Lisa Morressey's presentation from The Non-Profit Toolbox's October 22, 2009 event on effect event planning for fundraising.

1. Planning Your Way to
Fundraising Success
Lisa Morrissey
LIDO Consulting Group
October 22, 2009

2. “A goal without a plan is just a
wish”
Antoine de Saint Exupery (1900 - 1944)
Why You Need a Plan

3.  Ensures that each of your actions are
focused on reaching your goals.
 Allows you to be more efficient and
effective with your time and resources.
 Organizes thoughts/ideas and resources
needed for success.
Why You Need a Plan

4. Fundraising Calendar Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
Annual Meeting and Donor
Recognition Event
Applications for Govt.
Programs/Grant
Submissions
Recruit Major Gift
Committee Members
Identify & Cultivate Major
Gift Prospects
Fundraising & Awareness
Event Meetings
Identify & Cultivate Key
Sponsors
Major Gifts Solicited
Annual Fundraising Event
Direct Mail and On-line
Campaign
Annual Fundraising Plan

5. A successful plan begins with measurable goals:
Sample Goals for Fundraising Event:
1. Raise $______________.
2. Add ____ new, solid contacts to our database –
including name, position, address, telephone
number, and email address.
3. Increase awareness of our new service/project
among South Shore business owners.
Goals

6. Make a list of your organization‟s resources
and fundraising strengths:
 People – their connections, talents, and resources.
◦ Including: employees, volunteers, and Board of
Directors
 Available, „free‟ or low-cost venues
 Equipment
 Miscellaneous supplies
 Money – out of pocket expenses, including necessary
supplies/services that are not available for „free‟.
Resources

7.  Make a list of what has worked well, what
has not, and your organization‟s overall
fundraising strengths and weaknesses:
 Ex.
Strengths: Weaknesses:
1) Organizing and utilizing 1) Securing major sponsors.
committed volunteer force.
2) Obtaining donations of services 2) Promotion/marketing.
and items.
3) Smart, committed staff and BOD. 3) Not all members of BOD
actively support fundraising
initiatives.
Strengths and Weaknesses

8.  Next Steps:
◦ Brainstorm the types of events that would
allow you to most effectively and successfully
reach your goals.
 Be creative and have some fun!
◦ Choose the event that best fits with our goals,
resources and strengths and weaknesses.
What Type of Event Will Bring the
Greatest Success

9.  Once the type of event has been
determined:
1) Set the date(s),
2) Secure any necessary venues,
3) Sign all vendor contracts – after your attorney has
reviewed them,
4) Make a list of all needs and action items,
5) Prepare a schedule of meeting dates and
action item deadlines.
Planning the Event

10. You are now ready to create a Marketing and
Promotion plan for your event:
 Once again you must begin with your measurable
goals:
1. Raise $______________.
◦ How much of this is raised via sponsors?
◦ How much is raised via individual donors?
◦ How much is each member of our BOD responsible for
raising?
Your Event’s Marketing Plan

11.  Make a list of potential sponsors and
sponsor types that fit well with your
organization/project and your target
market.
◦ Ex. Since our sample target market is South
Shore business owners, what businesses might
be interested in partnering with you on this
event?
Securing Event Sponsors

12.  Be sponsor-centric
◦ Educate your prospective sponsors about your
organization and what their sponsorship funds will
support
◦ Create a sponsorship menu
 Make certain you are providing your sponsors with
benefits that are important to them.
 If you are not certain about the value of certain
benefits, ask.
 Provide sponsorship opportunities for a variety of
risk levels.
Engaging Your Sponsors

13.  Participation fee
 Opportunities to give during event
 Give without attending/participating
 Donate via providing goods and/or
services
Individual Donors

14.  Make certain:
◦ You ask
◦ You make it easy to give (on-line, via
mail, via credit card, over the phone,
cash)
◦ You make the experience the best
possible for all participants and donors!
Individual Donors

15. Goal:
2. Add _____new, solid contacts to our database
– including name, position, address, telephone
number, and email address.
◦ Every contact/touch needs to include a process for
collecting this data.
 When they register – on-line, over the phone, via the snail mail or
email
 When they check in
 When they send in their donation
Internal communications and execution are key here!
Remember Your Event Goals

16. Goal:
3. Increase awareness of our new service/project among
South Shore business owners.
• Target market – all marketing and promotional efforts
and dollars spent should have target market(s) in
mind.
• Examples:
• Attend Chamber and business networking events,
• Obtain contacts from BOD,
• Run ads/press releases in business section of
newspapers and magazines,
• Provide current business owner connections
w/marketing materials that they can share
Target Market

17. ◦ Your organization‟s web presence:
 Website – video, interactive, photos, subscribe
and donate buttons (Google Checkout, PayPal)
 Blog – your organization‟s, guest blogging
 Social Media/Networking opportunities – Twitter,
LinkedIn, FaceBook (FaceBook Causes), YouTube,
other on-line networking mediums.
 Submit news releases to on-line providers –
including and most importantly to news sources
PR and Promotional Strategy

18. ◦ Calendar section of:
 local newspapers
 associations
 Websites w/ calendar posting options
◦ News releases – pre-event, 1 month through to two
weeks prior, and post event.
◦ Email „blasts‟ – encourage and make it easy for
recipients to share with others/pass it along.
◦ Networking groups and associations, chambers of
commerce, etc.
◦ Don‟t forget to snail mail - 6, 3 and 2 months prior to
your event.
More Promotional Opportunities

19.  Create flyers and copy that look good, are
informative and can be easily reproduced
and shared electronically.
 Internal communications – make sure all
know about it, understand, can speak to it
and can help you to create a buzz!
Communication Is Key

20.  Educate attendees, supporters, donors
and sponsors
◦ Presentation/information available during event
◦ Do not assume they already know all of the
wonderful things you are doing
◦ Help them to feel good about giving your
organization their support, time and/or money!
Marketing Opportunities During
the Event

21.  Follow-up Communications - Thank you
notes/emails/ads/news releases, etc. should
include:
 A sincere thank you.
 Sponsor and major benefactor recognition.
 Amount of funds raised.
 Where the funds raised will go/who or what it will
support and/or make possible.
Post Event Marketing

22.  Event Videos, Photographs, Quotes, and
News Coverage:
◦ Website
◦ Blog
◦ YouTube
◦ FaceBook
◦ Twitter
◦ News sources – newspapers, radio, television
◦ Follow-up emails/e-newsletters
◦ LinkedIn
◦ Etc!
Post Event Marketing

23.  Keep the buzz going long after your event is
over:
 Schedule emails, e-newsletters, mailings and other
communications:
 3, 6 and 9 months out
 Keep all supporters informed in order that your
organization may stay top of mind
 Continue to enhance and update your web
presence
Post Event Marketing

24. “You see, in life, lots of people know what
to do, but few people actually do what
they know. Knowing is not enough! You
must take action.”
Anthony Robbins
Ready, Set, GO Fundraise!

25. Lisa Morrissey
LIDO Consulting Group
www.lidocg.com
Email: lisa@lidocg.com
781-974-8968
Follow me on Twitter: @LIDOcg
Thank you and Happy
Fundraising!