I have a love/hate relationship with fundraising events. From the planning perspective, I love creating all of the little pieces and then putting them together for a grand final product. I hate the aftermath of the event which involves calculating the numbers, putting away the supplies, and doing all of the follow-up work. From an attendee point-of-view, I love the anticipation of getting ready, hearing the heartwarming stories of how people are making the world a better place, and giving what I can to further a worthy cause. I hate the big pressure asks filled with guilt that some organizations deliver or events that drag on well into the night while my stomach wrestles to digest a piece of rubbery chicken and too sweet chocolate cake.
To continue with this week’s theme of event planning using online resources, here are some ways to increase the “loves” and decrease the “hates” that you and your donors may feel at any given event:
DO get everyone in your organization excited and onboard with big events. Assign tasks to your employees, from working the registration table, to decorating, to selling raffle tickets. This is a great way for your guests to meet your staff and to talk with representatives of your organization.
DON’T assign big tasks to volunteers you haven’t met before or give jobs to your employees that don’t coincide with their comfort zone or skill level. If the first person your guest meets is a nervous, stressed out volunteer at the registration table, it does not set a great tone for the evening. Also, if your employee is shy, he won’t be successful at selling raffle tickets and will be miserable all evening… not the best impression for donors.
DO use social networking sites to ask for help from other professionals. If you’re putting on a golf tournament for the first time, ask for advice from other nonprofit leaders on LinkedIn about successful games and prizes that they have used. If you want to hold a benefit concert, take a poll on Facebook to see what genre music would be most popular to fill the seats with attendees.
DON’T post invitations on Facebook for higher end events or when you have a specific goal in mind. For example, your annual banquet should be for faithful, generous donors so you can spend time with those supporters who are committed to investing in your cause. You don’t want to waste time and money on someone who may give a onetime $50 gift when there is a donor who has given consistently over the years and you are rarely able to thank him in person. Create intimate events with a larger budget for donors with greater potential and larger events with a smaller budget for average to lower end donors. Time and money are always at a premium, so invest wisely.
There are countless ways to incorporate social media sites and online fundraising into your event planning strategies to ensure success. Tune in tomorrow for another installment of tips and things to avoid when you start to plan your next event.
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