Raising More Money At Fundraising Events
Here are some fundraising event tips on raising more money when you do an event. A couple of the keys to a successful fundraising event are attracting a big crowd and providing multiple ways for people to support your group. If you have started a website that you can promote at your event where people can come back and purchase products that support your group, that will always help. See our information on starting your own Fundraising Store.
Getting publicity
Media coverage is essential to drawing a big crowd. The first step includes putting together a press release describing your event with a newsworthy angle. Newspapers, radio and television stations are all looking for stories of interest to their readers, listeners, or viewers. This is a simple and free means of getting people interested in coming to your event, but there is still some skill and marketing savvy needed to creating a good press release for your fundraiser.
Follow the standard who, what, when, where, why, and how press release format, but focus your summary paragraph on the most compelling storyline behind your event. Give lots of information about your groups cause and what goals your group has for any funds raised.
One storyline might be the good work your charity does for a specific cause, and another might be a real example highlighting a family that is benefiting from your groups work. Human interest stories are always popular when they are real life tidbits describing feel good moments created for others. If you have a local celebrity in attendance or live entertainment that is scheduled, this is always a good thing to mention in your press release because those people are newsworthy in themselves for obvious reasons.
Other news angles might be the fun aspect of the event, an unusual theme or setting, a grand prize drawing from a raffle, or an auction item which is buzz worthy in it’s own right.
Press release tips
Step two in getting publicity involves distributing your press release and accompanying photographs, preferably pictures focused on the newsworthy aspect of your event, to the media contacts in your market.
It’s not enough to just send out the press release. Make follow-up phone calls to important outlets such as television stations and major newspapers, and make personal contact.
Have a purpose behind the call. Offer interviews with key figures from your organization or event, and if possible with a celebrity endorser. With a television station, offer a strategic camera angle for a stand up reporter such as one with a grand prize item in the background. If you have a celebrity tie-in, work that into your offer.
The key is getting substantial publicity that creates a desire in viewers or readers to attend your event.
Fundraising tips
You also want to ensure that your event raises the maximum amount possible from your attendees and that means leaving no fundraising opportunity unused.
Price your event tickets high enough to maximize revenue without sacrificing participation. If attendance is capped at a certain number, make sure you sellout well ahead of time. If your event includes activities in which not everyone will participate, offer tiered pricing that charges more for full participation.
Include a large selection of items and services in silent auctions spread around the perimeter of your event. For your best items, have a live auction conducted by a professional auctioneer.
Since raffles are always a great moneymaker, use raffle ticket sales to allow people who won’t be present a way to win some of the prizes and support your cause.
Gourmet dinners catered by exclusive restaurants are also very attractive event enhancements. Many people will pay a premium for meals with a celebrity chef tie-in or other prestige factor. Silent auctions are a great way to increase revenue at your fundraising event and should always be a part of your planning. If you can have items arranged on tables so that they can be viewed and people can see what they will be getting.
Summary
You always want to get as much advance publicity as possible. Play up the most newsworthy story angle you have in your press release and follow up with all the important media outlets.
Put together a premium fundraising event by including multiple moneymakers centered on your particular event theme. Include auctions and raffles because they provide significant income and allow corporations and non-attendees multiple ways to help your cause.
And most importantly, do everything you can to make your fundraising event truly a night to remember.
