Nonprofit Event Management

Virtual Fundraising: Tips for Moving In-Person Auctions Online

September 17, 2020 By Bryna Dilman

With the entire world affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic fallout, the vital services and resources that nonprofits provide are in historically high demand. To meet this surge and move their mission forward, nonprofits must decide -and decide quickly- the best way to continue their fundraising efforts in a contactless way.

As nonprofits navigate a new fundraising landscape that has completely changed in just a few short months, one tactic that is gaining momentum is hosting an online auction.

To maximize efforts and drive greater donations, below are some critical steps to keep in mind before jumping on this emerging trend in online fundraising.

Get your auction list in check:

Although it sounds like a simple task, creating and refining an auction list is easier said than done. As resources may be limited, it’s best to target items that won’t take a lot of phone calls or research to request. If possible, focus on items that are easily transported to the winners (i.e. electronically or via regular mail). Additionally, with many businesses and services temporarily closed due to COVID-19, make sure to check on any restrictions on the donated item. For instance, if a local Italian restaurant donated a gift card but it’s only open for delivery, disclose this in the item restrictions field.

When finding new items, keep in mind that most businesses donate to auctions in order to convert new customers. Therefore, find out which businesses have the capacity to contribute and present the auction as an opportunity to support a great cause and reach a new customer base. This will be an easier selling point for a business that ties into your mission. For example, if you work at an animal shelter, ask local pet stores or boutiques for grooming gift certificates, dog and cat toys or pet sitting services. By teaming up with a like-minded business, you create an ally to promote your mission to customers that fall squarely in your target demographic.

Select a site to host your auction:

Selecting a reputable online fundraising platform that enables you to connect with your donors in a meaningful way is critical. Do your research to find a site that reaches a large bidding community and streamlines promotion efforts by choosing a platform with email and communication tools. Also, for any initiative that requires individuals to disclose sensitive information like credit card numbers, opt for a site that makes data privacy a top priority.

Polish your communication plan:

Once you’ve selected your donor destination site of choice, create a foolproof communication plan to reach your desired audience. As mentioned, if you choose a site that has email capabilities, it’s easier to create targeted campaigns to attract new supporters and reengage previous donors.

While it’s important to target your usual guest list, do not forget to contact participants from all past fundraising events and campaigns. For previous supporters, thank them for their continued commitment and illustrate how the online auction differs from past events. To personalize outreach, auction organizers should consider calling donors that are historically very loyal or generous.

Don’t forget to tie in your organization’s mission with the event. Include photos and examples of the impact supporters’ donations will have. If you have a recent major accomplishment- like a breakthrough in research or reaching a fundraising milestone- be sure to mention that too.

Urge your contacts to register as bidders for the auction but understand that this is not the only call to action you should include. It’s also vital to encourage registrants to share the auction with friends and family or post on their personal social media profiles. Once you have some registered bidders, be sure to send them emails about new items you’ve listed or highlight items with no bids (or ones with the most bids!).

Don’t be shy in your outreach efforts. While it’s certainly a sensitive time to ask for donations, a lot of people still want to support your event and cause.

Say thank you and stay engaged:

Before the auction even closes, continue to engage supporters. Say “thank you” early and as often as possible. To foster long standing relationships, send acknowledgement letters to all individuals and businesses that donate items as you receive them.

As soon as the auction closes, send each winner a tax receipt that includes a description of the item purchased, its fair market value and the amount of purchase. Some auction hosting sites will automatically send these out, but you can always follow up with a personalized thank you note and a receipt as needed.

Don’t stop there, once the auction closes, keep checking in with your supporters and members. When applicable, share relevant resources with your community. If you’re calling your supporters, for their records, always send a follow up email after with a note highlighting the auction’s success.

Additionally, always remember to keep the momentum. You do not always need a concrete reason to reach out but providing new resources or mission updates are great ways to keep your community engaged.

Ready your virtual gavel!

While accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual fundraising is here to stay due to its ability to drive greater donations, attract new supporters and reduce operational costs.

By following the tips above and embracing this emerging trend in fundraising, nonprofits can quickly recoup some of the revenue that might otherwise be lost and show their supporters that they’re still here to help.

Our Top 8 Tips For Virtual Event Success in 2020

September 17, 2020 By Tatiana Morand

COVID-19 has forced every business and industry to rethink how they serve their audience.

While many industries are struggling to adapt their business model in the “new normal”, events have arguably had one of the hardest times. The events world banks on large crowds of people being together, which is near impossible right now.

That’s why virtual events have become such an appealing alternative. They are a way to safely bring people together in the interim while being significantly cheaper to run.Goodbye space, decor, and food costs!

But how do you execute this? And how do you do it well?

To answer these questions, Wild Apricot put together the 2020 Virtual Events Research Report. We talked to over 1,000 nonprofit organizations to see how they are finding success in the new virtual event space – and how you can learn from them to find similar successes.

In this article, we’ll break down some of our top learnings from the report and share practical tips to apply each of these learnings to your own non-profit.

About the 2020 Virtual Events Research Report

Now more than ever, having a nonprofit digital strategy is key. In fact, the majority of businesses have to plan on a digital-first basis right now, and nonprofits are no exception.

However, virtual events are so new for a lot of organizations, making it hard to find tips or stats on online events to serve as a guideline.

That’s where the 2020 Virtual Events Report comes in. The report is packed full with insights on what organizations are doing today for virtual events, and what you can do better based on their learnings.

To get you started, here are some tips straight from our report.

Top 8 Tips for Virtual Event Success

Feeling ready to host your first Zoom conference? Want to throw a “thank you” gala for your amazing volunteers? Just realize that you have to throw these events to stay top of mind?

Whatever your reasoning, here’s what you need to know for how to host a successful online event!

1. Just Do It – Because the Majority of Nonprofits Are

If you don’t throw virtual events, you may be missing out on the chance to speak to your audience. More and more nonprofits are looking to throw virtual events as 2020 goes on, so if you choose not to, you’re leaving yourself out of the audience.

Let’s look at the numbers – 42% of organizations surveyed for the 2020 Virtual Events Report ran virtual events in 2019 and earlier 2020, with an additional 42% planning on running these events later in 2020. That means that the number of organizations planning ritual events has doubled this year.

You may be hesitant, especially if it’s a new experience, but sometimes you just have to go for it! In fact, when asked to share some advice for other organizations wanting to run virtual events, more than one survey respondent said to “Just do it!”.

2. Practice Makes Perfect

It may sound cliche, but it’s true – especially when you’re using new technology you may not be comfortable with!

Throwing your conference online is a lot more technical than your weekly FaceTime with friends. Here are some of the areas you’ll want to practice:

Block some time to practice setting everything up online as if it was the real event – from turning your laptop in and getting plugged in to closing off the virtual room at the end
Practice letting people into the virtual “room” and doing some basic commands in it. Make sure you know how to mute everybody (this will come in handy as you give a presentation!)
Do a trial of facilitating a Q&A. Have your team come in as “guests” so you can practice with real spectators – this helps recreate how the event will actually feel, versus just practicing alone.

The more practice you get, the more confident you will feel! Virtual events are new to everybody, so people have been forgiving, but that isn’t an excuse not to practice. One respondent to the survey spoke to this when they said, “people aremore forgiving of mistakes, but do your best to prepare for the common issues”.

The extra time you give yourself can make a huge difference!

3. Revisit Your Budget – Virtual Event Success isn’t Expensive

It’s time to put budget fears to rest if that’s a big barrier keeping you from running your first, second, or third virtual event!

And when you consider virtual events don’t require a large space, decor, as many event staff, or catering, it’s no surprise these end up with a smaller bill at the end of the night.

In fact, 84% of organizations surveyed that had already run virtual events said they spent less on these events than their in-person equivalents.

However, you’ll also have to keep in mind that while these events are less costly, there also is less revenue to be generated – nearly a quarter of surveyed nonprofits did not make any revenue from their online events in the last year.

However, this doesn’t mitigate the importance of online events! They keep your nonprofit top of mind.

Some of the main costs you’ll have to consider for online events include:

Premium streaming service: If you want to host a large group on Zoom, you’ll have to pay for a premium plan. The free service has time and guest caps
Speaker costs: It may be less to have speakers join you when you mitigate the travel fees, but there are still some charges associated
Gifts: Some larger virtual events are mailing attendees “gift bags” that they would receive at an in-person event. If you choose to do this, you’ll have to consider costs associated

4. Promote Donations

Believe it or not, a lot of online events completely skip this. If you’re putting the effort in to throw a virtual event, make sure to promote your organization and ask for donations.

This is also a huge part of generating revenue – most organizations rely on ticket sales and completely neglect this, which is a lot more difficult in a virtual environment.

While you can charge for tickets, you’ll want to make sure you’re not neglecting to ask for donations for your cause. After all, if they’re joining you for an event, chances are the attendees support your cause as much as you do.

Share this donation link anywhere and everywhere – in emails beforehand promoting the event, on registration pages, social media, or the thank you email post event. The more chances people have to stumble across this link, the more likely they are to click the donate button.

In fact, people may donate more than they would if it was just a ticket price. When you ask for a blank donation, you give them the opportunity to donate more than you may think.

5. Promote the Same Way You Would an In-Person Event

If it’s less costly to run, maybe reallocate some of that budget to promotions!

This part of events stays the same, whether it’s virtual or in person – people need to know about it. If they don’t, how can you expect attendance?

Pull out the same stops you would to promote your events that were in person! Share the news about your virtual event on social media to increase awareness, send out an email blast to current donors, and see where any traditional advertising methods may make sense still.

6. Focus on Value

If people are attending your virtual events, chances are they’re hoping to get something from it. Before you throw any events, you’ll really want to think how you can add value, even virtually.

Without value, why are people attending?

One huge way to add value that is actually easier with virtual events is getting some big names to drop into a Zoom call! This has been a huge trend across the country as a way to turn virtual meetings that may not have huge engagement into something people talk about for weeks after – have you seen Snoop Dogg join syllabus week? Chances are, you wouldn’t have in 2019!

Not only will this wow your attendees, but it’ll definitely have them talking about your event with people in their network. Win win!

7. Don’t Doubt Yourself

You’ve practiced, found unique ways to add value, and promoted to your event proudly. Go into the event with confidence, even if you’re still trying to figure it out.

In fact, over half of organizations who threw online events felt that they were successful and hit their goals, despite just over 30% of organizations feeling they would be before they tried.

This means virtual events tend to be more successful than you think. There’s just the nerves of trying something new – which is totally normal!

Here’s some ways to minimize those doubts:

Practice, practice, practice. We went over this earlier, but can’t stress this enough
Keep reminding yourself that it’s a learning opportunity. Nothing is perfect the first time, and just think about how successful the next event will be with everything you’ve learned!
Have trusted team members help you. You’ll feel more confident going into it with a team you trust behind you

And if you’re still worried, you know what they say: fake it until you make it.

8. Engage with Attendees

One of the major things people miss right now is feeling connected. People understand that this has to be the new normal right now, but it can still be hard. This is why virtual events have to go the extra mile to ensure people feel connected to.

This feeling of being engaged with is the key to virtual events! After all, isn’t that a huge part of attending events?

In fact, not finding ways to engage with your virtual event attendees can cripple your success. We found that while 10% of people felt their events were not successful, those who didn’t try to engage with their attendees were 150% more likely to be unsuccessful.

Here are some ways to make sure you’re engaging:

Ask attendees beforehand what they hope to gain from the event. You’re making sure they feel heard right away, and knowing what they expect can help you build a more successful event!
Leave time during your event for questions or comments. You don’t want attendees to feel like they’re just being talked at
Ask for guest opinions after the event. Did they like it? Where can you improve? Your guests will know you care about their experience and you’ll receive valuable tips on how to improve next time

No matter what you try, you just have to try! Virtual events at this scale are new for everybody, and any and all experience is a great learning opportunity.

If you want to learn a little more before diving into your first event, you can download our full 2020 Virtual Events Report for free today!

5 Awesome Event Ideas to Pair with Your P2P Campaign

November 13, 2019 By Joshua Meyer

Peer-to-peer fundraising events, including runs, walk-a-thons, and bike-a-thons, share some common qualities: they encourage friendly competition, are interactive and fun, and are easily shared by participants to their wider networks.

While getting started in peer-to-peer fundraising (P2P) can sound daunting, it doesn’t have to be! With the right tools and resources, including a comprehensive peer-to-peer fundraising platform, you can successfully pair your campaign with an event and bring in even more donation revenue. Taking your peer-to-peer event online will also boost fundraising potential and make it easy for supporters to share their campaigns. It’ll also make the event simpler for you to organize.

We’ll cover some of our favorite event ideas to use with your peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns in this article. These include:

Walk-a-thons
Bike-a-thons
Dance marathons
Golf tournaments
Charity concerts

While these are some of our favorites, a peer-to-peer fundraiser can really work with any type of event! Grab some inspiration from these top choices and see what excites us about them. Let’s get started.

1. Walk-a-thon

Walk-a-thons are a tried-and-true event idea to pair with your peer-to-peer fundraiser. Any sort of athletic event is great because it naturally encourages the same friendly competition and teamwork that you need for a successful peer-to-peer campaign while also inspiring people to give.

As you plan your walk-a-thon, you’ll want to make sure your chosen fundraising platform is equipped to handle all the planning, organizing, and, of course, fundraising. For that reason, make sure you’re using a platform that:

Is participant-friendly. Donors should easily be able to register, raise money, post to social media, and invite other participants to take part in the event through your peer-to-peer fundraising platform
Allows participants to easily sign up. Participants should be able to sign up as a group or individual charity, depending on how big your event is, and easily add new walkers to their team.
Supports custom needs. Your platform should also support custom registration needs and order changes, as these can be common during walk-a-thons.
Tracks offline donations. There should also be a way to add offline donations to a participant’s total via your peer-to-peer fundraising platform in case you don’t have internet access at the event itself.
Is easy to set up. Your platform should be easily set up, customizable, and allow you to track any matching gifts.
Looks great on mobile. Your platform should be mobile responsive, meaning that the campaign pages adjust to any screen size. This will allow for easy sharing, engagement, and donations from anyone’s mobile device.

If your platform is up to the challenge, your participants will be, too. Your peer-to-peer platform will help keep participants engaged, fundraise, and enable your team to focus on campaign success.

If you want to get started on planning the perfect peer-to-peer walk-a-thon, check out the ultimate guide by OneCause.

2. Bike-a-thon

Bike-a-thons are another athletic event that do wonders when paired with a peer-to-peer fundraiser. But you want to make sure you plan it using the right approach! Follow these tips to put on a successful event and raise the funds you need:

Launch your site early. Aim to launch your event site about 3 to 6 months in advance of your event.
Feature all of your information. Your peer-to-peer fundraising site should feature information about both your charity and your bike-a-thon, as well as all details about the event and a registration page that’s mobile friendly.
Use a “donate” button. Include a “donate” button on your site that allows donors to give even if they choose not to participate in the ride. This will help boost your donation revenue.
Display a leaderboard. Use an online leaderboard so participants can see how the other riders stack up in their fundraising. Take it a step further and make sure you have a way to recognize the leaders at the event. You can award them with badges, branded custom shirts, or other prizes.
Keep it on the platform. Be sure to use a peer-to-peer fundraising platform to keep your registration, donation, and informational pages all on one site, which will make it easy for your attendees to find exactly what they need.

Hosting a bike-a-thon is an exciting way to engage your supporters, let them have some fun, and boost your donation revenue. Stick to your plan (and check out this comprehensive guide by OneCause!) to ensure you get the best results.

3. Dance Marathon

Dance marathons have become an increasingly popular method to fundraise. Participants, called dancers, raise money before, during, and after the event by leveraging traditional and peer-to-peer fundraising methods. In return, donors pledge to donate or sponsor the dancers’ time and energy spent dancing for a cause.

Here are some tips to consider as you plan out your event:

Choose the right platform. As with the other events, make sure you find the right platform that is user-friendly and will be easy for your participants to use. This is especially important because its usability affects how much they have the potential to raise.
Share video of the event. Many dance marathons will live stream their events online so supporters can watch the events as they occur.
Provide resources. Give your peer-to-peer participants resources like templates for emails, fundraising strategies, and examples of social media posts they can use to promote the campaign and event. Then, check in with them on a regular basis and work with your participants as needed.
Collect mobile donations. Text-based donations work really well with dance marathons! Try incorporating this into your strategy.

When you look at how social fundraising works, you may notice that individuals who see other individuals donate are more likely to give to the same cause themselves. Apply this concept to your peer-to-peer fundraising event! Be sure your participants encourage others to participate, give, and have fun.

4. Golf Tournament

As mentioned before, a peer-to-peer fundraiser is pretty versatile and can work with any type of event! So, if you want to host an even larger event, a golf tournament is at the top of our list. Bring together some of your top supporters and encourage your participants to fundraise for the tournament and spread the word.

Here are a few ways you can run your peer-to-peer golf tournament:

Your organization can offer participants the option to fundraise with or without buying a ticket to the tournament.
Participants can choose their own fundraising goal and your organization can add incentives (like a free ticket once a milestone is passed) to motivate your participants.
You can accept in-kind donations as tournament prizes or raffle prizes to add a level of engagement and excitement to the event.

A golf tournament can bring in a lot of revenue, and it’s also a great excuse to get outside and enjoy a game with your supporters. If you think this might be the choice for you, make sure you work through the right checklist to get started!

5. Charity Concert

Holding a charity concert is a great way to reach new audiences, but you’ll need to market it effectively. Marketing should go beyond your existing donor base and reach out to local music-lovers who might want to attend. That’s where peer-to-peer fundraising comes in!

You can hold your peer-to-peer fundraiser as a lead-up to the concert, which will serve as marketing while also helping to pay for expenses related to the event.

Follow these steps to start planning:

Choose the kind of show you want to put on. Determine the size of the event you think you can host and how many people you want to attend. Then, think about the type of music you want performed.
Choose your venue. If you know where your event will take place, it’ll be easier to find performers and promote the event.
Choose your lineup. The musicians you partner with will also be an important part of your marketing and fundraising. You can even ask them to set up team pages and fundraise as part of your peer-to-peer campaign leading up to the show.
Promote the concert. There may be a portion of your audience that comes for the performers rather than for your organization, but you’ll still have a great opportunity to gain exposure for your nonprofit and get them involved.
Sell tickets and accept donations. Make tickets available online beforehand so it’s easy for people to make a commitment to attend. Offer the audience a chance to make mobile donations at the event, too.

Your charity concert can be a huge hit if you take the time to carefully plan, incorporate your peer-to-peer fundraiser, and get everyone involved?—including the performers! Self promotion is an important part of running a nonprofit (and not promoting is a mistake made by many nonprofits), so be proud of your event and your cause.

There are many events you can tie into your peer-to-peer fundraiser, and hopefully this list gives you some inspiration! Beyond hosting these events, be sure to thank your donors and your participants for all the effort and support they’ve given you.

Part of running a successful event means investing in the right peer-to-peer fundraising platform. If you’re looking to upgrade your current process but aren’t sure where to start, check out this list of the top peer-to-peer fundraising tools. Good luck!

How to Plan a Profitable Nonprofit Gala

June 10, 2019 By Gail S. Bower

Thousands of nonprofits produce galas and other elaborate fundraisers each year. They can be tremendous assets for your organization or enormous wastes of time and money.

If you choose to make yours an asset, here are the two most important areas where you need to focus.

Start With Your Business Model.

Let’s be clear about the purpose of your gala: it is to make money profitably. That’s it.

Events can be used for many purposes—build audiences, fulfill your mission, communicate news, reinforce the sale, among others.

The gala’s function is to generate a significant profit.

Before you do anything else, determine the best business model for the event so that it does expressly that.

And here’s a hint. Galas do not make money on ticket revenue, just like newspapers do not make money on subscriptions or individual newspaper sales.

In both cases, the big dollars come from sponsors. Corporations and individuals commit to a fee or a more generous contribution in support of the cause.

Your business model should identify the activities and relationships necessary to secure sponsors, attract individual donors, and lead to profit. For sponsorship, be prepared to articulate compelling value and engage the sponsor in mutually beneficial ways.

You also want to activate your attendees in other revenue generating activities at the event, such as a Live Auction and a Fund-A-Cause. Be sure to hire a great auctioneer and put the odds ever in your favor.

Attract the Right Audience.

That leads to the next important detail, which is to attract the right people to your gala.

It’s quite natural to want to open the invitation up broadly to your community, to include constituents, partners, friends, donors, funders, and all sorts of stakeholders. For any other event, that broad invitation is appropriate.

For your gala, be selective.

Attract people who have both the financial capacity and commitment to your cause. Your attendees must be enthusiastic about actively participating in the gala and donating.

One of the best ways to attract the right audiences is to have your best supporters do it, not by absent-mindedly delegating. Rather, be highly strategic.

In fact the word my colleague Kathy Kingston uses is “obsess,” as in obsess over audience development. Kingston, an expert fundraising auctioneer and author of A Higher Bid: How to Transform Special Event Fundraising with Strategic Benefit Auctions, encourages leaders to “hand-select every Table Ambassador,” she says.

“Invite each person with a call or personal visit,” Kingston says, “so you can explain how they can help build relationships with your great cause by engaging with their guests before, during and after your fundraising gala.”

When you fill the room with the right people who have the right expectations, you reach your revenue goals and create loyal fans for the future.

When you don’t, your revenue suffers. One organization gave a discount to an honoree who wanted to buy one hundred tickets to bring her young staff. First, red flag: “fundraiser” and “discount” do not go together. This honoree clearly didn’t appreciate that filling the room was not the primary goal.

Things got worse. These one hundred young people showed their enthusiasm and support for the cause and the honoree, cheering her on and having fun at the event. However, no one prepped them to give. They had no idea of the expectation to make a contribution through the silent auction or fund-a-cause.

Because this group represented about a third of the audience, the organization missed a huge opportunity and lost money on these one hundred attendees. To make matters even worse, the organization never connected with them afterwards to nurture them and activate them in their young friends program.

Galas are enormous investments and, with the right strategy and attendees, important assets. Use these focal points to lay a strong foundation for profitability.

How to Promote Nonprofit Events

May 3, 2019 By Gail S. Bower

When you think about nonprofit events, automatically you probably think about fundraisers, such as a gala or semi-formal gathering with a silent auction and other opportunities to give.

In fact, nonprofit organizations can use events for a host of reasons, ranging from a primary source of revenue, such as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, celebrating its 50^th Anniversary in 2019 and providing millions to support the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation mission, to a key focal point of your communication efforts, to a simple relationship builder.

Whatever the goal of the event, always think about events as a way of bringing your organization, mission, and brand to life in three-dimensions.

When viewed this way, several crucial ingredients need to be part of your marketing strategy, either overall or based on timing relative to the event. Let’s dig in.

What Every Event Needs

Compelling event. Obviously your event needs to be compelling and, frankly, awesome. If it’s not, go back to the drawing board and raise the bar. How will you stand out among your competition, which these days includes the trendy restaurant in town and the entirety of the Internet?

Brand and graphic identity. It’s natural to want to start selling tickets or, if there is no charge, inviting guests, but before you dive in, think branding. An unknown event poses a risk for audience members and sponsors. People’s time and sponsors’ dollars are valuable, and neither wants to waste these resources on dicey events.

Organizations that invest in a graphic identity and a compelling brand positioning make it easier for guests and sponsors to say, “yes.” You mitigate risk, at least on a perceptual level.

Eventgoer journey. What kind of experience do you want your attendees to have? And what do you need to do, say, and show throughout the eventgoer’s journey to create that effect?

What To Do Before the Event

Ignite influencers. Build the buzz among the influencers in your community so they help drive traffic to you.

Build social proof. Show us the people who attend the event. Photos tell a story that you cannot. Engage audiences on social media in a natural and organic way so people can connect before and after the event.

Focus on value. In the course of sharing the key details (place, date, time, cost, what will happen etc.) about your event, communicate what’s in it for the attendee, not what’s in it for you.

Build an audience. Implement a plan to encourage the influencers in your audience to attract their friends and colleagues. Having table captains at a gala, for example, who know exactly the right people to invite, can help quickly build a great audience for your event.

What To Do After the Event

Marketing your event and organization is where the really sophisticated marketers rise to the top. Too often, organizations run through the finish line from producing the event and then fall into a heap. Pace yourself with one more effort (which can be automated).

Rinse, lather, and repeat. What is important to do before the event is just as important afterwards. Engage influencers to let them know how things went, how many people attended, how much money was raised, and send photos so readers/viewers can ogle the fashion statements made.

Personalize. After the event is the perfect time for personal outreach. Everyone there raised his/her hand and expressed interest in your mission. Go meet them, talk to them, find out if they had fun, learn more about them, and figure out together how to further engage them.

Nonprofit events are lots of work and a great demand on your staff members’ time and energy. All of that goes to waste if you don’t leverage everything you have so that your events become important assets for your organization.

10 Tips to Make a Work Event Philanthropic

August 21, 2017 By Mary Wong

Throughout the year, many organizations hold various events for one reason or another. As anyone who has even been involved with putting on and organizing an event will tell you, it requires a lot of hard work from a great team of people.

Putting on a blockbuster event is one thing, but what if you could make them more philanthropic? There are many different ways to accomplish this, and most of the time it doesn’t require a lot of extra work and is just a matter of using your talents and the resources close to you.

Here are my 10 tips to make a work event more philanthropic.

1. Find a good time to throw an event.

There are times of the year when people attend more events. During certain months, there is more fiscal giving than others. If you want to maximize your earnings at your charity event, aim to throw events around the holiday season. Keep in mind, you might have more competition because many people throw events this time of the year for the same reason.

2. Find a cause that fits with your organization.

You want to seek a charity that resonates with your employees, guests, and the brand of your organization. The more relevant the cause, the more people will feel connected to it. The more connected they feel, the better it will play out at the event. If you are a women’s organization, perhaps you seek a women’s health charity. If you work with children, a toy drive around the holidays makes for an appropriate cause.

3. Put your talent to the test.

When it comes to partnering your company philanthropically, your skills become an asset to the cause. If you are a social media genius, offer to run the social media for the event. That way you can support both your company and the cause at hand. Your talent might be getting all the people there and letting the charity or your team handle the planning. Whatever your talent, put it to best use to help raise money and awareness.

4. Encourage voluntary participation.

No one wants to be forced into helping. Present the event to your staff as an extra project. If you need help on weeknights and weekends, offer incentives and make it casual. Creating incentives rewards your employees for helping and offers them the chance to work more closely with the higher ups. You can also bring in a special team of interns or volunteers for your event to help them make connections and gain experience. Don’t forget, many employees have children who are required/need to earn volunteer hours for school.

5. Sponsorships are a form of marketing.

Don’t be modest when it comes to promoting your business in tandem with a good cause. You are simultaneously helping your business and doing your philanthropic duty. Really, you are killing two birds with one stone. Sponsoring is a great way to support a cause and promote your business at the same time.

6. Increasing the range of networking.

When you throw an event for a cause, you are bringing different groups of people together. This allows for new connections to be made, and intermingling of networks. Bring people from around the community to the event. Everyone likes to celebrate, and if it is for a good cause it is all the better. Making new friends in the process can’t hurt.

7. Rally your team to bring in the goods.

Consider having different methods of donations. Not everyone likes to make cash donations, and some are not able to fiscally. During the winter months, for example, you can provide the opportunity for individuals to bring warm clothes, canned goods or toys for underprivileged children and families. This offers individuals and employees opportunities to give besides at the event and other than financially.

8. Classily ask for donations.

You can offer an incentive to your employees by matching donations made to the cause. Be sure to always present it as voluntary, because you don’t want to pressure people into participating. When you are holding your event, find a method to respectfully solicit donations. Leave a basket on each table or have a table by the exit that offers an opportunity to give to the cause. You can also have a percentage of the bar or food tab be given to the charity.

9. Send thank you notes, and a second chance.

Be sure to save all the RSVPs or nametags that were used at the event. This allows you to know who was present. Sending a thank you note shows a personal touch that goes the extra mile. You can include an envelope for a ‘last chance’ donation to the cause, too. Some organizations opt-out for this, or rather, include a link for a digital option. The easier you make the process for them, the more often people send donations.

10. Cap it with a memento.

In your thank you notes, include a little keepsake. It can be something personal from the event, such as a photograph, or a little theme-specific talisman. Many organizations continue the branding campaign and send a piece of merchandise such as a hat, keychain, bumper sticker, or t-shirt. Make sure it fits with the event and remains relevant.

4 Ways to Get Corporate Sponsors and Donations for your Next Fundraising Event

May 19, 2016 By Adam Weinger

Let’s face it. Fundraising events are tough to pull off. Even if you have a comprehensive plan in place, a strong team of staff members and volunteers, and a great speaker lineup, things can always go wrong.

This isn’t meant to discourage you from hosting fundraising events. On the contrary, it’s supposed to serve as an inspiration for your organization!

While there is no shortage of fundraising advice out there, this article will mainly focus on securing corporate sponsorships and donations from local businesses.

Companies are nearly always looking for ways to be more philanthropic. Your nonprofit can be the recipient of their goodwill if you simply reach out before you host your next big fundraising event.

Read ahead for the four main ways your nonprofit can obtain corporate sponsors and donations for your next fundraising event.

If you’re looking for general advice on asking for donations from businesses, check out this article!

1. Research well in advance.

If your nonprofit wants to successfully ask for and receive donations from companies, you have to determine which companies you can realistically receive contributions from.

To do this, create a general list of companies that you already have relationships with. These could include:

Vendors that you buy office supplies from.
Companies that match the contributions of your donors.
Local businesses with well-known owners or executives (some of these people might be board members of your organization!).
And more!

This step is crucial if you want to successfully obtain corporate sponsors and donations for your fundraising event. You’re likely already conducting prospect screenings on your donor pool. Why not employ a similar strategy when asking for donations from local companies and businesses?

They say that past giving is the greatest indicator of future giving, and that principle holds up when applied to companies. Find out which businesses are already philanthropically minded and ask for donations and sponsorships from them first.

2. Remind companies of what you can offer them.

While many companies are more than willing to show their support for your cause with their sponsorships and donations, most of them are going to want something in return. In her article, “Corporate Sponsorships Are Not About Doing Good — Or Are They?” Nancy Page states that,

“Indeed, since from the corporation’s point of view these relationships are transactions, the expectation is that benefits will go both ways. The sponsor receives exposure to its desired audiences and shares a charitable glow, while the nonprofit receives money or supplies to support its projects.”

Before a company decides to commit to being a corporate sponsor at your fundraising event, you have to convince them that it will also be worth their while.

In order to do this, your meetings with company executives should address several questions, including:

How will the short-term event and the long-term sponsorship meet the company’s objections and vision?
Are their different levels of support and what do companies receive at each one?
How long will the sponsorship last (i.e., just for the duration of the event? A year? Indefinitely?)
What types of donors will be exposed to the sponsorship?

Naturally, you should be prepared to answer other questions that companies might have. Forming a corporate partnership or acquiring a corporate sponsor isn’t something that should be entered into lightly. Your fundraising team should be prepared to answer these questions to the best of your ability.

3. Remind companies of the different ways they can give.

If, during the course of your meetings with companies, you realize that they might be on the fence about donating a major gift or sponsoring your fundraising event, try shifting gears and remind them of the different ways that they can contribute to your cause.

Some of these ways include:

Offering products for your event.
Matching the donations of employees that give to your nonprofit during the fundraising event.
Contributing manpower and volunteers.
Donating items to sell during an auction (when applicable).
And more!

Companies might be more willing to start out with one of these contributions rather than jumping straight into a sponsorship or major donation. Remind them that there are other ways to give back!

4. Add corporate executives to your guest list.

If you didn’t land the sponsorship that you wanted or were unable to secure a donation from a local business, don’t fret. There are still ways you can ask for donations and expand your fundraising efforts to the corporate world.

How? By inviting corporate executives and business leaders to your fundraising events!

Sometimes, a CEO or business owner might want to see evidence of how your nonprofit is spending existing donations. They also might want to directly interact with other donors or your nonprofit’s staff.

And who could blame them, really? If their company is planning to donate a significant amount of money or partnering with your organization, they’ll probably want to know that their donations and sponsorship will be money, time, and effort well spent.

Make sure that your invitation is personalized and signed by a board member or leader in your organization. You don’t want to send out a cookie cutter invitation!

Once your guests arrive at your fundraising event, make sure that you introduce them to various staff members that can effectively answer their questions and show them evidence of how donations are typically used.

By inviting corporate executives and business leaders to your fundraiser, you’ll be able to raise more money during the event itself and in the future as well!

As stated in the introduction of this article, fundraising events are no easy task. They require money, time, a dedicated staff, and lots of patience and planning.

But you might be able to take some of the stress away by asking for corporate sponsorships and donations for your next fundraising event. Whether you’re hosting a silent auction for your church or throwing the annual gala for your cultural organization, corporate sponsors and donations are a great additional source of fundraising revenue!

Dos and Don’ts of Charity Auctions

May 17, 2016 By Vicki Greenleaf

Charity auctions, run properly, are a tremendous fundraising opportunity with the right items and organization. We consider auctions part of the evening’s entertainment … So make sure they are engaging and fun! Auctions can make upwards of $1 million (this involved auctioning a Ferrari), but on average, you can expect to raise $10-20,000, a significant contribution to the cause.

If realtors emphasize “location, location, location,” we’d like to emphasize “merchandising, merchandising, merchandising.” Here’s what we’ve learned over the years, from personally managing charity auctions ourselves (silent and live) and from shopping at many more.

Silent Auctions

#1 – If appropriate for your event, serve alcohol (‘nuf said).

#2 – It takes a village. Enlist the board, staff and members of your organization and event committee to collect donations. Set a goal for board members (at least one event sponsor and two auction items, for example). Encourage supporters to make requests of the proprietors of restaurants, hotels, clubs, spas, hair salons and retail stores they frequent or where they work. Provide a deadline when donations need to be secured to give you time to create the presentation materials (see item #6).

#3 – Provide materials for volunteers to use. Sometimes people are overwhelmed about where to start … so they don’t. Provide:

A template letter for requests, which briefly talks about your organization and the event, lists the types of donations you’re looking to receive and provides your 501(c)3 information.
A donation form, which requests a full description of the item, any limitations, such as blackout or expiration dates, etc.; retail value; who should be credited on the bid sheet for the donation; and contact information for questions (and, later, a thank you letter from the charity).

#4 – Auction items that do particularly well in our experience include experiential opportunities, travel and hotels (exotic locales as well as “staycation” spots), restaurants and consumables (wine and food). Also include items that are a value for activities in which people already engage. For example, gift certificates to area spas and restaurants, tickets to local sporting events or concerts … even dry cleaning services. What is a unique experience in your city that people would love to get the chance to do? A private tour of a sports stadium prior to a game or entry into a private club? A sunset boat ride, tee time at a local golf course or a river kayaking trip? Consider lessons for tennis, dancing, painting or horseback riding. How about a local caterer or restaurateur donating services to give a wine-tasting event or prepare a meal for four at the winning bidder’s home? And donations from local artists.

#5 – Organize donations into categories, so that people can shop items that interest them in one area. Popular categories include Travel & Entertainment, Restaurants, Lifestyle (spas, clothing, makeup, etc), Wine & Food, Memorabilia, Art and Sports. Of course, your donations will also dictate your categories. Provide signage so people can identify the groupings.

#6 – You need to “sell” your items much like retail stores merchandise their products. Make the displays and descriptions appealing (You will need to re-write most of the copy provided to you … and be prepared to do some research). Arrange them decoratively. Bring floor and table-top easels. Display photographs and other representational artwork in 8 x 10 acrylic frames. Create gift baskets that combine like items, such as wine and chocolate or spa gift certificates with personal pampering products.

#7 – Make your silent auction akin to a shopping experience. Invite a handful of local vendors who work charity events. We’ve had vendors with handsomely framed lithographs of the masters; estate jewelry; and more. They make your auction more interesting, donate 20% of their sales to the organization and many of them will also provide a direct donation to your auction. Additionally, a reputable vendor will give 20% of sales that occur later, but resulted from initial contact at your event.

#8 – No matter how organized you think you are, have extra blank bid sheets that you can fill out by hand. You may be missing one sheet … or someone will show up with a donation you didn’t expect. Also have additional sheets for popular items, where bidding goes to page 2. Request their name, phone number (preferably cell so you can text the winner) and e-mail information. You will need to track down bidders who have already left the event. Make the barriers to placing a bid as low as possible, with the starting bid at a reasonable minimum and defined bidding increments. Modest (though not incidental) increments encourage bidding wars. Bid sheets should be on clipboards (or the budget clipboard of cardboard & paper clip) and pens should be plentiful. Winners should not need to be present to claim their winnings.

#9 – It’s helpful to color code your item sheets by category with stick-on dots and to number items within the category for quick reference. This makes check-out run much more expediently. Organize the gift certificates at the check-out (do not display them on the tables).

#10 – The auction should be staffed at all times to answer questions, encourage friendly bidding competitions, engage bidders (Do you have gifts you need to buy in the near future?) and, sometimes, to prevent theft. (Sadly, it happens.) Throughout the evening, take the mic and create excitement, remind people the auction will be closing at [designated time]. Although you need to be conscious of when people may want to leave the event, schedule your closing as late as possible to maximize bidding opportunity. Much like a birthday party, once the presents are opened, people leave the party. Have the emcee announce that items will be distributed one-half hour after the auction’s closing to give you time to organize the check-out.

#11 – When the auction ends, have plenty of volunteers ready to collect bid sheets quickly (no cheating!), to help process payments and deliver items to the winners promptly. Organize the winning bid sheets by the same category in which they were displayed to make it easier to find. Additionally, you can make a “winners” board with a chalk or dry-erase board. Create a check-out line with at least two representatives to process credit card payments and one to handle cash/checks and hand out gift certificates. If possible, set up a Square payment system for your charity. If that’s not possible, make sure you have a phone line available to your check-out station to process credit card payments. If you are utilizing an old-fashioned, carbon copy imprinter, your credit card processing company may offer a slightly lower rate if you write their phone/address on the receipt (and it gives you recourse for any problems that come up later). Stamp the bid sheet PAID and hand it off to designated “runners” who will track down the item and hand it off to the winner.

Live Auctions

If you have one or two extraordinary items (private jet travel, full vacation experience at a high-end destination, dinner with a local celebrity, etc.), you may want to consider holding a live auction. Announce that the silent auction is closing soon, then have someone from your organization (who isn’t shy) take the mic and oversee the bidding. Have volunteers help you identify who is bidding in the audience and escort them to the payment table.

We have also been at a few events where a professional auctioneer oversees a larger effort. Project Angel Food in Los Angeles does this really well. The auctioneer sells “opportunities,” such as “$2,500 will buy special Thanksgiving meals for X number of clients” … and so on. Frequently, they sell more than one across a variety of categories and donation levels.

Opportunity Drawings

Formerly known as a raffle (until the IRS regulated the age-old tradition), it’s another fun way to enliven the evening and we consider it icing on the auction cake. But make sure you follow state and federal guidelines. If you’re willing to negotiate the red tape, here are a few ideas …

Have the item(s) merchandised at the check-in table. Ask people to “make a donation” for tickets (rolls of dividable carnival tickets will do) as they check-in, then have volunteers walking around to offer them throughout the evening.

One gimmick that works extremely well is to suggestion a donation of $1 per ticket or “your height in tickets” for $20. Have them put one foot on the end of the ticket roll and literally break off the length of tickets at the top of their head. (We always give shorter guests a few bonus inches). It’s a great ice breaker.

While regulations chance drawings vary by state, you can review the federal guidelines regarding tax-exempt organizations and gaming at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p3079.pdf

With the above tips, your silent auction should be a huge success and make a significant contribution to your organization’s mission. Good luck!

3 Excellent Fundraising Event Ideas for Fall

October 2, 2015 By Roy Cheran

The leaves are changing color, the temperatures are dropping, and the kids are back in school. We all know what that means. Fall is here.

Guess what else is here? Fall fundraising season. It’s time. Gather your volunteers. Book your venues. Invite your donors.

First though, you will have to choose which events you will be hosting. In this article we discuss three excellent easy fundraising ideas, if they are not a good fit find more fundraising event ideas here.

As you make your selections, just remember one thing. Creativity is king in the fundraising world. Your supporters are just as bored with the same old, same old as you and your staff are. Shake things up!

Ready for a way to bust out of the gala and run/walk back and forth? Try these three fundraising event ideas on for size.

Fall Fundraising Event #1: Speed Networking

If you want creative, look no further than speed networking. This fundraising event combines three separate types of fundraisers into one super, spectacular fundraising extravaganza! I say that jokingly, but speed networking truly does combine three individually strong fundraising events into one night to remember.

Speed networking is a mix of:

speed dating
networking luncheons/dinners
happy hour events

Many of your supporters are professionals looking for social and casual avenues for networking.

As a fundraising organization, you should be able to appreciate the concept of “it’s who you know” as well anyone. Help strengthen your community of donors by bringing together a group of like-minded individuals to mingle in an interesting format, all for a good cause.

Promote the event across your various communication channels, and especially on social media. Speed networking is likely to draw a slightly younger crowd as its greatest appeal is to young professionals. So, plenty of marketing using your strong social media presence is a must.

Speed networking will run in much the same way as a speed dating fundraiser, minus the romance.

Have all attendees pay a small admission fee. Set up a series of two person seating arrangements. Break the group in half and designate one half as the seated section and the second half as the shifting section. Give professional pairs around eight minutes to mingle before calling for a switch.

Offer cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres throughout the night to cap off the experience.

It is always great to gather many of your supporters in the same room and find a way to reciprocate all they do for you. They’ll be grateful for the many valuable connections.

Fall Fundraising Event #2: Weight Loss Challenge

Why worry about holiday weight gain? Get into those skinny jeans early and stay that way with a weight loss challenge fundraiser. Also called a weight loss-a-thon, weight loss challenges are fundraising events for those of us looking to live healthier lifestyles.

They function just like other “a-thons,” from the more standard walkathon to the less practiced read-a-thons. This time though, instead of competing to walk the most miles or read the most books, people will be competing to shed the most pounds.

Host the event via a peer to peer platform and run one competition for individuals and one for teams. People will gladly sign up for the charitable incentive to stick to their fitness goals.

Like most similar events, this weight loss-a-thon will raise money through pledges made based on participant performance. Your competitors can gather set amounts just on the basis of entering and/or they can gather pledges per a certain amount of pounds lost.

Find health experts like personal trainers and nutritionists to volunteer their services in-kind to help guide the competition and make sure everyone is making the right decisions for their own needs.

It’s a fundraising event that lets participants do well by themselves, while doing well by others. Plus, this whole event is low-cost, meaning there is a huge chance for a favorable fundraising return on investment.

Fall Fundraising Event #3: Vacation Giveaway

As we round the corner towards fall, we’re harshly reminded that the joyous vacations of summer are a thing of the past. Our wanderlust sets in and we start making plans for our next big trip. Satisfy that travel bug. Offer up the trip of a lifetime with a vacation giveaway!

Run your vacation giveaway like a travel raffle. They take ingenuity, dedication, and some good fortune to come together, but, boy, when they do come together, it is something to behold.

The best part about hosting a travel raffle in the fall is that it will be used in the coming winter or spring, meaning both warm and cold weather destinations are up for grabs.

Plan the greatest trip you can think up. The biggest obstacle you’ll face is securing enough items to put together an entire trip package. A prize on the minimal side of things will have lodging and airfare. Build up from there with excursions, dinners out, and various other must-sees depending on the locale.

You’ll be able to put together a complete travel package through gifts in-kind from various businesses and supporters of your organization.

Sell tickets for the raffle at a set price according to how much the trip is worth. Then, invite everyone to the big pick and announcement. Prospect research will help you find both candidates to donate gifts and candidates to buy raffle tickets.

All three of these fundraisers are sure to bring success. They each address a different kind of audience and need. One or all might be the right choice for your organization. Take your pick and get to work!