#eventprofs #boomset

Facilitate A Fundraiser

All of you #eventprofs out there know the gist of planning every type of event out there. What if you’re not a pro? We asked Elizabeth Wexler, LMSW, to give us the run-down from her perspective as she coordinates an upcoming fundraiser on Long Island…and we’re looking for our community to chime in with their pro tips and comments!

Here’s what she had to say:

Image via SimplyRaise.com

Putting together a fundraiser can be a pretty large undertaking, but as long as you stay focused on the cause it will all be worthwhile.  I mean, when is planning an event ever not at least a little stressful? As long as you stay organized, it’ll be great! There are a few things you can do to make your life a bit easier and the process something you’re more likely to enjoy. 

First…

You need to know what kind of event you want to have that’s best suited for your cause and your target donators. In my experience, you throw the words “open bar” out there and you’re bound to draw in somewhat of a crowd and it’s pretty easy to put together. You’ll need to find a central location, and one that charges a minimum (preferably no) site fee.

Once you find a location…

You need to decide are you just going to charge at the door, or is there something else you can add to the event to get more bang for your buck. Who doesn’t love a good raffle? If you can get a few “big ticket” items (sports memorabilia, electronics, fancy dinners, etc.) to raffle off, people go crazy buying tickets and that’s pure profit and fun!

Image via LW Carwash

It’s much easier to divide and conquer…

However, by doing this, there is a chance that people will be doing the same work and not even realize it. I’ve found that it’s best to have one point person for the entire event and then a few sub committees where in each will have their own go-to gal/guy; this way there aren’t too many “cooks in the kitchen”. If everyone gives that one go-to person all information, there’s less room for confusion. If you’re going to call corporate places, it’s best to contact the higher-ups (if there are any) from your cause to make sure that the corporation’s home office isn’t already donating funds and you don’t accidentally try to double dip.

Image via AllenSkinniCorn.com

Everyone has connections…

Some that they might not even realize from the get-go that will help raise awareness for your event and to get potential donators; it’s so easy to have a universal post that all committee members share on their social media accounts. You’d be amazed how generous your “friends of friends” are!  Plus, even if it’s not out of the goodness of their hearts, they’ll get to write off whatever they donate…who doesn’t love a win-win?

It’s also a good idea to create a public spread sheet (like something through Google Docs) where everyone can write where and when they went for a donation, who they spoke with, and a contact number. When soliciting, it would be a smart thing to bring a request letter listing the people you’re serving chock-full of as many statistics as possible.

When the big day finally arrives…

It will be helpful to have some of your committee members come early to set up the venue and greet people at the door—even to collect donations on-site via a great app. You also want members walking around selling raffle tickets throughout the night, and once you feel the well went dry with the ticket sales, you can start to sporadically raffle off the prizes leaving the big things for last to keep everyone’s interest. 

At the end of the event…

Don’t forget to give props to the venue for generously donating their space and (hopefully) cutting your guests a deal on drinks! After all is said and done, take that spread sheet and send thank you cards to all of the vendors that participated, no matter how small the donation.  If your agency or group has a newsletter, it would be nice to give credit for the masses to see and you’re more likely to leave a good taste in their mouth wanting to donate again next year and who knows, maybe even more! 

Now it’s time to count the funds raised and look back on planning a great party for a purpose!

Elizabeth is a health care integrator that specializes in social work causes and cases in the greater Long Island area. If you would like more information about any of her events, feel free to comment and connect with her here.