FLORIDA GRASSROOTS
SELF-ADVOCACY TOOL KIT

PART V:
FINANCING A SELF-ADVOCACY GROUP

Self-advocacy groups need money to get started and maintain their activities. Some things that groups may spend money on are:

• Transportation to meetings
• A meeting space
• Mailings
• Advertisements
• Photocopying
• Printing a newsletter
• Making phone calls
• Sending members to conferences
• Putting on presentations
• Social events
• Refreshments or food for meetings
• Books or materials about self-advocacy
• Leadership or self-advocacy training sessions

Ways Self-Advocacy Groups Raise Money

• Membership dues: A group may want to decide that each member should pay a certain amount of money each year to be part of the group. This can be paid weekly or monthly and may be only one or two dollars per month.
• Private donations: Organizations or individual citizens may donate money to self-advocacy groups. These groups should believe in the principles of self-advocacy
• Grant awards: Grants are money received from a government agency, company, a private association or individual. Grants generally require the group to carry out a particular task.
• Fundraisers: These are planned events with few expenses and a clear goal that much more money will be raised than was spent. This is a very common way for self-advocates to raise money.
• Selling merchandise: The group may want to sell things like t-shirts or bags with self-advocacy or disability rights messages.
• Speaking engagements: Self-advocates sometimes get paid to speak at conferences or in the community. This is a very good way for self-advocates to make money; they are engaging in self-advocacy activities and making money for the group.

How Will Your Group Decide How to Raise Money?

• Members should discuss how much money they think they may need for the year.
• Members should discuss ways they would like to raise money.
• Different ways of raising money take different amounts of commitments from members.
• Your group should work out what ways would be best for your group. For example:
  • Asking for dues is simple and does not take a lot of work from group members.
  • Having a dinner dance can take a lot of energy—BUT, you will raise money and have fun.
  • Applying for a grant takes a lot of time and effort and is not much fun—BUT, you may learn a lot and get a lot more money.
  • If you organize a workshop to help people learn about self-advocacy skills and charge a fee to come, you will do two things at once: Raise money and help people learn about self-advocacy.

Adapted from Learning about Self-Advocacy. Booklet 3: Running Group.

Looking After Money

• The treasurer of the group will be the person in charge of looking after the group The treasurer of the group will be the person in charge of looking after the group’
• The group should make decisions together about how money should be spent.
• The treasurer should keep a record of all of the money that the group makes, and all of the money the group spends.
• This information can be kept in a notebook and should include:
  o The date
  o What the money has been spent on, or where the money came from
  o How much money was raised or spent
• At every meeting the treasurer should read to the group an update of what has been made and what has been spent since the last meeting. This is called the treasurer’s report.

Adapted from Learning about Self-Advocacy. Booklet 3: Running a Group.

Where To Keep Your Money

1. Petty cash: There are times when you are collecting money where you will only have a small amount. This is called petty cash.
   • You should keep your petty cash in a box which can be locked.
   • Anyone who puts in or takes out money should mark it down on a paper which is kept in the box.
   • Always keep your petty cash box somewhere safe.
   • Do not keep large amounts of money in this box.
2. Bank accounts: It is smart for self-advocacy groups to open up a bank account to store their money. This is a safe way to keep track of your money.

• The treasurer with the help of an advisor or other self-advocates should open up an account with a bank.

• The treasurer will then be in charge of depositing money: putting money away and saving it until it is needed.
• The treasurer will also be in charge of withdrawing money from the bank account to pay for approved group expenses.

• The group will want to decide who will be able to use the account. A bank account can usually have several names attached to it, and these are the only people who can withdraw and deposit money. The group may decide on the treasurer and other officers, or the advisor to have their names on the account.

Adapted from Learning about Self-Advocacy. Booklet 3: Running a Group.

Activities

1. Make a list of things your group may need money for. Think about what things are most important and what can be left until later.
2. Make a list of ways your group can raise money. Choose two of the items and discuss what way will you get more money from, and which will be more fun.
3. Invite someone to talk to your group about ways to raise money.
4. Make a list of things your group wants to do.
   • Which things can you do without money?
   • Which things would you need a small amount of money for?
   • Which things do you need a large amount of money for?

Adapted from Learning about Self-Advocacy. Booklet 3: Running a Group.