Planning and managing a fundraising event can make you want to pull your hair out or perhaps start banging your head on the table out of frustration. Here are seven helpful tips that will help make your fundraiser a smooth and profitable success.
1.) Plan for Fundraising Success
Efficient planning is an integral part to the success of not only your fundraising campaign but any project you might think of. Without a well thought out plan of action chaos will reign and your project will suffer as a result. In fact, you should have a primary plan as well as a secondary and tertiary as well.
2.) There can be Only One Chief!
It probably can go without saying, but, there can only be one captain of a ship and the same holds true for your fundraiser. Too many heads doing the planning is a recipe for failure.
3.) Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
Assign specific tasks to people in whom you have confidence and trust. In your planning create a list of tasks that must be accomplished and choose personnel for each task. Ensure that each of your chosen staff understands that accountability for their assigned task falls squarely on their shoulders.
4.) Promotion is Key
Get the word out about your fundraiser. Proper promotion of your event will ensure that you reach your goal. Send out press releases to local media outlets. Don't forget your own school web page is a great way to post your fundraiser and get the word out about it. Depending on the type of fundraiser you are planning will dictate if creating flyers and asking local business to place them in store windows would be helpful. There are many ways to promote an event and you should take advantage of as many of them as possible.
5.) Pre-Sell for Success
This plan of action will work very well for any type of fundraiser. If your fundraising event is a dance, dinner, guest speaker, or other ticketed type of program that is a one night event, you can benifet greatly by pre-selling your tickets. Start selling tickets long before the actual fundraising night. When items such as cookie dough are your main product start mentioning it to friends, family, and neighbors before the fundraiser begins.
6.) Multiple Income Streams
Do not put all of your eggs in one basket. Multiple income streams have been a recipe for success in business for many years and you should be running your fundraiser just like a business. If all of your efforts are concentrated in only one program, then your market may become saturated. You might even have another nearby school start the same thing your were planning to do the week before your kick your fundraiser off. If you are located in a small town, this can be a huge blow to your school fundraising success. Try using multiple events to your advantage. This is an excellent way to reach your goal as quickly as possible and spread out some of the risk.
7.) Post Fundraiser Analysis
This is not part of the actual fundraiser, but this is something that you should not overlook. Analyze how each of your school fundraising efforts performed when it is finished. Which one raised your school the most money? Which one was the easiest to do? You can use your analysis of your current campaign to enhance future fundraising efforts. It is also helpful to make notes in a journal for the next board to view in case all the faces on the board change next year. This way they don't have to re-invent the wheel like you did. - 15790
1.) Plan for Fundraising Success
Efficient planning is an integral part to the success of not only your fundraising campaign but any project you might think of. Without a well thought out plan of action chaos will reign and your project will suffer as a result. In fact, you should have a primary plan as well as a secondary and tertiary as well.
2.) There can be Only One Chief!
It probably can go without saying, but, there can only be one captain of a ship and the same holds true for your fundraiser. Too many heads doing the planning is a recipe for failure.
3.) Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
Assign specific tasks to people in whom you have confidence and trust. In your planning create a list of tasks that must be accomplished and choose personnel for each task. Ensure that each of your chosen staff understands that accountability for their assigned task falls squarely on their shoulders.
4.) Promotion is Key
Get the word out about your fundraiser. Proper promotion of your event will ensure that you reach your goal. Send out press releases to local media outlets. Don't forget your own school web page is a great way to post your fundraiser and get the word out about it. Depending on the type of fundraiser you are planning will dictate if creating flyers and asking local business to place them in store windows would be helpful. There are many ways to promote an event and you should take advantage of as many of them as possible.
5.) Pre-Sell for Success
This plan of action will work very well for any type of fundraiser. If your fundraising event is a dance, dinner, guest speaker, or other ticketed type of program that is a one night event, you can benifet greatly by pre-selling your tickets. Start selling tickets long before the actual fundraising night. When items such as cookie dough are your main product start mentioning it to friends, family, and neighbors before the fundraiser begins.
6.) Multiple Income Streams
Do not put all of your eggs in one basket. Multiple income streams have been a recipe for success in business for many years and you should be running your fundraiser just like a business. If all of your efforts are concentrated in only one program, then your market may become saturated. You might even have another nearby school start the same thing your were planning to do the week before your kick your fundraiser off. If you are located in a small town, this can be a huge blow to your school fundraising success. Try using multiple events to your advantage. This is an excellent way to reach your goal as quickly as possible and spread out some of the risk.
7.) Post Fundraiser Analysis
This is not part of the actual fundraiser, but this is something that you should not overlook. Analyze how each of your school fundraising efforts performed when it is finished. Which one raised your school the most money? Which one was the easiest to do? You can use your analysis of your current campaign to enhance future fundraising efforts. It is also helpful to make notes in a journal for the next board to view in case all the faces on the board change next year. This way they don't have to re-invent the wheel like you did. - 15790
About the Author:
AIM Fundraising has been assisting schools in their school fundraising efforts since 1988. Over the years we have gleaned a few things that help to make a fundraiser the best that it can possibly be. Go to the AIM Fundraising website to learn what you can do to make your next school fundraising project even more successful.