Sometimes, it can be even harder to pull off a successful fundraising event because of missed opportunities.
The solution is to look at some of the most recent trends in the charity event industry and use those to your advantage.
In this article, we will talk about the most important trends you should follow this year for charity event planning.
Trends That Will Define Charity Event Planning This Year
1. Digital Technology
Almost everyone uses the Internet on their smartphones today, including donors. After all, they are like you and me.
Most donors are not only using their smartphones for recreational purposes but also to donate. If a potential donor cannot make it to your event, you can stream it live on a social media site or a live streaming platform.
Whether it is about informing them about a future event or asking them to RSVP, digital and mobile is the way to do it this year.
2. Making It Personal
In fundraising, making every marketing message personal is more important than ever nowadays. People can spot automated messages which can make them feel like they do not have a genuine connection to your cause, and they will just ignore it.
You have to know who your donors are, whom you want to attract and most importantly when you can reach out to them.
3. Bring Something Different
The increased number of nonprofits escalated the competition between organizations. The cause you are fighting for needs to be the base for your future actions.
If you want to have a presence, you have to find out what sets you apart from the rest. Then, all of the messages that will be communicated by you need to be consistent with your uniqueness.
4. Establish Trust
Trust is not built overnight, and it remains a big issue which can be addressed. We believe that in charity event planning you should never forget about bringing a speaker for your event.
The potential donors present will certainly be delighted as they will enjoy a little bit of entertainment from a third party. On the other hand, the speaker can also give the audience more details about the charity event they are attending.
5. Be Specific
Since there are many donors who do not trust nonprofits, you should try to change that through the events you are organizing.
To change this, you need to be more specific when it comes to establishing the idea behind an event. For example, you can create projects and campaigns and use the event to get the word out about them.
Donors want to know what they are putting their money into. A project will give you the opportunity to do that.
Huge Charity Event Planning Mistakes That You Need to Steer Clear of
When it comes to charity event planning, there is no need to rush the process. If you do so, you might end up regretting it because it did not turn out as good as it could have.
This would be a shame, not only for the event planners and the people who invest in their services but also for the poor souls who depend on the success of the charity.
However, there is no need to start worrying about everything, since there is an easy fix to this. All you need to do is learn about serious charity event planning mistakes and avoid making them:
1. Not going with a professional auctioneer
This is a huge mistake many event planners make when it comes to organizing a charity fundraiser.
You might think that you will save money by just letting somebody on your staff handle the live auction, but you would be wrong.
It is important to understand that professional auctioneers are worth every penny since it is their job to get everybody in the room to invest money in your cause. If you just go with an amateur, you risk losing large potential investments.
Plus, charity event planning requires you also to spend money on hiring bid spotters. Keep in mind that professional auctioneers have their bid spotters, so you will not have to invest in such services.
2. Overlooking crowd control is a huge charity event planning mistake
When the live auction takes place, everybody needs to be in their seat and stay quiet. It might sound like something more appropriate for a school event, but it is important.
If you ignore this vital charity event planning aspect, then your auctioneers will be at risk of being ignored by the crowd since they will continue talking to each other without paying attention to the stage.
Be sure to make a loud announcement to let them know when the auction starts.
Also, don’t have waiters walking around during the auction because they will only distract guests from the sale and people will be tempted to walk over to them and ask for beverages or food.
Closing the cocktail bar is a good idea as well.
3. Using centerpieces that are too large
They might look beautiful, but once you install them you will notice that most of the audience will not be able to get a good look at the stage. If their view is blocked, then the auction will be a failure.
It is better to go with moderately-sized centerpieces that look beautiful and don’t inconvenience anybody. This way, the charity event will be a guaranteed success.
4. Forgetting about the entertainment aspect
You need to make sure the audience is entertained if you want them to be supportive of the event. This one is a must.
Go with entertainers who only use clean comedy because, this way, you will not have to worry about people being offended and leaving.
We can help you with the last part!
The Grable Group represents entertainers and comedians. Performers who have the talent and experience to offer a quality show at your charity event.
Your guests will be so impressed that they will be more than happy to demonstrate their support by donating money.
Do It Different This Year
Charity event planning is a piece of cake when you know what kind of entertainment you need. You naturally want the guests to feel good, remember your event and donate, of course.
We have the best fundraisers speakers whom you can hire for your next charity event. Feel free to take a look and contact us if you would like more info on them.
