Richard Rosoman, treasurer of Malvern Festival Chorus, talks to us about how they received hundreds of free pounds in free funding from easyfundraising.

Raising funds for your music group can be a challenge, especially when faced with increasing costs of venue hire, instruments and competitions. But some of our members are receiving free money easily from funding platform easyfundraising and it’s something we recommend other groups do too.

We have put together an accounts template to help you manage your finances.

This guidance describes the current situation with regard to Gift Aid and the voluntary music sector. Please note that Gift Aid is available to UK recognised charities, regardless of whether or not they are also registered charities.

We know one of the biggest worries music groups have is the long-term financial health of their group. Even groups who make a surplus each year can have that nagging thought: ‘what happens if something goes wrong next year?’ More money would mean less worry and more stability, and perhaps more importantly it would mean more opportunities to try new things and ways of enjoying making music.

Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) is a government initiative for instrumental groups (not only orchestras!) where you could receive a payment from HMRC equal to a percentage of your production costs.

Despite being called 'Orchestra Tax Relief':

• the initiative can apply to many types of instrumental group – so don’t be put off if your group is not a traditional orchestra 
• you don’t have to be paying tax to claim it.   

Groups who put on eligible performances can submit a claim to HMRC each year for the payment. 

Elizabeth Beroud, Chair of Beckenham Junior Choir (BJC), explains how creative thinking and tiered rewards helped them hit their fundraising targets for an ambitious new commissioning project.