Home > Blog > Strategic Planning > 3 Keys To Marketing Your Fundraising Event
One of the biggest challenges with putting on a fundraising event is getting enough attendees with both interest and capacity to actually show up.
So today, I want to share with you “The 3 Keys To Marketing Your Fundraising Event.”
How to reach the people you NEED to attend
Best practices for creating and sending INVITATIONS
Plus, how and when to use SOCIAL MEDIA in your promotional timeline
The only way to fund your organization is to get enough guests who are inspired by your cause to attend and give...
And when 81% of America’s charitable dollars come from ONE place... you need to FOCUS your resources so you can tap into that!
That’s right 81%.
81% of America’s fundraising dollars come from one place...
And it’s NOT from corporations.
81% comes from individual donors.
And the best way to get individual donors to attend is through your personal relationships.
It’s not about casting a net and asking everyone to come to your event. It’s about strategically inviting people to join you in support of an organization you think they will love as much as you do.
This is a key factor in your fundraising success.
The number one most effective way to ensure your guests (including major donors and VIPs) show up on event night is to invite them face-to-face.
In-person invitations always get the best results.
A distant second is an invitation while on the phone followed up with an email detailing the specifics of what you just spoke about.
Either way, your personal relationships.
And by “yours,” I mean, yours personally.
Personal relationships with potential donors play a major role in influencing why someone chooses to support your organization. And why they continue to do so.
But whether you contact people in-person or by phone, following up with a printed invitation is a must! All you need to remember is one word: FAB.
Fundraiser.
Auction.
Benefit.
You MUST include all three of these words on the invitation front and center.
Do not be ambiguous and simply title your invitation with just the theme for the night or some catchy tagline.
Your bidders want to know exactly what they’re being asked to do...
“Join us (at this specific date, time, and place) and support our great cause.”
Remind them:
Who you are
Why you are unique
Why their attendance is vital to your organization
Promote everything event-related throughout the year and specifically in the 3 months leading up to the event.
And if you release your promotional updates in small, enticing bites, you can keep your audience engaged with fresh information through the whole campaign.
Start by announcing your date and venue
Share pictures from past events on social media of key donors and sponsors who have given generously
Highlight amazing volunteers
Flaunt exciting trips and vacations as you add them to your live auction roster
Just be sure you don’t give away ALL the details – share enough to create some buzz and get the audience hooked.
Recap: The 3 Keys To Marketing Your Fundraising Event
1. Everyone involved should invite their networks to attend your event. Face-to-face whenever possible.
2. Your FAB-ulous invitations should be direct and always include the words Fundraiser, Auction, and Benefit front and center.
3. Your promotion efforts should be spaced out over MONTHS, not WEEKS.
Now go create your most profitable fundraising event ever!!