Fundraising events represent a fantastic way to raise awareness and funds for your cause, attract new donors, build stronger relationships with donors.
Unfortunately, there’s an ugly side when it comes to organizing a fundraising event. A poorly planned fundraiser can cost a nonprofit money, or it can barely manage to cover the organization’s costs.
To avoid this from happening, we’ve gathered in this post one of the biggest mistakes nonprofits make when organizing events.
- Start the Planning Too Late
This is an easy mistake to make because most of the time event planners underestimate the challenges that come when organizing a fundraising event.
Moreover, everyone involved is going to be affected.
Even though two months may be a long time, it isn’t when it comes to fundraising event planning. In this case, you’ll need to start six months in advance or even a year in some cases, depending on the event’s size.
- Set a Low Budget
Trying to cut costs when it’s not necessary is only going to harm your entire strategy and the event’s outcome.
Even if you find sponsors to help cover some of the event costs, you’ll still need to invest in quality entertainment or speakers, a beautiful venue, catering, promotional materials, marketing, and staff.
Your guests will be able to tell if you decided to cut costs on some aspects and in return, they can end up donating less money than you would have hoped for.
- Ask a Random Company for a Sponsorship
Fundraising events usually have at least one big sponsor, and the secret behind getting that sponsorship lies in the fact that event planners do their research before making the ask.
Sponsorship is a partnership agreement which benefits both sides. To find the right sponsor, a nonprofit organization needs to know precisely what they have to offer to that company.
- Lack of Entertainment
No matter the size of the fundraising event you’re organizing, entertainment is an integral part of its success.
The entertainment, whether it’s a band, a clean comedian or an artist, has the purpose of engaging the participants, making them feel good and more connected to your cause and organization.
The lack of entertainment can make your guests feel like they’ve attended a dull fundraising event which had no impact on them.
- Forget to Make a Checklist
Having a checklist can save your planning in so many ways. Your work revolving the event will be much more manageable, and you’ll be able to stick to the schedule.
Even if you’re going to make adjustments along the way, the checklist is still going to serve as the primary roadmap you need to follow.
That way, during the weeks which lead up to the fundraising event, you’ll know for sure that you won’t forget anything.
Organizing a Fundraising Event Which Is Flawless Is Not a Challenge Anymore
If you take into account the most common mistakes nonprofits make, you’ll be on your way to organizing successful fundraising events.
As you’ve already seen, organizing a fundraising event cannot be done without proper entertainment.
