Collection materials

Collector training in English and Arabic

A humorous collector video, suitable for school visits and collector training, demonstrates the best ways to engage with people and collect donations effectively. The video is available here. Below you will also find a comic strip in English and Arabic, designed to support volunteer training.

Collector instructions in different languages

The material bank contains collector instructions in several different languages. The content is the same in each version.

• Collector training comic in English
• Collector training comic in Arabic

On Hunger Day, each branch has three objectives: 1. to raise funds to help those in the most vulnerable situations, 2. to increase awareness of both the need for help and the fundraising campaign in the local community, 3. to recruit as many volunteers as possible to help achieve the first two objectives. A good plan will help you reach these goals.

A Collection Plan Answers Four Questions: How, Where, When and Who

HOW?

We are familiar with traditional fundraising methods. As the use of cash continues to decline, it is important to offer donors alternative ways to contribute, such as card payments, mobile payments, or distributing donation appeal letters through letterboxes. More information about different donation methods can be found on the “Donating Without Cash” subpage.

Fundraising can also be carried out through social media using tools such as Facebook fundraisers, online fundraising pages, and MobilePay. Organising events can increase the visibility of the campaign, and maintaining a presence on social media is equally important.

WHERE?

Where can you reach people during Nälkäpäivä? Prioritise the most productive collection locations first and allocate additional resources to other locations as capacity allows. Consider which social media platforms are most popular in your local area and make use of those channels as well.

WHEN?

The traditional street collection lasts for three days, so it is important to consider which collection points should be staffed at different times of the day. On social media, fundraising can continue throughout September and October. It is also a good idea to agree on a few dedicated campaign days during Nälkäpäivä, when everyone actively shares Nälkäpäivä-related content, likes, comments on, and shares posts created by others to maximise visibility.

WHO?

The following groups should be invited to participate as collectors:people who have signed up to collect, previous collectors, active branch volunteers, branch members, local school students, and volunteers who have registered through Oma. You can obtain the contact details of branch members and registered collectors from your district office. It is also worthwhile to seek support from local associations, organisations and businesses. In particular, consider targeted recruitment of people who are known to be active on social media.

To ensure that organising the collection runs smoothly and remains enjoyable, it is recommended that the entire branch board becomes involved. Even better, recruit a dedicated fundraising team of volunteers to plan and implement the campaign together. Each activity group can also consider the most suitable way for them to contribute to the collection and help increase its visibility.

• Keräyssuunnitelmapohja.doc (Collection Plan Template, in Finnish)

People living in the midst of war and disaster all share one thing in common: hope for a better tomorrow.Through the Hunger Day collection, you are helping to sustain that hope. In our material bank, you can find a printable poster with examples of how the funds you raise and donate to the Disaster Relief Fund help people both abroad and here in Finland.

You can also find examples at www.redcross.fi/hunger-day.

Handing over collection equipment to a collector

1. Welcome the collector.
2. Ask the collector to fill in the collector contact information form and to prove their identity.
3. Record the collection box number and the time it was handed over on the form.
4. Explain how the collection works and what the funds are used for. Encourage the collector to inform donors about the possibility of donating via MobilePay.
5. Advise the collector on a good location to collect.
6. Provide the collector with safety instructions.
7. Agree on when the collection equipment will be returned.

After the collection

1. Thank the collector and ask how the collecting went.
2. Mark the collection box as returned on the personal information form.
3. Ask whether the collector's contact details may be added to the volunteer register so that they can be invited to participate in future collections. Encourage them to create a profile in OMA Punainen Risti.
4. Ask the collector to complete the collector feedback survey. You can send collectors a link to the survey afterwards, or print out a poster from the material bank for the collection point that includes a QR code linking to the survey.
5. Thank the collector and invite them to participate in Red Cross activities again in the future.

Every collector should know:

On Hunger Day, we collect unrestricted funds for the Disaster Relief Fund. Because the funds are not tied to any specific purpose, the Red Cross can make a decision to provide assistance as soon as a sudden disaster strikes. The Finnish Red Cross helps in dozens of countries every year.

In Finland, the Disaster Relief Fund provides material assistance to, for example, victims of fires. Often the help takes the form of psychological support for those affected by accidents.

Collection costs may not exceed 20% of the proceeds of the collection.

The instructions have been translated into several languages and can be found in the material bank.

Hunger Day is the branch's most important event

Maintaining our preparedness to help is one of the branch's core tasks, and Hunger Day is the backbone of that preparedness. It allows us to raise unrestricted funds for the Disaster Relief Fund, enabling us to provide help immediately when and where it is needed. Hunger Day is also a great way to bring new volunteers into our activities. Some collectors may become interested in the branch's other activities as well! Let's make sure everyone in the branch plays their part, so that after Hunger Day, we are better prepared than ever to help those in need.

Collection coordinator

The collection coordinator leads the operation. They ensure that the collection equipment is in order,a collection plan has been prepared, collectors' contact details are available, collection locations have been agreed, and the Hunger Day event has been posted on OMA. This does not mean the collection coordinator is personally responsible for carrying out all of these task. The role of the branch board is to ensure that the branch has a strong fundraising team that works together and shares responsibilities to make the campaign a success.

Preparedness contact person

The preparedness contact person has a good understanding of the branch’s preparedness and response capacity, as well as its external partners and stakeholders. They are a valuable resource both when developing the collection plan and when recruiting collectors. Invite your partner organizations to join the collection!

Team leaders

Every team leader should encourage their group members to take part in Hunger Day. It is also worth making the most of each group's particular expertise. Take some time within your group to consider how you can increase the visibility of Hunger Day in your local community.

Communications officer

The communications officer is essential to the success of the collection. They work out how to gain visibility for the collection on social media and in the local press. Their job is much easier if the branch organises an interesting Hunger Day event. Internal communications – to members, for example – often falls to the communications officer as well.

Domestic assistance contact person

The domestic assistance contact person makes an excellent interviewee for the local media when you want to explain how Hunger Day funds are used in Finland. In many branches, the domestic assistance contact person and the collection manager work as a pair.

School partnership coordinator

The school partnership coordinator makes sure that schools take part in the collection. Remember, too, that every student in the branch can challenge at least their own class to join in. A request from someone you know is usually the most effective.

Membership officer

The membership officer is responsible for encouraging branch members to take part in the collection and, in turn, for inviting box collectors to become members.

Treasurer

The treasurer makes sure the money gets to the bank. After the collection, a final accounting still has to be submitted to the district – a task that sits naturally with the treasurer.

Chair

The chair makes sure that tasks are shared evenly across the branch and that all available resources are put to use.

Members

Every member can:

• collect near their own home or set up an online collection
• invite people close to them to become collectors
• bake or make things for a bake sale or craft sale
• take a collection box to their workplace or local school
• come and hand out boxes at the collection centre, if the branch has one

– or anything else you can think of. The main thing is that everyone feels welcome to join in!

An event is a great way to draw extra attention to the collection. Would one of these ideas work in your area?

Dressing statues in collection vests

Putting collection vests on statues has become an established part of Hunger Day in many places. The stunt brings visibility on the streets, but it is also designed to attract attention on social media as members of the public share photos of the vest-clad statues. Is there a statue in your area that you could dress in a collection vest? For a larger statue, a vest can even be sewn to measure. Attached you'll find instructions for sewing a vest, along with a template message for requesting permission from the city, for example.

• Ohje patsasliivin tekemiseen.pdf (Instructions for making a statue vest, in Finnish)

Let's light up the buildings in red

The Tampere branch first asked the city to light up Näsinneula in red in honour of Hunger Day, and since then the idea has spread across Finland. In Tampere, numerous buildings – and even the Tammerkoski rapids – are now lit up. Many other branches have also managed to get landmark buildings in their own localities illuminated.

If there are buildings in your area that can be lit up, such as a water tower, it's worth asking to have them lit in red on Hunger Day. Attached is a draft message for outreach.

• Malliviesti rakennusten valaisemisesta.docx (Draft message on lighting up buildings, in Finnish)

According to collector surveys, almost everyone who has participated in box collection is willing to volunteer as a collector again. Therefore, encourage collectors to register in OMA, to make inviting them back as easy as possible.

Post an event notice on OMA

OMA Punainen Risti is the key tool for recruiting collectors. Make sure your branch's collection has an event notice on OMA and share it actively. Keep an eye on the sign-ups coming in through OMA and get in touch with volunteers quickly.

Instructions for creating an event can be found here (available in Finnish and Swedish).

A personal invitation works best

The best way to get collectors excited about taking part is to ask them personally. Get everyone in the branch to invite their friends and acquaintances to collect. Also, encourage those who have signed up as collectors to bring a friend along.

Invite everyone

Remember to invite:

• people who have been collecting before
• the branch's active volunteers
• people who have signed up as volunteers through OMA
• your own friends and acquaintances
• work and hobby groups
• schoolchildren and students
• The easiest place to start inviting is close to home.

Call or send an email

If there are a lot of phone numbers, split the call lists between several volunteers. If you do not have time to call everyone, send the invitation by email.

Invite collectors on social media

On your own social media, it is worth inviting your own friends to come along as collectors.

On the branch's social media channels, you can share photos and the collector invitation, and direct collectors to sign up through OMA.

It is also worth being visible in other local social media channels and letting everyone know that anyone can join in as a box collector.

Use the ready-made social media materials

You are free to share the images published on the Red Cross's social media channels. From the material bank, you can also find shareable images that you can add your own details to, explaining how people can take part in your branch's collection.

Poster for noticeboards

Put up printable posters on noticeboards, and add your branch's own details to them. The printable poster can be found here.

"Become a collector" flyer

From the material bank, you can also find editable flyers that you can hand out or take to the library, for example. Use the editable field to add information on how to become a tin collector in your branch.

Donation appeal letters can be distributed directly to letterboxes

A Hunger Day donation appeal letter template will be added to the material bank in August. It can be printed and distributed to letterboxes in the branch's area.

The letter has three editable fields: 1) under the signature, below the text "Finnish Red Cross", there is a space for the branch name; 2) in the reference number section, there is a space for the branch's Hunger Day donation reference number; and 3) in the MobilePay section, there is a space for the branch-specific MobilePay number. (If your branch does not have a MobilePay number, enter the general number 10900 here.) Fill in these fields before printing. This way, donations will go directly towards your branch's Hunger Day result.

You can request help with printing from your district or from a local company.

You can also write your own donation appeal letter

In the branch's own letter, you could describe, for example, how you have helped in your area using funds from the Disaster Relief Fund.

Remember that, under the Money Collection Act, donations may only be requested for an account that is included in the money collection permit. So, in the letter, give the Disaster Relief Fund account number and your branch's Hunger Day reference. It is also worth including the branch's MobilePay number in the letter.