At M&M International, we’re always looking for ways to help nonprofits meet their fundraising goals. One of the ways we do this is by sharing our four-page PeerRaisers Manual full of tips for running successful events. Today, we’re giving you a look at the content in that document to benefit your own fundraising efforts.
Your Event Objectives
It’s helpful to begin by remembering the objectives of your fundraising event:
- Connect with potential donors
- Stay connected with current donors
- Make the ‘ASK’
Then, you can begin working on an event checklist to help you meet these objectives.
Create an Event Checklist
Here are some items to consider adding to your event checklist:
- Create a Booth/Table at entrance with:
-Sign-in Sheet
-Organization’s Brochures about general program and info on specific initiative you are asking for
-Donation Form and e-Commerce device to take credit card donations at the event
-Return Envelopes for those needing to make a thoughtful donation
- Hire a speaker (talking to attendees about your cause)
- Create a consistent marketing strategy across all platforms (website, social media, invitations, announcements, CanadaHelps page specific to event)
DETERMINE YOUR GOALS
Next, it’s time to work on determining your goals for the fundraiser. Start by asking these questions:
- What is the purpose of hosting this event?
- What do we hope this event will improve in our organization?
- What specific cause do we want to promote within our larger mission?
Fundraising Goals
Your fundraising goal will be the amount of money you want to raise for your organization. You may have an overall goal for your organization as well as individual goals for individual fundraisers. To determine how much you should ask for, assess your needs.
- How much does your organization need to accomplish a specific task (Ex: we need $10,000 to build a home for a family in need)?
- Assess your ability, look to past fundraising events and campaigns to determine the average amount that you’ve raised. Though you can and should aim higher, you want your goal to be realistic based upon your donor base.
- Calculate a challenging, yet reasonable amount.
If your need aligns with your ability, then you can begin calculating your fundraising goal!
Stewardship Goals
Raising money is only one of the benefits of hosting an event. You should also be striving to meet with your donors and learn more about them face-to-face. Set actionable goals, such as “We want to cultivate three major donors or add 10 new emails to our e- newsletter.”
Fundraising Technology
Finally, we discuss the benefits of using an e-Commerce device to collect donations.
- Flexibility: Square turns any device, such as your phone or tablet, into a cash register
- Scalability: Anyone on your team can use it. You can even invite multiple users (like your staff or nonprofit volunteers) to collect donations.
- Instant Gratification and Confirmation: Receipts are immediately sent to donors via email or text message and can be customized so they have the required information to be 501(c)(3) Tax-Compliant.
- Donor Feedback: With every receipt, donors who contribute via Square are also given the opportunity to give feedback on the donor experience
- Donor Engagement: Square collects the information for those who donate to your nonprofit, and then sorts your donors into groups based on donation behavior or frequency.
There you have it! If you’d like to learn more about reaching your nonprofit fundraising goals and how we can help, contact us today.
