Tips When Posting Requests
The current limit is £200 for a specific, high value item or need (eg. a washing machine), £150 if it is a more general need (e.g. clothing or food). Please refer to the section on "Limits on Requests" for further specific guidance on limits. We particularly welcome requests for smaller amounts, eg. £25, £50, and for unusual items which add variety to the website.
If the item or need is in excess of £200, the request can only be posted on the Acts 435 website if the Applicant or the church/charity has the balance required to meet the full need, or if an additional source of funds has been identified.
Acts 435 is for small, specific items. It should not be used to raise larger sums by posting multiple, identical requests to raise larger amounts.
Applicants can apply for help up to three times per household. If exceptional circumstances should warrant further requests, please contact Rhona Ellwood on rellwood@acts435.org.uk to request authorisation.
The present format on the website is "£x needed for ..." so whatever you write should follow on from this (e.g. "a bed"). If you write "for a bed", the request will read "£100 needed for for a bed". Please do not use capital letters in the title.
When you write the description please use full sentences and as much detail as possible. Bear in mind that your request is essentially in competition with the other live requests so you need to give enough information to enable donors to connect with the applicant and choose to give to their request. Explain why you are asking for the amount requested.
Make it clear what benefit the item requested will bring to the applicant by explaining the current situation (eg. for a bed, currently sleeping on a sofa, back problems, etc.).
If the full amount needed exceeds our £200 limit, and the remaining funds are already in place or an additional source identified, please tick the box to mark that this will be a contribution to a larger need and explain in the additional information box where the excess funds will come from.
Please avoid using any names (including pseudonyms) in the "description" section, though the first initial could be used.
Please start the town/city with a capital letter, and write the rest in lower case.
If 2 categories apply to your request, choose both as this will mean your request appears in both lists when potential donors search online by category.
If you are posting 2 or 3 requests for similar items (e.g. beds and bedding for 2 children in the same family) please make every effort to make the requests as distinct from each other as possible, to avoid it appearing that they are simply duplicates. Seemingly “duplicate” requests do not sit well on the site and can be overlooked by donors.
Please consider promoting your individual request on social media. If you do so then we can help share your post too. The short URL for your request is www.acts435.org.uk/RXXXXX where XXXXX is your reference R number.
BEST RULE OF THUMB: after posting a request go to the actual website and check it, putting yourself in the donor's shoes as to how it reads/looks. Just doing this will cover most of the above points as well as picking up any typos or spelling mistakes.