Pulling off a successful fundraiser takes a significant amount of planning, dedication and, of course, enthusiasm! While you probably don’t have too much trouble with the last two, the planning aspect can be tough. Since you’ve got the cause and we’ve got the tips…what are you waiting for? Let’s raise some funds!
Goals
First things first: you’ve got to decide what your goals are for hosting this event. Is the purpose to simply raise money or do you have other objectives? Maybe the main goal of your fundraiser is to gain publicity or to network your cause to a specific consumer base. Most of your planning details will be determined by the purpose of your event, so make sure to pinpoint these goals early on!
Since this is a FUNDraiser, you’ll want to have a certain amount of money you plan to raise at your event. All the planning will be geared towards raising the amount you hope to net or, in other words, the money left after deducting all your expenses.
Budget
Your fundraiser’s budget will be the foundation for all other aspects of organizing the event. So expect to take a little extra time on creating it. Create a detailed list of all the expenses you’ll require to host the event (i.e. staff, venue, catering, entertainment, utilities, etc.) Consider your fundraising goal when putting this together to make sure your goal is attainable with all the costs. Be sure to leave a little wiggle room in your budget for those pesky unexpected costs that pop up along the way! Because trust us, they will.
Location
The location of your event should be catered to your target audience so consider these questions: Will this be a general fundraiser where all are invited? Or will it be an event geared specifically towards a certain group of people? Decide if your fundraiser will be a daytime or evening event and whether you’ll need certain facilities for entertainment or activities. For example, a golfing fundraiser would need to take place on, you guessed it, a golf course! If your event is going to be outside, you may want to consider renting a tent to shield from unpredictable weather so those funds will be raised come rain or shine!
Sponsors
Sponsors play a huge role in a successful fundraiser and can often eliminate many costs that would otherwise take away from your goal amount of raised funds. Companies, local businesses, restaurants or even just a generous individual looking to support your cause can become a sponsor. Ask around! Many companies have a budget for donations like this each year, so start your search early to have a better chance at catching those big fish.
Get creative with your search for sponsorship. Let businesses know that this can be a great advertising opportunity for them and that any help is appreciated. Ask local restaurants for food donations or to cater your event. Local businesses of all sorts can provide goodie bags for prizes and giveaways to get people excited about both your event and the sponsor themselves.
Entertainment
When you’re asking your guests to donate, it’s important to entertain them by making your event both fun and engaging! Take into account your audience when planning your entertainment, as businessmen may prefer a golf tournament over, say, a carnival or dance marathon. Whatever you decide, keep your guests pumped up about giving back throughout the whole event with giveaways and prizes.
Hiring a photographer makes for fantastic pictures to advertise your event the next time around and is a great way to capture the wonderful time everyone had at your event. Music is another great addition. Consider booking a band or DJ to really liven things up and get your guests in the mood to help out your cause! To ensure you get the most out of your fundraiser, hire great corporate event entertainment on GigSalad!
Food & Drink
Everyone loves to eat! Plan on providing food for your guests to enjoy at your event. Keep in mind the atmosphere of your fundraiser when choosing the menu. A morning event might call for a breakfast buffet while a more formal evening event might require a sit-down dinner. People remember good food so make it memorable!
Consider booking a caterer or, better yet, ask a local restaurant to cater as a donation. They get publicity, you get free food, it’s a win-win! And if your fundraiser’s atmosphere is appropriate, drinks are a must. They get everyone relaxed enough to chat and mingle (and maybe donate a little money, huh?). Plus, asking your guests to give money to a cause is a lot to ask of someone. The least you can do is make sure the time they spend hearing your fundraising pitch is as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
Promoting
To raise the as much money as possible you’ve got to get people excited about your event. The more the merrier when it comes to guests since they really put the “fund” in fundraiser. Promote your event like crazy and start early! Send out save the dates that are fun and unique to inform your guests about your event in advance. Follow up with sending out an online registration form for your network to sign up. Keep it simple and easy to use and send a link to it out via email, social media, and direct mail to reach as much of your targeted audience as possible.
Promoting the event on social media is crucial to your fundraising success, so make a Facebook page for your event and invite people to join. You can also use this page as a platform to send out information and get people engaged in the event! Social media isn’t the only modern way to promote your event: Crowdfunding has become one of the more popular promotional techniques for non-profit events as well. Not sure what that is? Check out this How-To on Crowdfunding for non-profit events!
Continue promoting your cause by sending your guests home with party favors after the event. It’s a nice way of thanking them for supporting the event while also marketing your cause for future events. Takeaways such as cups or T-shirts with the event logo and basic information are just two examples of potential keepsakes that really get your name out there.
Thank You
Your guests and sponsors are giving of both their time and money to support your event, so make sure to thank them! During the event, remind your staff and volunteers to be gracious and thank the contributors. Keeping your donors happy is key for a successful fundraiser and for maintaining relationships for other events down the road. Send out thank-you notes to everyone involved in your event to let them know how significant their role was in the success of the event.
Now that you’ve filled your fundraising tool belt with your essential planning tools, it’s time to get out there and build that amazing event we know you’re capable of hosting! Have fun with it and remember, if you need a little help along the way, GigSalad is at your service!