Being a part of a fundraising event should be fun and exciting for everyone involved.
If you’re lucky, it will boast awesome music, tasty food and lots of wonderful people. It will however, take some hard work. To make sure your next fundraising event kicks some major project goals and doesn’t bomb, we’ve identified a few things to consider.
Start by doing some diligent planning. Identify the purpose and goal of your event, the budget available and the best ways to promote it. It’s simple but important stuff.
Read on below for more detailed advice and tips.
Identify the Purpose of Your Event
Think about the purpose of your event before you get started making any plans. Is it to raise money, gain publicity or to grow your brand through networking? A combination of all these things usually makes for a great, well-rounded purpose. More importantly, understand your purpose and use it to narrow in on micro tasks. This will make the overall project more achievable. For instance, if you want to receive donations, then bring a piggy bank. Or if you want to collect contact information, then make sure that you have the right technology at hand.
Work Towards the Goal of Your Event
Identify the goal of your event from the outset so that you can monitor milestones along the way and stay accountable. If the goal of your fundraising event is to hit a certain monetary value, then set markers for the night. Ticking things off a bucket list is great motivation. You can also incorporate other goals into this concept. Maybe you set the objective of collecting the email addresses of 50 people by the halfway point. Who knows, you might get way more!
Stick to Your Budget
Think about how much you can afford to put into the event for it to be worthwhile, for yourself and your guests. It’s all well and good planning an evening at a ritzy venue with endless drinks, but remember, the idea is to come away with a profit – not to break the bank! To ensure that you stay within your budget, plan carefully well before the event. Think about the food, drinks and other luxuries you’re going to need. Room hire can be costly, while booking a few tables down at the local pub can be comparatively cheap. There’s no right or wrong here. Budgets can be big or small depending on the event. Either way, grab your notepad and crunch some numbers.
Market Your Event Well
Get proactive and spread your message online and offline. How? By speaking to the people around you.
“Hey, we are hosting a fun trivia night for the Trust Foundation on Friday at 8pm. We have hired the Peacock Parlour and all proceeds go directly to this great cause. Get your friends and come on down!”
That’s some old school marketing right there. But what about for the cool kids?
Social media is a great tool because you can reach a huge amount of people at the click of a button. Create an event on Facebook and get the word out. Ask your friends and colleagues to share your content and utilise multiple platforms to maximise impact, think Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter.
Our Verdict
Create a successful fundraising event by taking the time to plan ahead and factor in the specifics of what is needed. Know your primary goal and purpose so that you can tailor the occasion around it. Remember your budget and pay attention to marketing opportunities.
For more advice, get in touch with our event planners at Melbourne’s Best Functions.
