Wet-weather fundraiser contingency plan

Agree the options before selling or booking

List the alternatives that are actually available. A hall is not a fallback until the school or venue has approved its use for the proposed activity and confirmed the booking. A postponement date also needs available volunteers, suppliers and equipment.

Tell supporters the agreed change arrangements when they buy or commit, rather than inventing a policy after the forecast changes. Different arrangements may apply to tickets, product orders and donations. Ask the organiser or provider responsible for each one to confirm the wording.

• Record the alternative date or venue only when it is confirmed.
• Check which suppliers need notice before dispatch or preparation.
• Record deposit, cancellation and rescheduling terms from the actual booking.
• Avoid paying for a fallback that the responsible event lead has not approved.

Name who decides and when people will hear

Choose a decision owner and backup, then agree when the first decision and any follow-up will be announced. That time should leave supporters and helpers enough notice to change their travel or work plans. Give the responsible lead the venue and supplier contacts they need.

Do not turn this worksheet into a set of weather thresholds. Follow the school's or venue's event procedures and seek the advice required by the responsible lead. This guide does not assess conditions or approve an activity as safe.

If the decision is still pending at the promised time, send a holding update with the next update time. Silence leaves families guessing whether an old poster or message still applies.

Track the commitments that continue after a postponement

Changing the event date does not automatically change a delivery, supplier invoice, venue charge or online campaign deadline. Work through each row of the worksheet and get confirmation from the person or business responsible.

For product orders, check whether delivery and collection can move and who is responsible for the goods in between. Use the supplier's instructions for handling and storage; do not improvise arrangements because the event has changed.

For existing payments, record what was promised and ask the relevant provider or organiser how changes and refunds should be handled. Do not assume that cancelling the public event automatically refunds supporters or removes outstanding costs.

Send one clear update through the agreed channels

Prepare separate messages for supporters, volunteers and suppliers. They need different next steps. Supporters need the event decision and what to do; volunteers need to know whether their shift still applies; suppliers need a confirmed delivery or booking instruction.

Supporter template: '[Event] on [date] is [postponed / moved / cancelled]. [Confirmed new arrangement, or when it will be confirmed]. Please [specific action or no action needed]. Information about existing [orders / tickets / donations] will be provided by [time]. Contact [group contact] with questions.'

Update the campaign page and any page linked from the original QR code. Ask channel owners to replace outdated notices where possible, and put the date and time of the update in the message so families can identify the current version.

Check the online campaign separately from the event

If you use Raised, check whether the fundraiser should remain open, pause temporarily or close. Raised's pause guide says a pause does not extend the end date, and existing orders remain. Some managed or supplier-paused campaigns require help from Raised or the supplier rather than an organiser resuming them directly.

Use the current platform guidance or contact support for your campaign before changing its state. Record the chosen action and who completed it. After the event is resolved, reconcile added costs and outstanding payments, then tell supporters the final result and retain the useful lessons for next time.