Guide t Hsting a Fundraising Event 1. Imagine yur event Hw t cme up with a n-fail event cncept 2. Fundraising tips and tactics Wh are yu raising mney fr? Abut 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. Event lgistics Yur event day team and ther vlunteers Event day set up and executin Engaging yur cmmunity 5. Keep them cming back fr mre Getting participants and spnsrs back next year
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! Try establishing a cmmittee 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. 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. Dn t knw where t start? Think abut the events that yu have attended in the past. Hw can yu take these events and add yur wn twist? 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 event cncept: Run/walk Bwling, tennis, bing, pker turnament (almst any sprt r game) Gala r Benefit dinner Live/silent auctin Themed party (casin night, luau, etc.) Rummage Sale Talent shw Pancake breakfast Cin drp 2. Fundraising tips and tactics Wh are yu raising mney fr? Abut 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 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. Cnsult yur tlkit s Fact Sheet: Alzheimer s disease and the Alzheimer s Assciatin t 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 the fact sheet n the Alzheimer s Assciatin and Alzheimer s disease, dn t be afraid t use thse statistics! 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 e- mail, letter r face-t face cntact, depending n yur target. T get started, see the tlkit s Letter t an individual. 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 lcal caterer culd prvide hrs d euvres). What can yu ffer in return? Will yu add the vendr s lg t yur event prgram r prmtinal materials? 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? 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 leave-behind.
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 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: 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. 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: Lcal newspapers (bth advertisement and feature stry) Lcal radi statins Lcal televisin statins (bth advertisement and feature stry) Hsting a bth at ther cmmunity events Event flier/pster Chapter r natinal rganizatin Web sites Quick tip: Des ne f yur chapter r ldge 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 tlkit has the fllwing resurces t help yu get started: Sample newspaper ad Press release Media alert 4. Event lgistics Yur event day team and ther vlunteers T keep things running smthly n the day f yur event, 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 Annuncements Quick tip: If yur event is being held utdrs, 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 yur cmmunity Here are sme ideas t get thers in yur cmmunity invlved in yur event: Offer up vlunteer pprtunities t the public. Smene might nt want t participate, but wuld be happy t vlunteer. 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 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 acknwledgment letters 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 cmmunity awareness. Cnsider giving awards t sme f the participants at yur event fr the mst mney raised, mst enthusiastic team, 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 be mre likely t return next year. 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! A big part f creating a successful event is building n it year after year.