Nonprofit organizations need funding. That’s a given. And a great way to secure the funds your organization needs is through fundraising events. That’s if you manage to engage your donors’ interest and create a memorable experience for everyone involved.
Easier said than done, right? Here are 5 tips to help you out plan an awesome event:
- Choose unconventional venues
I don’t have to tell you how important location is when planning any type of event.
Hotel meeting rooms may be practical, but they are just not that exciting. In fact, after a while, they get pretty boring, so why not try something different for a change? Let me give you a few ideas:
- Theaters – Theymake for beautiful, unconventional venues. Just make sure they have all the facilities you need to successfully hold your event.
- A historical venue – Renting the house of a former president or a monument, for example, is a great idea to jazz up your next fundraising event.
- Aquarium – It doesn’t get much better than this! The blue light from the water will set the mood just right and impress your donors.
People like to be surprised, so don’t be afraid to think outside the box and be creative.
- Make your fundraising event interactive
Events should be interactive. It’s as simple as that. Think about it: People who are at your fundraising event are there because they want to experience your organization beyond the fundraising letter you send out. They want to interact with you and other like-minded individuals and see a mission statement in action.
[ Image Credits: Bloodwise ]
Consider including an element of interactivity if you want your event to stand out, spark interest and inspire donations. You could set up a voting booth and let your donors decide on one aspect of the evening or bring in an expert to teach them a new fun skill that you can link to your cause.
Whatever you do, make sure you make your supporters feel like they are part of the event.
- Set the mood for giving
One key to a successful fundraiser is to make your donors feel like they want to give. You can do this by sharing meaningful stories about your organization and the work you do. Don’t just talk about how their contributions will help your chosen cause. Show them how they help your organization with pictures, videos or testimonials. Better yet, get those who have been helped by your organization to speak at your event.
- Select a theme that fits your guests
Having a theme can immediately add interest and excitement to any fundraising event. It also helps make it easier to organize the décor, food, entertainment and special giveaways for the evening. There are plenty of themes to choose from. The most popular are fashion, popular culture, history, art and politics. Starting with one category, you should be able to come up with a specific theme to please your audience.
- Choose the right entertainment
Donors don’t only come to your events because they want to know more about your organization, but also because they want to have fun, and entertainment plays a key role in that. As you might have already guessed, the biggest factor you need to consider is your audience.
Everybody loves to laugh, so you can’t go wrong with a comedian who can entertain your guests throughout the event.
