National Talking Newspapers and Magazines

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Good Practice for Talking Newspapers

Introduction
1. Management
2. Infrastructure
3. Editorial
4. Presentation
5. Reading
6. Recording
7. Copying
8. Packing and Posting
9. Returns
10. Reactions
11. Repairs
12. Health, Safety and Electricity
13. Public Relations
14. Finance
15. Development

14. Finance

When the magic of the initial launch appeal has faded into history, the stark reality of finding sufficient funds to maintain the TN service can become a headache for the committee. Some groups have been incredibly lucky with legacies and free accommodation but for the most the necessity is to keep costs low and to maximise donations.

Accountability
All monies held by a TN (a charity) must be properly held, accounted for and used only in furtherance of the stated aims of the charity. Annual audits must be carried out and the results published. In practice, this means keeping the money in a bank from which withdrawals can only be made by any two signatories, jointly from among the officers of the committee.

Major payments would have been pre-authorised by the whole committee but regular payments for rent, telephone, etc. are normally delegated to the Treasurer on behalf of the committee.

Reports and budgets
Every committee meeting must include a report from the Treasurer covering the income and expenditure since the previous meeting, the overall financial situation and the anticipated requirements for the immediate future. A budget for the year can be decided at the first meeting after the end of the previous accounting period. and this can be updated as the year progresses.

Day to day
Income can arrive at any time and in any amount. It is important to write and acknowledge each donation for several reasons; as a matter of courtesy, to demonstrate good accountability and to promote good public relations which may well result in another donation from the same source at a later date. In the case of donations from listeners, a regular 'thank-you' spot could be included on the tape. A methodical approach is also required to all payments. Receipts should be obtained and filed for every item.

Reserves
When the money in hand exceeds the immediate anticipated needs a suitable investment type account should be opened so that interest income is generated from the idle funds. If the amount of the reserve starts to look too large on the annual accounts then it can be split into various funds, e.g. replacement of equipment, development etc. This should help to avoid any potential donor thinking you are too flush with money and going and supporting an alternative group.

Quotations
Spending money wisely can reduce the overall total required. All major purchases of equipment and services should entail comparison of alternative quotations by the committee. A bit of haggling with potential suppliers by the Treasurer can often bring costs down. There is nothing lost by asking for a discount. Some companies give a discount as a matter of course if the money is sent with the order.

Regular expenses should be reviewed from time to time. For example, it may now be cheaper to purchase a telephone and answering machine instead of renting them.

Perspectives
With the exception of unexpected windfalls, money will always be hard to come by. Every penny must be made to work hard for the TN but do beware of treasurers who like to hoard cash. Avoid starving the service of resources - that is what the money has been given for. If the worst came to the worst a rescue appeal could be launched with emotive slogans like, 'Blind people may lose information lifeline'. The money would surely come rolling in??

Fund raising
The committee should aim to fund the service adequately without getting too close to the precipices of closure or curtailment through lack of money.

There are many individuals and groups who wish to support charities, particularly local ones who serve people within their own localities. Good regular public relations actions will help to make potential benefactors aware of your existence and more receptive to requests for support (see Chapter 13).

Your own volunteers will be very busy producing the cassettes each week and may not have time for the added burden of fund raising. So mutually satisfying partnerships can be formed with those who wish only to fund raise or to give but not to get involved with production.

Self help
Even with a good band of 'outside' supporters there will be times when the TN ought to be able to fund raise itself fairly painlessly. Spin-offs in terms of creating greater awareness of the service are likely as well as recruitment of more listeners and more volunteers. Also it is good PR to demonstrate that the organisation does do something to help itself.

Fund raising goods
Donations following talks have been mentioned under the chapter on PR and it may worth trying to obtain a little more from a captive audience by selling a few fund raising items such as logo key rings and pens, special cassettes produced by the TN and maybe, used cassettes and players.

Special sales
These goods can form a centre table at any one-off sale in a hall or market square alongside the usual handicrafts, cakes, plants and bric-a-brac cadged from friends. A fine morning in a popular town square can realise many hundreds of pounds. Do not forget some signs to say 'Talking Newspaper' and wear a bright orange TN tabard obtainable from TNAUK.

Christmas cards
Some towns have a Christmas Card Shop run by a group of individual charities as a co-operative venture for a few weeks in November/ early December.

Additional charities are usually welcome to join the group. A few hours on the staffing rota will be expected and the tray of TN cards can tempt the public to support your particular local good cause. There are companies who specialise in producing cards with printed messages indicating the benefiting charity.

The cards will arrive pre-packed in cellophane, priced and ready for sale. There is some speculation involved because the order will have been placed around July followed by delivery and payment in October and the Card Shop will not be able to pay out until January. Unsold cards can be offered again for the following Christmas.

Council grants
Written requests for financial support can be sent to the local councils. Most have a yearly cycle for any charity support and it is worth a telephone call to find out which meeting has this on the agenda then timing your request accordingly. The Director of Social Services may have access to funds or knowledge of independent trust funds.

Irrespective of the outcome it is worth making a diary note to repeat the exercise next year. The local authority may be able to help indirectly with information about carnivals, fun days and other events planned. These dates can go into the fund raising diary as either an opportunity to set-up your stall or to request inclusion in the carnival handouts.

Clubs
Some clubs like to nominate a charity to support each year and their interest in the TN's work can be increased if someone from your committee keeps in close liaison by giving talks, providing leaflets and display material when needed and possibly arranging a visit to the studio with a practice at recording. If they are good enough they can form a team for a particular issue. Press releases whenever possible should encourage other groups to think of nominating the TN in subsequent years.

Some groups prefer to give goods instead of money and it is easy to find single or multiple item(s) to match the amount of money - one cassette player, ten cassettes and so on. Do not forget to label the goods 'Presented by...'

Collecting boxes
Collecting boxes in semi-permanent locations have produced good returns but they need regular visits to empty them and to check that they have not been stolen!

Collections
Street collections need permission from the local council and will be subject to rules. Collections within shopping centres and at supermarkets are subject to the owner's permission and rules. It is worth enquiring because returns can be high with little or no outlay but do not be surprised if they no longer allow collections outside supermarkets because of customers' complaints.

Selling services
Most TN's production facilities are under-used which gives scope for hiring out or undertaking recording or copying for outside organisations. Do remember that a charity is not a business and therefore cannot trade. However, there is nothing stopping a TN recording material for an organisation which is specifically for use by visually handicapped people and making a charge for the service. This is called 'Primary Purpose Trading'. Alternatively, the TN could ask for a donation to cover specific costs.

At national level the charity, TNAUK, had to set-up Talking Newspaper Enterprises Ltd. (TNEL) in order to trade. A convenant transfers any profits to the charity. At local level, on a small scale, 'quid pro quo', has been known whereby for example, a church which makes a regular donation gets a few 'free' copies of their recorded services. This sort of arrangement can lead to a spin-off to benefit TN listeners directly as well as indirectly. The church may be willing to allow the TN to offer the recordings to TN listeners outside its own parish. This could put housebound listeners in contact with a church if they wish.

Gifts in kind
TN's have benefited from gifts in kind. If the TN runs a library of spoken word cassettes it can be expanded by gifts from listeners who have such a cassette which they no longer require.

Used cassettes
The recording of police interviews takes place on new cassettes which leaves them eventually with once-used but erased cassettes to dispose of. Lengths and types would need to be checked for compatibility, but even if they are of no use for the TN and TM, they may be used for recording instruction or special programmes. The local trading standards officer may have some boot-leg cassettes left in their warehouse after a court case. They may be able to offer these to the local TN on the understanding that the tapes are erased.

Sponsors
Sponsorship can take many forms. Every Christmas one TN received half a dozen prime turkeys from a national brand name whose base was in the locality. These were distributed to winning listeners in a TN cassette quiz. The possibilities are endless - a week's recording, a supply of cassettes, an advert in the paper or on radio appealing for funds or publicising a fund raising event. You may even have an event run for your benefit by a sponsor.

Competitors in marathons and other such events often carry sponsorship. TN involvement depends on finding uncommitted runners. There is quite a lot of work involved in getting names of sponsors and collecting the money after the event so a team will be required.

Companies
Business, professional and commercial outfits may respond positively to a request for support on one of the ways already mentioned - nominating your TN as their pet charity, having a collecting tin in their staff room or reception, organising a charity event, holding a raffle, sponsoring an event in collaboration with you or by simply writing a cheque from their charity account.

If your PR is good 'they' may even find you before you find them. Whatever is forthcoming do make sure public credit is given because, apart from the obvious courtesy, the publicity could prompt future similar support from other companies.

Schools
Schools can be very effective fund raisers. A sponsored five-a-side tournament at a secondary school produced £1,500 to help launch a TN.

Pubs
Similarly pubs and clubs are often involved in supporting a charity in conjunction with one of their social or sporting events. One TN received £1,000 from a 'Squeakers Sale' run by pigeon fanciers who sold young birds (squeakers) to other fanciers and gave the proceeds to the charity.

Database
A list of previous and potential supporters will be an invaluable database for future appeals and should enable targeting of approaches for particular requirements.

Nothing stands still for very long which means constant updating will be required to maintain the value of the database. A regular watch will also need to be kept on what other charities are doing to raise their funds - if their ideas work then don't be too proud to copy them!!

TNAUK Registered charity number: 293656