Americans tend to be charitable, with 69 percent of donations made by individuals. Obviously, they tend to support the causes that are most important to them, with you and family causes at the top, according to recent fundraising statistics. Animals, medical research, education, disaster relief, and human rights are just some of the others.
No matter what the cause or goal of your fundraising event, you’ll have a long list of responsibilities that are required for success. Attracting the right people who are motivated to give generously is a must, as there is much more to it than simply filling seats.
To raise the maximum funds possible, be sure your event includes these three important factors.
The Right Venue
The venue can easily make or break your fundraising event, making it essential to choose the location wisely. It needs to be easy for your target crowd to get to, with plenty of available parking, but you also might want to consider a place that’s more out of the ordinary that gets their attention. It must have enough space, including adequate room for everyone to move around and space for preferred revenue streams like bars and food tables.
Other considerations are an adequate number of bathrooms for the number of guests and signage to direct them there, good acoustics, lighting that isn’t too dim or too bright, and areas suitable for taking photos to commemorate the event. If you’ll be incorporating any type of mobile bidding or technology into any element, strong Wi-Fi is a must too.
Live Entertainment
Without entertainment, your audience will become bored quickly, which means many will be trying to sneak out the door rather than donating no matter how passionate they are about the cause. Sizzle things up with Latin female singers or something unexpected like belly dancers or even aerialists. An act that works with the theme of the event is sure to captivate those who attend, whether it’s music, dance, or comedy. When it comes to comedy, ensure the comedian suits your audience, which probably means no vulgar, offensive acts that could easily offend.
The bottom line is, this is one area where you don’t want to skimp. Entertainment, as well as the food and drink, are what attendees tend to care about most.
Publicity
Promotion and publicity are a must as soon as you start planning. You’ll want to use your connections to get the word out with “save the date” content. Think social media, printed and emailed invitations, direct mail campaigns, local media such as spots on radio shows, ads in newspapers, and broadcast news.
Invite celebrities and other VIPs along with influencers and key media contacts. Anyone willing to support the cause and help promote it. The publicity doesn’t end when the event begins, which means you’ll want to have professional photographers and videographers capturing quality images. You might even livestream it on social media.
After it’s over, you can use the photos and footage to encourage further support and repurpose it for evergreen marketing content.
