What is the MOST Important Ingredient for a Successful FundraisingEvent?

THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT FOR A SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING EVENT...

THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE ROOM

WHO ARE THE “RIGHT PEOPLE”?

They are the people who understand and believe in your cause and have the means and desire to monetarily support that cause.

A FUNDRAISING EVENT IS JUST THAT.

A fundraising event first and foremost should be seen as an opportunity to focus on raising as much money as possible for your cause. If the majority of the guests in the room cannot afford to give generously then you are allowing that opportunity to slip away.

QUALITY NOT QUANTITY:

Perhaps that sounds insensitive to the many volunteers and employees associated with your organization so let me give a quick example of why having the “right people” in the room is the most important ingredient for a successful fundraising event. If at your event you have 100 guests with the means to generously support your cause rather than 300 who perhaps cannot; you will raise exponentially more money and the cost of putting on the event will be less thus insuring your organization can continue to effectively serve your community now and in the future.

By Connie Waddell, CEO of Elite Auctions and Fundraising Services

Coming Soon: How to Insure you have the Right People In The Room.

Should my Charity Auction Event do a Plated Dinner or Buffet?

For most charity events I highly recommend doing a plated dinner versus a buffet.  Mainly because with a plated dinner your guests are already in their seats and relaxed, ready to pay attention to the speakers and auctioneer.  A buffet takes a long time to before every table is served, which pushes the auction and fundraising way back to a time that people are exhausted and maybe a little too tipsy to give full attention to what you are there to accomplish… raise money!

The secondary reason for having a plated dinner is simple… it is more classy and makes your guests feel like they are at an event that demands respect and high dollar giving.  Remember, every small thing that you do to enhance your event has a positive impact on your bottom line.  You not only want your guests to leave your event giving every last dollar and then some, but also talk about how classy and fun your event was to their friends and peers.  This will result in higher attendance for your next event, which can result in making more money.