5 Things every Fundraising Planner Should Know

Posted by Ben Crook on 15 June 2018

Organising a fundraising event is no easy feat, even when you have resources and years of experience under your belt, running into road blocks is inevitable.

Here are 5 things we think you should keep at the forefront of your mind when planning your next fundraising event to ensure you maximise your efforts and raise as much as possible.

1) Target audience

You shouldnt underestimate the power of understanding your guest demographic. Studying your guest demographic will enable you to deliver an event they will be talking about all year.

Think about how much money your demographic will realistically part with, if the room consists of young corporates, then adapt your pledge moment and auction to directly appeal to that particular group of people, it will make a staggering difference to the amount you raise. In addition, ensure you hire a host who is going to be able to relate to the audience, and understand what motivates them to part with their cash!

2) Marketing

So, you’ve decided to host a fundraising event to raise vital funds for your cause, and you’ve got all the elements in place to make the event both entertaining and fruitful, but the right people aren’t buying tickets. Why is this? The answer is most likely a lack of an effective marketing strategy.

There are numerous free tools available to help you create engaging designs, find out how good design work can help your charity raise more, but great designs and visuals aren’t all you need to create an effective marketing campaign. Social media can be one of the strongest tools in any charities arsenal if used correctly. Once you know the demographic you want to target, you can use social media to specifically target them. Depending on your budget you could use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to run ads that will attract donors to your event.

3) Fundraising goal

Its so easy to forget the primary reason your hosting an event when there are so many other elements of the event that require your attention.

Let the goal of your event drive all the other decisions you will need to make, for example when choosing a venue ensure there are no ornaments or pillars obstructing the guests view of the stage and screens that display the auction leaderboard. Not having full view of the stage can impact a donors motivation to give. It’s the small details that can make a huge difference!

4) Keep it fresh

Eliminate fundraising fatigue by presenting something different at your event, not only do you want your guests to donate generously but you want them to walk away having had an amazing time. As they’re likely to tell their friends (aka potential donors) how incredible the event was.

Evaluate your past events and try not to replicate every detail, think about how you could shake things up by using fundraising games, technology or immersive theatre to create a new experience.

5) Post-event communication

Utilise the energy and excitement that you’ve created at your event to continue fundraising after your big day. By posting and sharing photos and videos of your event, it may inspire donors who didn’t attend to donate.

Make sure you take the time to thank your guests for attending. It really does go a long way in making donors feel appreciated and that their donation is making an impact. This might seem like a laborious task, but it’ll be worth it when you want them to attend you next fundraising event!

If you would like to receive fundraising tips, tricks and industry updates, make sure you subscribe to our blog to receive weekly updates that are sure to help you with your fundraising mission!

Ben Crook

Chief Operating Officer

Ben is at the forefront of every project in Givergy, listing and actioning constant improvements across the business. With over a decade of experience in the charity and events sector he brings a deep understanding of what the fundraising industry needs to operate effectively and efficiently.