comment on our Facebook wall, send us a tweet or leave a comment on the blog below.

It’s hard to believe, but the Bupa Great North Run is only four months away. On Sunday 16^th September, thousands of people will be taking to Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields to run in the world’s biggest half-marathon. If you didn’t manage to get a place in the ballot, there are still plenty of opportunities to run by applying for a charity place.

We’ve put together a list of charities that have told us that they have spaces left on their Bupa Great North Run team. Find out how many places they have, what the minimum fundraising target is and how you can apply.

We’ll be updating this post weekly, so do keep checking back for updates.

Good luck!

Charities with places available for the Bupa Great North Run 2012

ActionAid have 25 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £250. Email run@actionaid.org or visit the ActionAid website to apply.

Action for Children have 50 places. The minimum fundraising target is £300 and applications can be made on the Action for Children website.

Age UK have 60 places left. The minimum fundraising target is £350. To apply, email Tom at tom.galliano@ageuk.org.uk or call 0203 033 1362. You can also apply via the Age UK website.

Animal Care Trust have 8 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £250. You can apply by emailing act@rvc.ac.uk.

Arthritis Research UK have 100 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £375 and you can apply by emailing events@arthritisresearchuk.org, calling 0300 790 0402 or downloading a form on their website.

Aspire have 20 places and a minimum fundraising target of £300. Email Andrew directly on andrew.ogierman@aspire.org.uk or by calling 0208 420 8951.

Asthma UK have 140 places available. Their minimum fundraising target is £300. You can apply via the Asthma UK website or by calling 0800 121 62 55.

Barnardo’s have 20 places and a £300 minimum fundraising target. You can apply for a place on the Barnado’s website.

Bone Cancer Research Trust have 11 places available available. The minimum fundraising target is £285 and they are taking applications via their website.

Breakthrough Breast Cancer have 50 places. The minimum fundraising target is £350. Visit the website to download an application form.

Breast Cancer Campaign have 100 places and a fundraising target of £350. You can apply for a place on the Breast Cancer Campaign’s website.

Breast Cancer Care have 160 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £300. You can email nicki.sharp@breastcancercare.org.uk, call 0845 092 0804 or apply on the website.

British Red Cross have 50 places available. Their minimum fundraising target is £300 and you can apply via the British Red Cross website, by emailing greatnorthrun@britishredcross.org.uk or by calling 0844 412 2877.

Butterwick Hospice have 60 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £300. You can apply by emailing gailpearson@butterwick.org.uk or via the Butterwick Hospice website.

CAFOD have 100 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £300. Apply via the CAFOD website or call 020 7095 5670

Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) have 10 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £350. Apply by emailing events@c-r-y.org.uk.

CHICKS have nine places available and a minimum fundraising target of £200. For more information, visit the CHICKS website or email azita@chicks.org.uk.

Children 1st have 4 places available with a £300 miniumum sponsorship target. Please phone 0131 319 8068 or email running@children1st.org.uk to apply.

Children’s Heart Federation have 5 places available and have a £500 target for fundraisers. Send an email to rebeccah@chfed.org.uk or call 0207 422 0630 to apply.

The Children’s Society have 82 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £350. Apply by emailing michael.winehouse@childrenssociety.org.uk or via their website.

Christian Aid have 70 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £300. You can register online at the Christian Aid website.

CLIC Sargent have 50 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £350. You can apply on the CLIC Sargent website.

COCO (Comrades of Children Overseas) have 10 places and a minimum fundraising target of £200. Email Laura at laura@coco.org.uk to apply.

Concordia Foundation have six places available and a fundraising target of £1000. Email info@concordiafoundation.com to apply.

Coping with Cancer North East have 50 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £200. Email pauline.johnson@yahoo.co.uk and ask for a registration form.

CP Sport have 15 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £300. You can apply via the CP Sport website.

Cry in the dark have 10 places. The minimum fundraising target is £300. Please email Steve@cryinthedark.org to apply.

Daisy Chain have 30 places and a minimum fundraising target of £350. Email Sarah at sarah@daisychainproject.co.uk to apply.

Depaul UK have 9 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £300. Fill in on the online application at the Depaul UK website or contact Julie on 0191 253 6161.

Diabetes UK have 200 places available and a £350 fundraising target. Please visit the Diabetes UK website and complete the registration form.

Dreams Come True have 10 places. There is a £250 minimum fundraising target. Email toni.cook@dctc.org.uk to apply.

Grace House North East Children’s Hospice Appeal have 50 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £300. Call 0191 5166302 or email jh@gracehouse.co.uk to apply.

Grangemouth Air Cadets Squadron have 10 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £500 and you can apply by emailing Fred at fred@rite.be.

Guide Dogs have 250 places still available. There is a minimum fundraising target of £300. Visit the Guide Dogs website, email events@guidedogs.org.uk or call  0845 600 6787 to apply.

Headway – the brain injury association have 8 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £450. Apply via the Headway website, by emailing Susan on projects@headway.org.uk or calling 0115 9240800.

Help the Hospices have 50 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £395. Apply online the Help the Hospices website or call the events team on 020 7520 2999.

HospiceCare North Northumberland have 3 places left. The minimum fundraising target is £250. Email jmawer@hospicecare-nn.org.uk to apply.

Isabel Hospice have 4 places available and no minimum fundraising target. Email Maria Alexander at maria.alexander@isabelhospice.org.uk to apply.

Josie’s Dragonfly Trust have a limited amount of places. The minimum fundraising target is £350 and you can apply by emailing patrick@josiesdragonfly.org or by calling 01434 602043.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation have ten places left. The minimum fundraising target is £375. You can email events@jdrf.org.ukor visit their website to apply.

Kidney Research UK have 60 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £395. You can apply for a place on the Kidney Research UK website.

Leonard Cheshire Disability have 65 places available and a 3325 minimum fundraising target. Apply via the Leonard Cheshire Disability website to apply, Text RUN to 80878 (standard text rates apply) or call Emma on 020 3242 0264

The Leprosy Mission England & Wales have 6 places and a minimum fundraising target of £250. Visit their website to apply or contact John on johnr@TLMEW.org.uk or by calling 0191 478 6489

Leukaemia CARE have 20 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £350. Visit the Leukaemia CARE website or email helen.whatmore@leukaemiacare.org.uk to appy.

Macmillan Cancer Support have 100 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £385. Visit the Macmillan website to apply.

Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres have 85 places available and a fundraising target of £370. Email events@maggiescentres.org or call 0300 123 1801 to apply for a place.

Make-A-Wish Foundation UK have 50 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £400. Email Andy at andy.holland@makeawish.org.uk or visit the Make-A-Wish website to apply.

Martin House Children’s Hospice have 100 places available. They have a minimum fundraising target of £300. Email Caroline on events@martinhouse.org.uk or call 01937 844569 to apply.

Max Appeal have 20 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £200. Contact Paul Wootton by emailing paul@maxappeal.org.uk to apply.

Mencap have 100 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £350. Visit the Mencap website to apply.

Meningitis Trust have 55 places available and a £300 fundraising target of £300. You can apply via the Meningitis Trust website.

Meningitis UK have 20 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £350. Apply on the Meningitis UK website, call 0117 303 3343 or email lizgough@meningitisUK.org.

Mercy Ships UK have 15 places. There is a minimum fundraising target of £250. You can download an application on the Mercy Ships UK website, email fundraising@mercyships.org.uk, or call 01438 727800.

Mines Advisory Group have 16 places left. You can apply via their website, by emailing ingrid.turner@maginternational.org or calling 0161 2385486

MS Society have 100 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £300. Sign up on the MS Society website.

Motor Neurone Disease Association have approximately 40 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £395. Please email anita.solan@mndassociation.org or call 01604 611832 to apply.

Muscular Dystrophy Campaign have 10 places available. There is a minimum fundraising target of £300. Apply by emailing h.gill@muscular-dystrophy.org

National Autistic Society have 87 places and a £350 minimum fundraising target. Apply for a place at the National Autistic Society website.

National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) have 15 places and a minimum fundraising target of £400. You can apply via their website.

The Outward Bound Trust have 10 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £350. You can contact Danielle Britton on 020 3301 6481 or email danielle.britton@outwardbound.org.uk.

Parkinson’s UK have 50 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £350. To apply for a place you need to download a copy of the registration form from their website. You’ll then need to email this to events@parkinsons.org.uk.

Penny Brohn Cancer Care have 10 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £275. Call 01275 370073, email running@pennybrohn.org or visit the website to apply.

The Percy Hedley Foundation have 75 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £200. Send an email to m.hallett@percyhedley.org.uk to apply for a place.

The Prince of Wales Hospice have 5 places. There is a £350 minimum fundraising target. Email hwells@pwh.org.uk or call 0844 248 4787 to claim your place.

The Prince’s Trust have 30 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £300. Visit The Prince’s Trust website to apply.

Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People have 35 places. The minimum fundraising target is £350. You can apply by emailing Neil on neil.swift@rainbows.co.uk or calling 01509 638005.

RedR UK have 10 places and a minimum fundraising target of £300. You can download an application form on their website. Once completed, email it to fundraising@redr.org.uk.

RSPCA have 20 places available, a minimum fundraising target of £300 and you can apply by emailing fundraisers_support@rspca.org.uk.

Rossendale Hospice have 10 places available and a £200 fundraising target. You can apply by emailing  fundraising@rossendalehospice.org or you can download an application pack via the Rossendale Hospice website.

Self Unlimited have 2 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £350. You can apply for a place by emailing kia.peutril@selfunlimited.co.uk  or via the Self Unlimited website.

Sense have eight places left. The minimum fundraising target is £300 and you can apply via the Sense website.

Sheffield Hospitals Charity have four places and a minimum fundraising target of £200. Email isla.denoon@shct.nhs.uk to apply.

Shelter have 100 places and a £350 minimum fundraising target. You can apply via the Shelter website.

Shift.ms have 15 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £300. Email ghada@shift.ms to apply.

Shine have six places available and a minimum fundraising target of £300. Contact Andrew at andrew.ellis@shinecharity.org.uk or call 01733 421307 to apply.

Smile For Life Children’s Charity have 8 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £200. Email deborah@smileforlife.org.uk or call 0191 2844166 to apply.

Spinal Research have seven places currently available. The minimum fundraising target is £450. If you would like to join the Spinal Research team, please contact Robin on 01483 898786, send him an email at robin@spinal-research.org or register your interest online.

SSAFA Forces Help have 11 places available and a £250 minimum fundraising target. Email fundraisingassistant@ssafa.org.uk or apply via the SSFA Forces Help website.

St Oswald’s Hospice have over 100 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £300. Call 0191 2469123, email susanhollyman@stoswaldsuk.org or visit the St Oswald’s Hospice website to apply.

St Thomas Lupus Trust have 10 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £200.Email fundraising@lupus.org.uk to apply.

St Gemma’s Hospice have 70 places available. There is a minimum fundraising target of £300. You can apply on St. Gemma’s Hospice website.

TB Alert have 8 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £250. Email Briggy at fundraising@tbalert.org or call 01273 234784 to apply.

The Prostate Cancer Charity have 200 places available and a £400 minimum fundraising target. Email events@prostate-cancer.org.uk to apply.

Tilinanu Orphanage have 100 places available and no minimum fundraising target. Email lovetilinanu@hotmail.com to apply.

Traidcraft have 59 places. The minimum fundraising target is £250. Apply via the Traidcraft website, by emailing email fundraising@traidcraft.co.uk or calling 0191 497 6445.

Ulster Cancer Foundation have 20 places available and a £695 minimum fundraising target. Register online at the Ulster Care foundation website or contact Sarah by calling 028 9068 0765 or emailing sarahatcheson@ulstercancer.org.

Useful Vision have 3 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £450. Email Rebecca Wilson at rebeccawilson@usefulvision.org.uk to apply.

Variety have 7 places available. The minimum fundraising target is £375. Please contact Frankie at frankie.holah@variety.org.uk or call 0207 428 8118 to apply.

WaterAid have 15 places available. Their minimum fundraising target is £300. Sign up via their website or by emailing greatnorthrun@wateraid.org.

WellChild have 10 places available and a minimum fundraising target of £300. You can apply for a place via the WellChild website.

WheelPower – British Wheelchair Sport have 12 places. The minimum fundraising target is £250. Email jo.hall@wheelpower.org.uk or call 01296 395 995 to apply.

It’s official. Social media is a huge deal when you’re fundraising with more and more people donating after being asked through Facebook and Twitter.

Here are our top five ways of using social media to boost your fundraising.

1. Share your page on your Facebook Timeline

A whopping 97% of all social media donations are driven from Facebook, making it a great tool for drumming up support for your cause. In 2011 alone, fundraisers who shared their page on Facebook brought over one million donors back to JustGiving.

Updating your Facebook status with a link to your page means it will appear in the timeline of all of your friends. A great tip is to ask your friends to also ‘like’ or ‘share’ you status. News of your fundraising will spread even further to their friends. With each viral Facebook share worth an average of £5 in donations, it could mean a lot of extra money for your favourite charity.

2. Spread the word on Twitter

Twitter might not drive quite as many people to the site as Facebook, but those coming from Twitter tend to give considerably more. The average donation from Facebook is £18.33, whilst Twitter users give an average of £30.26.

Tweet to your followers a link to your page and ask them to give it a retweet so it’s seen by their followers too.

JustTweeting is an incredibly handy tool. Developed by two very clever fundraisers, it enables you to schedule automatic tweets that tell your followers how they can support you and keep them up-to-date with your fundraising progress.

3. Make a video and share it on YouTube

Video is a great tool when it comes to telling your fundraising story. And you don’t need to be the next Spielberg to put something together – with smartphones and digital cameras, it’s easier than ever to make a short video.

You can share your video on YouTube and then add it to your JustGiving page. With donors coming from YouTube donating an average of £28.77, it can have a massive impact on your fundraising.

For inspiration and some great tips, check out this example from London marathon runner Peter Goldsworthy. His simple, yet effective video helped him raise over £7,000 for Whizz-Kidz.

4. Use the JustGiving Facebook app.

Another way to share your page on Facebook is by using our Facebook app. The great thing about the app is that your friends can donate to your page without ever having to leave Facebook.

By making it ever easier for people to donate, you’ll hopefully see a little added generosity – people give an average of 44% more when they donate without leaving Facebook.

5. Add the JustGiving widget to your blog

If you’re an avid blogger or you have your own website, adding the JustGiving widget is a great way of driving visitors to your fundraising page.

The widget is like a mini version of your JustGiving page. You can put it on your personal website or blog, and ask friends and family to put it on theirs. It’s made in JustGiving colours and shows how you’re progressing towards your target, with a thermometer that updates as and when people donate. When someone clicks on it, they’ll go straight to your JustGiving page.

Need a little help adding a widget? Here’s a step-by-step guide.

If you’ve got a great tip for using social media to boost your fundraising, we’d love to hear it. Leave a comment on our Facebook wall, send us a tweet or leave a comment on the blog below.

The Queen has spoken. Her speech briefly outlined the laws the government will try to introduce in Parliament over the next year. But what does it all mean for charities?

The Small Donations Bill

One bill that has been proposed is the Small Donations Bill. The government hopes this will give a helping hand to small charities. The scheme will allow charities to claim back 25p for every £1 on donations less than £20, on up to £5,000 of donations. Within this scheme, charities won’t need to get aid declarations from individual donors or have to fill in the individual paperwork associated with Gift Aid.

How will it benefit charities?

The idea is that this scheme will reduce the admin for small charities. And the government has said this could mean an extra £85m for those who can claim. But there are a few conditions. Charities will need to have been claiming Gift Aid regularly for the last three years. They will also need a clean three-year tax record.

Chloe Smith, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said: “This scheme will be particularly helpful for small charities that rely on bucket collections, which can find it impractical to get the necessary paperwork that Gift Aid requires. Charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs will now be able to claim a Gift Aid-style payment on small donations without the need to collect donors’ details.”

When does it come into effect?

The bill will be discussed until Friday 25^th May and the legislation should come into effect from April 2013.

How does Gift Aid work online?

Here at JustGiving, we automatically reclaim Gift Aid on every eligible donation on behalf of our charity members –  that’s around 85% of donations made through the site. This compares to just 42% of donations across the rest of the charitable giving sector.

What do you think about the proposed scheme? Will your charity benefit? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Round up your friends, dust off your trainers and join the biggest fight against cancer – it’s time to sign up for your local Race for Life.

You’ll be in good company – Race for Life, organised by Cancer Research UK, is the UK’s biggest women-only series of fundraising events.  And because there are more than 235 5k and 10k events  taking place, you don’t have to go far to find one near you. The first two take place in Edinburgh and Inverness this Sunday, and there are events all over the UK until September.

Inspired? This is how you can join the biggest fight against cancer:

1. Sign up today

Whether you want to walk, jog or run the distance, you’ll be making a difference.

Head to the Race for Life website, find an event near you, and sign up today.

2. Raise money

When you sign up for an event, you’ll also make a Race for Life fundraising page.

You can use your page to explain why you’re taking part in the Race for Life, and add photos and a video. Then ask friends and family to support you – they can donate securely on your JustGiving or Facebook page, or by sending a text message.

For a little bit of inspiration, check out our top fundraising tips and ideas for promoting your text code.

3. Make a difference

The money you raise is vital to Cancer Research UK’s work. Since the first Race for Life, in 1994, over six million women have helped raise an incredible £457m for the charity. It’s helped to fund the work of over 4,000 researchers, doctors, and nurses dedicated to helping more people beat cancer.

Here at JustGiving, we’ve formed our very own Race for Life team. Ten of us will be joining in at the Hyde Park event on Sunday 27^th May. Hopefully, we’ll see you there!

Love running but looking for an event a little less gruelling than a marathon? There are plenty of fun alternatives out there, with our favourites involving inflatables, gorillas, cross-dressing, bare feet and giant bananas.

Intrigued?  Check out our favourite quirky runs.

Sumo Run

Fancy running around London’s Battersea Park dressed in an inflatable sumo suit on Saturday 23^rd June? Wobble 5km to raise money for Gemin-i, an educational charity that helps children around the world share ideas and work together for a brighter future.

Great Gorilla Run

Go ape for the day on Saturday 22^nd September. You’ll be one of 1,000 people running the streets of London dressed as gorillas. Raising money for the Gorilla Organization, you’ll be playing a crucial role in helping save the remaining 720 mountain gorillas left in the world.

Beaumond Drag Race

Here’s one for the boys. Beaumond House Community Hospice is holding its first ever drag race on Wednesday 30^th May at the Newark Showground in Nottinghamshire. The fun run is a men-only event, and participants are asked to get in touch with their feminine side as they “strut, swagger or sashay” the 5km distance.

Tree-athlon

Get back to nature with Trees for Cities’ Tree-athlon on Saturday 15^th September. The three parts of the event are ever so slightly less demanding than a traditional triathlon – a 5km run or walk around London’s Battersea Park, the chance to take part in a barefoot 100 metre Guinness world record attempt, and the opportunity to take home your very own sapling to plant.

Beat the Banana

Chase a giant banana 5km to the finish line to raise money for World Cancer Research Fund. The fun run takes place at 6.30pm in London’s Hyde Park on Thursday 17^th May. And if you can’t make the London event, go bananas and host your own. You can download an event pack from the website.

Do you know of any other quirky runs? Let us know by leaving a comment below.