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The ´óÏó´«Ã½ provides the opportunity for charities to have an appeal broadcast on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4 or ´óÏó´«Ã½ One Lifeline to audiences across the UK. These access appeals demonstrate the range of work charities do to benefit people and our planet, both in the UK and internationally. The ´óÏó´«Ã½â€™s aim is to support a wide range of UK charities in raising much-needed funds and awareness of their work.

On this page we set out which charities are eligible to apply for such an appeal.

Is your charity eligible to apply for a ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4 or ´óÏó´«Ã½ One Lifeline appeal?

• You must be a UK charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
• If your work is in the UK, it must benefit more than one of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Preference will be given to charities which can demonstrate UK-wide scope and significance.
• If your work is international you must be able to demonstrate that you are having a national impact across one or more low or middle-income countries.
• It must be at least 3 years since your charity last broadcast a Radio 4 or Lifeline appeal It must be at least 1 year since any unsuccessful application by your charity for a Radio 4 or Lifeline appeal
• You must be able to provide at least one set of audited or independently examined financial statements and up-to-date management accounts within a 3 month period.

As of 22 September 2015, all applications for ´óÏó´«Ã½ broadcast appeals are required to submit a completed 18 month cashflow. A template and example cashflow documents can be downloaded below.

A ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4 or ´óÏó´«Ã½ One Lifeline appeal cannot support:

• Charities that are members of the Disasters Emergency Committee
• Charities with an income of less than £100k in their last financial year.
• Charities whose main purpose is the welfare or rights of domesticated animals.
• Religious charities seeking to proselytise or where benefit is restricted to those practising a particular faith.
• Trade or professional organisations’ benevolent funds whose benefit is not available to the general public.
• Local charities that benefit a limited area (e.g. a neighbourhood, city, county or region).
• Appeals which would not meet the criteria on political activity and campaigning set out by UK charity regulators or which would not meet the .
• Appeals for the restoration or repair of buildings or memorials, or for new buildings or extension work.
• Appeals that would primarily help public sector bodies carry out statutory duties.

How are applications assessed?

Charities complete an online application covering their organisation and the purpose of their proposed appeal. They also upload supporting governance, policy and financial documents. This includes submitting a completed 18-month cashflow. A template and example cashflow documents can be downloaded, please see below.

There are three inter-linked elements to the assessment of applications.

1. An expert assessor looks at whether the charity is eligible for an appeal, that it is appropriately governed and managed, and that its policies for safeguarding, data protection and equality/diversity/inclusion are fit for purpose. The assessor also examines the financial resilience of charities, which is particularly important as it is usually a year before any agreed appeal is broadcast. Assessors also look at whether there is a strong case for an appeal and whether the charity has sufficient resources to make the most of the opportunity. 
2. The application and assessment is then reviewed by a member of the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s The AAC is made up of senior leaders from the charity sector who together take an overview of the range of applications.
3. ´óÏó´«Ã½ staff advise on whether the proposed appeal presents any editorial or production issues. 

The Appeals Advisory Committee meets quarterly to discuss applications. As there are usually more good applications than there are available appeal slots, the Committee has to make difficult choices. In making decisions about which applications to approve, the Committee aims to ensure there is a diversity of causes getting appeals in any one year and a balance between UK and internationally focused charities. The Committee may also consider:

• How many previous ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4 or ´óÏó´«Ã½ One Lifeline appeals a charity has had. While there is no upper limit, the Committee may prioritise charities that have not had an appeal before.
• Levels of unrestricted income and reserves. The Committee won’t penalise charities as long as they are working within their regulators’ guidance on reserves. However, it may prioritise applicants with more modest levels of unrestricted income and/or reserves.

You should be informed of the decision approximately 3 months after the application deadline. In total, it takes around a year to complete the process of having a broadcast appeal.

If you are successful, please note that the ´óÏó´«Ã½ must retain editorial control over the content of an appeal.

How to apply

If your charity is eligible and you would like to apply for an appeal, please email the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Charity Appeals Unit telling us:

• The name of your charity
• Your Charity Registration number (you must be registered with one of the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regular or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland)
• Name, email address and telephone number of your charity contact who is the person who is going to fill out the application form 

Deadlines for submitting an application

The Appeals Advisory Committee meets quarterly to discuss and approve applications. You should be informed of their decision approximately 3 months after the application deadline. Please note you must meet the criteria in order to be eligible for an appeal.

Can the ´óÏó´«Ã½ donate merchandise or prizes for a charity auction?

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ receives many requests for raffle and auction prizes from a range of good causes. Unfortunately we are unable to help as it would be difficult for us to favour one charitable cause over another and would bring into question fair trading.