Hosting a fundraiser is a great way to bring your community together and spread the word about your cause, and the more you stand out, the more donations you’re likely to get. Here, Richard Cutmore, Director of branded gazebo printing specialists TFH Gazebos, gives us his top tips to help you make your charity stand out at your next fundraising event.
Spreading the word about your organisation is essential to locking in those donations, and hosting a fundraiser is the perfect way to let your community have fun while you encourage them to donate. But, with almost 170,000 registered charities in England and Wales alone (GOV.uk), how can you make yourself stand out from the crowd?
The first thing you’ll want to think about is getting your charity name out there. That means displaying it anywhere you can in order to be seen by as many people as possible. So, consider getting promotional materials printed with your logo and charity colours.
Gazebos make great meeting points to hand out leaflets, collect donations or give away any freebies. You could also consider getting a few flags, pop up and roller banners printed with your logo. This way, you can spread the word about your charity and your fundraising event. It’s also the perfect way to capture the interest of people passing by your fundraiser, and they’ll be more likely to come over or research your charity later on.
Don’t forget to wear your brand, too. Before your event, get T-shirts and hoodies printed with your logo and charity colours. Not only does this bring your volunteers together as a team, but people will be able to see the pride you take in your work. Plus, as you’re walking around your event and speaking to attendees, they’ll be reminded of who you are and the work that you do.
Try to go to a professional printer if you can. Your materials will be of a higher quality, which will make your event and your charity look more credible. Plus, you’ll be able to use your promotional materials again and again, so a high quality can help it to last a lot longer.
Social media is an important tool for businesses and charities these days. They’re great places to reach your target audience and spread the word about the work that you do. So, if you’re not already, get yourself on various social media platforms. For charities, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are all perfect for reaching a wide variety of people.
In the run up to your fundraising event, make sure you share plenty of posts to build up some excitement and anticipation. Then, encourage your followers to share the post to increase your reach even further. If you’re hosting your event at a specific venue, ask the venue to promote your fundraiser on across their social media pages, too.
But don’t let the posts stop once the day finally comes. Create your own hashtag and encourage attendees and charity members to tag you in their posts. If you keep positing photos of the event to share the fun, you might be able to persuade some last-minute attendees to come along, join in and make a donation to your cause. And, the more people who share your hashtag, the more exposure you’re going to get for your charity.
Don’t forget about local media either. Use local newspapers, magazines and radio stations to spread the word about your charity and your upcoming event to keep your community in the loop. And, chances are, these local media stations would be more than happy to share some uplifting stories with the area and encourage them to donate.
Strong relationships are essential for gaining regular donations, so it’s important that you really focus on building those connections. Make sure you thank your community for their kind donations and support. Showing your appreciation can encourage people to come back for your next fundraiser and make another donation, and you may even get some people offering to volunteer next time.
Don’t forget about forming strong relationships with local businesses, too. You may be able to persuade a company to sponsor your event, donate to your cause, offer up some freebies or simply promote your fundraiser in their store or on their social media.
When planning your fundraising event, try to be as creative as you can. The more unusual and fun you can make your event, the more you can evoke a sense of curiosity and encourage people to come along and join in. So, you could consider hosting a fair, a charity bake off or even doing a skydive.
If you have any local celebrities or influencers, invite them along as a VIP so that your donors can meet them. And, if you ask them to share content about your fundraiser across their social media channels, you’re going to reach a much bigger audience.
Everyone loves a freebie. Giving away items with your branding on them can help to spread the word about your charity and it’s a great way to bring people over and encourage them to sign up for a monthly donation. Plus, if you choose items that people can use in their day-to-day life, like pens, tote bags and mugs, it’ll give you an extra boost of advertising long after your event has even finished.
And don’t forget to have information about your TheGivingMachine page to hand. Print off and put up posters, hand out flyers and even have a tablet available to sign up people there and then. By spreading the word you’ll get even more supporters signed up and raising FREE donations for your cause.
Hosting a fundraiser is the perfect way to reach out to your community, bring in some extra donations and thank everyone for their support. Standing out from the crowd might seem like a difficult feat, but the tips in this guide will help you promote your cause and get the most out of your event. Why not try them out at your next fundraiser?
