7 Tips for Planning a Fundraiser

Planning your fundraiser so that you get a healthy amount of donations while also producing a great event for your donors can be stressful…but

with the right tools, you can eliminate the stress while bringing in the money that your charity needs.

Create a Budget

For a successful fundraiser, you will have to spend a little money in order to make money.

Build your budget based on the needs of your charitable event.

Make a list with a realistic breakdown of the cost of each service you’ll need: venue, catering, bartenders, and the extras (lighting, music, and décor).

Don't spend so much that you burn up the donations you need, but you have to be willing to spend enough to make the event engaging to your donors.

Have a Goal

Determine the amount that you would like to raise at your event and then work backwards to figure out the steps necessary to reach your goal.

If you want to run a race, you need to know where the finish line is.

Figure out what will net you the amount you need: is it better for your organization to have a small number of high-dollar donors, or will you be better served by having a large group of small-dollar donors?

Options for Donations

In order to achieve maximum donations, you ought to have different drivers of donation in place.

The price of a ticket is just one method to get donations; you can also have a raffle, a silent auction, or convince donors to auction off their own skills (legal skills, cooking skills, etc.).

Offering multiple avenues for donations makes it easy for donors to donate via check, money order, or through online payment services.

Give Donors a "Why"

If your fundraiser isn’t a one-time event, give donors insight into the previous year’s donations, so they have a concrete idea of what their donations can achieve.

If this is your first year, give a brief presentation with bright visual aids (charts, photographs) that show what you plan to accomplish.

Don’t forget to personalize your cause: if possible, putting a face on a cause can humanize it. Build a human connection between your cause and your donors, and you’ll see your donations increase

Assemble Your Marketing “Dream Team”

Gather a group (friends, family, volunteers, or staff ) to brainstorm how to spread the word about your event to the community, drum up attendees, and drive donations.

Community leaders, businesses or local celebrities are all great candidates for this role in your fundraiser.

Come up with a concrete plan that has time-sensitive goals (flyers, advertisements, invitations), and divvy up the tasks amongst your team of marketing superstars.

Say "Thank You"

In the rush of making your goal into a reality, it can be easy to forget little things like "thank you’s."

A heartfelt, sincere “thank you” will not only make donors feel that their time and money are appreciated, but it also keeps the door open for more donations in the future. Give them something to hold onto: a hand-written card in the mail goes a long way.

Other options include, emails to thank your guests for attending and tags on social media.

You’ve done it; you’ve received your donations, you’ve said your "thank you's," and you’re ready to make your cause into a reality. When you’re taking donations, however, don’t forget to ask your donors to register: you can keep them up-to-date with your charity’s progress, and you can build loyalty by making them feel involved in the cause.

Plus, when you create your next event, you’ve got a list of attendees and potential donors ready to go!

Register Your Donors