It’s easy to think of some great reasons to raise some money for charity. You have a cause you’re passionate about that you want to support. You want to do something worthwhile with your free time. You want to make your resume look a bit more colorful. Wanting to do something for charity and actually doing it are two different things, though. If you want to raise some money, you could collect sponsor for an event or goal. You could join in with an existing event, or you could work as a charity fundraiser on the streets, on the phone, or knocking on doors. However, if you want to take on a big project, planning your own fundraiser is an excellent idea.
Why Plan a Fundraiser?
So why should you plan your own fundraiser? It’s a lot of effort to go to, and there are other ways to help out a charitable cause. Running a fundraiser is often hard, but it’s also very rewarding. If you can pull it off, you’ll raise some much-needed money, and you could learn some new skills along the way. Sometimes, you can find an existing fundraiser to join in with. But there are times when they don’t exist, or there’s no way for you to contribute. Taking on your own event can allow you to raise some money when there isn’t one for you to participate in already.
Coming Up with Ideas
A fundraising event can take on many forms, so you need to start by thinking about what you want to do. You can think about your ideas in terms of where the donations are going to come from. Will people give money because they’re making bids in a silent auction? Are they going to buy tickets for your event or perhaps spend money on food and activities while they’re there? Maybe your event centers around a promotional product you have created, like a launch for a charity calendar. You could host a sporting event, a fashion show, a funfair, and many other things.
Budgeting for Your Fundraiser
The aim of your fundraising event is to get people to give their money to a good cause. To maximize donations, any money given can go to the cause, while the costs of the event are covered by donors. You might have some money to spend on the event, or you might be planning to find some sponsors who are willing to help with costs or donate supplies or labor. Coming up with a budget is important so that things don’t get too expensive and you can realistically cover all the costs. To create a realistic budget, you’ll need to list and research all the things you’ll need for your event.
Getting Others Involved
Planning a fundraiser on your own is going to be a lot of work. If you want to make sure everything goes smoothly, it’s sensible to have others helping you. You can ask friends and family if they want to join in, or put an ad out for volunteers. You can take a leadership role and delegate various tasks to different people. It’s also a good idea to speak to possible corporate sponsors who can help with money and organization. They might be able to provide people to help out or donate something that’s needed, and you can give them some exposure in return.
Who Is It For?
It’s important to know who your target audience is for your fundraising event. Some events are for just about anyone, but often you need to narrow it down at least slightly. Is it a family event or is it adults only? Is your target audience business people or people with a lot of money? You should think about your audience when you’re deciding what to do for your event. You might figure out who your audience is after choosing an event, but it’s also sensible to work out who you want to target first. It allows you to work out who could potentially give the most money.
Getting Organized
There’s a lot to organize for any event, so it’s essential to get started as soon as you can. You need to find somewhere to host the event, and perhaps organize things like food and entertainment. It can be hard to keep on top of everything, so you might find it helpful to use event planning software. There are some recommended programs at whova.com. You can also find some free tools for planning events online or just use spreadsheets and a diary to keep track. You should also check with the charity or organization you are fundraising for. They likely have some useful information and possibly a fundraising pack they can give you to make things easier.
Making the Experience Worth It
You need to make sure you plan an event that the attendees will enjoy. So, as well as being organized, you need to plan with your audience’s enjoyment in mind. Make sure that every part of your event works for the charity you have in mind, and remember the little touches, as well as the big gestures. Your guests could remember the custom button badges from thepinfactory.com.au that you hand them as they enter or at their seats for dinner just as much as they remember the main part of the event. All your guests should feel like the event has been worth their time. They should know that they’ve contributed to a good cause, but they should also get more from the event.
Marketing
You need to market your fundraiser if you want people to attend. Some events might be for a select list of invitees. In this case, you still need to make your guests want to come. You should make it clear that they have been individually chosen, tell them about the cause, and why the event will be worth their time. If you’re marketing to a wider audience, you might need to use a variety of methods to get people interested. You can use social media, posters and flyers, word of mouth, and more to tell people about your fundraiser.
Planning a fundraiser can take up a lot of your time, but it’s worth it for the results. Even if you don’t enjoy the experience in the end, you’ll have learned a lot about yourself.
