Answer Marketing Inc spends time every week building their community connections and being connectors we get asked all the time to help groups get involvement at their events or to help with fundraising for worthy charity's. We are only one company in a community of masses so below we have some of our best tips that produce results we hope will help you with your worthy endeavors!
Tip 1) Choose the right fundraiser for your efforts. Last thing you want to do is select a fundraiser that offers a product or service no one is really interested in. Not sure about you but we would rather donate $10 cash to a school group to support their trip or need over buying $20 in wrapping paper knowing only about $3-$5 will actually be going towards the groups needs. Make sure the fundraiser represents quality and value.
Tip 2) Be a giver now, be a connector now! You know every year you will be calling on volunteers and donors so don't only touch base with a company that has supported you in the past or generous person once a year when you are asking for a hand out or support. Build TRUE relationships year around, help others in their fundraising attempts so when it is your time they will see you as a giver and not just a once a year connection that only ever asks for donations and support. Tip 3) Reciprocate: For every generous donor and every volunteer you connect with keep a contact list with their name, business, number & email. Make sure you inquire as to what groups they are members of and genuinely offer to support their efforts in the future. Even if it is only to help them spread the word.
Tip 4) Focus: Reduce the number of fundraisers & increase the margin of return on the ones you will be focusing your time and attention on. If you don't you will stretch yourself to thin and always appear to have a hand out. Focus on fundraisers that produce more return and offer more of a value to contributors. This will reduce your chances of getting fundraising fatigue and loosing possible momentum.
Tip 5) Early Planning: Notifying your volunteers you will be streamlining their participation by having one main fundraising event that will free them up not tie them down month after month. Use every opportunity to mention this main fundraiser and the value it will bring to the group. There is no substitute for getting the word out.
Tip 6) W.O.M.: Along with early planning comes the strength of word of mouth advertising. Enlist your volunteers to make a hand designed picture that sums up your charity in a heart - emotional reaching way. Use this picture on cards or postcards - these can be printed very cheaply and are a good way to enlist the support of family and friends in town and out of state. Have the event listed on the card, what the funds are going to be used for and mention that this one fundraiser will be supporting your fundraising needs.
Tip 7) Giving: Provide on average 5 amazing gifts/rewards that will be given out to the volunteers that raise the most funds. These can be donated by local companies in return for listing them as sponsors of your fundraiser and are tax deductible.
Tip 8) Incentives for Volunteers: Silly contests, general prizes, drawings are all huge motivators for participation. Most pizza businesses will donate enough pizzas for a reward party in return for being listed as part of the fundraiser.
Tip 9) Involve the Community: As long as you are not continually asking for donations for multiple small fundraisers a community will rally around a well organized call for help from a charity. They just need to have a well worded ask letting them know their community needs them. Society is built on giving and supporting others, so get out there in the community and let them know they're needed. Engage your event on social media to further help spread the word.
Tip 10) Keep it Simple: The quickest way to loose interest and support from your volunteers and the community is to make it confusing. Be straightforward in your goal and how you hope to reach it. Set expectations within reach for your volunteers. Keep the actual event timing to no more than two weeks once you get it started if it is anything other than a 1 or 2 day fair or festival type event. If it is a fundraiser designed for selling an item for raising money 2 weeks if the event is organized and advertised correctly is plenty of time.
Tip 11) Daily Incentives: Giving prizes out everyday for top producers keeps the momentum up throughout the whole event. These prizes can be items donated or depending on the size of the fundraiser purchased as the return on the energy these cause are well worth the expense.
Tip 12) Wrapping it up: This is not the first time you are doing a fundraiser and it won't be your last. Leaving a positive lasting impression on those they helped make the fundraiser a success; Volunteers, Companies that donated incentives, Sponsors and large donors should all be thanked properly. Have your team hand write thank you cards or take a picture of the group in front of a mock up check showing total funds raised and use a service like Send Out Cards to print this picture on the front of a card to send out is more valuable than you will ever know. Write a PR piece to post on social media and offer it to the media to print, thanking all who contributed time or funds and made it a success. As you will most certainly need to call on them again next year and the next!
Hope these help you and your efforts to support your charity or cause!
Here For You,
Kristi Kirkland
Answer Marketing Inc
Adding Needed Solutions Working Every Relationship!
