Appeal leaflets, service guides, impact reports, volunteer flyers and event posters for charities
Charities print two kinds of leaflet: information for the people they help, usually an A5 or DL folded leaflet in plain language, and fundraising material such as DL appeal leaflets, Gift Aid forms and an A5 or A4 stapled impact report. This page covers the products, live prices, ready-made packs, sample layouts, wording, the fundraising calendar and the charity law points to check before printing.
Most charity print has to work hard on a small budget, and it is read by very different people: someone in crisis looking for help, a supporter deciding whether to give again, a trust officer, a local business considering a sponsorship. Each needs its own piece, written for them.
Service information leaflets
What the charity does, who it helps, how to get support and what happens when you call. Left in GP surgeries, libraries, community centres, job centres and hospital waiting rooms, often in more than one language or in easy read.
Appeal leaflets
A DL leaflet for a specific need: a winter appeal, a new minibus, a building project. One story, one clear amount and ways to give, with a reply form or QR code.
Impact reports
An A5 or A4 booklet each year showing what supporters' money achieved: people helped, services run, case studies with consent, accounts summary and thanks to funders.
Volunteer recruitment
A5 flyers and A6 cards asking for volunteers, with roles, time commitment, training and how to apply. Shared at universities, workplaces, faith groups and volunteer centres.
Event and challenge flyers
Fun runs, sponsored walks, quiz nights, coffee mornings, Christmas fairs and abseils: date, place, entry fee or sponsorship target, and how to sign up.
Gift Aid and regular giving forms
A form to turn a one-off gift into a monthly direct debit or standing order and to collect a Gift Aid declaration from eligible taxpayers.
Collection and shop material
Cards for collection tins, charity shop counter leaflets on donating goods and Gift Aid on donated goods, and thank-you cards for donors.
Recommended leaflets for charities
What we would print for a small or medium-sized charity. The 'from' price is live for the lowest-cost options; the example line is a typical order.
Room for stories, figures, accounts summary and thanks to funders. A card cover makes it feel like a report worth keeping on a trustee's or funder's desk.
Each pack is real products and quantities, priced live and added together. There is no pack price or saving: the total is what the lines cost on their own, and one delivery charge covers the basket.
Package 1
Winter appeal pack
For a mailing or door-to-door appeal to a few thousand supporters and local homes.
Send forms only with leaflets going to existing supporters; for door drops, a QR code to the online form keeps the cost down.
Saver speed, about 8 working days for the slowest item. Prices are the live Saver prices for exactly these options. Order each item from its own page; one delivery charge covers the basket.
The A5 summary is the one-page version for events, shop counters and supporters who will not read sixteen pages.
Saver speed, about 6 working days for the slowest item. Prices are the live Saver prices for exactly these options. Order each item from its own page; one delivery charge covers the basket.
One role per A6 card works better than a list of ten roles on one flyer.
Saver speed, about 6 working days for the slowest item. Prices are the live Saver prices for exactly these options. Order each item from its own page; one delivery charge covers the basket.
Good charity copy is specific and respectful: one person or one number rather than a cloud of need, and people described with dignity. Avoid guilt and pressure; supporters give again when they feel trusted. Replace the bracketed parts.
Headlines
This winter, [number] families will ask us for food
£25 keeps a family fed for a week
Two hours a week, on your doorstep
You helped [number] people last year. Here is how.
Walk 10k for [charity name] on [date]
Need help? Call us. It is free and confidential.
Body text
[Charity name] has supported people in [area] since [year]. Last year we [helped / answered / provided] [number] [people / calls / parcels], almost all through volunteers. This [appeal] is for [specific need]. Every gift is spent on [purpose], and if you are a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid adds 25p to each £1 at no cost to you.
If you are worried about [issue], you can talk to us. Call [number] between [hours], drop in at [address] on [days], or ask your GP, school or advice centre to refer you. Our service is free and confidential, and you do not need to give your name to get advice.
Calls to action
Give online: scan the code or visit [web address]
Call [number] to volunteer
Return the form in the freepost envelope
Get written, informed consent before using anyone's story or photo, and let them choose a different name if they want.
State exactly what a gift buys only if it is true and current; out-of-date '£10 buys' figures undermine trust.
Print service leaflets in plain English and offer easy read or translated versions if your users need them.
When, where and how many
Charity fundraising follows the calendar, but service leaflets need to be in place all year.
November and December are the strongest giving months, with winter and Christmas appeals. Spring and early summer bring challenge events, open gardens and fun runs. Service leaflets should be restocked monthly wherever they are displayed.
When to send
Christmas and winter appeals in late October to mid November, before other appeals crowd the doormat. Event flyers eight to ten weeks before the date for sponsored challenges, four weeks for local events. Annual reports to coincide with the AGM. Allow the Saver working days on the product page plus delivery.
How many
Print appeal leaflets for your supporter list plus a margin for events and shops. Service leaflets in batches you can use within a year, since contact details and services change. For door drops, a few thousand homes around your base is a realistic volunteer-delivered run.
Where
Supporters by post. Service leaflets in GP surgeries, pharmacies, libraries, schools, job centres and community hubs, with permission. Event flyers in local shops, cafés, gyms, workplaces and faith groups. Charity shop counters for Gift Aid on goods and volunteer roles.
What response to expect
Mailings to existing supporters respond far better than cold door drops, which typically bring a small number of gifts per thousand homes. Clear asks with a reply form or QR code do better than general awareness leaflets. Test one change at a time, such as the headline or ask amounts, and compare.
Paper, size and finish for charities
Charity print should look careful with money: clean, readable and on sensible stock. Recycled and uncoated papers fit many charities' values and take a pen well.
Job
Size
Paper
Finish
Why
Appeal leaflet
A4 folded to DL
130gsm silk
None
Light for postage, six panels.
Service leaflet
A4 folded to DL
130gsm silk
None
Fits standard DL racks in surgeries.
Impact report
A4, 16 pages
130gsm silk, 250gsm cover
None
Feels like a report, not a brochure.
Giving form
DL
300gsm smooth white card
Uncoated
Writes cleanly for bank details.
Thank-you card
A6
350gsm recycled uncoated
None
Handwritten notes, recycled stock.
Glossy, heavily laminated print can make supporters wonder about costs. Silk and uncoated stocks look professional without looking expensive.
Service leaflets need large, clear type (at least 11 point), strong contrast and the helpline number on the front panel. Test them with the people who will use them.
Before you print: rules for charities
Charity print often asks for money, which brings legal requirements. These are the points we see charities check most; your trustees, the Charity Commission or OSCR can confirm what applies to you.
Registered charity statement
In England and Wales, a registered charity with gross income over £10,000 in its last financial year must state that it is a registered charity on notices, adverts and other documents asking for money or property, and on invoices and receipts.
Money raised for a stated purpose is usually restricted to it. Say on the leaflet what happens if the appeal raises too much or too little, so you can use the funds without going back to every donor.
Printed declarations must include what HMRC requires, including the donor's full name and home address and a statement that they must pay enough tax to cover the claim. Use HMRC's model wording.
If a leaflet promotes a raffle or lottery, most society lotteries must be registered with the local authority, and each ticket must show the society's name, the ticket price, the promoter's name and address and the draw date. Small raffles held at a single event have their own rules.
The Code of Fundraising Practice covers honesty, pressure and data. People can ask a charity to stop contacting them through the Fundraising Preference Service, so screen addressed mailings against suppression requests.
This is general guidance from a printer, not legal advice. Check with your trustees, the Charity Commission or OSCR.
Questions about leaflets for charities
What should a charity appeal leaflet include?
One clear need, told through a specific number or a story shared with consent, what a gift will do, ways to give, a reply form or QR code, a Gift Aid declaration, what happens if you raise more or less than needed, and your charity details, including the registered charity statement where it applies.
Do charity leaflets need a charity number?
Registered charities in England and Wales with income over £10,000 must state that they are a registered charity on documents asking for money. Adding the registration number is common practice and lets donors check you. Charities registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own regulators' rules.
What size are charity appeal leaflets?
DL is the usual size: an A4 sheet roll-folded into six panels fits a standard envelope, a door-to-door drop and leaflet racks. Use A5 flyers for events and volunteering, and A4 stapled booklets for impact reports and annual reviews.
When should charities send appeal mailings?
Late October to mid November for Christmas and winter appeals, before the busiest weeks for post. Spring appeals work well around Easter. Event flyers need eight to ten weeks for sponsored challenges, so supporters have time to gather sponsorship.
Can we use recycled paper for charity leaflets?
Yes. We print flyers and cards on 350gsm recycled uncoated card and kraft, and uncoated papers for forms. Recycled stock suits thank-you cards and simple flyers well. For photo-heavy appeals and reports, silk paper usually reproduces images better.
How do we print a Gift Aid form?
Use HMRC's model declaration wording, including full name, home address and the statement about paying enough tax, on uncoated card so it is easy to fill in. Keep it separate from the bank details section if forms are handled by different people. Check the wording is current before each reprint.
Can you design our charity leaflet or report?
Yes. Send your text, photos and logo through our Artwork and Design Service. Every upload is checked automatically for size, bleed and resolution, and File check (£4.99) adds a person reviewing your file before printing. Have your trustees approve fundraising wording first.
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