Fundraising potential of special events

Creative Solutions & Innovations | www.creative-si.com | 404.325.7031

Deborah Spector, PresidentCreative Solutions &

[email protected]

Fundraising Without Special Events? No Way!"

WARNING!Do not hold a special event without

proper planning!



Special Events are Key to Successful Fundraising

Special Events:Bring attention to your mission.Improve bottom line performance

and market share through new donors & sponsors.

Provide a captive audienceCreate a meaningful way to thank

your existing supporters.


Fundraising Event Characteristics

Generate funding streamsAre a means to an end, not an end

in and of themselves.Provide your experiential

marketing focus.Without events people may not

know – or care who you are!


Fundraising Event BenefitsCan be the most tangible

expression of an organization’s mission.

Offer an opportunity for supporters to donate their time, treasure, and talent to support a cause.

Gateway to sponsors


An integrated model

Your development plan includes events at

every level:


EVENTS AS PART OF YOUR DEVELOPMENT PLAN

BequestsRecognition Events

Capital CampaignsLaunch events for public phase

Major giftsTargeted Events

Annual GivingVolume Events

Event360 – www.event360.org


Experiential Marketing

“Research shows that face-to-face events have a greater return on investment than most other forms of advertising or public relations.”

Mike Cleary of Abcom

http://www.abcom-inc.com/


TAKE AWAY:

Events are the experiential aspect of your development efforts. Without them people may not know or care who

you are!


Brainstorming: Create Your VisionVision is your grand scheme of how you perceive your event,

what type to hold, who will attend, what you hope to accomplish.Vision gives you the energy to

move toward your goals. A visioning exercise allows everyone

around the table to share in the ownership of the goal and as such

the success of the event.


Special Event Timeline


Develop a Budget


Revenue Follows Good Communications

“Any group that does not have an effective communication program will raise only a fraction of the money they would otherwise attract.”

Fundraising Guru Roger CraverStrategic Communications for Nonprofits


Promoting Your Special Event

Plan publicity early Budget ahead Define your target audience Set Goals Develop a strategy Know your deadlines

December 2011Creative Solutions & Innovations

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Why Social Media?

Special events that are promoted through social media increase their outreach, revenues and participants.

Participants who use social media in event fundraising were also among the top fundraisers for their respective events.




Social Networking Sites

Twitter.com – tell everyone about your fundraiser in 140 characters

FaceBook.com – tell everyone in your network about your fundraiser

LinkedIn.com – professional nonprofits ‘share’ information about fundraiser

YouTube.com – create a video for your fundraiser




Sponsorships

A sponsorship is a contract entered into between a company and an organization for marketing purposes that includes rights and benefits.



Keys to Sponsorships

North American businesses spent more than $17.2 billion sponsoring events in 2010. These included charity galas, athletic contests, concert series, and the like -- according to IEG Sponsorship Report.

Why are sponsors important?

Sponsorship provides financial contribution to a nonprofit event or program.

The nonprofit promotes a company’s involvement.

The company in turn promotes the cause to a wider audience.


What is Ultimate Goal of Sponsorships?

Sponsors pay a fee that helps cover the costs of a fundraising event, so that more of the funds paid by attendees go to the nonprofit or charity.

Your goal should be to get enough money from sponsors to pay for all costs, so that 100% of the money generated by individual attendees goes to your organization.



Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

Case study




Independent Fundraising EventsIFE are activities designed and run

by non-staff to raise money on behalf of a specific nonprofit organization.

They are conducted locally by individuals with minimal support from the beneficiary organization.

The types of activities that these local supporters conduct are quite literally endless. Creative Solutions & Innovations


Benefits Of IFE An effective addition to any

organization’s development portfolio. Independent fundraisers are more likely

to have a much stronger and direct emotional connection to the organization.

An IFE program is a great way to give these highly dedicated individuals the opportunity to match their passion without the limitations of traditional fundraising events. Creative Solutions & Innovations


How to Support Independent Fundraisers

Develop a secure website with useable tools:

Media Kit and publicity guide Approved logos, graphics, banners,

stickers Informational pieces Personal fundraising page for online donations Printable donation forms Registration materials Staff support Creative Solutions & Innovations


IFE Challenges Budgeting Revenue Justification of Costs Connecting with IFE donors Supplies and Giveaways Reputation/Brand Risk Shortage of staff support Unavailability of board members to

participateZach Anderson, Canadian Internet Summit


IFE Programs

Alex’s Lemonade Stand – Fighting Childhood Cancer Once Cup at a Time - www.alexslemonade.org

Team Fox – Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research – www.michaeljfox.org


http://www.alexslemonade.org/

http://www.michaeljfox.org/



ResourcesSponsorships:

• Patricia Martin, Made Possible By: Succeeding With Sponsorship Jossey-Bass, 2004

Communications:

• Kathy Bonk, Henry Griggs, Emily Tynes, The Jossey-Bass Guide To Strategic Communications For Nonprofits, Jossey-Bass, 1999

• MarketingProfs - http://www.marketingprofs.com/

Using Social Media:

• Using FaceBook for Your Nonprofit- http://www.techsoup.org/community/facebook/index.cfm

Special Events:

• How to Make the Most of Your Special Event - http://nonprofit.about.com/od/fundraising/a/specialevents.htm

• Alan L. Wendroff, Making the Most of Special Events, Jossey-Bass, 2003

http://www.marketingprofs.com/

http://nonprofit.about.com/od/fundraising/a/specialevents.htm


December 2011

Thank You!

Please contact [email protected] for

sample budgets, event management timelines or film festival promotion template.

mailto:[email protected]

Business

Fundraising potential of special events