It seems that there are so many people raising money at charity events, not only those doing main events such as Run for Life, but other events that allow people to contribute in different ways. It can be as simple an act of baking cupcakes to sell at your garage sale; however, others want to be more adventurous and organize an event for others to take part in.
When it comes to organizing the event, the idea is all yours. If you are doing this, then chances are you already have a charity in mind. It could be one close to your heart, or one that you think needs more exposure.
What is the purpose?
Before you do anything else, you need to think about what will be involved in your fundraising event. You may have chosen a charity, but what are you hoping to achieve by this event?
Of course, every charity needs money, but there are other aspects of the charity that can be benefitted by your event, and very well be almost as important to them as money. For example, you can try to raise awareness as well as raise money, if you think the charity needs more visibility.
Getting Permission
If you are raising money for a specific charity, it is a good idea to contact them first to let them know that this is what you intend to do. It might seem odd, but the charity you are fundraising for will need to know; besides, they could even give you some help to organize it or provide merchandise.
Many charities are great at marketing, so they could well spread the word about your project and get you more participants.
Budget and Fundraising Goal
To organize a charity event, you need to spend money to put everything together. The money you spend will need to be taken away from any money you raise, but before that happens, you will need to pay for the event.
You need to set yourself a budget that you can manage. You must not use all your available funds trying to set up the event, and then be left with nothing.
Depending on what is required, look at the money you will need to spend to get the event off the ground. Consider the cost of a venue, entertainment, food, safety equipment and anything else you will need.
When you are looking at setting a fundraising goal, try to be specific with your total. Simply saying you want to raise as much as possible, won’t motivate people to give or take part. Set a total that covers the expenses, and is high enough that it won’t be reached easily for a real sense of achievement when your do. Do not make your goal unattainable, your fundraisers will lose motivation.
Preparation
Once you have decided on the charity and the budget, you need to think about what preparation you and your helpers will need to complete this event. Then you can think about a good date to set it to give people time to prepare.
If you are running a charity eating contest, then this might not need too much time, although you need to allow people time to fit it into their schedule. If, however, you are thinking about a much harder event such as climbing Kilimanjaro, then the participants will need a lot longer to prepare for the event physically.
If it is something you haven’t done yourself, you might find it difficult to give people the best advice. It is advisable to seek out as much information as possible about your challenge and its destination before you moot the idea to your fellow adventurers, https://blog.alienadv.com/Climbing-Mt-Kilimanjaro-Guide/ provides much needed information about the costs involved, the preparation and anything else you can think of.
Your Target Audience
Just like running a business, your charity event needs to find its target audience. If you don’t reach the right people, then no-one will apply. Think about what people will be attracted to your event, what will they need to be to do this charity fundraiser?
For a sponsored bike ride event, you should consider targeting cycle clubs and other associations that people who love riding will be involved with. For something that requires higher endurance, then you will need to think about relevant Facebook pages or forums that you are likely to find these people.
You may get approached by people who you may think are not your target audience. That is ok; you should not presume that they are not able to complete the challenge. As long as they have all the information and are aware what the event entails, then they should be welcomed to enter.
Sponsors
Ideally, when you are organizing an event, you want to have all the costs covered by a sponsor. Typically, a company will pay for the set-up and run the event in exchange for their advertising and merchandise to be on show
Trying to attract the right sponsor can be a tricky undertaking. You should consider a few things before you decide on who to approach. Does the event you are organizing fit in with the company? What can the company get out of sponsoring your event?
Companies need to have something in return to make them want to sponsor your event. Bear in mind, that some companies get many approaches for charity sponsorship every year, so you need to make your approach stand out from the rest.
You could do some research before you send out your emails. Take a look at what companies have sponsored in the past to see if they favor a particular type of event or cause. You can then use that as part of your approach to the company. If they can see that you have taken the time to research their company, they may be more likely to accept.
Once you have your sponsor and your event is set up, all that remains is to hold your event and raise as much money as you can towards your goal total. If all is well, then you should be able to hold your event with great success.