Giving makes people feel good. Giving is proven to make everybody happy, not just the givers. The receivers, the people around the receivers and around givers have a better state of mind after just one simple act of kindness.
Be successful in your Event Fundraising Efforts with these secret weapons:
Secret Weapon #1: Get A Cause
When it comes to brands, studies show that 90% of the global consumers stated that they would switch to a company that is associated with a cause.
Associating with a cause will make people see you being interested in something other than your well-being as a company or event host. Guess what? You are starting a relationship based on trust and something other than yourself.
Fundraising events are a common trend that companies do in order to develop, because they really work. Donors like events, tend to be part of a community that is working towards a goal and nothing generates more buzz than a well-planned event with a lot of participants.
It’s important that you offer plenty of donation opportunities. Popular tactics include:
- Allocating a percentage of ticket sales to a non-profit or a specific cause
- Asking participants to make a donation while registration
- Selling merchandise, snacks or beverages
- Running a silent auction with nice-to-have objects
Find a way to link it to what you are organizing and declare that a part of the revenue is donated to a specific cause or individual donations can be made, while the rest is covering your costs and overhead for the meaningful event you are organizing.
Secret weapon no. 2: Your Cell Phone
Yes, you should send out sponsorship letters to prospective sponsors for the event. Yes, you should use PR, your e-mail newsletter, and every other method at your disposal to raise money for your upcoming event. But, the most powerful weapon in your arsenal is your phone.
People would never think of trying to obtain sponsorship for a certain event valuing $100,000 on the phone, but rather trying to raise this amount by sending out letters and invitation or designing a nice sponsorship package.
You should start with your prospective sponsors and after you send out a well thought letter, do calls one-on-one with the upcoming partners. They are easier to schedule then a meeting at their office and you can get much more out of a call then a few e-mail replies. This way you can connect with the donor and personalize your whole strategy based to his needs and possibilities.
What you have in this situation that’s special? Emotion. Your event vision is not made up of some written words on a piece of paper. They will associate a person to it. Your potential donor will see the enthusiasm that built the whole event and the struggle to make everything go as planned. Consider what emotion you are targeting in the angle of the story you tell.
At the end of the call, simply add another chunk of value. Some ideas include:
- Offer VIP experiences to thank people who give more than a certain amount.
- Encourage supporters to become Ambassadors of your cause.
Pick up the phone and use it to generate revenue for your next event. It’s cheap, it’s fast and effective. It will also help you build a personal relationship with personalized facts.
Secret Weapon #4 That Remarkable Thing You Do
The success of an annual event grows over time. If attendees enjoyed being at this year’s edition, you can be sure to see them at the next one. I bet they’ll tell their friends, family and social media how great the first event was! As the years go by, your event gets bigger and bigger, and in turn, you are able to raise more sponsorships and pair up with much more partners with each succeeding year.
A great way to accelerate this process is to make sure you offer one really remarkable “thing” at each hosted event. This could be as simple as having a local or national celebrity come as a surprise guest. It will draw attention and gain more media exposure.
Whatever it is that you decide to do, doing something really remarkable will get people talking about your event. In turn, this will make more people want to come to your event next year. It creates a long lasting brand image and people growing expectations. Win win! It will motivate you to deliver your best. Just think – your audiences will be first in line when ticket sales go up next year.
Now pick the weapon that suits your business the best and start fighting. Don’t forget to let me know if your results overcame your expectations.
