Events are a vital revenue source for many charity organizations. If you want to meet your fundraising goal, every detail is important. Logistics can make or break a charity event, but so can the way you incorporate the “ask.” Don’t leave it to chance. Use our checklist for success when you’re planning your next fundraising event.
- 1. Drive the moment of impact
At any event, there’s often a moment in which participants are moved to give. It could be a speech, a compelling video, or another type of visual that drives home your message. Those moments often turn passive attendees into donors who are vested in your cause, and your nonprofit fundraising efforts will be well-rewarded. Your charity needs to do everything it can to capitalize on those moments. The best way to do that is to have a way that allows people to give in seconds.
The altruistic impulse lasts only about 8 seconds. Pledge cards or paper donation forms impede that pivotal moment. Leveraging technology such as a mobile giving app can help you convert the moment of impact into a donation and also build further engagement after the event.
- 2. Think beyond the event
Events are an effective way to introduce new donors to the important work you do. That’s why it is so important to ensure you leverage that new relationship beyond the event. Collecting email addresses and other contact information is one way, but that doesn’t help you stand out from the hundreds of other emails that person is getting on a daily basis. Ask yourself, “How am I going to keep that moment of impact alive with this individual after the event?”
Engaging with that person digitally through push notifications and social updates allows you to meet the person where she is – after the event. If she has downloaded a mobile app like uBack, and you’re in her list of charities, it becomes much easier to connect with that person after the event. Your event becomes the catalyst to building a lasting donor relationship. If the atendees have a good time at your event, they'll want to share their experience via social media - and your charity will reap the benefits.
- 3. Make giving easy – multiple ways to give.
Events are hard work. You not only need to make sure your attendees have a good time, but also to incorporate your mission tactfully into the event. It’s a job unto itself to make sure the reason behind your golf tournament, luncheon, or dance-a-thon is front and center.
Make your “ask” easy for attendees to respond by drafting it into the event. If you’re holding a golf tournament, and you’re raising extra money with mulligans, make it easy for golfers to buy them on the course. At the start of the event, I may buy some “do-overs.” I’m more likely, however, to buy them on the course when I shank three drives in a row. If you are holding a luncheon, and you launch a match challenge after a compelling speech, you need an easy way to execute that challenge. Of course, you could hand out additional pledge cards or have people shout out from their tables, but how effective will that be?
It should be easy for attendees to act on your call to action. That’s why we believe so strongly in leveraging mobile capabilities. From restaurant reservations, to transportation, to banking, we do everything on our phones now. We can also easily give money to your cause the same way, by using a mobile giving app. It doesn’t get any easier than a couple taps of the screen.
- 4. Leverage social networking
Boost engagement with hashtags and promotion before, during, and after the event. Encourage people to tweet, or post to Instagram or Facebook to drive increases awareness about your cause. Provide extra visibility to a corporate partner by asking it to make a small donation for every mention or retweet. It’s a win-win because you gain further promotion through social and your sponsor gains visibility at the same time. If you’re using a mobile app at your event, make sure social networking is incorporated into the platform.
Learn how uBack can Make Your Next Event a Success.
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