1: WHAT’S MY EVENT FOR?
It may sound obvious but it’s important to be totally clear why you’re organising an event and who’s going to benefit. Once you know that, it will make promoting the event so much easier.
2: HOW MUCH WILL IT RAISE?
It’s good to have an idea in your head of how much you want to raise, as this will give you a target to focus on and spur you on to ensure it’s a success.
3: WHO’S GOING TO BENEFIT?
We’ve pulled together a list of reputable charities for you, so all you need to decide is which one’s going to benefit from your event. It’s important to let people know your charity of choice as knowing this will make them feel comfortable donating money.
4: HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST ME?
You’ll need to sit down and work out how much the event is going to cost you. You may find that it doesn’t cost a penny, but if it does you can either absorb this cost yourself, or it’s perfectly OK to deduct your costs from the total raised before you make the donation.
5: GETTING OTHERS INVOLVED
Make sure you involve everyone you know – your family, friends and work colleagues – as it’ll be good to spread the workload when it comes to organising the event. Plus the more people you involve from the start, the quicker the message will spread. It’s also worthwhile contacting your chosen charity at the very start as they will have plenty of handy advice they can share with you to ensure your fundraising event is a success.
6: WHO’S GOING TO COME?
Is your event going to be aimed at anyone and everyone, or are you planning to restrict it to work colleagues, family or friends? It’s a good idea to know as this will give you a good steer on how much awareness you need to create.
7: WHAT WILL IT ENTAIL?
Have a think about the logistics involved for your event such as location, refreshments, entertainment and if you’re hosting a dinner party whether there’s a specific dress code or theme.
8: GETTING THE WORD OUT
To guarantee that your fundraiser is successful you need to let people know that it’s happening. It may sound obvious, but no one’s going to turn up if they know nothing about it! Use your circle of friends, colleagues at work and family to spread the word. It costs nothing to create an event on Facebook, and you can Tweet about it as well – and make sure everyone you know does the same. Don’t hold back! You might want to create a flyer as well, and make some posters that you can display at work or your place of worship. Take a look online for some free flyer and poster templates that you can customise for your fundraiser.
9: TELLING PEOPLE HOW TO DONATE
This is crucial. It’s not advisable to start giving out your bank details to strangers, so the most effective way to organise the money side of things is to set up a Justgiving page. This is the easiest way for people to donate and reassures them that the event is totally legitimate. At the event itself, make sure you have a tin so people can donate cash on the day.
10: TRY IT OUT FIRST
For example, if you’re going to organise a cake stall you’ll need to practice beforehand to make sure your baking skills are perfect in time for the big day. No one likes a sunken sponge!
11: A BIG THANKYOU!
Thank everyone who’s helped you, taken part, supported you and donated money. You can never say enough ‘thank yous’ – when you come round to doing another event, you’ll be able to rely on your friends’ support again if they think that their efforts first time round have been appreciated.