Planning a fundraising event? From coming up with fun fundraising ideas to designing tickets for the event, fundraising activities are really something to look forward to. Before you plan anything though, here are some important factors to consider, according to TheFundRaisingAuthority:
1. Purpose. Why are holding the event in the first place? Is it truly a fundraising event? Or does it serve other goals? It’s actually better to have just one goal. That way, everything in the event could be geared in support of that goal.
2. Fundraising goal. How much money do you want to raise? You’ve got to have a ballpark to work with. That way, you’ll know if the event was successful or not, especially when you take the expenses out of the funds you’ve raised.
3. Budget. List down all the expenses you had during the event. Generally, this should include invitations, space rental and staff along with cost for catering, transportation, security and utilities. Entertainment, along with anything else, is also covered. Knowing your budget helps you figure out what fundraising goals to shoot for. After all, you need to earn more than your expenses to make the event successful. You also need to leave some room for emergency expenses, just to be on the safe side.
4. Audience. You’ll need to know who you’re raising the event for. Is it for a school event, for students, school staff and parents? How old are the students? Match the event to your audience. If you’re doing this for young kids, you’ll need to spice up the event with fun fundraising ideas. You could try selling of fun stuff that your audience will surely love. Companies like Mixed Bag Designs, for instance, offers fundraising catalogs you can use for your event. With lovely products priced just right, they’re perfect for raising funds and keeping your target market happy.
5. Marketing. You’ll need to market your event to your audience. If your audience is primarily kids or teens, then you’ll want to ensure you connect with your market in the way that matters to them, through fun posters and announcements.
6. Sales. You’ll need to find a way to produce tickets, then decide if you want standard tickets for everyone—do VIPs get extra special tickets for an extra charge? Also, make sure you set up a system to take care of contributions and donations to make it easier for your donors to part with their money.
Fundraising is an effective way to raise money for a cause. And with fun fundraising ideas, you can make the event not only successful in terms of reaching your fundraising goals but also memorable for everyone involved.
