All You Need To Know About Fundraising Events
Fundraising events are usually designed to raise awareness and donations for the specific organisation’s mission. It can be in the form of a concert, half marathon, silent auction, neighbourhood cookout, and more. In fact, schools and nonprofit organisations use fundraising events in order to raise money to fuel their missions, and invite inspirational speakers for schools to speak at these events. The gathering will let donors, as well as community members, actively engage with the organisation instead of just donating to the cause. Meeting with donors will help the nonprofit organisation to reiterate its mission and discuss methods of people getting more involved in the work of the organisation.
Examples Of Fundraising Events
In fact, any type of event can be easily transformed into a fundraising event. But some events are more practical and successful than others. Some of these events will offer more opportunities for the nonprofit organisation to promote its mission and show the donors how their money can make a positive impact on society. Here are a few examples of some of the most popular fundraising events:
Galas
A gala is a special social gathering that typically features food, beverages, and entertainment. The event is used to raise funds for the nonprofit. The guests need to purchase a ticket or table to attend the event. This is how the organisation will raise money for its cause. A gala can include many other activities such as silent auctions and more.
Donor Appreciation Events
These are free events where the nonprofit organisation will express its gratitude to supporters. They use the event to thank the donor and communicate their mission. It also helps highlight ways in which the donor can continue to engage with the nonprofit – through volunteering.
If you don’t plan to ask for money at an appreciation event, you can use the event to focus on building great relationships with the donors. The event’s focus will entirely be on the supporters. It helps promote stronger relationships & better donor retention in the end.
Live And Online Auctions
At an auction, goods are usually sold to the highest bidder. A nonprofit organisation can host an auction to seek out donated items from local businesses and sell these items to the highest bidder. A live auction usually takes place in person. There is an auctioneer who will describe the auction item as well as manage the bidding process. On the other hand, an online auction can take place on the website or social media pages of the nonprofit organisation. The supporters will submit bids electronically.
Silent Auctions
A silent auction will follow the same process similar to a live auction. But instead of the auctioneer describing the items, the attendees can silently bid on the items by way of writing their bid on a sheet in front of each item. Grab bags, mystery boxes, as well as punch walls are also popular fundraising ideas that you can use in order to sell less expensive auction items donated by businesses.
Virtual Fundraising Events
These are events that are online. Virtual fundraising events are necessary when in-person gatherings are not feasible. Even when in-person gatherings are possible, you can rely on virtual events to provide a unique form of engagement to the donator. Supporters love these events since they don’t need to leave their homes.
Hybrid Fundraising Events
Hybrid events include both in-person and virtual fundraising events. They combine offline and online experiences simultaneously. A truly hybrid fundraising event is multi-channel and interactive.
Such an event will let the hosting nonprofit appeal to and engage the audience at a physical and virtual level. In post-pandemic life, we can see more of these hybrid events both in the nonprofit & for-profit sectors.
