Fundraisers are unique opportunities to gather money for a worthy cause and connect with fellow community members. Still, we can only accomplish those goals through careful planning and thorough promotion. Here are ten tips for hosting a fundraiser to make the event a success from start to finish.
Know Your Cause and Goals
The first details you need to know about your fundraiser are the cause and goals. Each element has different functions, but equal importance:
Cause: what person, organization or movement will the fundraiser support?
Goals: how much money do you need to gather? What about non-financial goal ideas, like raising awareness for the cause and fostering relationships with attendees?
Establish these essential characteristics before focusing on the smaller details. You need to paint a clear picture of the fundraiser’s desired outcome before doing anything else.
Identify Your Target Audience
Target audience is the next detail you should address. Find the demographic(s) that will respond most positively to the cause. If they can support the cause, they’re more likely to donate and attend the event with enthusiasm. Use a process called market segmentation to determine the most appropriate audience. If you think a specific demographic will be interested, trust that instinct and reach out to those people.
Choose a Fitting Event and Venue
Your target audience should have a mutual interest, so pick an appropriate event and find a venue that can accommodate it. For example, if the fundraiser supports a church or religious group, you might host a movie night and show a film directed toward the church/group’s demographic. Here are some other events you might want to consider:
- Concert
- Auction
- Sporting event
- Walk/run
- Trivia
- Gala
- Thon
- Community breakfast, lunch or dinner
Location and accessibility are also important factors. Aim to find a venue in a convenient spot with amenities for everyone that might attend, including young children, the elderly and the disabled. You might find a suitable location at these familiar places:
- Parks
- Athletic fields
- Community centers
- Churches
- Schools
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Small businesses
The location’s property owner will be more likely to help you if they support your fundraiser’s cause, so keep that in mind during your search. A local school is more likely to host a fundraiser for a youth group than a hotel or small business.
Set a Firm Budget
Avoid overspending by setting a firm but manageable budget early on. Start by writing down all possible costs, such as food, entertainment and equipment. Establishing your budget before paying off these expenses will prevent you from going overboard. After all, your fundraiser’s goal is to raise money, not lose money.
Lay Out Your Schedule Early
With a budget in place, you can lay out the fundraiser’s schedule and determine precisely when each expense will occur. The most important part of the schedule is the fundraiser’s date. Choose a weekday and time that’s most convenient for attendees, and make sure it doesn’t interfere with other events in the area. You want your fundraiser to stand alone, but you also want to give donors plenty of time to RSVP and fit the event into their calendars.
Organize Your Volunteers
Each role at the fundraiser is interconnected, so communication between your team of volunteers is a top priority. Give them the resources to collaborate and understand their specific job descriptions. A clearly-defined role allows them to focus all their attention and effort on one task. With everyone doing their assigned job, the event can run smoothly from start to finish.
Use Many Promotional Devices
Promotion should remain a constant in your schedule, from the fundraiser’s first announcement up to the day of the event. Use as many promotional devices as possible to spread the word:
- Print ads
- Email newsletters
- Local radio stations
- Website content
- Social media
While every device has its place in your promotional efforts, focus primarily on using the platforms that cater to your target audience.
Provide Multiple Donation Options
You should also use multiple platforms to gather money from attendees. Making donations and ticket purchases easy will go a long way toward reaching the fundraiser’s financial goals. Make sure you integrate all of these options:
- Website donation page
- Third-party finance apps such as PayPal and Venmo
- Third-party donation websites such as GoFundMe and Change.org
- Mail-in donations and tickets
- Mobile transfer tickets using apps like Stubhub, Eventbrite, etc.
- In-person sales and collections
Offering multiple avenues for buying/donating makes your fundraiser appear more legitimate and tells your target audience that you take the fundraiser’s cause seriously. These feelings will help sway their decision to support the cause.
Do a Dress Rehearsal
If you want to sleep better the night before the event, do a dress rehearsal with your volunteers. They must know the venue’s layout and the locations of any resources they might need. You should also discuss contingency plans in case something goes wrong. This rehearsal doesn’t have to be complicated or drawn out. Just make sure everyone knows their various responsibilities throughout the day.
Follow Up With Attendees
Your work isn’t done when the attendees leave and you clean up the venue. Follow up with everyone involved and let them know about the fundraiser’s success. Tell attendees how much money you raised, how many tickets you sold and how many people showed up for the event. Everyone played a role in executing the event, so they all deserve to know the results.
Plus, following up shows great professionalism on your part. Attendees will remember that final gesture and will be more likely to help you in the future.
Host With Confidence
As you can see, hosting a fundraiser requires a lot of preparation. Applying these tips will help you consolidate the money, people power and resources necessary to gain support for the fundraiser’s cause. If you’re confident in your prep work, a successful event will follow!
