Social events can be excellent ways to raise money for your organisation, as they bring together people who are passionate about your goals while encouraging contributions. To ensure your event is successful, both as a social occasion and a fundraiser keep these tips in mind.
Define Your Purpose
It might seem obvious, but a fundraiser is never simply about raising money. Why are you raising funds at this moment? Your goal should be tangible and specific. A sporting club might fundraise to cover the travel costs of members attending a national competition interstate or to help raise money for a charity or cause close to one of its’ members. Tangible goals are great selling points for fundraising; they’ll encourage people to attend to your event and give generously while they’re there. Define your purpose early so you can include it in all marketing materials.
Be Realistic About Your Abilities and Budget
We’d all love to throw a glamorous soiree with celebrity entertainment, but it’s not achievable for many organisations. If you’re new to event planning, start small. Your budget must also be considered. You might have to settle for a jukebox rather a live band if your budget is tight.
Your potential attendees’ demographics must also be considered. How much can they afford to spend to attend your event? What do they like and dislike? There’s no sense throwing a black tie gala if your supporters are blue-collar workers who’d prefer a beer to French champagne. Be realistic about all these factors to get a clearer picture of what your event should look like.
Book a Great Venue
A great venue sets the scene for a great event, so consider your options carefully before committing. Canada Bay Club is an excellent choice, because it has three beautiful function rooms and a range of food and beverage packages designed for groups of all sizes, tastes, and budgets. The club takes care of all the catering, so there’s one more thing you can cross off your list. Canada Bay Club’s experienced functions team will also take some of the pressure from your shoulders and ensure your event goes off without a hitch.
Publicise Your Event
Once you’ve locked in your venue, you can start publicising your event. This step is crucial for getting the turnout for a successful fundraising event. Look out for free or inexpensive ways to publicise your event to ensure you don’t cut into your bottom line.
Many radio stations and community newspapers will happily publicise fundraising events free. Create an online registration page and link out to it on your social media channels. Nearly one in five people register for events from mobile devices, so make sure your registration page is mobile-friendly. Facebook also makes it easy to create an event and invite attendees, so don’t forget to use this free publicity tool. Adding posts counting down to your event and sharing some of the fun attendees can expect will help build buzz.
Maximise Your Fundraising Opportunities
Selling tickets to your event is just one way you can raise funds. Carefully plan your agenda to include other fundraising opportunities during the event.
Ask local businesses to donate goods and services to a silent auction on the night. You could also fill a glass jar with jellybeans or Smarties and charge attendees to guess how many are in the jar. The closest guess wins the jar. Most adults love a game of coin toss, where participants toss a gold coin towards a bottle of wine or spirits. The coin that lands closest wins the alcohol. A kid-friendly version involving a block of chocolate could be appropriate for a family fundraiser.
With these tips in mind, your fundraising event is bound to be a profitable occasion your attendees won’t forget.
