Recently, I started a new job as a communications officer with a nonprofit environmental organization. For the past several years, the organization has hosted an annual paddling event to raise funds for one of their ecological properties. Over the years, it seems the number of participants and media coverage has become less and less. It is almost as if the event is old news. How can we change this pattern? Is it a matter of re-inventing our event every year? How is it that some events such as Run for the Cure and the Weekend to End Breast Cancer get in the news every year without fail? Does it come down to ‘more well-known causes equal more sponsorship dollars’? Any advice to break this cycle would be appreciated!
Fundraising events generally fall into two categories – traditional or themed. Traditional fundraising events are well-established, time-honoured functions where the media, attendees and sponsors know exactly what to expect and exactly how the event will unfold, such as in the case of a walk-a-thon. Themed fundraising events are ones where the format or theme changes with each new event the nonprofit organization holds, and the media, guests, and sponsors never know exactly what to expect. For example, one event for a nonprofit organization could be a gala fundraiser tied into a celebration of the 25th anniversary of a certain movie’s release, while the next fundraising event for the same nonprofit organization could be a themed ball. Some charities do one or the other (traditional or themed), while others alternate event styles.
Identify the needs of your target market
It is possible to grow your fundraising event – in terms of attendees, sponsors and media interest – without re-inventing your event every year, as long as you and those involved (attendees, sponsors and the media) still feel that they are receiving a return on their investment. And keep in mind that for each of them a return on their investment will be something different. The annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon is one example of a long-running successful fundraising event. In 2004, after 39 years on the air, the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon raised a record-breaking $60.5 million. Jerry’s goal every year is to raise just one dollar more than the previous year and he does that through a fundraising endeavour that educates, enlightens, entertains and offers an emotional reward – as well as other things – for those taking part (sponsors, media, entertainers, volunteers) and those calling in their donations (participants).
When planning your next event – whether it is your first one or an ongoing fundraising endeavour – it is essential that you know your target market (participants, sponsors and media) and tailor your event to capture their attention. Planning committees need to remember that, along with your organization’s objectives, your guests, sponsors and the media will all have their personal and professional agendas that need to be met. If your event fails to meet the needs of your participants, sponsors and the media you will find attendance numbers dwindling, sponsorship support becoming a struggle, and media interest fading away. Identify and meet all of them successfully by using strategic planning techniques and you will have created momentum and growth for your next fundraising event. (How to stage an event using strategic planning is covered in detail in The Business of Event Planning: Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Successful Special Events).
You can never afford to take your participants, sponsors and the media support for granted. Today there are a large number of nonprofit organizations out there competing for the same sponsors, the identical participants, and media coverage. There must be compelling reasons – besides supporting a good cause – to have them sponsor, attend, or cover your event. One organization attributes the rapid growth of its fundraising event to having made sure their inaugural event was the very best it could be. They carefully crafted an event that exceeded expectations and met the needs of all involved – not just their own. After their first event, they found that, in addition to the original event sponsors coming back on board, two additional sponsors were lining up to be a part of their next event. They now find that new sponsors are not waiting to be approached but are coming up during the course of the event asking about sponsorship opportunities. One way the organization positioned itself to make this happen is by ensuring that key decision-makers from potential future sponsors are invited to their fundraising event. This way, they can see firsthand the calibre of the event and how the guests attending are a match for their company. It is not hard to grow your event with that kind of response, as well as receive extensive television, newspaper, and magazine coverage.
Review the strengths and weaknesses of each event you hold
Each fundraising event that you do should be viewed as a marketing and business tool for your next one. After each event, it is essential to hold a review meeting to assess your event’s strengths and weaknesses, and the numbers it delivered, in terms of sponsorship dollars, attendance, and publicity. If your fundraising event is running at a loss – and many do – you need to understand where and why. It could be that your repeat attendees are aging and if your event has traditionally required active participation or standing for long periods of time, all you may need to do is tweak the design of your event to be more comfortable to meet your guests new needs. Or it may be that your target audience demographics or tastes have changed, but your event hasn’t altered to reflect this (e.g. they may now be looking for style and sophistication, not festive and fun events, or vice versa.)
Find out what sponsors are looking for
You need to know your market and that of competing fundraising events. You must be able to clearly communicate to your sponsor the benefits of being aligned with your event, what it will bring to them and why they should support your endeavour as opposed to someone else’s. Never forget that, for many corporations, sponsorship dollars and how and where they are allotted is business. Their company objectives, beyond supporting a worthy cause, may be to increase their company’s name recognition, tie their brand with your cause, be an integral part of their company’s marketing and public relations plans, or be looked at as a vehicle to provide them with an opportunity to showcase their company and their products to a specific target audience. When it comes to securing more sponsorship dollars, if your fundraising event can bring a sponsor prime media coverage and access to their target market it does not matter if the event is new or a lesser or more well-known cause. What matters most is whether your event can meet their objectives (you need to be able to qualify those) and bring them the return on their investment they are looking for. And remember, what they consider a return on investment will be quite different from yours.
Market research has shown that you only have 20 seconds to grab someone’s attention. When sending out sponsorship letter requests, press releases to the media, and invitations it is important to keep this fact in mind. Your message must have a strong hook and a sharp focus or chances are it will not be read past the first couple of sentences. And if your packaging and presentation are not up to the standards of your target audience, they may not even be opened. Corporations, your potential attendees, and the media are inundated with requests for their time, money, and support every day. It is up to you to tell them why yours would be a great event for them to sponsor, cover or attend. And once you get them there, make sure they are looked after. At one gala fundraiser, the organization did a wonderful job of attracting media coverage. Top reporters were out in full force in tuxedos and ball gowns only to find themselves seated at a table reserved for the press, where they were told they would not be served any meals; they were expected to sit there and watch while the rest of the room had dinner and saw the show. That was a costly mistake. The cost of the organization picking up the press dinners in return for the coverage they would have received was minimal compared to the cost of the media getting up as a collective group and going elsewhere to dine, never to return.
The following year when the organization attempted to woo the press back and make amends, they were met with resistance and low attendance. The cost of the dinners for the press should have been anticipated and budgeted for from the very beginning, as this was an event that the press would be required to attend from cocktails until closing in order to cover it properly. To expect the press to come and stay for six hours without being fed (while others were) was not an example of creating long lasting media relationships with those who came to cover the event and those in their industry who heard about it the next day. That was also a prime marketing opportunity lost. The event lent itself perfectly to positioning a key member of the nonprofit organization and/or a lead corporate sponsor to be seated for dinner at the media table, thereby giving them quality one-on-one time to become acquainted with the press and talk about their company/the cause.
Growing your event
With regard to growing your event in terms of attendance, sponsorship, and media coverage, you need to carefully look at your event as it is now and consider what can be done to bring added appeal. It is important to view your event from a business and marketing perspective and determine if your event as it is, is still viable, or what or where it needs to change. Some questions to ask include (more can be found in Marketing Your Event Planning Business: A Creative Approach to Gaining the Competitive Edge):
- How big is the audience?
- Do we have a solid launch platform?
- Is the focus too narrow?
- Does it meet a need?
- Does it have value?
Fundraising events such as Run for the Cure and the Weekend to End Breast Cancer are extremely popular with both participants and sponsors because they appeal to a large crossover audience. You have participants who are walking solely to support the cause, others who are walking with, for, or in memory of a loved one. Some are taking part in order to challenge themselves physically (such as in a marathon) and get an added emotional reward at the end of their day by combining it with the cause they support. Plus, there are people (a large number of singles, friends and families) who use the event as an opportunity to socialize while doing something good. This type of event has a wide reach and opens the doors for many kinds of sponsors, and the media is attracted because it has great reader appeal.
In order to break a downward spiral in attendance, sponsorship, and media coverage, you first need to determine what and whose objectives are not being met. Look at how and where you can use strategic planning to help you meet your guest, sponsor, and media event expectations, as well as your own, and adjust your event design accordingly.
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For paid professional event planning consulting – event design, site selection critique, venue and supplier contract review, budget analysis, strategic planning, event logistical and timing requirements, and on-site orchestration – contact Judy directly at Judy Allen Productions.
Advice and recommendations are based on limited information provided and should be used as a guideline only. Neither the author nor CharityVillage.com make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.
