Planning a charity fundraising event is not the easiest thing to do especially if you have no experience in it. However it can be fulfilling at the same time. Here are some few tips to help you plan your event with less stress.
#1. Get a team
When organizing a fundraising charity event, you will need as much help as you can get. Get at least 20 people to volunteer. As soon as the team is formed, start planning as soon as possible. Try to get people who have experience in planning events, socially connected and also people that are positive. Make sure these people are ready to commit their energy and time to the project ahead.
#2. Invitees
After you have set up your team, you can now start working on your invitations. Determine how many people you want to invite and what category of people should be there. For instance you can determine if it is an event for students, politicians, parents or just anyone.
#3. Budget
Draw a budget before anything else. It is wiser to start with heavier expenses then go down to the lighter ones. Major expenses could include renting a hall, food and drinks etc. be careful to pick out all hidden costs and make allocations for miscellaneous expenses. Match the expenses against your expected returns, if its negative then you might want to adjust some areas. Remember the aim here is to make money and not to lose money.
#4. Sponsorship
Companies, especially private ones are usually always willing to support charity organizations. However the process is easier if you have a wide network. When asking for sponsorship, also offer the company something in return. For instance, tell them that you will help advertise their company.
#5. Publicity
Promote your event where ever you can. Create posters and fliers and distribute all around town. Technology today is one of the strongest forms of publicity a charity (new or old) can use — and it’s free! Social media sites, such as Facebook, twitter and Instagram are all entirely free. In addition, posting information about the event on the charity’s Web site and sending invitations to supporters are ways to make sure people who are most interested in the organization know about an event.
#6. Tickets
Make sure that tickets are out early to make sure that people have access to it. Be sure that people selling the tickets have the right skills to sell as much tickets as possible. Also determine if there are different classes of tickets like VIP, Ordinary and so on.
#7. On the day
Always be prepared for the unexpected because not everything will go as planned. Sometimes even the people that have been assigned to responsibilities will make mistakes. Set up an agenda and try to follow it as much as possible. For instance if a band that’s supposed to perform is running late replace them with one that’s already there. Try to check if everything is working properly like the sound etc. The most important thing is to be calm, organized and always have a plan B. take out time to communicate the charity’s mission to your guest. This can convince them to become partners with the charity.
#8. Say Thank You
You might think that after the event your work is done. It’s important to remember to say thank you to all the people who supported you in the event. Show gratitude personally by calling, sending mails or thank you cards to each and every one of them. This way they will be willing to support you in your next event.
Planning a charity fundraising event, just like any other event is not easy but it can be very rewarding. With adequate resources, dedication and time your event will no doubt be a successful one.
Thanks for reading this article, we hope it helped.