How Nonprofits Can Boost Event Attendance

One of the biggest challenges modern nonprofits face is drawing donors to event fundraisers and holding on to them as recurring donors. Many people can be convinced to part with their money in the name of a good cause — especially when it’s an easy, otherwise low-commitment transaction. But motivating supporters to turn out, connect, mobilize, educate (or be educated) and become active advocates at an event is often a more difficult task. 

On-site fundraisers, however, are vital to nonprofits’ long-term growth and viability. Clickable links in a social media feed, emails featuring simple donation options and even mailed fliers are important components of any fundraising campaign. But events, because of the amplification effects of their community-building and network-expansion qualities, have the power to improve attendance levels, engagement and, ultimately, donations over time. So how can nonprofits move beyond an easy-click relationship and level up with willing donors and interested advocates who may just be busy and reluctant event attendees? 

Research has proven that an engaged donor is far more likely to be a recurring donor, so the value of boosting attendance to fundraising events should be fairly self-evident. Event attendees are engaged donors who not only tend to give more — and to keep giving — but they also are passionate, self-motivated advocates who are often willing to go the extra mile to help fulfill the mission. Engaged advocates draw more donors, create new advocates, cast a wider and more effective net than any marketing campaign or outreach program alone. 

Plenty of proven strategies exist to help improve event attendance, engagement and donations, as well as retention and recurrence. Here are a few to consider:

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• Direct mail. One of the oldest tactics in the book is still used for a reason — it remains one of the most effective. 
• Email. Cheaper than direct mail, but more easily lost in the shuffle or routed to a spam or trash folder, email lends itself to frequent follow-ups. 
• Social media. Another solid bang-for-your-buck tactic, especially for deeper engagement with a “follow,” social media offers recurring touch points with a motivated audience. 
• Surveys and focus groups. Learn more about what resonates with interested donors and discover how best to meet them where they are with surveys and focus groups. 
• Contact sharing. A next-level tactic that essentially amounts to the recruitment of engaged, high-level donors connecting other potential high-level donors to the mission. 
• Networking. Particularly once advocates have been convinced to attend an event, they often become more dynamic instruments and self-motivated recruiters. Face-to-face networking — a powerful tool — creates more and deeper connections for nonprofits. 
• Notifications, reminders and calendar buttons. Simple, low-cost and effective, alerts and add-to-my-calendar buttons provide practical reminders for a direct connection with donors and prospects These organic engagement options tacitly encourage users to view their volunteerism and philanthropy as integral to their days as work and family engagements. 

Efforts toward an organization’s mission now become a matter of course – an essential thread in the fabric of a person’s life – rather than a chore or a nuisance. 

Staying in front of advocates and prospects, providing integrated reminders in the busy lives of would-be donors and attendees, is quite literally mission-critical for nonprofits. No single tactic will be a sure-fire connection or bring every potential donor under your banner. Each has its strengths and drawbacks. But these could be the high-value campaign additions that provide a direct connection to an engaged audience and ensure that your nonprofit’s events remain top of mind and embedded in daily life.

The preceding post was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.