Fundraising Ideas

Organizing a Fundraising Event 101: How to Motivate Your Team

November 8, 2018 by Tim Grable

Last updated on November 11th, 2018 at 09:17 pm

For every successful fundraising event, there is a team of loyal, dedicated volunteers and staff members working behind the scenes to make sure every detail is planned out to perfection.

However, even the most determined teams are prone to experience planning fatigue, stress and to lose their motivation. Luckily, there are things you can do to avoid this, starting with the proven tips included in this article.

Organize a Kick-off Party

Putting together a small party to kickstart event activities will energize your team members and give them a chance to get to know each other better in a relaxed setting.

It’s also a fantastic opportunity to ensure everyone is on the same page and that all those involved starts with a positive attitude and a go-get-it mentality.

Entertainment acts like glue in this case, as sharing new experiences is proven to bring people closer together.

One entertainment suggestions sure to get people excited is improv comedy.

Fish Sticks Comedy acts are not only side-splitting funny, but they are also great for bringing your team members closer to each other. That’s because their program includes a series of games which get the audience involved and boosts teamwork.

Encourage Some Friendly Competition

Most people are competitive by nature. So adding a light competitive component into your organization’s strategy can be highly effective when it comes to motivating and engaging your team.

There are several ways to do this, but the important thing is to keep everything fun. For instance, you can offer badges based on accomplished goals, or have an event leaderboard which recognizes your team’s top achievements.

Remind them of the Organization’s Mission and Values

The fundraiser’s mission is what drove your team of volunteers and staff to offer their time and energy in the first place. Remind team members of the impact their actions can produce with real examples and organizational success stories.

A strong sense of purpose and the feeling of working together towards a common goal will inspire your team to give it their best- even when dealing with stressful situations and hard-to-solve problems.

Ask for Feedback

Useful, clear communication is key to planning a successful fundraising event.

It’s never a bad idea to ask your team members what they need to stay motivated and whether any roadblocks are stopping them from achieving their goals.

Keep in mind that each person on your team is an individual and therefore experiences unique challenges. Also, some people may be reluctant to ask for guidance when they need it, which can result in them losing all interest in performing a task.

Sometimes, the only incentive a volunteer need is the knowledge required to carry out the job.

Having a Motivated Team Leads to a Successful Fundraising Event

Your team members are your most valuable resources, so it’s essential to ensure they stay determined, even when the going gets tough. We hope these tips will help with that.

For more information on how to plan a successful fundraising event which will boost donations, make sure to keep an eye on the articles posted on our blog. We’re continually adding new resources.

Fundraising Event Rules Which Will Help You Achieve Success

November 3, 2018 by Tim Grable

Last updated on November 8th, 2018 at 05:33 am

For every fundraising event you organize, you need to make sure you’re doing everything you can to raise as much money as possible, without wasting valuable resources, such as time and money.

Regardless of fundraiser size, there are a few fundraising event rules you need to follow which will help you maximize its success.

These types of events are still important for nonprofit organizations as they can help you create a stronger connection with the donors and sponsors.

Here are the rules you need to follow to organize successful fundraising events.

1. Keep the Focus on Fundraising

While it’s important to think about the event part of the fundraiser, fundraising event rules still apply.

This means you still need to:

establish relationships with donors and guests throughout the event
make asks – before and during the event
explain why people should get involved and support your cause.

2. Start Planning Months in Advance

Your fundraiser’s biggest event, which can be a gala or an annual dinner, will require a year-long planning effort so you can ensure you’ll raise as many funds as possible.

These type of fundraising events can prove to be the most important ones when it comes to raising money. The bigger the event, the more work will go into it, which means you’ll need to start the planning process sooner.

By having all of this time at your disposal, you will be able to cultivate relationships with current donors, add new prospects, get in touch with them and build new relationships.

3. Book Entertainment

Whether you book or not entertainment for your fundraising event can set it apart from the rest. Your guests will not only leave feeling more connected to your cause, but they will also enjoy themselves during the event.

When deciding on entertainment, you should take into account the guests’ profile, the type of fundraising you’re organizing, your cause and venue size.

4. Close More Sponsorships

Sponsors contribute a significant amount of money to nonprofit organizations in exchange for certain perks, such as exposure.

It’s important to identify potential sponsors and contact them a few months before your event so you can establish all the details beforehand.

The sponsorship is a two-way street, so make sure you present the other party’s benefits as well when crafting the proposal.

5. Calculate the Net Revenue

When organizing a fundraising event, it’s essential to take into account how much money you spent on event planning and how much money you were able to raise.

Gross revenue represents the amount of money you were able to raise after the event, while net revenue defines the amount you managed to raise minus the event costs.

Calculating the return on investment for your fundraising activities can help you understand how effective the events you organized were.

Follow These Fundraising Event Rules to Achieve Success

By holding a great fundraising event, you will encourage the attendees to tell their friends about it and even bring them at the next one.

Also, if your fundraiser gets press coverage, it may raise the interest of other businesses as well which can consider becoming sponsors for a future event.

These fundraising event rules are not hard to follow, and the benefits you will see from applying them are going to be worth it.

In case your nonprofit needs the best entertainment for a fundraiser, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at (615) 283-0039.

Essential Things to Do in Preparation for Your Fundraising Event

October 20, 2018 by Tim Grable

More often than not, the success of a fundraising event is the result of careful, thorough planning. Yes, this can be time-consuming, but the truth is that what you do before the day of the event can make all the difference.

This article will focus on highlighting a few essential steps you shouldn’t skip in preparation for your event.

Keeping these in mind will ensure your event has the best chances of being a success and raise a significant amount of money for your cause. Ready to get started?

Setting Clear Goals for Your Event Early on

Goals are essential because they help guide your entire event planning itinerary. The more specific you can get, the better, so see if you can break down your goals into subsections.

This will make it much easier for you to outline tasks which need to be completed, as well as to keep track of the progress being made.

What’s more, the staff will also be aware of their primary responsibilities for the fundraising event ahead of time.

It will also help you get better organized, as you will be able to get a head start on the more time-consuming tasks in your planning checklist. All in all, it will lead to a more streamlined, more efficient planning process that makes the most use out of available resources.

Marketing Your Fundraising Event

Another thing you should incorporate in your plan has to do with promoting the event to your targeted audience. It’s important to show your supporters that the event is – blatantly put – worthy of their time and donations.

Try to get the word out about your event, generate hype and get people excited about attending. Possible strategies to include in your marketing plan are:

using your organization’s fundraising network,
mailing invitations,
direct mail,
social media promotion.

Be careful how you choose your event promotion timeline; the goal here is to engage your donors and build excitement without becoming dull or spammy.

Putting Together a Back-Up Plan

The details of what this backup plan entails will depend on the specifics of your fundraising event, of course.

The takeaway here is that you should think of the variables in your plan – the things that are most likely to change and disrupt the smooth running of the event.

For instance, if you’re planning to host your fundraiser outside, think about having a backup solution in case of bad weather or other possible disruptions of this kind. This way, you won’t have to send donors home early.

Thinking about alternative solutions in good time will help you avoid getting a panic attack if something doesn’t go according to plan on the day of the event.

Booking the Entertainment Well in Advance

Some planners leave this part of the planning process for the final stages – only to realize that their first choice of entertainment is no longer available.

To make sure this won’t happen in your case, consider booking the entertainment at least a couple of months in advance. A few top suggestions include musicians, variety acts and clean comedy acts.

For more fantastic recommendations, make sure to check out the many artists and entertainers who specialize in fundraising included in our portfolio.

The Main Reasons Why You Need Fundraiser Entertainment

October 8, 2018 by Tim Grable

A successful fundraising event involves more than asking attendees to make a donation, sell tickets, or merchandise. It’s also about building a sustainable long-term relationship between the nonprofit organization and the donors.

Regardless of the shape, size, or budget for your event, fundraiser entertainment is an essential part of its success as it can help you stand out.

To make the most out of your next fundraising event, you may want to consider adding humor into the mix.

Here are the main reasons why fundraising entertainment should be included in your event planning checklist.

1. Generate More Interest in the Event

The right type of entertainment can help you attract more interest in your fundraising event. At the same time, it can benefit you by drawing in a more diverse crowd – which can help increase awareness about your organization’s cause.

By booking an exciting entertainer for the fundraiser, you will maximize your potential of reaching new donors and make them aware of your cause.

Additionally, people will be more likely to donate live than if you were to create an online campaign.

As long as the fundraiser entertainment aligns with your goals, audience profile, and event purpose, you’ll have no issues generating more interest in the fundraiser.

2. Add Value to the Event

By nature, a fundraiser’s primary goal is to raise money for a specific cause. Whether you decide to sell tickets to the event or let people decide which is the amount they would like to donate, the attendees still need to feel they are getting value out of the donation they made.

The venue, the catering, the drinks, overall atmosphere, the entertainment, and all the activities that you plan for the fundraiser will come together to provide value to your guests.

Entertainment is a big part of the picture because it can help elevate the value of the ticket or the event in general. If people have a good time, then they will most likely donate more and even consider attending future events.

You can also look at fundraiser entertainment as a way of rewarding the donors and thanking them for supporting your cause.

3. It’s Important to Have Fun

Some fundraising events are designed to raise money for causes that are not joyful – natural disasters or serious illnesses such as cancer are just a couple of examples.

Despite the gravity of these causes, fundraising events can benefit from a dose of optimism and positivity.

The best way to go about this is to hire a professional entertainer who can warm up the crowd and build a positive association between their message and your organization’s cause.

Experience is critical for a fundraising entertainer, so make sure you look for someone who has already performed at fundraisers.

Fundraiser Entertainment – The Missing Link

Making sure you book the right entertainment for a fundraising event is key to ensuring that you’re going to attract more participants, which will increase the number of donations as well.

Are you ready to take your next fundraiser to a superior level? Then get in touch with us at (615) 283-0039, and we’ll help you choose the best entertainment for your event.

Fantastic Fundraising Event Ideas You Need To Consider

October 5, 2018 by Tim Grable

Organizing a fundraising event could yield a lot of significant benefits for your organization, such as boosting its reputation and facilitating better community interaction.

However, if you’re short on fundraising event ideas, then we have good news for you!

This article highlights some brilliant ideas that you can try to shape an outstanding fundraising campaign!

1. Peer-To-Peer Fundraising

If your event is bringing in many people, then you should consider the option of obtaining donations from the actions of the individuals involved.

This way, most of the attendees will be able to contribute to the cause. In the long run, the frequency of donations is likely to increase as well, and this way, you’ll reach your fundraising goals faster.

Peer-to-peer fundraising puts the power of your fundraiser in the hands of the participants. It will be the people that drive the event’s entire narrative.

For example, if you are hosting a benefits marathon, it will be the participants who get the ball rolling.

The more people who are involved in it, the larger the reach of the event becomes. Also, if a large number of people participate, this will significantly grow the awareness for the event and its cause.

2. Organize an Auction

It is one of the most popular fundraising event ideas out there. And for a good reason, as an auction usually gets the audience involved in a light competition to reach highest bids on the items that are up for auction.

This type of event offers a lot concerning customization. For example, based on whether the event is made for charitable purposes or if it’s intended to honor someone, you can pick the best type of items to put up for auction.

Speaking of charitable purposes, you can gather the items for the auction from an organization or from individual supporters who are willing to donate them. So this can incentivize the donors or the bidders to contribute even more.

3. Organize a Raffle

Much in the vein of an auction, a raffle is a competitive experience that sparks people’s interest, which means it’s a great way to generate revenue for your fundraising event.

People will be eager to take part in something where there’s value on the line so that you will need an attractive set of prizes. If you want to make things even more interesting, you could also set up an exclusive version of the raffle where you’re offering a grand prize.

A diverse range of competitions is always welcome, and people will be more involved in your event if they know they have real chances of winning something.

4. Benefit Concert

If you want to stand out with your event, one of the best fundraising event ideas is to organize a concert.

There are many bands and musicians that you can choose from, and each will offer a unique twist to your event. For example, Michael and Amy Pickering are a piano duo whose performances are sure to delight a wide array of audiences.

Upgrade Your Fundraising Event Ideas!

Booking an entertainer for your fundraising event is an excellent way to offer the audience an enticing experience that they won’t forget anytime soon.

Feel free to contact us at (615) 283-0039 for more information on entertainers that are up for hire, and we will gladly help!