Your nonprofit depends on strong, engaging fundraising tactics to support your cause long-term. There are many ways to fundraise, from online donations to text-to-give to peer-to-peer fundraising. One fundraising method that your organization shouldn’t overlook is events.
Events are one of the most tried-and-true ways to raise more money. You can raise that money during an event by selling tickets, soliciting donations, hosting raffles, or selling items. In addition to raising money, events also allow you to interact with donors and supporters directly.
Given the nature of events, they take time, resources, and planning to succeed. This article breaks down everything you need to know about fundraising events.
10 Popular Fundraising Event Ideas
When it comes to fundraising events, you must first figure out what type of event you want to do. Fortunately, there are many to choose from, whether you’d like to host an in-person or online event. Here are some of the most popular fundraising event ideas.
1. Game or Trivia Night
Game or trivia nights are fun for the whole family. Plus, they work great in a virtual or in-person setting. Pick a specific theme or topic for trivia, or consider a popular game like Monopoly or Bingo. Have participants pay a small fee to play and then connect with local vendors and businesses for prize donations or sponsorships.
2. A-thons
Everyday physical activities can be a fantastic idea for fundraising and even work well for peer-to-peer fundraising. Commonly referred to as a-thons, these events are easy to organize and engaging. Some activities include:
- Walk-a-thon
- Marathon
- Dance-a-thon
- Bike-a-thon
You can sell tickets or ask for donation pledges with these events. Host them at a local park or other accessible area. Be sure to provide rest stops and refreshments for participants.
3. Concert
Consider organizing a concert with a local band, artist, comedian, or performer. Sell tickets, ask performers to fundraise, and encourage giving during the event. While concerts don’t need to be on a large scale to be successful, this idea might take more planning.
4. Movie Night
You can screen many classic and popular movies at a local indoor or outdoor venue. Sell tickets, drinks, and popcorn and allow participants to donate more. Make it a movie marathon, play popular family-friendly films, or put on holiday classics.
5. Design or Photo Contest
Contests motivate participation for their competitive nature and prize opportunities. These prizes can vary from concert tickets to a swag gift basket. Have participants enter for design and photos to reach various donors. You can take this fundraising idea even further by creating a peer-to-peer campaign.
6. Sports Tournament
Sports and outdoor activities are fun, and they’re great for fundraising! Organize a competitive sporting event for the community. You can try golf, flag football, basketball, tennis, and soccer. Ask for a fee to participate and encourage local businesses to sponsor the event.
7. Auction
Fundraising through auctions is a straightforward way to raise money. Offer valuable items, vacations, and more enticing prizes to encourage participation. You can host the auction by itself or at a formal gathering, with or without an auctioneer.
8. Cook-off
A cook-off is another competitive event where fundraising is made easy. Encourage local participation with cooks who pay to compete. Guests can then go around to taste and vote for their favorite dishes.
To host a cook-off, make it a specific food or category, such as grilled meats, dips, chili, and soups. You can even focus on your region’s favorite dish or ingredient.
9. Digital Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are fun, engaging event ideas that have the potential to raise more for your organization. Instead of a traditional online event or scavenger hunt, make it virtual! Set up a list of what participants will need to find in a given time frame. Then, add prizes to make it rewarding and competitive.
10. Gala
For a more formal and sophisticated event, consider hosting a gala. Not only is it a compelling fundraising idea, but it also allows you to showcase donors. You can do a virtual, hybrid, or in-person gala consisting of dinner, entertainment, speeches, and even auctions.
How to Organize a Fundraising Event
Now that you know what fundraising event you’d like to host, it’s time to organize it. These steps may vary depending on your chosen event, but use this list as a quick guide.
1. Set up your goals.
Any fundraising campaign needs a purpose, so start by setting up some goals. This process is similar to measuring your impact through nonprofit KPIs.
Track the total amount raised, fundraising return on investment, and new donor acquisition for your fundraising event. Set realistic, measurable goals related to these metrics. Be sure to share any event goals with your overall KPIs and mission.
Beyond revenue and donor acquisition, you can also track metrics related to engagement for your organization. Consider how the event will engage volunteers and churned, major, and recurring donors. These goals may be less measurable, but they are still an essential piece of the puzzle.
2. Gather resources and supporters.
Next, figure out what resources are available. Here are some you should consider:
- Budget: How many funds are available to use? How will those funds be divided for event needs? You should see where sponsors can assist in increasing your overall budget.
- Promotional items: If you’ve ever hosted an event, you probably still have promotional items that can be used. Items like shirts, banners, booths, signs, and kiosks can all be reused.
- Platform: You’ll need a platform to help you increase giving and event participation. For example, how will people purchase tickets? Where can they donate? A solution like GiveWP can help.
- Volunteers and team members: You shouldn’t plan and execute an event alone, so gather your staff members and volunteers who can help with event coordination, marketing, and fundraising.
3. Pick a place and date.
Now, you’ll need to find the best place for your fundraising event and decide on a date and time. If your event is virtual, consider popular platforms for hosting online events. In-person event venues can vary based on the type of event. For example, choose a park with a wide-open field if you’re hosting a soccer tournament.
Your date and time may also affect the overall success of your event. Giving is usually highest during the last quarter of the calendar year, but you can also host events around significant dates for your organization. Think of the weather as well – an indoor gala might be better suited during winterNovember, while a walk-a-ton would be better during late spring.
Many events fall on Friday or Saturday, but you can also try different days of the week – especially if they’re virtual. Consider your historical success with events, or try different days and times to see what works best.
4. Find and collaborate with partners.
Fundraising events take resources to be successful, including money. Fortunately, you don’t have to cover all your costs. Work with sponsors to offset financial expenses, spread awareness about your event, and bring in more volunteers.
To attract donors, create sponsorship pages detailing the cost and what sponsors get in return. Then, communicate this on your website and through communication with potential sponsors.
In addition to sponsors, you can partner with local businesses for donations such as food and drinks, auction items, and venues to further decrease expenses. You can even collaborate with influencers and community leaders to save time and money during event promotion.
5. Promote the event.
After all these steps, you need to get the word out so people know about your event. If not, turnout – and donations – could be low. Promote your event through your available channels, such as email, social media, and direct mail. Remember to use donor-centric messaging for higher engagement, similar to other marketing activities.
Here are specific tactics for promoting your fundraising event:
- Post frequently on your social media pages with posts before, during, and after the event. Increase the number of posts as you get closer to the event date.
- Build and segment email lists to send targeted messages. Focus on recurring donors or those most likely to give.
- Create an event page on your website. Share important information such as the date, time, location, sponsorship packages, tickets, donation options, and how to register.
- Share the event with media outlets. Write a press release and send it to local news outlets and publications.
- Start a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Peer-to-peer campaigns are a great way to increase donations and revenue without exhausting resources. Plus, they’re effective for raising awareness about your cause and event.
- Send direct mail. For those who prefer communication through mail, create and send mailers with important event information and an invite. Consider adding a QR code to make registration and giving easy.
6. Thank donors, partners, and participants.
Thanking donors is essential after they give, and events are no different. Thanking donors and partners shows your gratitude and encourages them to stay in touch. This show of appreciation improves your chances of acquiring recurring donors and securing future event partners.
Shortly after your event, send a sincere thank-you message. You can do this through a personalized card, email, text message, or all of the above! You can also send out another social media post and tag your sponsors and partners.
Not every event attendee is a donor, but you should still thank everyone who attended. Invite them to your next event to continue nurturing them in the cultivation stage and push them further through the donor cycle.
Lastly, thank your supporters and volunteers. The event wouldn’t happen without them, so express your appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
Tips for Successful Fundraising Events
Take note of additional considerations while you’re working through the steps to organize your event. Following these tips will help you plan and execute a successful fundraising event.
- Use the right tools and technology. Your event could be negatively impacted without a donation page, an optimized donation form, and a way to register for events. Choose a platform that will make it easy for donors to give and get tickets.
- Lean on volunteers. Volunteers are supporters who want to help you, so bring them on when you can. They can be valuable assets to your organization, helping you fundraise and execute a great event.
- Plan well in advance. An event takes time to plan and promote, so give yourself plenty of time to make it happen. Start planning as early as possible, primarily if you’ve never hosted the event before.
- Consider making the event recurring. Recurring events are a great way to effectively use your resources and give donors something to look forward to. Depending on the event, it can be weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.
- Use your data. When deciding who to invite to your events, use your donor database. You can see who is most likely to give, who has successfully fundraised in the past, and who can attend the event.
- Measure results. Remember to measure the impact of your event, such as the total number of donors and supporters who attended and the amount raised. Then, compare those results to your original goals and KPIs to calculate your return on investment.
Raise More From Events With GiveWP
Events are a great way to raise funds and boost your impact. From cook-offs to galas, your nonprofit can try many events. Follow the steps and tips outlined here to organize and execute a successful fundraising event.
To help you along the way, try a fundraising platform like GiveWP. It offers flexible donation forms, a free donor database, and an easy ticket-selling solution. You can add free or paid tickets to your donation form with the Event Tickets block, currently available as a beta version. This allows you to offer tickets to your events and accept donations – at the same time.
Try these features and more by downloading GiveWP today!
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