Maximize Donations Using Local Events: 5 Tips for Nonprofits
Your nonprofit relies on donations for everything from pursuing your mission to covering everyday operations. You’ve run fundraising campaigns in the past, but did you know that local events can help maximize your donations?
Unfortunately, many nonprofits overlook the possibility of local events, thinking they are too small to generate the kind of revenue they need. However, if you conduct the event correctly, your nonprofit could see major peaks in donations.
How can we get so much from local fundraising events? Pair the in-person event with online strategies to make your local event into a big deal for the community.
Events are a great resource for donations, promotions, and developing the all-too-important donor relationships.
To maximize donations using a local fundraising event, follow these 5 simple steps:
- Brainstorm possible local fundraising events.
- Market your event online.
- Use your event to anchor a fundraiser.
- Plan the activities for your event.
- Make the most of your event day.
Pair your online fundraising tool with an event organized locally and watch your donations skyrocket! Let’s get started with the first step in this process.
1. BRAINSTORM POSSIBLE LOCAL FUNDRAISING EVENTS.
Before you can get started with anything regarding your fundraising event, you have to decide what the event will be. Start by brainstorming the types of events which will be effective for the needs of your organization.
The specifications for your event may differ from other nonprofits depending on your mission and the size of the nonprofit.
Always think about the mission of your nonprofit before making any decisions. For every idea you come up with, ask yourself, “Is this idea in line with my mission?”.
Once you have determined that the idea is in line with your mission, ask yourself if the event idea is plausible given the size of your nonprofit.
Small to mid-sized nonprofits might choose events such as:
- 5K race
- Pet day
- Chili cook-off
- Restaurant giving night
- Movie night
These options are perfect for small to mid-sized nonprofits because they require fewer upfront resources and planning.
Larger nonprofits may have more flexibility to conduct fundraisers such as:
- Battle of the bands
- Festival
- Carnival
- Athletic tournament
- Art show
Larger nonprofits may benefit from these events because, while they may require more planning and a higher upfront payment, the larger audiences result in a larger payoff.
Any of these events can be held locally for your nonprofit. Start brainstorming your favorite ideas for your community!
After all, you are the expert on your nonprofit and your community. Choose your favorite idea that will best appeal to both.
2. MARKET YOUR EVENT ONLINE.
Get as many local people to your event as possible using effective marketing strategies. Put up flyers in coffee shops and around town, but don’t forget about your online audience.
Online marketing is an exceptional tool to make your local event a huge success, but only when it is used to its full potential.
One way to maximize this potential for online marketing is by knowing your audience. This guide for donor segmentation strategies can help you appeal to your intended audience when marketing online.
For instance, segment your past donors by donation type so that you can promote that method of donating again. They found it easy to use before, so promoting that method will make it more likely for them to use it again.
The online platforms you use to market your event are crucial to how you will present your event. Some of the platforms you may choose to use are:
- Email. Use your segmented lists of donors to draft emails that appeal to donors with similar demographics, like their geographic location. For instance, send an email to local residents heavily promoting your local event.
- Social media. Create an event page on Facebook. Tweet about the fun activities that will be featured. Create a promotional video for Youtube. Dive into all the creative ways to use your social media accounts.
- Your website. Make sure your event is listed on your nonprofit’s website calendar. Many people will look to your official site for details on the event, so make sure they are all up to date!
The more effectively you market your event, the more people are likely to show up. When you have a larger audience in attendance, your nonprofit will collect more donations. Don’t skip out on the opportunity to market your local event!
3. USE YOUR EVENT TO ANCHOR A FUNDRAISER.
Many online fundraisers benefit from being anchored by an in-person event. For instance, crowdfunding and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns are often tied to an event.
Anchoring an online fundraiser with an in-person event has many benefits, including:
- Cross-marketing for your local event and online campaign.
- Raising more money than the event alone.
- Spreading your brand name across the internet.
When you create a crowdfunding page, include your mission for your potential donors to see. Your donors will appreciate your mission and your honesty as to the purpose of the funds. They are more likely to donate with this in mind.
In addition, by including your mission on your crowdfunding page, you are more likely to find the donors who are invested in your cause, increasing the chances of recurring donations from them.
Your peer-to-peer fundraising page will be similar. For the campaign page you set up, include your mission, a thought-provoking image, and what specific project the money will contribute to. A peer-to-peer fundraising campaign differs from crowdfunding in that your supporters create their own fundraising pages for your organization in order to raise money on your behalf.
Encourage your supporters to share a story of what your organization means to them on their pages to attract more donors.
4. PLAN THE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR EVENT.
Maintaining engagement with your attendees during your event is incredibly important in order to maximize the donations you will receive. The longer people attend an event, the more likely they are to give more to your organization.
Make sure your attendees stay at your event until the very end with plenty of activities to keep them engaged.
To make it easier - and more automated - if you already use the popular planning software, find an event management software that’s compatible or integrated to 360-plan your event.
Keeping all this planning information in a single location will help you stay organized both before and during the event by organizing information such as:
- Event activities.
- Cost of activities.
- Marketing capabilities.
- Guest management.
While the activities of your event, such as an auction, raffle, etc. will keep your donors present and engaged, there is still more you can do.
Try using social media to engage at-home audiences with live tweets and Facebook live videos. Also encourage your attendees to use social media with Snapchat filters and customized event hashtags.
Capturing your in-person audience and online audience will expand your base of potential donors and help keep everyone entertained throughout the event. Be sure to plan your event with engagement in mind.
5. MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR EVENT DAY.
Maximizing the money raised from local events is easier than you’d expect.
For example, choose to save an extra buck by asking for volunteers to help host your event instead of hiring staff members.
To maximize funds, be sure to also tell your volunteers about volunteer grants. Volunteer grants are a part of corporate philanthropy programs. Companies with these grant programs will financially “match” the time their employees spend volunteering for organizations.
To learn more about these programs and see example companies that offer these programs, check out 360 MatchPro’s list of the top volunteer grant companies.
In addition to promoting these grants, be sure there are easy donation methods available for all your attendees of your event.
For example, offer a text-to-give option so that your attendees can donate easily straight from their phones. Text-to-give options require just 3 simple steps to donate:
- Use a text-to-give software to set up the phone number for people to text.
- The donor texts the number and receives a message with a link in return.
- The donor clicks the link and is brought to a donation page on their phone.
Mobile giving options such as these empower your donors to donate directly from the event using their cellphones. No computers necessary!
Your nonprofit could be receiving even more donations than it already is. Try organizing a local event using these 5 tips to maximize the donations you receive.
Guest Author Bio: Dan Quirk is the Marketing Manager at Salsa Labs, the premier fundraising software company for growth-focused nonprofits. Dan’s marketing focus on content creation, conversion optimization, and modern marketing technology help him coach nonprofit development teams on digital fundraising best practices.
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