Elements of a Successful Fundraiser

Toni Bodon Executive Director

The Elements 1. Establish a Goal 2. Select a Theme 3. Set a Budget 4. Create a Check List and Timeline 5. Choose Volunteers and Delegate 6. Select a Venue 7. Find a Celebrity 8. Get a Band For Free 9. Set Ticket Price 10. The Invitation 11. Auction and Raffle 12. Mail Service 13. Marketing and Promotion 14. Venue Décor 15. Ticket Sales and VIPs 16. Event Management 17. Post-Event Thanks

Establish a Goal

Should it be strictly to raise money?

• Celebrating the organization’s success

• Thanking volunteers, friends and major supporters

• Promoting the organization

• Branding and spreading good will

• Not an adoption event

Select a Theme Select a theme that inspires donations and attendance

“Home for the Holidays” 2012

“Home for the Holidays” 2011

“Luau Doggy Pool Party”

“Luau Doggy Pool Party” 2012

Set a Budget

Don’t stick to a number, be flexible while keeping your overall goal in mind

• Decide on size of event

• Determine revenue to meet goal

• Evaluate results from the past

• Estimate who will attend

• Estimate who will donate

• Estimate average donation

Create a Check List and Timeline The longer the list, the less work and stress

Item Volunteer Deadline Completed

Secure venue TB 4/1/2013 2/15/2013

Select food TB, NL, AH 4/1/2013

Design invitation NC, TB 4/15/2013

Get sponsors AH, RL 4/15/2013

Research the band TB 4/1/2013

Coordinate video and photography NC 5/1/2013

Coordinate auction and raffle gifts LS, MM 6/1/2013

Set up auction and raffle tables LS 7/1/2013

Venue décor AH, TB 6/15/2013

Update mailing list BM 4/15/2013

Draft and edit text for invitation BM 4/15/2013

Coordinate printing and mailing of invitation BM 5/1/2013

Draft press release RL 5/15/2013

Market and promote the event RL, AH, TB 6/1/2013

Ticket sales AH 5/15/2013

Advance sales list AH 5/15/2013

Prepare VIP list RL, AH, TB 6/15/2013

Door host NL 7/1/2013

Venue volunteers NL, AH, BM 7/1/2013

Choose Volunteers and Delegate

Build a team with diverse interests and skills who love animals but need that extra push to get involved in rescue

• Loyal to your organization’s mission and philosophy

• Team players

• Self-motivated

• Dependable

• Highly organized

• Can take direction and delegate to others

Choose Volunteers and Delegate Recruit from within

• Contact former fosters and adopters

• Tell them about the upcoming event and why you thought of them

• Focus on their skills and strengths, and your need for them to join your team – e.g., communication, technical, graphic art skills

• Explain how their participation will make it possible to rescue more needy animals

• Explain the level of commitment required

• Let them know they are members of a team with a common goal

Choose Volunteers and Delegate Don’t ask for more than they can handle

• Stay focused on their skills and time commitment

• Smaller tasks go further than you think

• Set reasonable deadlines

Don’t forget to follow-up

• Send updates on a regular basis

• Send friendly email reminders

• Offer help

Select a Venue Wine, cheese, and crackers are not enough

Choose a venue that:

• Offers hot food options and an open bar

• Allows live music and is large enough for a band

• Has good reviews, is trendy and popular

• Is centrally located to public transportation or parking

Select a Venue Inspect venue and staff before signing • Is it clean and well maintained?

• Is the staff courteous?

• Can they accommodate a band’s equipment?

• Do they allow posters and promotional materials?

Select a Venue Negotiate the Price • Make the venue a part of your team • Explain your mission, purpose of event, and how proceeds will

be used • Offer to pay at cost • Offer your volunteers to serve the food or assist at the bar to

lower cost • Ask for 3 or 4 complimentary guests to cover event volunteers • Reduce or eliminate service fee

Find a Celebrity It’s a lot easier than you think

• Search within - volunteers, adopters and fosters’ careers and networks

• Keep a list of connections to celebrities, regardless of their charitable work

• Develop and maintain relationships • Keep them informed as part of your team

Plan ahead, with a good presentation

• Contact celebrity before planning the event • Choose a date to accommodate celebrity • Organize PR package • Acknowledge on website, social media • Thank celebrity and report on event success

Offer free promotion

• Explain how event will promote the band

• Feature band on invitation

• Sell CDs at the event

Get a Band For Free

A Lot Easier Than You Think

Visit Gigsalad.com and Gigmasters.com

• Consider venue and crowd in selecting a band • Check on-line reviews, listen to music samples

Offer free food, liquor, parking and a big hug!

• Coordinate and pay for parking

• Set aside a table with food

• Assign volunteer to bring drinks

Make them part of your team

• Keep in touch, send invitation

• Meet them at the venue at least one week prior for inspection

• Don’t forget to pay for lunch!

Get a Band For Free

Give them VIP Treatment

Set Ticket Price Think big, within limits • Consider your main goal

• Quality and popularity of venue

• Type of open bar and food

• Live music

• Group discount

The Invitation

Create a design concept • Consistent with the event’s theme • Clean and simple

Branding, marketing and promotion • Prominently display your logo • Your own rescued animals as models • Sponsors show broad reach and appeal

First impressions make a difference • Professional design • Paper quality • Simple, clean text

Auction and Raffle Choose a coordinator

• Highly motivated with good organization, communication skills

• Provide guidance and support

• Monitor progress closely as event date approaches

• Offer help and other volunteers

Reach out to everyone

• Ask volunteers, adopters and supporters to request their employers to sponsor event in the form of products or services

• Reach out to local artists for art work or photography

• Put an ad on your website and social media outlets for sponsors

Auction and Raffle Contact local businesses for gift certificates

Popular items include:

• Dinner for two at a popular restaurant

• Theater tickets with back-stage tour

• Local sports tickets, sports memorabilia

• Electronics – flat screen TV, iPad

• Weekend stay at a cabin or B&B

• Facial and massage

• Professional photography session

• Doggy day-care and boarding

• Liquor and food baskets

• Pet-related products and baskets

Auction and Raffle

Acknowledge sponsors at the event

• List them on a poster at the raffle and auction tables

• Include them in the event program

Send a thank you note

• Sponsors, venue manager, band, and volunteers

• Send note doon after the event

• Show your appreciation, reinforce good will

• Email ok for volunteers, but sponsors should be thanked by mail using organization’s letterhead

Mail Service Use professional mail service to send the invitations

Local mail service does not translate to lower cost • Shop around nation-wide for best price and service • Evaluate level of experience with non-profit mailing • Prompt responses to inquires, good rapport with staff

Apply for non-profit standard mail price • At least 3 months in advance apply at your local post office branch • Use mail service bulk mail permit

Don’t worry about the cost of postage • Average donation will outweigh the cost of mailing • Timing of mailing is important - not too early or too late

The check is in the mail! • Most people cannot attend • Most donations amount to ticket price; many exceed ticket price • Large donations will often come from previous donors

Marketing and Promotion

The invitation is your best marketing tool • Appealing envelope and insert encourages people to give

• Thank you letter should follow after receipt of donation

• Maintains relationships with supporters

• Helps update mailing list

Rack cards

• Good for mailing and hand-outs in the community

• Less expensive to print and easier to mail

Marketing and Promotion Website, social media, and email communications

• E-version of invitation links to event page, donation sites

• Expands reach beyond mailing list and brings in new donors

• Volunteers can help promote event via their networks

• Monitor traffic, confirmed attendance on event page

Venue Décor

Beautiful images have positive impact and are memorable

• Focus on happy endings

• Assign a volunteer to collect images from adopters

• Create slide presentation for screens at the venue

• Create large posters of successful adoptions and volunteers

• Prominently display your logo

• Display event poster at venue entrance

• Place posters and photos strategically - behind the bar, onstage, in restrooms

Ticket Sales and VIPs

Tickets and donations

• Nycharities.org

• Networkforgood.org

• P.O. Box

VIP list

• Make sure it is current

• Assign volunteer with good presence to welcome guests

Event Management Arrive early to set up • Meet briefly with venue manager and staff

• Make sure all provisions of agreement are met – inspect bar, food selection, electronics set up, band space

• Schedule time for food service

• Any last-minute preparations

Have fun while managing • Manage flow of event

• Mingle with everyone

• Don’t drink too much

• Create an emotional moment

• Acknowledge everyone

Post-Event Thanks

The day after

• Email thank you to volunteer team and keep them connected

• Highlight special contributions from individual volunteers

• Share numbers of attendees and total proceeds from event

• Keep them informed of any further accounting updates regarding donations from mailing of the invitation

Elements of a Successful Fundraiser

Toni Bodon Executive Director

Thank you!

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