How can you differentiate your fundraising event from competitors?

Fundraising events are, from a net revenue / ROI perspective, not the most efficient fundraising tool in our toolkit. What events can do, though, is reinforce your brand and your connection to donors. Every event must have a reason to exist. It can't be generic, it needs to fulfill an action: acknowledge your top donors, give a prize to longstanding leaders or volunteers, celebrate those who receive your support. Ask our donors and volunteers about their interests, yes, but also find a reason to have the event, which must be tied to your organization mission, vision and values.

I would say that a must is to know your audience, especially what motivates them to come to your event and support your cause. Make sure you do your research prior to the event so that you can pay attention to every guest, knowing their name and showing genuine interest in them. During the event, keep a good balance between fundraising and entertainment: you want to make sure you ask your guests to give (don't shy away from it), but also provide them with good entertainment and networking opportunities so that they have a good time.

Connect the event to your work. From the overall theme, to guest speakers, SWAG and all the way to your guests. What is the connection and meaning and how can we build on that during the event so that the bond is tronger after the event and your guests will continue to speak about it. Plan your event carefully so that you stay on track with your expectations and your ROI. Events can be a catalyst for your fundraising year laying a foundation with information about how the orgranization is currently doing and where you plan to go. What you learned last year and how you will leverage that moving forward. How do you demonstrate understanding of local, national, and global events and the impact they may have on you year. Be A Leader!

Events are experiences. Therefore, pre-planning efforts must take into consideration what type of experience the event seeks to provide. That is one of the main factors behind standing out from other competing fundraising events. Let’s challenge the idea of thinking about the audience first. What if existing supporters of the mission are not noticeably interested in attending a fundraising event? Some nonprofits might see that as a sign to not produce a fundraising event. But what if the fundraising event could become a channel for engaging an unfamiliar audience? Every fundraising event does not have to center around promoting the mission. Albeit great when it does, it is not a primary success indicator. That may be what sets you apart!

Know your audience so you know how to add value to them. People will show up if you add value. This might be entertainment, education, or the opportunity to network with certain types of people. Ideally you can offer all three!

Being creative and innovative is pretty generic. From my work with clients the best way to think about being "creative and innovative" is to think through your organizational values and brand. Make list of key values and think through how to go big... no huge outside the box... to showcase them for the donors. If one of your values is "all people are unique" how could you create personalized experiences for each donor at your event. Letting your donors experience your values in a big way can connect them more deeply to your brand. It's also a great frame work to help you think more creatively.

Take a "standard" fundraising event and make it accessible to all. Encourage people to run a marathon on their treadmill. Cycle a half marathon on their exercise bike. To be silent for 8 hours at their desk. Walk a 5k on a treadmill. The more "hybrid" we can make these events, the better.

Recentemente tive uma boa experiência no meu trabalho, organizando um evento presencial com os doadores de pessoa física. Organizei um café da manhã especial para doadores na sede da organização, cobrando um valor de entrada por pessoa. Deu super certo, a casa ficou cheia e conseguimos novos doadores.

To differentiate your fundraising event from competitors, be creative and innovative. Explore unique themes, interactive elements, or novel approaches that capture donors' attention. A fresh and inventive event can set you apart, making the fundraising experience more memorable and compelling for participants.

Being creative is one of the main factors that differentiate you from others. You can devise something fun, memorable, unique, or interactive. Whatever you do, ensure it aligns with your objectives. For instance, during the opening ceremony of a project, we invited both current and potential donors. We structured the event into two parts: a formal section and an interactive segment. Providing donors with a canvas to fill out generated ideas on how they could engage with the project. It not only offered valuable insights but also added a fun and interactive element to the event.

In my experience To differentiate your fundraising event from competitors, showcase your impact. Highlight tangible outcomes and success stories achieved through past donations. Clearly demonstrate how contributions make a meaningful difference, instilling confidence in potential donors and setting your event apart as one that creates a real and positive impact.

Showcasing your impact is one of the most effective ways to engage your donors and sponsors. Usually, donors and sponsors want to be part of something that has a significant impact. You can demonstrate your impact with videos, photos, or data.

Some organizations are making an impact in ways that may prove more challenging to showcase. Avoid feeling discouraged by the complexities an unclear impact presents. Showcase what you know to be clear. The why behind an organization’s work is more important than its impact, especially when hard to quantify. Communicate a compelling vision of what the world looks like when you succeed. People will organically connect with the message on an emotional level and support the movement. If there is something particularly interesting about how you move the mission, showcase it. The way an organization gets things done can be quite inspiring to others. Creatively leverage what you do to engage those who aren’t in the trenches of change making.

💡 Showcase your impact through a memorable experience for event attendees. This could include live entertainment, interactive activities, inspiring talks, exclusive auctions, gourmet tastings or anything else that makes the event exciting and unforgettable.

What will make that person get out of bed to raise money for your project? What will make them run that extra mile for you? It's them knowing WHY they are doing it. WHAT and WHO they are helping. It's like the 5 Ws of Marketing - Why, What, Who, Where, and When. And the more you can "answer" these "questions, the more your message will resonate with people. Ask recipients of your work to film themselves telling your audience exactly how you were able to help them. Showcase what you have done through social media, impact reports, and newsletters. Ask the local TV station to give you some love. Speak at events. It's not easy. But the more you showcase the impact you're delivering - those tangible changes you're delivering - the better.

Say thank you. A medal or certificate. A personalised note. A card in the post. A letter saying thank you and why you are so grateful. You'll find that people who support won't be doing it for thanks, but when they do get that pat on the back, they will continue to support. We are all human, and often need that nice little pat on the back.

Value Added supporter care is simple... and can be a brilliant way to keep the relationship going on and on... they are already helping you and just want to be appreciated... humble human reaction...

Give the event a purpose, connect the purpose to the mission, values and outcomes your organization achieves. I found that a lot more compelling than a silent auction or any other benefit.

💡 Offer exclusive access to experiences or content for donors who attend the event or make generous donations. This could include invitations to special events, meetings with organization leaders, or volunteer opportunities.

The value and benefits that events offer MUST match constituents’ expectations and goals. That is so key! Understand what the event donors, sponsors, and partners you seek support from actually desire. Otherwise, you risk providing unbeatable value and recognition that simply does not appeal to them. Finding out that kind of information requires building genuine relationships with supporters. In the case of existing fundraising events, organizations should be having conversations with supporters afterward. Post-event surveying is the best time to learn what value and benefits resonated best. It should definitely be part of the event fundraising strategy if not already.

Donors get fatigued from being asked for money, they are not as accustomed to being asked for their opinion. One key tool to use are post-event surveys. The event could be a fundraiser, a webinar, a race. After the event, distribute surveys to gather feedback on what participants liked and what could be improved. Make it easy and quick to complete these surveys to increase response rates. This will allow you to "touch" your donors without asking for money money, but you also get their continued and further buy-in. Use this feedback for continuous Improvement to future events. Show your audience that their input is valued and that you are committed to enhancing the event experience.

💡 Partner with companies, celebrities, influencers, or other relevant organizations to increase your event's visibility and attract more donors. Seek constant feedback from partners and donors. Strategic partnerships can bring credibility, reach and additional resources to your event.

In seeking to set your event apart from others, supporter feedback is hands down what you want. People are asked to support numerous causes over the course of a year. But why do they say, “Yes,” to yours and, “No,” to others? That’s precisely what you must find out! Identifying the strengths that make supporting your event an easy decision is something to prioritize. Gathering this knowledge can then support data-driven decision making around where to become dominant. Investing resources into excellently delivering those aspects of your event will indeed set it apart. Events are first and foremost experiences. How events set themselves apart from others is by playing to existing strengths to create exceptional experiences.

Nonprofits don't need to view other fundraising events as competition. Collaborative events are an incredible way to stand out. Many causes overlap and some in very interesting ways - a co-sponsored event is a great way to grow the 'pie' rather than view it as a fixed sum.

Having a volunteer committee to help you plan, promote and give a grass-roots feel to your event is one aspect that can help achieve your visibility and sales goals.

Try NOT to do the same kind of events that every other nonprofit is doing... golf outings, galas, etc. Fundraising events themselves don't raise much money compared to the cost of dollars and time that goes into them. They are most important occasions where your supporters and NEW FACES gather together to celebrate, meet others of like mind, and show support. Do something different. Change it up!

When embarking on organizing a fundraising event, ensure thorough preparation. Define your goals, plan logistics meticulously, and secure the required resources. A well-prepared fundraising event lays the groundwork for success, enabling smoother navigation through any unexpected challenges.

Think about partnerships with other nonprofits and corporations, it provides a potential donor with a form of vicarious due diligence. Leverage influencers when possible, again another form of vicarious due diligence. Follow up after any event that you do. To often fundraisers are exhausted by all that went into an event and then wait weeks to follow by which time the enthusiasm with the potential donor and your competitor may have reached out to them capitalizing on the enthusiasm you built. Find diverse and interesting ways to fundraise, meet your donor where they are vice them needing to come to you to give you their money!