How well did your last event go? Did you raise all the funds that you need to fuel your programs and capital projects, or, did you leave some money on the table? Taking steps to maximise the results of your NFP fundraisers is critical to achieving healthy finances and sustainable growth. The following strategies will help you raise the most money at your next fundraising event!

Have a Clear Fundraising Goal

Many nonprofits fail to raise enough funds to break-even on their events because they don’t set a fundraising goal that includes the total cost to host the event, and, a healthy profit margin. Flying by the seat of your pants and setting an undefined goal to “raise as much as we can” is a recipe for disaster. Set a clear, realistic goal, that includes your NFP costs so that everyone involved knows what they are working towards.

Utilise All of Your Communication Channels to Publicise the event

Don’t just rely on email, and traditional forms of advertising, such as flyers, direct mail, radio and TV broadcasts to get the word out about your event. Make sure that you are taking advantage of your social media channels by creating posts about the event and sharing them on your profiles. Ask your current staff, board members, volunteers, donors and other supporters to reshare these posts. Don’t forget to take advantage of one of the most powerful tools in your communications arsenal – your phone! Call your existing donors, and other supporters and make one-on-one appeals to attend your fundraiser and make a contribution to maximise your event revenues.

Form a Host Committee that will Take Ownership

Do your host committee members take ownership for meeting your fundraising goal, or, do they seemingly get bogged down trying to decide on minor details, like what type of arrangement your NFP needs to use as the centerpiece at the sponsor’s table? When choosing members for this committee, pick supporters that will make raising funds their number one goal, and that will go out there and work hard to recruit sponsors that will partner with your organisation to host the event and sell tickets to your fundraising events.

Make Your Events Amazing and Newsworthy

Regardless of the type of fundraising event that you are hosting, the one thing that you should avoid at all costs is that it becomes seen as a routine, and thus boring, event! Whether its an annual charity ball, a summer festival, or even just a seasonal membership drive, always do something out of the ordinary that adds interest and excitement. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating tradition at your NFP events, but, always add something new and unexpected so that everyone looks forward to attending and participating in your fundraisers. You might invite a surprise VIP, such as a celebrity, to speak at your event. You could also extend the hours of the event by hosting an after-party at a nearby local pub or offer a surprise mini-concert by a local band that’s well-liked in your region.

Include Your NFP’s Impact as Part of Your Event

When hosting a live, in-person event, don’t let your “captive” audience go to waste. At some point during the event, make sure that you communicate your nonprofit’s impact in your community. Some details to include might be a list of five ways your nonprofit has done something good for your community in the past year through the success of your programs. Include a personal story or two about how your nonprofit’s work has transformed the life of a service recipient, or, volunteer. Offer up a list of 3 to 5 major goals that your nonprofit has for the coming year, and how one-time, as well as recurring, gifts can help your nonprofit make these goals a reality.

Install Donation Kiosks at the Event

While many of your event attendees are likely to be donors already, their “plus one” might not be. Strategically place donation kiosks near the entrances and concessions to make it easy for the donors attending your event to make a mobile donation with their phone and digital wallet and be sure to accept other payment methods as well. This way, your guests don’t have to stop enjoying the fun and excitement of the activities to contribute.

Plan to Follow-Up

Just because the curtain has closed on your event, and all of the participants have left for the day, doesn’t mean that your fundraiser is over. Have a detailed plan worked out for the days that follow. Recruit board members and staff to help you personally reach out to attendees and thank them for coming to your event. Some ways that you might do this are to send handwritten notes, make some phone calls or even host a small get-together in your own home or that of a board member or a principal donor. Post photos and videos from the event on your social media, not only to thank supporters for coming, but to help get the word out about how fun and exciting your NFP’s events are to attend!