How to organise fundraising events

Fundraisers are some of the best sources of funds for projects that require a large amount of resources. This article lists a few guidelines which are applicable in organising a fundraising event with minimum effort and maximum effect.

The basics

Fundraisers are a great way of mobilising funds for causes which require massive resources. Nowadays, various campaigns, ranging from charity work to political runs, rely on fundraisers to boost their financial bases. As a result, such appeals require meticulous planning and strong organisational skills to achieve success. When organising a fundraising event, you should keep in mind a number of considerations to ensure that the event becomes successful. Firstly, you need to understand the magnitude of the cause in relation to the funds which you are seeking. Some small causes require big funds and vice versa. Maintaining a holistic view of the project and the effectiveness of a fundraiser will help you in planning subsequent stages. Secondly, you need to understand clearly the type of demographics that would be interested in donating to your cause, like knowing who they are, what they do, how you can appeal to them and what they enjoy. This will provide you with a potential base of long-term donors if the project continues for a considerable length of time.

Advertising

Once you know the size of your project and the people who can donate to them, organise the place, date, time, programme, costs and sponsorship which will be involved in the fundraiser. A written summary of the requirements will be useful, especially when involving other organisers. At this point, you should also incorporate those who are willing to donate items other than funds. These would include a venue owner ready to provide a room for the event, a caterer ready to provide free food, an entertainer ready to play the role of the Master of Ceremony, etc. Fourthly, delegate different aspects of the organisation process to various participants so that the team can conclude different components of the process in good time. The team should send invitations to potential donors and if the fundraiser is open to the public, advertisements in the media will suffice. Use media platforms which your target donors utilise like websites, blogs, social media, radio stations, public notice boards, newspapers, television channels, etc. Ensure that your contact details are included in the adverts to gauge feedback and communicate with interested donors. Fifthly, study the feedback from the invitations and adverts in advance to gauge the potential number of attendees. Fine-tuning of the final preparations should incorporate the views obtained here and accommodate as many workable suggestions as possible. Lastly, hold the fundraiser and have fun!