Creating a fundraising event checklist can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. Raising funds for a just cause is not exactly the easiest thing to organize.
Luckily, there are a few donation tactics you can incorporate into your strategy. They’re not even that hard to implement into your event party.
Here are five ideas which won’t leave your potential donors saying “no”:
1. Remember that People Are Social Beings
Any fundraising event checklist should take this fact into account. Make sure your fundraiser takes place in a cozy setting where people can discuss it in private.
Another thing you can do is tell your past donors to bring friends. Your organization will appear much more reliable to their peers if they recommend you.
The result is that they will be much more likely to donate. After all, if donors don’t attend your event, the chance is slim to none.
2. Get a Hold of a Thought Leader
If your charity is about animal rights, you won’t bring Gordon Ramsay as your spokesperson. That’s for sure.
Think of who are the most influential people in your field of activity and invite them to speak at your company’s event.
People are much more likely to donate to a cause when somebody famous jumps on board. It all comes down to how trustworthy the cause is.
3. The Scarcity Principle Should Be Part of Your Fundraising Event Checklist
What is the “scarcity principle” you may ask? Remember when you wanted to buy a new LCD TV set when they were all the craze? Or when your daughter wanted the new iPhone 6 a few years ago?
What did these things have in common? Promotional messages were all about making the products seem scarce. “Buy now while we still have them in stock!”
When it comes to your event, make it clear that you can offer limited seats. It would also be worth mentioning that the first attendants will receive exclusive gifts related to the event. Hats and T-shirts seem to have the most success.
4. Highlight How This Year’s Event Is Better than the Last One
If you’re a non-profit, you may want to separate yourself from the crowd. Most just think that bigger is better. They get a larger venue and increase the ticket prices.
That is a mistake that may (literally) cost you attendant numbers. Instead, try getting your sponsors to offer discounts.
Highlight that the event price is much lower than last year – with a “thank you” to the sponsors, of course.
5. Find an Inspirational Speaker
What fundraising event checklist have you seen that’s been missing an inspiring voice?
Not every fundraiser has the possibility of getting a thought leader at their event. As such, it becomes necessary to find someone who will inspire your audience.
Bob Stromberg, for example, has had experience with a lot of worthy causes. Don’t believe us? He has held events for the American Brain Tumor Association and Children’s Hospitals, among others. He’s also been on the road to stop human trafficking as part of the “Not for Sale” campaign.
His magic comes from the way he tells simple truths with which people can identify with. That is the most important factor to make note of when organizing your fundraiser.
If you’re having trouble finding someone worthy of representing your cause, give us a call. We’ll be more than happy to find someone to lift the spirits at your fundraiser.
