The Greek Guide to Hosting a Fundraising Event

Transcription

1 The Greek Guide t Hsting a Fundraising Event Cntents 1. Imagine yur event Hw t cme up with a n-fail event cncept 2. Shw me the mney! Wh are yu raising mney fr? The 411 n the Alzheimer s Assciatin Fundraising with cnfidence: Hw t raise mney withut feeling nervus, uncmfrtable r awkward Securing spnsrs in yur cmmunity and beynd 3. Building the buzz Spread the wrd and see yur event grw 4. Lgistics, legwrk and (Greek) letters Yur event day team and ther vlunteers Event day set up and executin Engaging ther Greek rganizatins and yur cmmunity 5. Keep them cming back fr mre Getting participants and spnsrs back next year

2 1. Imagine yur event Trying t envisin the perfect event, but cming up blank? Use these tips t develp an experience that has excitement, style and fundraising pwer! Annunce yu re lking fr a leadership cuncil fr yur new event, and gather a grup f interested individuals t discuss yur ideas. Then put yur heads tgether and brainstrm nthing s ff the table at this pint. Dn t knw where t start? Think abut the events that have been ppular in the past n yur campus. Hw can yu take these events and add yur wn twist? Fr example, a fashin shw featuring clthing frm lcal designers may be a ppular event cncept. Yu can take it up a ntch by adding riginality. Sptlight the Alzheimer s cause by asking designers t submit at least ne item that s purple the clr f Alzheimer s awareness. Quick tip: A philanthrpic event is yur best pprtunity t raise awareness f yur rganizatin and the cause yu represent. Try t think f a name fr yur event that incrprates bth. (e.g. Sigma Kappa s Prject Purple Fashin Shw) Think f events that will have a high level f participatin. Avid events that require a unique ability r talent. Cncepts that include spectatr rles r teams f peple always bst yur number f participants. Still stuck? Use this list f event ideas as a starting pint fr develping yur wn n-fail event cncept: Capture the flag Run/walk Sccer, basketball, vlleyball, euchre turnament (almst any sprt r card game) Fashin shw/ Prject Runway cntest Dance marathn Battle f the bands Kiss ff (whever can kiss the dnated prize the lngest wins) Date (bachelr/bachelrette) auctin Star Search / American Idl cntest Live/silent auctin Car wash 2. Shw me the mney! Wh are yu raising mney fr? The 411 n the Alzheimer s Assciatin Yu dn t have t becme an expert n Alzheimer s disease, but it is gd t knw the basics abut the disease and the rganizatin yu re raising mney fr the Alzheimer s Assciatin. Be familiar with a few talking pints s yu have smething t say abut Alzheimer s disease and why yu are raising mney fr this particular cause. But befre yu start sputing ff scientific terms and statistics, check ut Fast facts: Alzheimer s disease and the Alzheimer s

3 Assciatin in yur nline tlkit. Use this dcument as a cheat sheet t help yu get started. Anther easy reference tl: alz.rg, the Alzheimer s Assciatin Web site. Fundraising with cnfidence: Hw t raise mney withut feeling nervus, uncmfrtable r awkward Asking fr mney can be tugh. Even the mst experienced fundraisers can have a hard time making an ask fr a dnatin. Use the tips belw t put yur best ft frward when yu request a cntributin t help fight Alzheimer s disease. The mst imprtant thing t remember is that yu re nt asking fr mney fr yurself. Yu re asking fr mney t help the 5 millin peple living with Alzheimer s disease, and fr all f the peple wh are affected by the devastating cnsequences f this disease. If yu reviewed ur fast facts n the Alzheimer s Assciatin and Alzheimer s disease, dn t be afraid t use them! Ptential dnrs will be impressed by yur knwledge. What s the wrst thing that culd happen? Smene might say n. But yu ll find that mre ften, peple will say yes! Decide n a fundraising gal and publicize it. Let ptential dnrs knw hw clse yu are t yur gal, hw much mre yu need and hw yu plan t reach it! Use different channels t ask different audiences. Ask fr dnatins via , letter r face-t face cntact, depending n yur target. T get started, see the Letter t an individual and Frward t a friend in yur nline tlkit. Practice makes perfect. Fr a face-t-face request, rehearse with a friend s yu can have yur speech dwn perfectly. Fr s and letters, make sure t ask a friend t read yur wrk and check fr mistakes befre yu send it ut. Yu can fllw up and ask twice fr a dnatin (in a plite manner). In many instances, yur ptential dnrs have simply frgtten t give r they re very busy. Securing spnsrs in yur cmmunity and beynd Gaining event spnsrship is abut knwing what yu want and what yu can give in return. Ask these imprtant questins befre selling spnsrship fr yur event. D yu want a financial dnatin? Or an in-kind spnsrship where a vendr might be able t ffer yu sme f their prduct fr free? (Fr example, a grcery stre culd dnate bttled water; a clthing stre culd dnate T-shirts). Quick tip: Securing spnsrship can develp int a big jb if it s dne crrectly. Cnsider rganizing a spnsrship cmmittee r nminating spnsrship c-chairs t spread the wrk evenly.

4 What can yu ffer in return? Will yu add the vendr s lg t yur event fliers, T-shirts r banners? Put a link t their Web site frm yur event site? Can yu guarantee yur event will have a certain number f participants (and cnsequently, a certain level f expsure fr yur spnsr s prduct)? D yu have different levels f spnsrship that ffer increasing levels f visibility? What s yur game plan? Will yu send letters t vendrs, asking fr spnsrship, then fllw up with a phne call? Or an in-persn visit? T get started, use the Letter t a business in yur nline tlkit. Is the vendr/business part f chain? Is there ptential fr larger spnsrship r supprt f yur event utside f the immediate cmmunity? Quick tip: Put tgether a package f materials abut yur event befre visiting a spnsr. Yu want t appear prfessinal and prepared when yu ask fr mney r an in-kind dnatin! These packages are als a great leavebehind. 3. Building the buzz Getting the wrd ut is the key t hsting any successful event. The secret t building the buzz is t prmte yur event early and ften using many different channels. Sme pprtunities t cnsider: Campus and lcal newspapers (bth advertisement and feature stry) Campus and lcal radi statins Campus and lcal televisin statins (bth advertisement and feature stry) Hsting a bth at ther philanthrpic events Facebk r MySpace page Event flier/pster Chapter and schl Web sites (with permissin) Quick tip: Des ne f yur chapter members have a lved ne living with Alzheimer s disease? Is she r he willing t share this experience? Persnal stries can be incrprated int media cverage and are ne f the mst effective ways t reach yur audience. When prmting yur event, yu can decide t pay fr prmtin (advertising) r try t build a stry arund yur event in rder t get free media cverage (public relatins). Depending n the funds yu have available, it s imprtant t try a cmbinatin f these tactics. Yur nline tlkit has several resurces t help yu get started: Sample newspaper ad Press release Sample pster Media alert

5 4. Legwrk, lgistics and (Greek) letters Yur event day team and ther vlunteers N kidding the day f yur event is a big deal. T keep things running smthly, enlist a team with specific respnsibilities t help yu with the legwrk. This cncept extends beynd the event day yu simply can t d this alne! Recruit fr the fllwing vlunteer rles, knwing that these individuals can create a cmmittee t help them depending n the size f yur event: Spnsrship chair Recruitment chair Prmtins chair Fundraising chair Lgistics chair All f these vlunteers shuld reprt up t an event chair r tw c-chairs t ensure clear and cnsistent cmmunicatin. Event set up and executin The big day is finally here! There may be a lt ging n, but there s n need fr panic r frustratin. Depending n the size, scpe and level f detail invlved in yur event, assign the fllwing respnsibilities t help things g exactly as planned. Set up (tents, tables, starting line, stage, chairs, etc.) Registratin/check-in First aid Mney cllectin Media hsts Phtgraphy Fd/drink/rest stps Annuncements (pre and pst-event) Quick tip: Always have a plan B t accmmdate yur participants if bad weather shuld arise. Will yu publicize a rain date? Mve the event indrs? Hw will participants knw the event is canceled? Decide the answers t these questins well in advance f the event. Engaging ther Greek rganizatins and yur cmmunity On the day f the event, yu want everyne there the bigger the crwd, the luder the buzz. Hw will yu engage the ther Greek rganizatins n campus? Hw will yu invlve yur schl cmmunity? The twns r cities clsest t yur schl? Quick tip: Cnsider making quick chapter visits t educate yur peers abut the imprtance f fighting Alzheimer s. This tactic spreads awareness fr yur event and Alzheimer s disease. If n ne in yur chapter can speak abut Alzheimer s, ask smene frm yur lcal cmmunity (a medical prfessinal r caregiver) t be an event ambassadr.

6 When prmting the event, lk beynd campus media. Advertise r lk fr cverage in newspapers that reach beynd yur immediate audience. Offer up vlunteer pprtunities t the public and ther Greek rganizatins. Smene might nt want t participate, but wuld be happy t vlunteer. (e.g. Referee a basketball turnament rather than jining a team). Create pprtunities fr peple t participate in grups and/r teams. There s safety in numbers! Persnalize yur request fr invlvement. If Alzheimer s has affected yur life, cnsider speaking ut abut yur experience. When Alzheimer s disease becmes real t thers, they are mre mtivated t cntribute t the fight. Sharing yur experiences in a face-t-face r public setting is particularly pwerful. 5. Keep them cming back fr mre Getting participants and spnsrs back next year A big part f creating a successful event is building n it year after year. In rder t recruit new participants and spnsrs while keeping thse that yu have nw, cnsider the fllwing tips: Never underestimate the pwer f a thank-yu nte. Send handwritten ntes t yur spnsrs, and send an blast ut t yur participants. Recgnize them. At yur event, thank yur spnsrs and participants publically. Yur participants will feel great abut themselves, and yur spnsrs will lve hw yu prmte their Quick tip: Try t have sme kind f nging cmmunicatin with yur participants and spnsrs. When yu set an event date fr the upcming year, let them knw yur plans! cmmunity awareness. Cnsider giving awards t sme f the participants at yur event fr the mst mney raised, mst enthusiastic team, best team unifrm, etc. This is part f creating a fun and memrable event day experience. Try t get sme pst-event press. Send ut a press release annuncing hw much mney yu raised fr the Alzheimer s Assciatin. Participants and spnsrs will feel the event was a big deal and will return next year.