Fundraising is one of the best ways to generate money for your organization or community project. This post presents some of the best tips to help your next fundraising event.
Be Specific
Alex’s Lemonade Stand was so successful, in part, because its goal was specific. Alex Scott focused on only selling lemonade and donating the proceeds to cancer research. Her goal was easy to understand, and her message was compelling. If you plan to fundraise by selling baked goods, for example, consider only selling one item like cookies. Also, make it clear that all of the proceeds will go to one specific charity. By presenting limited options and a clear goal, people will know right away whether they want to contribute to your cause.
Location
The location of your fundraising event plays a large role in determining how successful you are. Some great locations to fundraise at include professional and high school sports games, carnivals, and holiday festivals. Whatever location you choose, make sure it will have a lot of foot traffic.
Promotion
Even if you hold your event at a location where you’ll be guaranteed to have an audience, it’s still necessary to promote it. One way to promote your event is to drop off flyers at local businesses like coffee shops. Many businesses have community boards where you can post advertisements. Social media has made promoting events easier than ever. You can create an event listing on Facebook and invite all of your friends to it.
If you have the tech skills you can even create a website for the event. A website is an especially great idea if you plan on annually hosting the event. Also, don’t estimate the power of traditional print advertising. Putting ads in local newspapers and magazines is a great way to drum up interest for your event.
Popular Event Ideas
- Hosting a garage or yard sale is a great way to fundraise. You can get rid of your excess stuff and contribute to a cause at the same time. Ask your friends and family to donate their stuff if you want to host a really large event.
- If you’re a sports enthusiast you should organize a marathon or some sort of tournament. A hiking event is another way to get active and collect donations. With any sports or outdoors event, you can ask people to pay a fee to participate. Then you can donate that money to an organization of your choice.
Whatever event you decide to do, the above tips still apply. Make sure you have a specific goal; choose the best location, and promote the event to the right audience. These three tips will guarantee that your fundraising event is successful and you raise as much money as possible.