As a community-centered organization whose mandate is to support and enhance the endeavors of charities and nonprofits through event-based promotional marketing solutions, Elite Generations possesses the know-how and real-world experience needed to curate successful events. Events are an important element of any charitable organization’s operations, but they can be tricky things to put together, oftentimes presenting unanticipated issues between the planning stage and execution. With this reality in mind, the following is a list of handy pointers and helpful tips compiled by the Dallas, Texas-based organization Elite Generations to aid any team or committee seeking to put on an event, but unsure of how to go about doing so.
Clarify What You Want to Accomplish The very first thing you need to do when planning a new event is to sit down and brainstorm what you want to achieve. Once this central goal has been established, the next step is figuring out how exactly to accomplish it. Let’s say your charity sets a goal of raising ‘x’ number of dollars by means of hosting a new event. You then must come up with a reason for people to attend and spend their money once they’re there. For the sake of illustration, let’s say you decide to put on a gala dinner with a keynote speaker accompanied by a silent auction. Address the Logistics Involved The next order of business is the practical aspect of planning the event. A venue needs to be secured, as does a keynote speaker and prizes for the attendees to bid on in the silent auction. All of this will have some up-front costs. If you have the requisite cash on hand, great. If not, there are always other options. When it comes to raising money for good causes, some measure of public funding is normally available. If your nonprofit decides to apply for public funding, it’s critical to ensure the submission of the proper papers by the specified dates. Keep in mind that government programs charged with distributing funding can require filling out multiple sets of lengthy forms, so expert time management will be paramount. If at all possible, court some sponsors from the private sector to help absorb more of the costs associated with the event. Many companies will leap at the chance to attach themselves to a worthy cause, usually in exchange for some on-site acknowledgment and displaying some promotional materials. Assemble a Team Finally, assembling a capable, trustworthy, and energetic team to execute the event is crucial. Perhaps you already have a few members within your organization with a proven track record of running events. If so, delegating responsibility to them will make things go a lot smoother. If not, don’t worry; tasks such as addressing and mailing invitations to people on the guest list, booking a caterer, and arranging for the transportation of the keynote speaker can be done by just about anyone with very little training. The key is making sure your volunteers are enthusiastic about the cause. With a team made up of go-getters, previous experience is a small concern. On the day of the event, it’s a good idea to give a short pep talk before your team sets about implementing their duties. If challenges arise during the event, take a deep breath and deal with them one at a time. Chances are they are small issues. And remember, the object is for your attendees to enjoy themselves. As long as that is accomplished, raising the desired amount of money for your nonprofit or charitable organization should happen organically, and with any luck, you’ll exceed your initial goal. |