As communities rebound from COVID-19 and look to meet in person again, this article serves as a guide to coordinate your next event, generate enthusiasm about your program, build relationships with your community, and recruit new members for your team or\u00a0activity. Whether you coach a team sport, direct a music ensemble, or lead\u00a0an\u00a0after-school\u00a0program, this guide will\u00a0give you what you need to start\u00a0planning your next school fundraiser event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
When you\u2019re planning a fundraising event, the more specific you are about your monetary goals, the more funds you\u2019re likely to raise.\u00a0Determine a realistic goal for how\u00a0much of your annual fundraising goals you\u00a0expect to cover,\u00a0keeping in mind your budget for the event\u00a0and the time you plan to invest\u00a0in its success. Remember that events are not the most efficient way to raise funds since they require a lot\u00a0of planning\u00a0and\u00a0overhead\u00a0expenses. However, they can\u00a0offer\u00a0a great opportunity to work on some of the non-monetary goals of your organization.
\nWhether it\u2019s promoting your organization, acquiring new donors, or recruiting new participants, fundraisers can accomplish a lot more than just fundraising. Assess the needs of your\u00a0particular program\u00a0along with opportunities your community presents to create some measurable goals beyond\u00a0simply\u00a0the\u00a0dollar\u00a0amount you\u00a0hope\u00a0to raise.<\/p>\n
Realistic budgeting is\u00a0a key aspect of\u00a0every\u00a0successful fundraising event. Unfortunately, it\u2019s not\u00a0uncommon for events to raise a negligible\u00a0amount of money or even lose money if not planned carefully. The more detailed your budget is, the better. Spreadsheets can be helpful for keeping everyone involved up to date on the specifics of the budget and important deadlines,\u00a0like when payments are due. Even if a lot of the resources for your event come from volunteers or donations, be prepared for unexpected expenses. A few potential expenses to account for are:<\/p>\n
Of course, these\u00a0expenses\u00a0will vary depending on the kind of event you are planning and the resources available to your program. For concerts and other performances, remember to check with the venue about whether sound and lighting is provided. For payments with specific due dates, know the late fees and be prepared to pay them just in case.<\/p>\n
The more specific your schedule is, the more likely it is that everything will be accomplished on time. Break goals\u00a0down\u00a0into small, manageable milestones, then put\u00a0each milestone\u00a0on the schedule. When scheduling the event,\u00a0be sure\u00a0to\u00a0plan it far enough in advance\u2013\u2013not just to allow time to organize it, but also to give attendees the best chance of being available. Consider\u00a0the date, time, and day of the week, including what works best for potential attendees as well as potential conflicts. Hosting an event for families? Don\u2019t plan it on a school night. Planning a fundraiser that will involve educators? Avoid the week before grades are due. Scheduling strategically\u00a0is essential\u00a0to creating a successful event.<\/p>\n
Goal setting, budgeting, and scheduling are much\u00a0easier\u00a0when there is someone assigned to each task. To make sure everything gets done, consider forming a leadership committee for the event\u00a0planning. This committee can be made up of staff, parents, or kids, depending on the needs of the organization and the\u00a0particular event. When working with high school students, involving them in event planning can be a great way to facilitate\u00a0leadership skills. Some roles committee members might take on are:<\/p>\n
Even if everything else goes perfectly, the event won\u2019t be a success if people don\u2019t know about it. Luckily, there are\u00a0many\u00a0options for marketing your event. The most important thing to consider when publicizing your event is your audience. Who do you want to be there, where do they get their information about events, and what kinds of messages appeal to them? It\u2019s a lot easier to attract people to your event who are already interested in and supportive of your organization than to try to capture the interest of people who don\u2019t have any reason to care. Make it easy for prospective attendees to find the information they need to know in order to attend the event. The less work they\u00a0have to\u00a0do, the more likely they will be to invest in your program.\u00a0Consider utilizing\u00a0flyers, newsletters, websites, emails, newspapers, and social media to get the word out.<\/p>\n
Thorough goal setting, scheduling, and delegation of responsibilities all lay the groundwork for a\u00a0successful event. Have a plan and a schedule for who is doing what, when.\u00a0Make sure you have enough manpower to get everything set up in time.\u00a0Depending on\u00a0the type of event, doing a run-through of the program in the event space can be an important part of preparation. No matter how well you prepare, it is important to have a backup plan for if things go wrong.<\/p>\n
Planning doesn\u2019t stop\u00a0when the event is over. Follow-up is just as integral to the success of an event as all the steps leading up to it. There are two\u00a0main components to event follow-up: reflecting on the process and thanking those involved.
\nWhen\u00a0reflecting\u00a0back\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0event, return to the goals you set when you first started planning. With these goals in mind, ask\u00a0a few questions. What worked and what could have been done better?\u00a0How much did the event raise and did it stay within budget? This is a great opportunity to involve the event leadership committee to gain more insight. If the event met or surpassed its goals, use it as a model for future fundraisers, and consider making it an annual event.
\nIt is also important to thank\u00a0those who\u00a0attended the\u00a0event. You can even\u00a0circle back in\u00a0some of the channels you used to market the event to thank those who attended for helping make it a success\u2013\u2013as well as\u00a0to generate excitement for your next fundraising endeavor. Also remember to thank volunteers and sponsors. Recognizing their time and effort is an important part of making the event process a good experience and can get them excited to participate again in the future.
\nFundraising events can be a creative way to publicize your program and engage your community. But, if you’re looking for a fundraising idea that’s easier and more effective, Snap! Raise is here to lift your fundraising burden<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From choir concerts,\u00a0to art shows,\u00a0to athletics day camps, events provide\u00a0a great\u00a0opportunity to raise funds\u00a0by doing what your program does best. ","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":104931,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[17],"tags":[55],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n