FAQS

Planning Your Fundraiser

Promotions

Money Matters

Facebook Fundraising

Added Touches

Activity Tracking

Our Organisation

Planning Your Fundraiser

I want to fundraise for MS - how do I register?

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Use our website to explore fundraising options including running your own fundraising activity, joining an existing fundraising activity, purchasing a product which supports MS or hosting an MS donation tin. Once you have decided how you would like to fundraise, you can sign up simply online.

Our Community Fundraising team will then review your registration and send you through your Authority to Fundraise, to show your fundraising activity has been approved.

I am having special occasion. Instead of gifts I want guests to donate money to MS. How do I do this?

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Register as a Moments For MS fundraiser and you will automatically be set up with your own, customisable online fundraising page. Your Moments For MS fundraising page will enable your supporters/guests to make a secure online donation and automatically receive a tax receipt via email. Additionally, you could consider incorporating our MS Bonbonnieres and party favours into your plans.

My friend has multiple sclerosis. I want to raise directly for them to use. Can you help?

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Unfortunately, MS can't provide you with an authority to fundraise in this manner. Our authority to fundraise is for services and care of people impacted by multiple sclerosis in general. You may like to explore online crowdfunding options for personal fundraising.

Do I need public liability cover (insurance) for my community fundraising activity?

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All aspects of financial and public liability and public safety are the responsibility of the event organiser. As MS is not the event organiser we are unable to cover any liability on your behalf. Therefore, we ask that Do It For MS event organisers determine their own public liability requirements as in many cases your activity can fall under the cover of your venue. If your event venue is unable to use their own public liability to cover your event, there are many insurance providers who offer community event public liability cover, often specifically tailored for one-off not-for-profit events.

Please note that by agreeing to the MS Community Fundraising Terms and Conditions you agree to release MS to the fullest extent permissible under law for all claims.

How do I know if I need permits for my event or fundraising activities (ie. raffle)?

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Some activities require permits e.g. raffles where the total prize pool is over a certain amount. The amount differs between each state so visit www.nfplaw.org.au/raffles for a full list of local gaming authorities. Permits are also required by councils and shopping centres for outdoor events so please contact your council or venue to determine what permits you will need and what requirements you will need to adhere to.

Do MS have event and risk management templates for community events?

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If your venue or local Council require submission of risk and/event management plans they may provide you with specific template plans to complete. As a general rule, a standard risk management plan contains: a description of potential risks; what control measure you will put in place to manage the potential risk; and what the likelihood of the risk occurring is after your control measure is in place. You may choose to break these into: environmental risks (i.e. heat stroke); people risks (ie. participant gets lost while on event course); and equipment risks (i.e. chair collapses under participant).

Where can I view the MS Fundraising Terms and Conditions?

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You will have agreed to the MS Community Fundraising Terms and Conditions when registering your fundraising.

Promotions

Can MS help advertise my fundraising event?

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MS are not able to personally help you advertise the event through our publications or access media contacts. The Resources page is full of terrific tools to help you promote your event. Please be sure to go there and have a look!

Can I speak to the media about my event?

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As a fundraiser, you are not authorised to speak on behalf of MS, but you can speak on behalf of the fundraising activity you are undertaking. Please ensure you make it clear to media that you are raising money in aid of MS and that you do not represent the organisation (MS). If the media require information about MS or comment they should contact our team.

Can I use the MS logo to promote my event?

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Registered MS Community Fundraisers can use the ‘Proudly Supporting MS’ logo set. You can download these logos once you are logged in to your fundraising page or request them from your relationship manager once you have completed registration and been issued your Authority to Fundraise.

The MS logo and Do It For MS logo are the sole property of Multiple Sclerosis Limited and are reserved exclusively for use by MS, such as for MS organised fundraising events and campaigns.

If you are producing your own promotional materials featuring the Proudly Supporting MS logo, these must be submitted to MS for approval.

Money Matters

Can I collect cash or cheque donations?

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Yes, you can certainly collect cash or cheque donations from your supporters!

Cheques: please ensure all cheques are made out to MS Plus (not to MS Society or MS Australia).

Cash: please ensure you keep a record of all cash donations you accept using the MS Donations Register which is issued to you with your Authority to Fundraise.

It is your responsibility to keep any cash or cheques received in a secure location. Please note that MS Donation Tins are not issued to be used at one-off events as a cash tin.

Can my cash/cheque donors be provided with a tax-deductible receipt from MS?

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Yes, tax deductible receipts can be issued for all donations of $2.00 or more received from an individual or organisation.

Tax deductible receipts cannot be issued when the supporter has received goods or services in return for money given (e.g. raffle tickets, auction prizes, event tickets, a lump sum in a cash collection box, or purchase of fundraising items such as chocolate or bake sale items).

All online donors will automatically receive an email containing their tax-deductible receipt.

Cash/cheque donors will be given the option of requesting a receipt through the authorised fundraiser. If the donor wishes to receive a receipt, please mark them as ‘YES’ in the receipt column of your MS Donations Register document. Your MS Donations Register must be returned to MS within 14 days of the completion of your fundraising activity once the cash/cheques have been banked into the MS fundraising bank account. Receipts will then be issued to all your cash/cheque donors who requested them.

Are there circumstances when a receipt cannot be issued?

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Tax deductible receipts cannot be issued when the supporter has received goods or services in return for money given (e.g. raffle tickets, auction prizes, event tickets, a lump sum in a cash collection box, or purchase of fundraising items such as chocolate or bake sale items).

MS are unable to issue a receipt using details from your MS Donations Register if neither an email address or a postal address has been recorded for the donor. MS are unable to issues receipts for donations made through the Facebook Donate button.

Can I collect door-to-door or on the street?

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MS requires that there be no door-to-door appeals, street collections or telephone solicitation of any kind to the public in connection with your fundraising activity.

How do I bank the money I have collected?

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Please refer to your Authority to Fundraise letter and Donations Register for the details required to transfer cash donations to MS. Transfer the funds to MS using the following bank details:

MS Plus
BSB: 033-112
Account: 256570

Make sure to email your MS Donations Register to communityfundraising@msplus.org.au to let us know your funds have been banked and that your fundraising event can be closed off. All funds are to be banked within 14 days of your fundraising activity finishing.

How much is too much when it comes to event expenses?

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You must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the expenses do not exceed 40% of the gross proceeds obtained from the event. Please ensure you retain accurate, true and appropriate records in relation to all donations and income received, particulars of all expenditure incurred and all transactions in relation to your fundraiser. All profit (minus fair and reasonable expenses) must be sent to MS. You must not retain any part of the profit or any other benefit received from the event.

Facebook Fundraising

What is a Facebook Fundraiser?

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A Facebook Fundraiser is a NEW fundraising feature available through your Fundraiser Dashboard.

It will link a Facebook Fundraiser to your Fundraising Page, allowing friends, family and colleagues to donate towards your fundraising, directly from your Facebook Page.

All donations received via your Facebook Fundraiser will appear on your Fundraising Page and add to your overall fundraising.

How do I create a Facebook Fundraiser?

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To set up your Facebook Fundraiser:

  1. Login to your Fundraiser Dashboard
     
  2. Click on the Create A Facebook Fundraiser button
     
     Create a Facebook Fundraiser
     
  3. Follow the prompts, and a Facebook Fundraiser will be set up for you and shared on your Facebook Page.

How do I share my Facebook Fundraiser with my friends on Facebook?

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As soon as your Facebook Fundraiser is created, Facebook shares it with your Facebook friends.

At the top of your Facebook Fundraiser Page (in Facebook) you will find an Invite button, which you can use to directly invite your friends to support you.

Can I personalise my Facebook Fundraiser?

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When you create your Facebook Fundraiser, a Facebook Fundraising Page will be created for you using information you have already included in your Fundraising Page (on this site).

By editing the Facebook Fundraiser post, you will be able to update features like your fundraising goal and cover photo.

How long before donations appear on my Fundraising Page?

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It can sometimes take a couple of hours for donation received through your Facebook Fundraiser to show up on your Fundraising Page.

Check back a little later, and your donation should be there.

Why is my Facebook Fundraiser goal different?

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Your fundraising goal may not sync to your Facebook Fundraising, but it is easy to update it by editing your Facebook Fundraiser.

How will donations appear on my Fundraising Page?

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Facebook does not share any personal details with our site, so your Facebook Fundraising donations will appear as Facebook Donation on your Fundraising Page.

You will only be able to see your Facebook Fundraiser donor's names in Facebook itself.

Can I set up a Facebook Fundraiser for my team?

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Unfortunately, a Facebook Fundraiser can only be created for your individual Fundraising Page.

Can I create a Facebook Fundraiser directly in Facebook?

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If you set up a Facebook Fundraiser directly through Facebook it will not be linked to your Fundraising Page.

If you have already set one up, we recommend you delete it and create a Facebook Fundraising through your Fundraiser Dashboard.

Can you add donations from an existing Facebook Fundraiser to my page?

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If you have selected MS Plus as your charity of choice, we’ll receive the funds. However, there will be a slight delay and those donations will not appear on your Fundraising Page.

If you would like to receive donations via Facebook, we recommend creating a Facebook Fundraiser through your Fundraiser Dashboard.

Can I just add a 'Donate' button to my Facebook post?

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When sharing a post on Facebook, you may be prompted to add a Donate button to your post. We recommend you do not select this option, as these donations will not appear on your Fundraising Page.

It is best to either create a Facebook Fundraiser through your Fundraiser Dashboard or share a link to your Fundraising Page on Facebook.

What can I do if I accidentally delete my Facebook Fundraiser?

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If you have accidentally deleted the Facebook Fundraiser you created through your Fundraiser Dashboard, you will unfortunately not be able to create a new one.

You can continue fundraising on Facebook, by sharing a link to your Fundraising Page so friends, family and colleagues can support you.

Can I delete my Facebook Fundraiser?

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To remove a Facebook Fundraiser from you Facebook page, you first need to delete the fundraiser itself before you will be able to delete the post associated with it.

PLEASE NOTE: If you delete your Facebook Fundraiser, you will not be able to create a new one. 

Added Touches

Do you have MS merchandise I can sell to raise money?

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We do! Please go to our MS Online Shop to browse and select what is best for your event. It is great to have some merchandise to help theme your fundraising event, and past fundraisers tell us they have been key to increasing their fundraising dollars. Fundraising merchandise is sold at a discounted price. This allows you to offer a physical item in exchange for a donation or sell items at a higher price. Whatever you earn above the purchase price of an item goes towards your fundraising totals. Selling MS merchandise is a great way to boost your fundraising efforts!

Do you have guest speakers who can talk at my event?

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We love being able to support community fundraising events. While we understand the impact an MS Ambassador can make on your event, we are not able to accommodate every request due to limited resources. Please request an Ambassador as soon as you register your fundraising event. A member of our MS Ambassador program will then be in touch with you to discuss available options.

Can MS supply bonbonnieres for my wedding?

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Yes, we can! Our MS In Celebration collection will allow you to choose from three products, each custom printed with the names of the couple, the date of your special occasion and a special message from MS:

  • Celebration MS Awareness Ribbon
  • Celebration MS Lapel Pin
  • Celebration MS Bonbonniere Card

Dimensions, costs and shipping times are listed for each product. The minimum quantity for each product is 50 cards and cards are sold in batches of 10.

I know a business wanting to host and MS Donation Tin – how can they organise that?

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If you are a business or organisation wishing to host an MS Donation Tin at your premises you can register via this webform. Donation tins are designed for premises willing to host the tin for at least 6 months or until full.

How do I facilitate my employer matching my fundraising?

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70% of companies in Australia offer ‘matching funding’ as part of their employee benefits. This means they support their employees’ charitable efforts by matching their fundraising dollar for dollar. It is a great way to double your fundraising efforts – and all you need to do is ask. Speak to your HR department and ask them for their support.

We can provide your company with any documentation they may need, including tax-deductible receipts, information about what we do and a letter of thanks and recognition.

Activity Tracking

How do I set up my fitness app to track my fundraising activity?

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  1. Download MapMyFitnessFitbit or Strava app, and set up an account.
  2. Log in to your Do it for MS dashboard
  3. From the My Fitness Activity page, select your chosen app
  4. Follow the prompts to connect your account

DOWNLOAD APP

How do I log my activity on my Limitless for MS fundraising page?

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You will be able to log your activity either automatically via a connect device/app, or manually on your Do it for MS dashboard.

Log your activity automatically

  1. Download the FitbitMapMyFitness or Strava app, and set up an account
  2. Log in to your Do It For MS dashboard
  3. From the My Fitness Activity page, select your chosen app
  4. Follow the prompts to connect your account
  5. Your Activity Tracking will update each day, with the previous day's distances

Remember to start, stop and save your activity in the app, otherwise the distances will not be synced to your Do It For MS dashboard.

Log your activity manually

  1. Log in to your Do It For MS dashboard
  2. Select My Fitness Activity
  3. Under Add Activity, enter the date and distance of your ride

The kilometres will now appear on your activity tracker

Our Organisation

What happened to the MS Society

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Organisations to support people living with multiple sclerosis have been part of the Australian landscape for many decades with, what used to be state and territory based MS Societies popping up around the country from as early as 1956! These days, MS organisations from Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT have banded together and are known simply as MS (or officially, Multiple Sclerosis Limited). Here at MS we deliver vital programs and services across the ACT, New South Wales Victoria and Tasmania to support people living with multiple sclerosis.

Other MS organisations

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We also work closely with two other Australian multiple sclerosis organisations who specialise in advocacy for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS Australia) and research (MS Research Australia). In fact, each year MS provides funds to both organisations to help them with their work. This means that when you raise funds for MS you’re helping provide support services as well as contributing to research and advocacy!

 

We show our respect and acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who are the traditional custodians of this land. We pay respects to their Elders past and present.