As someone who is organizing a charity event, the element of surprise can be one of the most powerful tools you have to create a memorable and engaging experience.
That is unless you are the one being taken by surprise.
An incomplete script of the event, a caterer who did not get paid, a false assessment of available resources. These are all slips which can compromise your efforts to raise funds for your organization.
You cannot afford to make decisions on a whim when putting together a fundraiser.
Instead, it is best to have a detailed strategy in place for your event, which will significantly increase the chances of it being a success.
The question now is: What exactly does a strategic charity event plan entail? Read on, and you will get your answer.
Goals Are Essential when Organizing a Charity Event
An effective fundraiser strategy starts with setting the right goals. They provide focus and motivation and help you stay on track.
Now, your organization is likely to have a set of objectives. However, it is important to further refine them for each event you plan.
SHARP is an acronym you can use to set the best goals:
- Specific: General goals do not provide enough direction. Your goals should be well-defined and clear.
- Highly-measurable: You need quantifiable outcomes (such as a sum of money, an increase in the number of donors) to understand what works and what doesn’t.
- Actionable: This means your goal can be achieved through actions.
- Realistic:Your goals should be both ambitious and attainable. Take your organization’s financial structure and ability to generate donations into account.
- Purpose-driven: The goals should support the primary purpose of the strategy. It can be anything from raising funds to increasing awareness about your cause.
Take Your Organization’s Assets into Account
When organizing a charity event, your strategic plan is likely to be influenced by the assets your charity has at its disposal.
- Human capital. This can include volunteers, board members and existing donors whom you know you can count on. Think of the best ways to activate the available human capital to support your fundraising plan.
- Reputation. Trust plays a huge role in charities’ ability to raise funds. If your organization has managed to win public trust, you can use that to create new partnerships, get word-of-mouth, increase awareness and promotion.
Don’t Forget about Entertainment
Entertainment is key to a successful event, so you should consider including it in your strategy as well.
The right speaker or artist can engage donors throughout the event. Also, he/she can convey your organization’s message and cause in a memorable way.
Your Turn
One of the main reasons to create a strategy when organizing a charity event is to find new ways to move your nonprofit forward.
So, you should always keep your eyes open for new windows of opportunity. Now that you have a better understanding of what goes into an event strategy, you are well on your way to planning a successful fundraiser.
