1. Host a Silent or Live Auction
Charity auctions are a classic way to raise money for almost all fundraising events. This timeless format creates a fun and exciting component for your attendees and donors. Picture this: A crowd is drawing and people are competing left and right to see who can outbid whom! People appreciate unique auction items, especially when they can successfully fundraise with them. You can offer interesting artwork, once-in-a-lifetime travel and experience packages, entertainment, music and sports memorabilia, and so much more. Organizations, sponsors and donors can provide the auction items that best fit your audience. For example, sports memorabilia would be perfect for a sport-oriented event!
2. Create an Early-Bird Discount Incentive
Filling up Google calendars has never been so easy! Your supporters’ schedules are crammed with work events, family affairs and social gatherings. Have you ever heard someone say, “Hold on, let me check my schedule first?” It’s as though whoever schedules something with you first wins! A profitable fundraising event needs a healthy attendance. This means you need to get the attendees to mark their calendars ahead of time. One way to do this is by creating an early-bird incentive.
Try offering ticket discounts for the first 50 people to sign up or perhaps five free raffle tickets to the first five registrants. Have fun with it — be creative!
3. Use Social Media as a Marketing Tool
There are millions and, on some platforms, billions of people using social media every day. Social networking has become a powerful tool for obtaining news and information. Many people find things out through Facebook or Instagram before they even flip on the news. This powerful resource could help you produce more awareness and a higher attendance that brings a greater profit for your fundraising efforts. In order for this strategy to work, it’s important to know the age range of the people you are trying to reach. The majority of people using social media today fall within the millennial and gen X populations. If this is your target audience, consider using these photo and video-friendly platforms as a way to get the word out.
Create colorful imagery and videos with minimal text to grab the attention of your viewers. Network giants like Facebook have made it easy to advertise and promote events by allowing you to create free event pages. You can also purchase ads or boost posts on Instagram, so more people see your promotion. Once you’ve done the work on social media, you’ll have a place for people to refer to and find out more information. The best part is that social media is easily shareable and can spread like wildfire.
What are you waiting for? Give it a try!
4. Connect with Sponsors
Making real connections with people is so important. It’s when the real self of one person meets the real self of another. What better way to raise more money for your fundraising event than by making genuine connections with people who can help? Meeting new sponsors will not only give them the opportunity to support a local cause, but it will also boost your credibility. It can increase marketing possibilities and open the door for other sponsors to take notice. It is also important to continue the relationship with sponsors that you have already worked with.
Focusing on relationships with care and effort could be the difference between a good event or a great one!
5. Email, Email, Email!
Emailing can go a long way with little to no cost. It’s important to compile emails from interested fundraiser attendees, as well as previous attendees. This will make it easy to blast out an email campaign when you’re ready to start marketing your event. Emailing is a great opportunity to also reinforce the mission of your charity and the specific event you’re putting together.
Be authentic in your email outreach! Think of it as a simple heads up or a reminder for people.