5 Steps to Creating a Successful Fundraiser

I love event fundraising and the excitement it brings: generous people getting together to further a worthy cause, deliciously-bad-for-you food being served and the account totals that are calculated at the end of the event. A fun evening AND the chance to help others; what could be better!? Here are some guidelines to help your event run smoothly from recruiting volunteers to social media fundraising.

Right now I am on a committee for a Crab Feed to take place in early March so my mind is in event mode. I am in charge of the decorations and live and silent auctions, but somehow committee members seem to have an opinion and hand in all the other areas of the event, too. While this is far from being my first non-profit event that I am involved with, I am still learning a ton about the process of creating a successful fundraiser.
Here are some things to keep in mind:

1)      What is your specific goal? What project are you working towards and what is your financial target? When people know how much you want to raise, it’s much easier to reach a specific amount. If you aim low, that’s where you’ll end up.

2)      Is this a one time or annual event? – When you keep this idea in mind, it will determine how you plan. Keep meticulous records, take pictures and video for the following year’s advertising and announce it at the event so your donors can plan to save the date. It is also important that everything runs smoothly so that your guests will want to come back and bring friends.

3)      Carefully choose your volunteers – The leader of the non-profit that I am volunteering for in the Crab Feed is awesome; she is gracious, appreciative, listens and has a great passion for the cause. The volunteer leader under her is quite the opposite. Determine what your volunteers’ strengths and weaknesses are so you can apply their skills to the best job suited for them. Choose your volunteers and their roles carefully because they reflect you and your charity.

4)      Relationship building – The best way to get donations for an auction is through relationships. Do you go to a particular restaurant every week? Ask for a gift certificate. Do you have a faithful donor who owns a spa? Ask for a product gift basket. Sending out a mass of donation letters to companies is basically a waste of time and postage.

5)      Get the word out – Facebook, Twitter and e-mails are a great way to promote your event through online fundraising tools. Instead of sending save the date cards, write a few posts or tweets. Online communication is also a good way to ask for donations (but be specific on what you are looking for.)This method is perfect for informal information and requests, but stick to the tried and true invitations for formal events. A donation link on your website is also perfect if someone is unable to attend; they can still contribute through without being present. Finally, you can use this medium for a general thank you and update on your goal, but send traditional thank you letters for those who donated or participated.

5 Tips to Creating an Awesome Online Video

When I was working at a homeless shelter a local news station came by to highlight the work that was being done at the Rescue Mission. They captured vivid imagery of where one man would spend the cold winter nights huddled under a building awning, the long lines he would stand in at generous churches for a meager meal and the closing shot was an amazing silhouette of him walking alone down a filthy, abandoned road.

The next segment featured the same man, Jeff, as he ventured to the mission and the amazing transformation that had come over his life. He lived in an apartment, held a decent job, and looked like a completely different person; where his eyes spoke of grief and hopelessness, they now glowed with pride and life. If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a video worth?

It’s been six years since I saw that presentation and yet those pictures are embedded in my mind. There is something so impactful about the emotions that images convey that words can’t express. Whenever I see a homeless person asking for food or sleeping near an abandoned building, I always think of Jeff. Imagine the donor base you could create with one heartfelt video that is shared through social media fundraising. The National Council for Non-Profits has five video making tips:

1)      Purpose – What is the purpose of your video? What do you want your donor or potential donor to do, feel and learn as they watch the screen? But be careful: it’s easy to want to jam pack too – much information into what should be a 7-9 minute video for banquets, meetings, etc. or a 30 second – 3 minute video on your website. The video I mentioned above focused on one man’s journey. They could have listed statistics, shown pictures of crowded shelters and had the president do a monologue of their future goals but that would only have diluted the message.

2)      Who is your audience? – Are you targeting current donors, potential donors, guests at an event or web viewers? Your audience will determine your message.

3)      What story do you want to tell? – Non-profits leaders have a ton of great, heartwarming stories to tell about the success and struggles of their organization. List them out and discuss which ones are most relatable, impactful and if the individual would be willing to share the story on camera. Three examples are about the max you can share without being redundant and losing your audience.

4)      Be genuine – Don’t worry about hiring a fancy production company if it’s not in your budget. Being heartfelt and honest is way more endearing and believable. Just get started!

5)      Share the word – Put the video on your website, on Facebook, YouTube and anywhere else that it can get traffic. Promote it like you would any other campaign. Darian Heyman Rodriguez, Co-Producer of Social Media for Non-Profits, recently said in a recent Fundly webinar that videos have a better chance at going viral if you use the following equation: Compelling + Concise + Credible = Contagious

The National Council for Non-Profits declares 2012 to be the year of the video, so don’t be left behind! Once people see your mission and the passion of your organization, who knows the impact that it could have on your online fundraising numbers?