ALT-13 Nonprofit Service Sector
Planning a fund-raising event is incredibly rewarding, especially when you have a strong commitment and passion for the nonprofit that you are supporting. Organizing a fund-raiser can be a lot of fun too, providing you keep a positive attitude and don't allow the stress involved in such an undertaking wear you down. Odds are that you'll be working with a group of like-minded individuals that are as enthusiastic and passionate about the cause as you are and that's a great opportunity in and of itself. There are challenges to overcome in the process of planning and implementing a gala affair, but if you are organized, focused and delegate responsibilities everyone involved with the event can share in the success that will ultimately materialize.
The first secret to hosting the perfect fund-raiser is to keep the goal in sight. Ask yourself some important questions about your organization; what does it stand for? what are your goals?, and how will your event help accomplish those goals? Write those goals down and together with your volunteers create a mission statement for the event. Include in that statement all the above elements. This statement will help everyone stay focused and it will serve as a reminder of what is really important as complications, obstacles and hard work lead to occasional frustration. To help you organize your event here are some strategies that have a track record of success;
Fund-raising Secrets
Give yourself time! - Don't take on more than you can accomplish in the time that you have. For example, if your event is a carnival with rides and music, don't try to add a clown troop a week before the event. Adding additional elements to the mix can lead to conflict and disrupt planning. Break your event into stages; Stage 1. brainstorming, Stage 2. planning, Stage 3. logistics, Stage 4. polish, Stage 5. execution. Set deadlines for accomplishing these stages and you'll stay on top of the game.
Communicate and do it often - Good communication between you and your volunteers will make a huge difference in the success of your event for a few reasons. Volunteers are invested in the project and they want to feel like their efforts are appreciated and valued. They want to feel as if their input is heard. In addition, if everyone knows what is expected of him or her and who he or she can go to for answers they will feel confident about the job they're doing. Conflicts are also likely to occur between volunteers and your steady intervention will keep things from disintegrating into a much larger problem.
Delegate responsibility - Once you have planned the event break it down to manageable categories such as advertising, entertainment, food, logistics, facilities, advertising and guest service. Once you have divided the event into departments assign a volunteer to oversee that area. You are the unifying thread here so think of yourself as the conductor! Try to match categories to your staff's talents and interests, give them the opportunity to shine! Additional volunteers can sign up to assist in the separate areas. Give your team leaders a logbook for their specialty. They can use those to organize information, keep track of major projects, as well as provide you with feedback on any problems they've encountered
Enjoy planning your event, you are doing something that benefits the whole community and keeping that in mind will help you focus and organize the best event possible!
