Events

Take a look back at the 2012 Special Events Campaigns of the Year from MIND Research Institute and Avow Hospice, both of which took home gold, as well as the Lions Eye Institute for Transplant & Research, which took home silver.

How can you raise more money at your fundraising breakfast or fundraising event? In this video, Tom Mesaros of The Alford Group gives you his recipe for inspiring audiences to give more at your event. He shares what words he used to significantly increase the donations given to a particular organization.

Crowdfunding is quickly becoming the new shiny object in the world of social change. From Giving Days, to new giving platforms, to lots of articles and studies (here and here to start), it seems that crowdfunding is everywhere lately. I’m all for innovations in the funding of social change, but I’m not convinced that crowdfunding is really creating anything fundamentally new.

What these efforts all have in common is they raise money, from a large group of people, over a short period of time.

Marketing discovers and engages buyers while branding makes loyal customers. The Salvation Army Indiana Division recently sponsored a special event with both concepts in mind.

'Tis the season for fundraising events! And for giving speeches about why people should give to your organization. If you are chosen to give that inspiring speech … please keep it short. Less than seven minutes is best. (That’s about 1,000 words, depending on your cadence of delivery.) Before anything else, be authentic!

You can have a fabulous outline, but if you are not authentic and you read from a script with your head down … you’ll have wasted an opportunity to generate support. Here are seven best practices for speaking at a fundraising event.

Do you have a fundraising reception strategy? You should. Create a checklist, and critique your involvement after the event. Here are 10 points to ponder.

All across the country May 6, community foundations, in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the nation’s first community foundation, ran “Give Local” 24-hour campaigns to bring donations to area nonprofits. The homegrown campaigns largely took place online but included challenge grants and other incentives, contests and community events. In total, according to the Give Local website, 310,977 gifts were given across approximately 80 cities (this number varies in differing accounts) for a total of more than $51.6 million.

Raising money from events is the hardest money you’ll ever raise. Love them or hate them, fundraising events are here to stay. They are part of the scene for many nonprofits. And there’s tons of internal political support to keep them, whether they are really making money or not.

Since you and your organization are committed to an event, let’s make sure it is the best event ever.

No matter what your approach to generating funds, there are two factors that must be assessed in order to host a successful event: understanding your message and knowing your audience. This might seem like common sense, but if you don’t take the time to clearly outline your themes and your audience’s interests, you’ll be disappointed with the results.

Here are a few questions that you should answer before organizing or advertising your event …

Spring is here and so is the event fundraising season! Events that raise money for causes and nonprofits can take many forms from 5k runs and walk-a-thons to endurance bike rides. In recent years, nonprofits have expanded these activities to include mud runs, polar plunges, even head-shaving! But just like any large undertaking, planning a fundraising event has its benefits and challenges. They can bring in a lot of revenue for the organization, but can also put tremendous strain on a nonprofit’s resources.