Fundraising events are a popular method of raising money for the charity you support. They’re a great way to receive donations in what seems like a short period of time. Remember that, while often effective, hosting a successful fundraising event is far from a short, simple process. These events require planning months in advance and the performance of several intricate steps. By implementing the following pieces of advice, you’ll be able to plan your event without a hitch!
Determine Your Goals
The first important step is to decide your goals for the event. Sure, the main goal could be to raise money. But you should also consider additional goals. Are you looking to increase awareness of your group? Perhaps you want to strengthen long-lasting partnerships? By knowing these details, you will be able to better tailor your event to your goals.
You should also determine how much money you want to raise. This is very important to take into consideration as you put together a budget.
Create a Budget
The next step, of course, is to sort out your finances. Every event should have an extensive list of every expense. Some may seem obvious, like renting a venue and paying for food. Other costs such as utilities and security may be easy to forget. Always make sure you also leave some room in your budget for any unexpected costs. Most events end up requiring you to pay for some unforeseen details.
Decide the Details
Determine the details of the event far in advance. First, decide who your target audience will be and how many people you expect to host. Where will the event be held? Are you planning on providing entertainment, hosting an auction, or any other activities? You’ll also need to think about food options and the dress code. Now is also a good time to decide the itinerary for the event.
Practice First
Although it may it be difficult to run through the entire event beforehand, you should still have a meeting with all the staff and volunteers to discuss how the evening will go. Figure out unique roles and responsibilities ahead of time, and ensure that everyone knows where they should be during the event. Walk through the facility in advance and make sure everything is in place and ready to go.
Performing these steps ahead of time will help your event run as smoothly as possible. Think of these tasks as the foundation you need in order to ensure a stable and successful fundraising event.