Our cash handling guidelines explain what you should do when you collect cash for Shelter Scotland. This helps make sure that Shelter Scotland fulfils its obligations as a registered charity, so that we can continue to raise and collect money in this way in the future.
Keep yourself safe
The safety and wellbeing of volunteers is our main priority. Remember to:
plan how to split the cash from collections between volunteers if buckets and collection tins become heavy
have at least 2 people to deal with the money you collect, so that no one is left to carry money by themselves
carry bags big enough to conceal your collection buckets and tins if you travel by public transport
store your collection materials out of sight if you travel by car
hand over the money without resisting if you're challenged. Report any theft or loss to the police within 24 hours of the incident, and contact the Community Fundraising team as soon as possible
Cash handling basics
all cash handling should be carried out in a safe and secure environment
cash should be collected, counted, transported, banked, and recorded by 2 people. This does not have to be someone who attended the collection
the 2 people counting the cash must be unrelated to each other (unrelated people are those who are not family members, partners or housemates)
all cash received must be stored securely (ideally locked) until banked
cash should be bagged and banked in suitable bags and transported in a way that helps disguise the cash (such as a shopper or carrier bag)
cash and cheques should be counted and banked the same day they're collected, or at least within 2 working days
children under the age of 16 must not be responsible for handling money or counting collected money
collection tins and buckets and seals on any uncounted cash that you return to Shelter Scotland must be intact
if you're collecting for us for an extended period, or if banking facilities are closed, store the cash in a safe place within your home or office
make sure that seals on collection tins have not been tampered with before moving the money from your safe place. If you think any seals have been tampered with, contact the Community Fundraising team and we'll advise you what to do next
Sending us the money
You can deposit cash straight into our bank account, or you can bank the cash from your collection into your personal bank account and then transfer the money to us by cheque or by bank transfer.
To pay by bank transfer
To pay cash into our account or transfer it to us from your bank account, use the following details:
Your unique reference number (from your welcome letter)
Account name: Shelter National Campaign for Homeless People Ltd
Sorting code: 30-00-02
Account number: 01167206
To pay by cheque
To pay Shelter Scotland by cheque, write a cheque payable to ‘Shelter Scotland’ for the amount collected and banked. Write your unique reference number from your welcome letter on the back of the cheque and send the cheque to:
Community Fundraising
Shelter Scotland
Scotiabank House
6 South Charlotte Street
Edinburgh EH2 4AW
Remember to include any sponsorship forms you've used so that we can claim Gift Aid.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about collecting for us, contact the Community Fundraising team at community@shelter.org.uk