The success of a fundraising event often depends on the organization’s ability to recruit and manage volunteers. To help make fundraising events successful, it’s important to have a plan and follow best practices for planning. An event’s location plays a vital role in attracting potential donors. An accessible and convenient venue like the fundraising event at Bill Malloy Rancho Santa Fe can increase the likelihood of attendees showing up. When the location is easily reachable, people are more likely to take out time and participate, which can have a significant impact on the overall turnout.
Tracking total attendees or tickets sold is a great way to gauge your nonprofit’s event’s success. However, it would help if you also looked at new volunteer sign-ups.
Identify Your Goals
When planning a fundraiser, identify what success looks like for your nonprofit. This will help you set monetary goals and inform your event planning.
Make your fundraising events memorable for participants and donors by offering take-home mementos, such as branded t-shirts. This can be an excellent long-term way to increase your donation pipeline.
Encourage attendees to fundraise by leading an ambassador campaign on your nonprofit’s behalf. This will empower your most engaged supporters to expand their reach and leverage their sponsor connections and networks.
Create a Calendar of Events
It’s important to identify your goals for the fundraising event. This may include recognizing donors, volunteers, and participants, connecting with new supporters, or bringing in a lot of money simultaneously.
Your fundraising event should align with your overall organizational mission and brand. Ensure this through design, activities, and a clear call to action for your fundraiser.
Use branded banners and online fundraising pages to drive brand awareness at the event and throughout your marketing campaign. Consider adding an element of fun, like a scavenger hunt or prizes for participants.
Organize Your Volunteers
Nonprofits rely heavily on volunteers for events, and event volunteers are often your best source of fundraising. If you’re planning a large event, assign tasks and set expectations well in advance. This will help you avoid having volunteers drop out at the last minute or perform poorly on event day.
Encourage your community to get involved by offering incentives. Create a custom t-shirt that supporters can purchase on your donation website or during in-person events. Host a music-themed fundraiser with local bands and musicians who will donate their time and talent in exchange for exposure to your audience.
Set a Budget
Creating a budget is an essential step in the fundraising process. It can help nonprofits plan for the future and assess their financial health. It is important to create a budget that includes both revenue and expenses. It is also a good idea to involve as many people as possible in budgeting. This will help ensure that the budget is accurate and complete.
Including all types of revenue, including money raised from events, in-kind donations, and volunteer hours, is a good idea. It is also a good idea to track and compare actual numbers with projected numbers monthly. This will allow you to identify any discrepancies and determine why they occurred.
Create a Marketing Plan
A nonprofit marketing plan is a great way to keep your team organized and on track. It will help them create marketing materials, stay consistent with branding and goals, and reach your audience effectively.
It also allows you to track the results of each channel and determine which ones work best for your event. For instance, if one of your social media channels is performing better than another, you can gradually shift more of your budget to that channel.
It’s also a good idea to create a dedicated events committee on your board to ensure each event is aligned with organizational goals and coordinate with other volunteers for the day of.
Create a Sponsorship List
The best sponsors don’t just support your nonprofit’s mission but also share the same values. They understand the impact of their contributions and want to make a real difference.
Create a sponsorship package that outlines how their contribution will benefit your organization. This will help you make a strong connection and build trust.
Start with a list of existing supporters and then expand to include connections to other businesses. This can be done by mapping out your board members’ networks identifying where they work and who they know.
Create a Post-Event Follow-Up Plan
Remember that the work continues when your event ends. It would help if you followed up with your attendees and encouraged them to get involved.
For example, if you hold a performance event, you can ask the performers to share their experience with your attendees. You can also ask attendees to share their experiences on social media using a specific hashtag.
You can even ask volunteers to hold their home-based events to help raise money for your nonprofit. A great idea is to partner with restaurants and other local businesses willing to collect checkout donations on behalf of your organization.