Organizing fundraising events represent a tremendous opportunity for nonprofits seeking to generate income beyond regular donations. However, they do come with upfront costs and require an investment in human resources. Plus, they take time.
So, as a nonprofit leader, it’s paramount to decide wisely when it comes to what’s the right type of fundraising event for your organization. You’ll want to pick profitable ones that will be well worth the investment.
To help you out, we’ve listed a few big-money charity fundraising ideas which are known to produce a high return on investment. All you have to do is keep reading.
Signed Memorabilia Auction
A book signed by a famous author, a guitar signed by a top musician, a ball with the autograph of a celebrated athlete, and a movie prop with the signature of an actor on it; are all top-dollar items you can auction off at a charity event.
Signed memorabilia is usually pretty rare and thus hard to come by. However, it’s hardly impossible, so it’s an idea at least worth considering.
A great place to start is by reaching out to your supporters and organization members to see if anyone has a connection you might be able to leverage.
You never know who a friend who has a friend who is the niece of someone famous has.
Another way to go about this is to try to get the attention of a celebrity yourself and ask if they would be willing to help.
Emphasize the fact that it’s all for a good cause.
A Night Out Themed Event
What if you could invite your donors, friends, and people in your community to eat out – and round up your organization’s income as a result of it? This is the next of our big money charity fundraising ideas.
So, how does this work? Well, the main thing you need to do is secure a partnership with a local restaurant. It’s not as difficult as you may think, as many restaurants offer programs to help support organizations in their area.
Reach out to the restaurant’s manager or owner, asking if they would partner up with your organization. Together, you could put together a special menu in support of your cause and the money raised from selling those menus would go to your no-profit.
Once you iron out all the details, it’s just a matter of getting as many people as possible to eat at the restaurant that day.
This is one of the easiest big-money charity fundraising ideas to implement, yet many nonprofits seem not to have heard of it. This means you have a chance to stand out with your next event.
Black Tie Gala
The investment and the time needed to organize a sophisticated gala are often considerable. However, then again, so are the profits.
If you can swing it, consider organizing a classic, elegant black-tie event where you invite your biggest donors for a night of fine wining and dining.
To be able to sell high-priced tickets, your event needs to stand out and provide a stellar experience. Here are a few tips which can help with that:
- Consider hosting the event in a special or unexpected venue (like a yacht or a pier beside a lake)
- Book a best-in-class entertainer who will surprise and captivate your guests. Read this article to learn more about some of the best recommendations for top entertainment you can book.
- Hand-pick your vendors. Everything from the flowers at the entrance to the food on the table needs to delight your donors.
- Show how your organization is making an impact in a powerful way. Rather than showing a presentation full of charts and numbers, ask someone whom your charity helped to give a speech. This is the kind of moment that creates devoted, lifelong supporters.
Comedy Always Connects
If there’s one entertainment element that has always stuck with the audience, then comedy would be it. There’s something inherently pleasing about sitting back and enjoying a great stand-up comedy performance.
No matter how complicated an audience can be, a comedy show at the right time can get below anyone’s skin.
So this depends entirely on the comedian you get to perform on stage. We can tell you that hiring a good comedian is one of the best moves for a charity event. Because they don’t just tell a few jokes and wrap it up.
Instead, they create an entire narrative for their comedy show. They invest their time into building a connection with the audience. And they know when the right time to drop some of the best jokes is.
If you want your fundraising event to be a success, then follow this link to hire some of the highest-quality comedians in the industry.
Music with a Powerful Message
If you’re looking for a talented singer with a unique and inspiring story to tell, Kechi Okwuchi is the one to book! After surviving a plane crash as a college student, music became her escape from the world of surgeries and procedures. Despite having over one hundred procedures, however, Kechi still managed to graduate Summa Cum Laude from the University of Thomas Houston. That’s not all she’s managed to accomplish. She has given a TedTalk with TedTalkxEuston and has appeared as a finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Her touching voice has managed to move the audience to tears, and the future looks bright for this up-and-coming singer. That’s why she is one of the best musicians for fundraising events. She has a beautiful and inspirational story to tell and an astounding voice
Excited to Try These Big Money Charity Fundraising Ideas Yourself?
We hope you’ll consider the charity fundraising ideas included in this article, as they have a significant potential to help you generate more revenue for your organization.
Also, don’t forget to check out some of the other articles posted on our blog for more great tips and ideas on how to plan successful charity events.
