FUNdraising Events – a Good Option for a Slow Economy

editors | 28 November, 2009 17:49

By Rose Marie Kern, rmk@swcp.com

One of the basic conditions of being human is the desire to make our world a better place. Most people begin by improving their personal environment, then at some point in their lives they see something that just does not sit right with them, and they feel strongly enough that they want to do something about it. So they join other like-minded individuals and search for ways to change the situation. Thus are non-profit organizations born.

There are over 1.4 million non-profit organizations in the United States. Whatever an organization wants to accomplish, it requires thought, time, and money. Unless the organization has managed to recruit a benevolent millionaire into its membership, the most challenging portion of this equation is the money.

In a recessed economy, non-profit organizations cannot depend upon “soft money” such as grants, and must find more creative methods of forwarding their goals. Today’s struggling economy presents a window of opportunity for alternative methods of accumulating working capital. A very powerful tool is a fundraising event. A well thought out and executed fundraiser rallies excitement amongst the membership and provides a vehicle to increase membership.

Of course, the first question you have to ask is whether event fundraising is right for your organization, and if so, what size event do you have the personnel and time to run? The next question is how much money do you need? This requires a hard look at how your group wants to promote its purpose. If you only need $500 for the team’s uniform shirts you can get away with an event that takes place over a few hours and has little to no upfront cost. A car wash and/or a bake sale may be all that is needed.

Raffles are a popular option and can be designed for large or small scale operations. Keep in mind that most states have rules concerning how many and what type raffles can be held annually. These involve getting something people want donated, then putting out publicity and printing tickets. The time line is longer – usually at least 4 months - because you want to reach the most people possible.

Perhaps you want to run a theme dinner aimed at raising at least $10,000 after expenses. An event of this type, being run by people who have jobs and families, will require a minimum of four, and preferably six months of planning and execution. Same goes for a one day sports event such as a walk-a-thon. Running educational workshops and seminars also take a four to six month time period – mostly for proper advertizing.

All events require enthusiasm, and most of them require some upfront costs. For larger events your organization may be able to get support and funding from local businesses. Be sure that the businesses you work with are also well aligned with your purpose. Having a gun shop support a wildlife preserve may seem strange to the general public. Remember, a lot of your credibility as an organization lies in public perception.

Once you have settled on the type of event you want to run, create a budget – and stick to it. Build in a 10% miscellaneous category to handle unexpected expenses. If you are able to score some sponsorships you can have a “wish list” of extras for the event – or you take the extra money and keep it in the organization’s coffers to use towards furtherance of your goals.

Two considerations are of primary importance – the date, and the location. Don’t just arbitrarily set the date based on when everyone in your group happens to be in town and free. Look closely at the day and time of your event – is it in conflict with anything else in the community that could impact your success? Is the date you are thinking of having an “Community Idol” talent show the same day as the local college homecoming game? Does it conflict with major holidays? Does it possibly compliment those holidays? How about having a corned beef and cabbage dinner on St. Patrick’s day?

Who is your audience? If you want to woo senior citizens, it had better be a morning or afternoon event – many of them do not like to drive after dark. Sunday mornings are a bad time for an event in most communities, but Sunday afternoons are usually very good for family events.

Another important aspect of the event is the location. Is your event going to take place indoors or outdoors? Or both? Hopefully you can get the location donated – some possibilities are senior citizen’s centers, local schools, church community rooms. If a strip mall has had empty storefronts for awhile, they may take the tax deduction and let you use one – of course they don’t want the space tied up any more than a month ahead in case a renter shows up. Or perhaps they will let you set up a tent in a little used portion of their parking lot figuring that it will bring customers to their other stores.

Small community airports can make good outdoor locations, some of them have empty hangers or other space for indoor meetings as well. Community theaters may be able to work with your organization and provide space. County fairgrounds are also good choices.

A key component to any fundraising event is setting out a reasonable timeline from the very beginning. Working backwards from the event date, schedule your event committee and volunteer meeting dates. By what date should the site be confirmed? List when to place orders you need for various items such as flyers. Set dates for media releases and poster hanging. If you will require reservations, what is the cut off date?

Publicity can be as simple as making a big poster that says “Car Wash $5” and having a kid hold it up on a street corner, or it can take on a life of its own. There are a wealth of cheap publicity options some of which are available free to non-profit organizations. The most inexpensive method includes sending media releases to local newspapers and public service announcement (PSA) to radio and TV stations. Call the station’s community relations person in advance to inquire as to how long a PSA should be. Most of them prefer 10 second, 30 second and 60 second options.

One of the most important things to remember when working with your volunteers is that these people, whether they are members or people who are helping because they are friends of members, is to thank them. Ensure that they know how much their contribution makes a difference. Thank them loudly and often.

Above all, when operating a Fundraising Event, make sure it is something your members will enjoy participating in. After all, the first three letters are FUN!

Rose Marie Kern is the author of “FUNdraising Events! – A Guide for the Small to Medium Non-profit Organization”. For more information go to www.fundraisingevents-rmk.com