How to Maximize Your Event’s ROI with Strategic Sponsorships

Guest post by Bloomerang

Event planning can be one of the most engaging and exciting parts of your nonprofit’s year, or it can be a source of worry and stress. There’s an element of unpredictability and uncertainty to events. Will you have enough attendees? Will it improve member retention? Will it inspire people to donate, or will it raise the awareness your cause needs? 

Your nonprofit can take steps to mitigate some of this stress and maximize your event’s potential return on investment (ROI) through pursuing sponsorships. A strategic sponsorship can be one of the most rewarding and supportive partnerships that your nonprofit has. These guidelines will help you make the most of your connection with your sponsor and strengthen the impact of your event.

Identify and clarify your event plans and the value proposition

Corporate sponsorships are a valuable addition to any nonprofit’s toolbox because they offer wide-ranging benefits for your organization, your sponsor’s business goals, and your community. In order to make the most of this opportunity, it’s important to identify your event’s needs and the value proposition for the sponsor ahead of time. 

Your Event Plans

You don’t need to finalize every detail of your event before you start reaching out to sponsors, but your team should aim to have a broad outline in place. Sketching out a general plan will help you identify the right sponsors to approach and ensure you ask for the specific support or resources you need.

Some questions that you should answer before you start talking to potential sponsors are: 

• What is our timeline for this event?

• What are the largest expenses we anticipate during this process?

• What role will volunteers play in our event?

• What in-kind donations would be most helpful for this event?

• Do we have the right event management tools in place?

• What is the focus of this event, and what businesses would be most interested in our cause?

Having a basic idea of the event as a whole will allow you to target your outreach to the right potential sponsors with a clear ask.

Your Value Proposition

Before you reach out to a potential sponsor, you need to put yourself in their shoes and understand what partnering with you will mean for them. Though more and more businesses are interested in doing good work for the sake of doing good, they still need to consider the costs and benefits of their decisions before making any commitments. 

Build a compelling case for supporting your nonprofit by thinking through how their sponsorship of your event will help their business thrive. Selling points may include advertising opportunities on any merchandise or swag, the opportunity for face-to-face time with potential customers at the event, or even the tax benefits of a donation. 

Sponsors will appreciate that you’ve done your homework about their business and that you’re considerate of their needs.

Keep everything in writing

The process of acquiring corporate sponsorships can and should include face-to-face, personalized meetings. However, your team should also track every touchpoint with the sponsor in a centralized location, like your CRM, and follow up in writing after each interaction.

This attention to detail has two important benefits: 

• Everyone on your team knows where the relationship with the sponsor is. If someone is on vacation or takes a sick day, another team member can make sure that you don’t miss any follow-ups or accidentally make a repeat ask of the sponsor. This will help keep the relationship stress-free and make sure the sponsor feels like their efforts are important to your nonprofit.

• By completing all follow-ups in writing, your nonprofit and the sponsor are always on the same page regarding expectations and agreements. While it may feel overly formal, it’s vital to your long-term relationship to manage expectations on both sides so that the event goes off without a hitch and no one feels as though promises were broken or results were not delivered. 

When you know exactly what forms of support your sponsors are willing and able to provide, you can direct your nonprofit’s existing resources to other areas. 

Apply donor stewardship best practices to your sponsors

Your strategic sponsors are a critical part of ensuring that your event provides as much value for your nonprofit as possible. By repurposing your donor stewardship practices for your sponsors, you’ll ensure they feel appreciated and included through the event planning process. 

The following tips can help you keep your sponsors engaged and potentially deepen their involvement with your event: 

• Start with a positive first impression by showing sponsors you’ve done your background research and making them feel welcome at your organization’s offices or headquarters. 

• Maintain a structured communication cadence, with regular check-in calls and emails. 

• Prove that you’re using their support as promised by delivering ongoing updates before, during, and after your event. 

• Use software to keep track of touchpoints and responses to maintain continuity in sponsor interactions. 

• Ask for feedback and incorporate your partners’ insights into your next event planning process. 

• Create personalized moments for sponsors, such as special shout-outs during your event or a handwritten letter from a beneficiary after your event wraps up. 

Bloomerang’s donor stewardship guide also recommends incorporating corporate partners into your nonprofit’s overarching community. Show them that you value their partnership long after your event wraps up by sharing ongoing mission updates or reaching out during special times of the year, like the anniversary of their business’s founding.  

By integrating stewardship through the event planning process rather than leaving it for the end, you can deepen sponsors’ engagement and keep the relationship healthy.

Plan for a long-term partnership

Corporate sponsorships are amazing for improving event ROI because they take some of the burden of planning and funding off of your nonprofit, but their impact can be much farther-reaching than just one day. When you create a relationship with a sponsor, consider how you can turn that relationship into a long-term partnership that benefits you both.

Though your nonprofit’s immediate need is support with the event, include your sponsor in discussions about the future and see if you can find other common areas for collaboration. They could become a recurring donor in exchange for visibility on your website or other public outlets. Their staff could become part of your nonprofit’s volunteer strategy. Their CEO might even consider joining your board, if you have an opening!

This is an opportunity for your nonprofit to ask for feedback from the sponsor as well. How would they like to remain involved? How do they envision the future of the relationship with your nonprofit? Keeping open lines of communication will help you maintain the relationship and drive value for you both in the future. 

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With corporate sponsorships, your nonprofit can maximize the ROI of your events and focus more on what matters: your mission. Use Bloomerang’s free ROI calculator to keep tabs on your event results and find new ways to adjust your approach for better outcomes. Stay curious and creative, and you might find new avenues of support in the most unlikely of places. 

4 Ways to Curb Event Planning Chaos with Digital Waivers

Guest post by Smartwaiver

Plenty of nonprofits find success with events. In 2024, 75% of the organizations that hosted in-person events met or exceeded their goals, with 76% of hybrid events reaching their targets. 

However, planning a successful event requires your nonprofit to manage logistics, ensure compliance, track participation, and more—all these moving parts can quickly become chaotic. Tools like event CRMs and specialized event planning tools will reduce friction, but digitizing the entire event planning process will have the biggest positive impact.

In particular, digital waivers are a powerful but often overlooked solution that helps streamline event planning and provide better experiences for your staff, volunteers, and event attendees. This article explores the key benefits of creating and using waivers as well as practical, proven ways digital waivers can reduce headaches and streamline event logistics.

Why Add Digital Waivers to Your Event Toolkit?

The benefits of using digital event waivers are twofold: they protect your nonprofit from legal liability and boost efficiency. 

When attendees sign waivers, they are acknowledging the risks associated with the event and releasing your organization from liability if something happens. Typically, every guest needs to sign a waiver if your event warrants one. By handling the whole process digitally, you can collect necessary participant information quickly and securely without needing to wrangle clipboards or decipher illegible handwriting.

But how do you know if your event needs a waiver? Here are some common scenarios where nonprofits benefit from using digital waivers:

• Physical activities like fun runs or fitness challenges

• Volunteer shifts involving tools, heavy lifting, or other minor risks (e.g., a volunteer working with animals at an adoption event fundraiser for an animal shelter)

• Youth programs requiring parental consent

• Events involving photography, video, or other media recordings that require a signed photo release

• Vendor or partner participation agreements

Keep in mind that not all digital waiver platforms are created equal, and some solutions won’t have everything you need to make your event a success. Smartwaiver’s guide to activity waivers emphasizes the importance of highly customizable form-building tools that allow you to add signature and initial boxes, flagged questions, and safety or training videos. The waivers should also work on any device, securely store data, and integrate with your other event management tools.

4 Ways Digital Waivers Streamline Event Planning

1. Go Paperless

Traditionally, event planning involved piles of physical documents—waiver forms, checklists, contact sheets, and schedules. While most organizations have moved away from this method and now rely on event planning technology, using digital waivers is a key step in transitioning your entire planning process into a fully paperless, cloud-based system.

By digitizing waivers, your nonprofit can:

• Eliminate printing costs and reach your sustainability goals.

• Save staff time and reallocate the hours that would be spent printing and filing forms toward strategic or mission-critical activities. 

• Manage everything from one platform, making collaboration between departments faster and more transparent.

Digital waivers fit seamlessly into your broader event and communications strategies. For example, you can make registration easy for participants by linking to the digital waiver in social media posts promoting the event. 

2. Simplify Record-Keeping and Reporting

Waivers are a treasure trove of valuable first-party data, or information collected directly from your supporters. This includes personal information like name and birthday, contact information, event participation and history, and even communication preferences. By choosing to use digital waivers, you can export clean data sets directly from the platform to your donor database rather than manually input information from stacks of paper.

Here’s how this data can come in handy throughout the event planning process:

• Before the event:

• Analyze past data to proactively address common issues, estimate attendance rate, etc.

• Automatically send reminders to registrants who have not completed the waiver

• Follow up on waivers that contain errors or incomplete information.

• During the event:

• Quickly pull participant data as needed (e.g., allergies or other medical information).

• Use waiver responses to anticipate capacity and efficiently allocate staff.

• After the event:

• Easily export attendance data and signed waivers.

• Generate follow-up lists for thank-yous, surveys, or future event invitations.

• Analyze participation trends to inform planning for your next event.

The result is a faster, more organized workflow that gives you time back to focus on your mission. Plus, you can avoid siloed or fragmented data by storing all event metrics, from waivers to marketing data to donated inventory information, digitally.

3. Accommodate Last-Minute Changes

Even the best-laid event plans can shift unexpectedly. Weather changes, volunteer no-shows, or updated health protocols can require fast adjustments. Digital waivers give you flexibility in the face of the unexpected.

For example, say it’s a day before the event. Your marketing team asks if you can add a quick survey to the end of the waiver asking how participants heard about the event, helping them accurately track the success of individual communication channels. With digital waivers, this is simple—all you need to do is add the question to the digital form, and it will automatically be updated.

Being able to revise waivers in real-time without having to reprint forms means no more last-minute scrambles and event planning headaches. Participants can re-sign updated versions instantly from their devices, keeping everyone informed and protected.

4. Streamline Registration and Check-In

Modern event planning tools allow nonprofits to automate repetitive, manual tasks that would otherwise cost them hours of their valuable time. As Double the Donation explains, automation benefits both organizations and donors by freeing up time for nonprofit staff to connect with supporters, answer questions, solve problems, and work on mission-focused tasks.

Digital waivers can be smoothly integrated into your existing automated workflows, functioning as a self-service registration tool for event attendees. Participants can register, complete the waiver, and submit the forms all without your staff lifting a finger. Then, signed waivers are automatically stored in a secure database.

Best of all, attendees can complete these steps online ahead of the event, cutting down on check-in desk congestion (and guest frustration). Share links to the waiver in digital communications and embed the form on your website. However, make sure you have a plan or alternative for those who don’t complete the waiver in advance. For example, set up waiver kiosk stations by using a waiver solution with a mobile app for tablets. This way, you’ll still be able to collect day-of waivers digitally and save time and paper.

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Digital waivers are a strategic tool your nonprofit can leverage to streamline operations, protect your organization, and create smoother experiences for participants. By choosing the right platform and integrating it into your event planning process, you can reduce stress, inspire more attendees to contribute to your cause, and focus on supporting and spreading awareness of your mission.

4Creative Fundraising Strategies for Animal Shelters

Guest post by Gingr

The ASPCA estimates that roughly 6.3 million dogs and cats enter animal shelters annually in the U.S. As an animal shelter manager yourself, you know how overwhelming it can be to keep up with the intake of new animals, offer them quality care, and adopt them out to loving forever families. Your shelter may be overcrowded, understaffed, and underfunded more often than not. 

However, fundraising can alleviate some of these challenges by providing your shelter with much-needed resources from animal lovers willing to help. As Gingr’s guide to pet industry trends highlights, Americans spent more than $147 billion on their pets in 2023—and that number is expected to grow. What can your shelter do to carve out a place in their budgets?

Take advantage of this growing industry with these creative fundraising strategies that will help you reach potential donors and inspire them to give.

Organize fun, relaxing events

A survey conducted by the American Heart Association found that 95% of pet owners rely on their animals for stress relief. Help your supporters soothe away the stress from upcoming exams, a rough week at work, or a hectic move across town by organizing calm events with your shelter’s animals!

Have supporters pay to attend events such as:

• Puppy or cat yoga: Hire or partner with a yoga instructor to lead the class and let the cats or dogs roam freely. Pets may curl up on the yoga mats for a nap or perch on attendees as they flow through a cat-cow sequence or push up into a downward-facing dog. Not only will your supporters get some relaxing movement, but they’ll also be surrounded by adorable, adoptable animals.

• Cat cafe: Convert a room in your facilities into a cat cafe for an afternoon (or long-term if you have the space) and allow attendees to book time slots. Offer drinks and snacks and allow people to work, study, or just hang out with the adoptable cats in the cafe.

• Kitten and puppy cuddle sessions: These sessions allow you to socialize your kittens and puppies, secure funding, and relieve stress all in one. They are the perfect event for worn-out college students, frazzled new parents, and anyone else who needs a quiet moment with a fuzzy baby animal.

If you can, consider holding these events weekly or monthly. In addition to helping you raise money, they’ll serve as informal adoption events that allow supporters to bond one-on-one with your animals.

Start a Pet of the Month subscription program

Recurring or monthly giving programs are an excellent way to secure reliable revenue and foster deeper relationships with supporters. Supporters simply agree to donate a fixed amount each month, meaning your shelter doesn’t have to put in hours of work for each donation.

Get creative with your recurring giving program to keep supporters engaged. Frame it as a monthly subscription through which they sponsor a specific pet or pets in need. Depending on the size of your program, you might:

• Select one high-needs animal per month for your recurring donors to support. For example, perhaps you take in an injured dog in need of extensive veterinary care. If you pick that dog as the pet of the month, all of your monthly donors’ contributions will go toward that dog’s surgery, medication, and rehabilitation.

• Select multiple “pets of the month” and allow members to sign up for a specific pet they’d like to sponsor. Each pet might have two to three spots donors can claim. This keeps donors looking forward to each new month and eager to know about their animal’s progress.

Provide regular updates to your monthly donors to show them the impact of their contributions. Highlight the specific medications, care, toys, or bedding that their support provided, and share photos and videos of the animal’s progress.

Additionally, strive to attract new recurring donors by marketing these services across digital marketing channels. During the busy spring season, for instance, you might post photos of new mother cats and their litter of kittens on social media, urging followers to sign up for the program and sponsor them.

Work with local businesses

Local businesses and corporations in your area may be interested in partnering with your shelter for  corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. CSR is the concept that companies should consider their social, economic, and environmental impacts and strive to better their communities.

By forming relationships with these companies or simply spreading awareness of corporate philanthropy, your shelter could enjoy the benefits of CSR programs like:

• Matching gifts: When an employee donates to a charitable cause, like your shelter, their employer will match their donation. Matches are typically offered at a 1:1 ratio, meaning that a $50 donation could become $100 without any added expense for the donor.

• Volunteer grants: Companies may also make financial contributions to the organizations employees volunteer with frequently. Spread awareness of these programs to your volunteers, help them track their hours, and encourage them to seek volunteer grants from their employers.

• Corporate sponsorships: The company partners with your nonprofit to support specific campaigns or events. For instance, a local running store may sponsor your charity 5K in exchange for featuring their logo on event signage.

• In-kind donations: These non-financial contributions may include items, equipment, or pro bono services (e.g., a dog groomer providing free baths, haircuts, and nail trims to your shelter’s dogs).

Additionally, CSR programs may incentivize volunteering by offering volunteer time off (VTO). Similar to paid time off (PTO), VTO is time off reserved specifically for volunteering—in other words, employees can spend the time they would normally be working volunteering at your shelter. As Double the Donation’s guide to VTO explains, taking advantage of these programs provides a larger pool of support, opens the door to long-term partnerships, and allows you to devote more time and resources toward mission-critical work.

Hold percentage-of-sales donation day fundraisers at pet businesses

Speaking of local businesses, consider pairing up with a pet business like a dog daycare or kennel, pet groomer, dog training, or pet store to hold a percentage-day (or week, month, etc.) fundraiser. These businesses share a core value with your shelter—a deep passion for animals and their well-being. 

During the fundraiser, a portion of the store's proceeds will be donated to your shelter. For the best results, your shelter and the pet business should jointly promote the campaign in advance, encouraging supporters to patronize the business while the campaign is in effect. When pitching this idea to local businesses, let them know what is in it for them—increased foot traffic, higher sales, and maybe even new customers!

To maximize these campaigns’ impact, you could also incorporate a donation drive. Put out a bin at the business to collect in-kind donations, adding a sign with your logo. Ask staff at the pet business to encourage customers to donate. Ensure you get the items you need most by auditing your nonprofit’s current inventory and creating a wish list.

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It’s no secret that people are passionate about animals. These fundraisers could attract first-time donors to your shelter who are primed to become long-term, loyal supporters—as long as you cultivate relationships with them. Be sure to thank them for their support with personalized, donor-centric thank-you messages, share regular updates about your shelter, and recommend other ways to support your cause.

How to Maximize Your Nonprofit’s Event Success With a CRM

Guest post by DNL OmniMedia

For nonprofits, hosting an event is about more than raising funds; it's about building relationships, engaging supporters, and advancing your mission. With a constituent relationship management (CRM) system, you can streamline these tasks and ultimately drive greater impact for your cause. 

In this guide, we’ll explain how to harness the power of your CRM software to plan, execute, and optimize events. From efficiently managing event registrations and ticket sales to capturing donor data, these insights will help you enhance every aspect of your event strategy.

Leverage Integrations

Certain CRMs have built-in event management tools, allowing users to plan events and analyze their performance all in one platform. Other systems, however, may require users to integrate third-party software, including: 

• Event management software: Integrate your CRM or donor management system with event management software. This integration allows you to seamlessly manage event registrations, ticket sales, attendee information, and communication. It also provides tools for tracking attendance, managing check-ins, and collecting valuable data about your event attendees.

• Email marketing tools: Connecting your CRM or donor management system with an email marketing platform like Mailchimp can help you send personalized event-related emails. You can automate event reminders, updates, and post-event follow-ups, as well as segment your email list to ensure the right messages reach the right recipients.

• Payment processing systems: If your event involves ticket sales, donations, or merchandise purchases, integrating your CRM with a secure payment gateway is essential. This integration ensures that payments are processed smoothly, reducing manual data entry and potential errors.

If you need help integrating these tools, consider working with a technology consultant. Their expert teams will assess your technology infrastructure and identify compatible solutions. They can then configure and customize the integration, ensuring that data flows smoothly between your CRM and event-related tools.

Train your staff 

Training users on using the CRM before the event is crucial so that staff and volunteers are well-prepared to manage event-related tasks and interactions. It also helps prevent potential errors and confusion during event activities like registration, attendee tracking, and donor engagement. 

Take these steps to train your employees and engage them in the process of data management: 

• Customize training for roles and responsibilities. Not all staff members will use the CRM system in the same way. Tailor your training sessions to each staff member's specific role and their level of interaction with the CRM. For example, event coordinators might need to focus on managing attendee data and communications, whereas a fundraising committee may be more interested in payment processing. 

• Implement hands-on training and real-life scenarios. Instead of just theoretical training, prepare your staff for the event with hands-on training exercises and real-life scenarios. Allow staff to interact with the CRM system directly and practice using it in a controlled environment. Create simulated scenarios based on common event-related tasks, such as registering attendees, tracking donations, or sending out event communications. 

• Provide ongoing support. Learning how to use a CRM system effectively takes time, and staff members may encounter questions or challenges as they start using it. Even after the formal training period ends, offer ongoing support and resources, such as user guides, video tutorials, or a dedicated point of contact for CRM-related inquiries. 

After the event ends, schedule a check-in meeting in which staff can share their experiences and learn from one another. Gather feedback to identify any pain points that may require additional training or system improvements.

Personalize Outreach

Outreach plays an important role in building relationships, increasing attendee engagement, and ultimately enhancing the overall event experience. For the greatest impact, use the data stored in your CRM to personalize outreach based on:

• Engagement level: Leverage historical data to recommend events that align with an individual's past participation or interests. Include this information in your invitations to pique their curiosity and encourage attendance. For example, a major donor might be invited to an exclusive gala, while a new donor receives information about an upcoming welcome luncheon. 

• Behavioral triggers: Implement automated workflows to trigger personalized responses based on user behavior during the invitation phase, such as sending additional event details immediately after someone registers.

• Participation: After the event, thank supporters for their participation and contributions. To make the follow-up communication relevant, mention the specific sessions they attended or interactions they had during the event.

Keep in mind that your CRM data must be up-to-date and accurate for your personalization efforts to be effective. Implement data validation tools and procedures to verify email addresses, phone numbers, and postal addresses. This helps prevent inaccuracies and ensures that communication reaches the intended recipients. Additionally, enhance your database by adding missing information, such as social media profiles, job titles, or organization affiliations. 

Track Attendee Interactions

By monitoring attendee interactions, you can gather insights into which sessions or activities were most popular, which marketing strategies were effective, and what areas need improvement for future events.

Here are a few different interactions to take note of in the CRM:

• Event attendance: Record which events (fundraisers, workshops, seminars, etc.) attendees have participated in. This helps you gauge their level of engagement with your organization and identify their interests.

• Audience questions: Record questions asked by attendees during live or virtual sessions and capture poll responses provided by attendees during the event. Analyze the results to gauge attendee sentiment and areas for improvement.

• Donations: Track all donations and contributions made by attendees, including one-time donations, recurring donations, and in-kind contributions. Knowing how much and how often attendees donate helps you assess their financial support and identify potential major donors.

• Communication engagement: Monitor how attendees engage with your organization's communications, such as emails, newsletters, and social media. Track metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and response rates to tailor your communication strategy to their preferences and interests.

Throughout this process, implement robust security measures to protect sensitive data like credit card numbers, demographic information, and personal opinions. Contact your CRM provider or work with a nonprofit consulting firm to encrypt data and conduct a security audit to identify potential vulnerabilities. 

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Whether you're organizing a charity gala, fundraising auction, volunteer recruitment drive, or any other type of event, a CRM can be your greatest asset. We encourage you to dive deeper into your system’s features and adapt your approach based on real-time data. Doing so will help you host successful events well into the future.

3 School Fundraising Ideas to Save Money and Boost Your ROI

Guest post from OneCause

Your school needs a reliable flow of revenue to enrich your students’ academic and extracurricular experiences at your institution. By tapping into fundraising, you can expand your bottom line, empowering your school to invest in new facilities, enhance educational programs, fund field trips, and meet other existing needs. 

But, like most schools and school-related organizations, you’re likely working with a tight budget and don’t have a lot to spend on lavish fundraising events. This might leave you wondering: what fundraising ideas are the most effective for both saving money and increasing profit? 

In this guide, we’ll cover the top three school fundraising ideas to cut costs and maximize earnings. As you read through this list, consider your school’s community and which type of fundraiser would make them the most excited to give. 

1. Auctions

Auctions are one of the most flexible fundraising ideas and can be shaped to fit your school’s exact needs and budget. When executed with careful planning, these events have the power to produce a massive ROI. If you’re thinking of adding an auction to your school’s fundraising agenda, follow these important planning steps: 

Choose the type of auction you’ll host

When you think of an auction, your mind might immediately jump to an image of an auctioneer announcing bids and participants raising paddles. This is a live auction, which can take place either online or in-person, and creates a dynamic and high-energy environment that is sure to enthrall your audience. 

Your school can also choose to host a silent auction, which involves setting up tables of items and packages for guests to bid on using paper bids or their smartphones with the help of mobile bidding software. If an in-person event isn’t feasible, your auction can be done completely online to reduce overhead costs, or you might even host a hybrid auction (taking bids online during an in-person event) for the opportunity to engage two audiences at the same time, bringing in more bids! 

Invest in comprehensive technology

Auctions have plenty of moving parts, and without the right tools, it can quickly become overwhelming for any fundraising team to handle. The OneCause guide to silent auction software recommends investing in a solution with these key features:

• Event management: Leverage your platform to seamlessly sell tickets, manage registrations and RSVPs, provide contactless check-in and check-out, and create a well-designed event site in just a few moments. 

• Mobile bidding: Whether you’re hosting a live or silent auction, mobile bidding makes getting in on the bidding action simpler and more rewarding. 

• Item and package management: The right auction software will equip you to easily track the status of your item procurement efforts and customize starting bids and minimum raises. 

• Gamification: Infuse healthy competition into the bidding process by adding a fundraising thermometer to your event microsite and displaying scoreboards with the top bidders.

The best fundraising software won’t just make it easy to host live or silent auctions; it’ll empower your school to host all kinds of events—from peer-to-peer walk-a-thons and galas to text fundraisers. As you research options, prioritize investing in an all-in-one solution so you can maximize your ROI. 

Market your auction 

Your school’s community can’t attend your event if they don’t know it’s happening! Take a multichannel marketing approach to increase touchpoints with as many supporters as possible and keep your auction top of mind. 

For example, you might use the following channels to promote your auction event site and boost registrations: 

• Social media 

• Your website’s blog

• Your school’s ambassadors

• Email newsletters

Keep in mind that your school’s students can also support your marketing efforts! Send them home with well-designed flyers that explain the purpose of your auction and how the funds will be used to enhance your students’ academic experiences. This way, you can easily broadcast your event to your students’ parents or guardians. 

2. Peer-to-peer walkathon

If you’re looking for a school fundraising idea that will get your students involved in the action and will appeal to all age groups, look no further than a peer-to-peer walkathon! Walkathons are easily adaptable events that can fit all budget types, and by adding a peer-to-peer element, you can accelerate giving while encouraging students to play a rewarding role in your fundraiser. 

To make your peer-to-peer walkathon a success and keep costs down, use these tips: 

Organize a walking route on your school’s campus

One of the best parts of planning a walkathon is it can take place anywhere! Some ideal locations where you can host a walkathon right on your school’s campus include:

• The track

• Sports fields

• Indoor gymnasium

• Around the perimeter of your school

Hosting your walkathon at school takes away the hassle of having to reserve an area of your local park or other venue and any additional costs associated with this. Keep in mind that you can also take your walkathon online and encourage students to meet their walking goals on their own or with friends or family. 

Train students on peer-to-peer fundraising best practices

To raise as much money as possible from your peer-to-peer walkathon, you’ll want all hands on deck. Prepare your students to step into their fundraising roles with confidence by: 

• Explaining how to create a personal fundraising page with the help of your peer-to-peer fundraising software.

• Encouraging students to set a personal or class-wide fundraising goal that is ambitious yet reasonable.

• Covering best practices to meet these goals, such as asking neighbors, friends, and family members to make a pledge or donate.

This is not just a great opportunity to raise more money for your school; it also teaches your students invaluable leadership skills that will benefit them down the line! 

Generate a creative theme

To incentivize all of your students to take part in your walkathon, you need a compelling theme that will set the tone for your event and create excitement. 

For example, if you’re hosting a year-end walkathon, you might challenge your participants to dress up like their favorite holiday movie character. Or, add your walkathon to a pajama day fundraiser where students donate a small amount to wear PJ’s all day long!

Then, use cost-effective strategies to integrate your theme seamlessly into your event. For instance, you might have students or staff create decorations using art supplies you already have. 

3. Text-to-give

Your school’s community members lead busy lives, and chances are, they might not always have a few minutes to sit down at the nearest computer and donate to your institution. Simplify the fundraising process by making mobile giving a possibility! 

According to 360MatchPro’s fundraising statistics, mobile users made up 33% of online donation transactions last year. By incorporating text-to-give into your school’s fundraising strategy, you can make donating more convenient and rewarding, resulting in greater earnings.

Use these best practices to get started with text-to-give:

• Work with the right text-to-give software so you can easily send communications and donation appeals to your school’s community year-round in advance of fundraising deadlines. Your supporters should be able to click on a mobile-friendly version of your donation page and give a gift in just moments. 

• Create a clear call to action to give in your texts and include the reason you’re asking for gifts and how they’ll make an impact. For example, you might write “Donate by midnight tonight to help fund the purchase of new computers! With your support, our students will gain access to cutting-edge technology in the classroom, helping them to advance academically.” 

• Couple text-to-give with your fundraising events to maximize funding. For instance, if you’re hosting a silent auction, you might ask parents and community members to donate ahead of the event so you can make early headway on your fundraising goal. Plus, text-to-give is a great alternative for donors who can’t attend your auction or aren’t interested in bidding. 

Regularly check in on metrics, like conversion rate, so you can assess the effectiveness of your text-to-give appeals and make changes as needed to your strategy. You can also survey your supporters directly to learn more about their communication preferences and what they want to hear from your school. 

Wrapping Up

There are many fundraising ideas available to your school, but not all of them are the most efficient use of your funds. Use one or a combination of these cost-saving ideas to increase your fundraising potential, engage your school’s community, and enhance your institution for students and staff alike. Then, make sure to acknowledge your donors and thank them for their contributions! 

The preceding post was provided by a guest author unaffiliated with DonationMatch. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of DonationMatch.

Top Concurrent Fundraising Ideas to Maximize Revenue

Guest post by SchoolAuction.net

When it comes to raising money for your group, why settle for just one fundraiser when you can run several at the same time? By planning multiple events at once, you can welcome a larger fundraising impact and make the most of your donor engagement.

Combining different fundraising ideas allows you to tap into the power of giving people more options to support your cause, which not only helps raise more money but also engages several donor interests at once. In this quick guide, we’ll explore concurrent fundraising ideas that can save your organization time and money while maximizing your donor engagement opportunities. Let’s get started!

Live Auction and Raffle

Live auctions and raffles are a winning fundraising combination because live auctions cater to the thrill of bidding while raffles still appeal to those who’d like to win without the high risk. At a live auction, participants are kept on the edge of their seats by an auctioneer’s quick pace of selling prized items. Some supporters thrive in a live auction environment, while others might be intimidated or prefer to watch.

On the other hand, raffles are popular because they’re accessible to everyone. Unlike auctions, where the highest bidder wins, raffles give everyone who buys a ticket an equal chance to win, regardless of how much they can afford to spend. When deciding which item to raffle off, choose an auction item you’d normally sell at a silent auction and see if you can use a raffle to exceed the item’s fair market value.

Here are a few types of raffles organizations can run:

• Standard raffle: Participants buy low-cost tickets for a chance to win a prize, with winners chosen at random from the pool of entries. 

• Golden ticket: This type of raffle offers a limited number of higher-priced tickets for a chance to win a high-value prize, typically the choice of any live auction item.  

• Tricky tray: Also known as a basket raffle, this involves participants buying tickets to place bids on baskets of items or services that are displayed on trays or tables. Each basket has its own mini raffle, with participants placing their tickets in containers next to the baskets they want to win.

Combining live auctions with raffles creates a dynamic fundraising duo that caters to a broad audience, blending the excitement of live bidding wars with the accessible, low-risk appeal of raffles. 

Live Auction and Online Auction

Sometimes a live auction will leave you with more items than you originally planned. That’s okay, in this case, you can use it to your advantage by running an online auction afterward. SchoolAuction.net explains how this works—combine live and online auctions to maximize revenue. First, host an engaging live auction gala. Then once the event is over, host an online auction for the remaining items that were not bid on.

Here are the benefits of combining these two:

• Maximized revenue: Combining the two auction types expands your bidder pool, allowing participants from different locations to bid. More bidders equals more revenue. 

• Less item waste: Items that didn’t sell at your in-person auction now get another chance to be sold during your online auction. Since online auctions allow for a broader audience to view and bid on items, this increases the likelihood of each item being sold.  

• Re-engaging donors: Combining a live auction with an online auction offers a dynamic and flexible participation experience, accommodating those who cannot attend in person but wish to contribute online. This can renew interest among previous donors by providing them with a convenient way to engage.

• No need to plan a separate event: An organization can maximize fundraising efforts with this combination since it removes the need to plan and execute separate events, which reduces both logistical complexities and costs.    

Combining live and online auctions is a strategic and efficient approach to enhance your fundraising. By leveraging both formats, you can capitalize on unsold items and expand the reach to a wider audience, in turn maximizing revenue.    

Silent Auction and Entertainment Night

Planning an entertainment night alongside your silent auction is a great way to keep attendees engaged while they browse items. Silent auctions pair well with planned entertainment to boost funds and liven up the quieter atmosphere. Main entertainment ideas include music, a talent showcase, or a cause-related speaker or presentation.

However, you aren’t limited to solely relying on raising money through the silent auction. With the right software, you can also execute the following:

• Online merchandise stores offer an additional revenue stream by giving supporters an option to purchase branded merchandise at their convenience. Merchandise from online stores also increases your organization’s visibility.

• Text-to-Give allows supporters to contribute instantly with just a few taps on their cell phones. 

• Crowdfunding enables your organization to tap into the power of community fundraising and social sharing, reaching beyond your auction attendees to a wider audience.

By diversifying how funds are raised, nonprofits can capitalize on the enthusiasm of a live event to drive donations, while also capturing additional revenue opportunities from supporters at home. 

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising and Matching Gifts

For nonprofits especially, matching gifts provide a game-changing opportunity to double the impact of donations. You can take advantage of them by partnering with a corporate sponsor or other philanthropic entity to run a matching gift donation challenge. 

Then, you can launch your matching gift challenge with peer-to-peer fundraising to effectively combine the power of a community-driven platform with the financial leverage provided by corporate matching. 360MatchPro explains how you can get started in four steps:

1. Identify potential donors. Start by locating a generous corporate sponsor who will back your cause in exchange for public recognition. Look for a partner with a robust CSR program that shares the same values as your nonprofit.

2. Define the challenge’s terms and match ratio. Set the match ratio to define how much the corporate sponsor will give for every dollar individual donors contribute. For example, a 1:1 match ratio means the sponsor will match donations dollar for dollar, doubling every gift. Then, list out your challenge’s total fundraising goal and time frame.

3. Promote the challenge to your network using a dedicated website landing page. Use SMS messaging, email marketing, and social media outreach to link to your matching gift landing page. By using a multichannel marketing strategy, you’ll reach more donors and get your donations matched more quickly.

4. Track progress toward your fundraising goal. Update your supporters as more matches roll in to encourage them to reach your fundraising goal before the time runs out. You can do this with dedicated tracking tools to monitor real-time progress. 

After your donation challenge comes to a close, don’t forget to follow up with the results and acknowledge the supporters who made it happen. Craft thoughtful emails, hand-written thank you cards, or social media shoutouts to recognize your donors’ generosity. 

Running concurrent fundraisers significantly amplifies a nonprofit’s ability to engage different segments of its audience and maximize revenue. Be sure to assess your audience's preferences beforehand to tailor your fundraising strategy effectively.

The preceding post was provided by a guest author unaffiliated with DonationMatch. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of DonationMatch.

Member Event Planning: 4 Events Your Members Look Forward To

Guest post by Wild Apricot

For associations and nonprofits with membership programs, your members are at the heart of everything you do. And nothing brings your membership community together quite like events do. They are the perfect opportunity for your members to meet face-to-face, network with other industry professionals, and gain more expertise in their field. 

Whether they are networking nights or annual galas, events are essential for keeping members engaged and raising revenue to ensure your organization’s long-term success. However, different events will appeal to different members. That means you’ll need to determine what types of events will resonate with your members and then plan these experiences for the rest of the year. 

To get your member event planning started, let's explore the four most popular events and how to make them memorable. 

Most Popular Member Event Types

Member events come in all shapes and sizes, from an hour of virtual networking all the way to entire multi-day conferences. The events you schedule will depend on your specific goals, resources, and member preferences. 

Here’s what you need to know about each of the four most popular event types. 

1. Conferences

Conferences bring a large group of people together to explore a specific topic or theme. People attend conferences to learn from industry experts and engage in networking opportunities. 

Typically, conferences can be as little as one day or as long as an entire week.

When planning your conference, keep these tips in mind:

1. Choose the right event management software. Ensure that you select a virtual event solution that fits your needs, such as one that offers attendee registration, highlights sponsors, and tools for promoting your event. 

2. Plan your theme and subtopics. Based on your member’s interests, pick the theme for your conference and its events, such as the topics for panels and roundtable discussions. 

3. Look for event sponsors. Find potential sponsors for your conference who can offer support in exchange for benefits such as exposure to your audience.

4. Determine how you’ll engage attendees. Decide how you’ll keep participants captivated throughout the conference with interactive elements, such as live polls, break-out discussion rooms, and gamification elements.

5. Test-run virtual and hybrid conferences. As hiccups can always happen, conduct a test run of your event to pinpoint and eliminate any issues. 

Let’s take a look at the world’s largest library event, the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition. This conference unites thousands of librarians, authors, educators, students, and other literary professionals to learn about and discuss the future of the industry. Attendees can enjoy free educational programming, hear from inspiring speakers, and connect with peers. 

Thanks to virtual event technology, hybrid and fully virtual conferences have risen in popularity. Many conferences, like the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, offer digital experiences where attendees can virtually attend the event no matter where they are in the world. 

By leveraging technology, organizations can use mobile apps to enhance the conference experience or choose to host a virtual conference. With the right tools, you can set up event registration, create an app for attendees, integrate with a live-streaming platform, and do so much more to streamline your conference. 

2. Networking Activities

Networking events are incredibly valuable for people who are at pivotal moments in their careers. For instance, many college students or recent graduates use networking events to find internships or their first job. Furthermore, people who are more established in their field can use these opportunities to grow their business connections or find new professional roles. 

Here are some ideas for creating engaging networking activities: 

• Set up mentorship groups. Match your experienced members with people who are starting their careers so they can develop their skill set. 

• Host happy hours. Let your members enjoy refreshments at a local brewery or restaurant as they get to know each other.

• Organize speed networking. This twist on speed dating has your members quickly meeting with each other to efficiently make many professional connections. 

• Schedule workshops or classes. Help your members continue their career development by organizing workshops or classes led by industry experts. 

• Create virtual events. Allow your members to connect with people across your network at virtual events such as conference breakout rooms or online trivia games. 

Consider your members’ schedules while planning your networking events. For instance, if your association or nonprofit is local, then you may want to host an event at a nearby restaurant to facilitate face-to-face meetings. Conversely, virtual events are a great option for organizations with members in different locations. 

3. Fundraising Events

Fundraising events are an opportunity for your members to gather together and raise funds to support your organization. These events give members the chance to operate as a team or have some friendly peer-to-peer fundraising competition with each other. 

To plan a memorable and successful fundraising event, associations and nonprofits should follow these essential steps:

• Find a charitable partner. If your organization decides to partner with a charitable partner, you may want to consider finding a local nonprofit, school, or other charitable cause that aligns with your mission. For example, a professional association for educators could partner with a local school. To help find your right partner, consider asking members for suggestions for those that may be open to  mutually beneficial partnerships.

• Determine your fundraising goal. Your fundraising goal should be aligned with the outcome you want to achieve. A journalism nonprofit, for instance, might need to collect $5,000 in fundraising for grants they award to outstanding journalism students every year. 

• Decide on the event type and location. Your members’ preferences and location will influence the type of fundraising event you’ll hold and where it will be. For example, an international organization could hold a virtual event that invites all members or plan multiple smaller in-person events in major cities. 

• Promote your upcoming fundraising event. Share your fundraiser on social media, email, and your website to drum up excitement and inspire involvement. Consider creating a kit with information about the fundraiser that your members can share with others. 

Be sure to thank your members for all their work after the fundraiser. Also, share the amount raised and where the funds will be allocated. This lets your community see their impact and feel proud about what they’ve accomplished.

4. Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering is a wonderful way for members to expand their networks and improve important skills such as leadership, communication, and teamwork. With volunteer opportunities, your members can give back to the community in a way that aligns with your organization’s mission.

Let’s say that you manage a professional association for working artists. You can engage your members in artistic volunteer experiences like creating a mural for a local elementary school or leading a painting class for senior citizens. This allows members to put their skills to good use while providing a valuable service to the community.

According to a VolunteerMatch survey report, 71% of volunteers prefer to commit their time regularly to an organization. With the right volunteer program, you can give your members the experience they’re looking for while helping them forge stronger bonds within the group. 

Just like other events we covered, virtual volunteer events have risen in popularity. Virtual volunteer opportunities allow participants to participate from the comfort of their homes while still making a major contribution to causes they care about. 

Popular in-person and virtual volunteer options include:

• Setting up and cleaning up at events 

• Redesigning your website or specific web pages

• Reaching out to donors via email or phone

• Transcribing or subtitling videos

Keep in mind that the more flexible your volunteer events are, the more members you’ll be able to get involved. 

Bonus Member Event Planning Tips

No matter the type of event you’ll host, it needs careful preparation to become a success that will keep members engaged for years to come. 

Follow these three practices when kicking off your event planning:

1. Send out pre-event member surveys to guide your planning. Send your members several survey questions to help shape the event you’ll host. For example, you can ask your community about the industry topics they’re interested in, what they’re hoping to experience at your events, and what you can improve upon from your previous events. Collecting this information lets you create events members will be eager to attend. 

2. Create a marketing plan. Every type of event needs a marketing plan so members can learn about the event, see how to register, and know what to expect, especially if you’re hosting a virtual or hybrid event. Your marketing plan should include how you’ll spread the word across your communication platforms such as social media pages, email newsletters, websites, and direct mail messages. 

3. Track engagement metrics and gather member feedback after the event. Once your event ends, collecting feedback is essential. With a post-event survey, you can learn what members enjoyed and where you can improve. Be sure to also review your event’s metrics like attendance rate vs. RSVPs and live poll engagement. 

By following these tips, you can offer members a well-run experience that will motivate them to stay involved in your organization and attend future events. 

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Your members are looking to you to provide a variety of opportunities that will help them succeed personally and professionally. By implementing membership events, your members can network with fellow industry professionals, discuss the latest trends, and propel their development. 
For the most accurate data, be sure to lean into your membership software. This allows you to confidently review metrics and determine improvements moving forward for creating events that will exceed members’ expectations.

The preceding post was provided by a guest author unaffiliated with DonationMatch. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of DonationMatch.

4 Ways Mobile Bidding Can Expand Your Nonprofit’s Audience

Guest post by ClickBid

It’s no mystery that audience expansion is important to your nonprofit. To accomplish its goals, your nonprofit needs a growing supporter base. Supporter expansion leads to increased donations and volunteer involvement, which helps your nonprofit make a meaningful impact.

Auctions are a highly engaging fundraising idea that likely excites your existing supporters. But how can you leverage auction tools to reach a larger audience? In this guide, we’ll look at four ways mobile bidding can help you reach more potential supporters:

1. Increased accessibility

2. Donor engagement

3. Data tracking

4. Streamlined event management

For an auction to be successful, you’ll need to collect auction items, track your in-kind donations, plan event logistics, and promote your fundraiser. All of this leaves little time to focus on audience expansion, which is why you should leverage mobile bidding software’s outreach tools. Let’s get started!

1. Increased accessibility

Remote bidding allows participants to bid on auction items from their mobile devices, meaning they can take part in your auction virtually. This incentivizes supporters to participate even if they’re:

• Sick at home

• Out of town

• Committed to a prior engagement

Not only does mobile bidding make your auction doable for busy supporters, but it also attracts participants who aren’t involved in your organization. For example, people who have never donated or volunteered with your organization might learn about an enticing auction item through your online item catalog and register for the event in hopes of winning it. Other elements of mobile bidding that increase accessibility include:

• Push notifications: Mobile bidding software keeps participants in the loop, so they’ll be just as involved in the event from their phones as they would be if they attended in person.

• Self-check-in and payment processing: Participants can join the auction and pay for the items they won directly from mobile bidding software. 

The increased auction accessibility offered by mobile bidding capabilities broadens your potential audience to just about anyone. Not only is this a solution for your busy supporters, but it can also entice outsiders to become involved if you promote this in your auction marketing efforts.

2. Donor engagement

You might promote mobile bidding as you market your event, but the mobile bidding software itself can also be used as an outreach tool. ClickBid’s guide to silent auction software recommends using the platform to create an event landing page for your auction and providing the landing page’s link on all your other communication channels. You can also engage donors with targeted communications, through capabilities such as:

• Mass messaging: Send messages to all participants or specific groups of them. This makes widespread messages easier to send and organize, especially if you’re sending different messages to different groups of supporters. For example, you might send a specific thank-you message to only the winning bidders at the end of your auction, encouraging them to enjoy the item they won.

• Volunteer tools: Don’t just think of your donors as bidders in your auction—volunteers are also donating their time to make sure your event runs smoothly. Use volunteer tools included in your software to send important messages or fun event updates, keeping your volunteers engaged throughout the event.

• Outbid alerts: Keep bidders invested in the outcome of your auction by leveraging the outbid alerts feature of your software.

Outreach tools can help your nonprofit engage its audience, giving them a positive experience to share with their family members, friends, colleagues, and others when these supporters advocate for your organization. 

Your nonprofit won’t only reach out to auction participants—you might use your software to share an auction catalog with potential item donors to contribute to your event. By engaging the community through item procurement, your nonprofit will entice more auction participants, who can ultimately be converted into long-time supporters.

3. Data tracking

Whether you’re raising money for a school, church, or charitable organization, the importance of data-driven fundraising strategies applies to everyone. The same technique is important for auction management, and data can also influence the responsiveness of your audience. 

The right mobile bidding software can help your nonprofit track donor and fundraising data related to your event, such as: 

• Average bid amounts. Your auction will raise various monetary donations since auction items will vary in price, but you can still track metrics such as the average amount of bid increments to determine the success of your event. Use this data to adjust future item pricing strategies so that you can appeal to the budgets of more bidders.

• Bidder behavior. Evaluate how many people bid on each item and how many times they were willing to raise the price. This may reveal your auction’s most popular items, which can influence item procurement for your next auction. You’ll appeal to a larger audience of bidders when you collect a variety of coveted auction items.

• Participation history. Track participants’ histories with your organization—is this their first auction or are they regular attendees? When you understand their participation habits, you’ll know how to craft compelling appeals for support in future outreach efforts.

Use donor profiles or custom analytics reports from your mobile bidding software to adjust your fundraising strategy when approaching your next fundraising initiative. AlumniFinder’s donor data guide suggests collecting data in a constituent relationship management (CRM) system, which can be integrated with your mobile bidding software. Managing this data in one, comprehensive platform makes it easier to identify patterns or areas for improvement.

4. Streamlined event management

Unlike crowdfunding campaigns or peer-to-peer fundraisers, many resources are required to host and manage an auction. Mobile bidding software can streamline event management, decreasing the resources your nonprofit spends on administrative needs. For example, your auction will require:

• Item procurement and pricing. Mobile bidding software organizes items in a catalog as you collect them, along with information about each item.

• Day-of volunteer management. Volunteer tools will streamline communications and volunteer roles so that your volunteers won’t need to be closely supervised during the event. If your volunteers do need assistance on the day of your auction, choose an event management software provider that offers event advisors to guide your auction.

• Item display cards. Depending on how you host your auction, you might need to display additional context about each item for your attendees. When item information is input into your mobile bidding software, you can automatically print item display cards instead of manually designing the cards and adding item information to each one.

With all of these capabilities, mobile bidding software simplifies event management and allows nonprofit leaders to focus on supporter engagement. With all of the time and resources saved, you can instead focus on audience expansion through prospect research, targeted communications, and creative marketing campaigns.

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Whether this is your nonprofit’s first auction or its hundredth, mobile bidding software can turn your fundraiser into an outreach strategy that will expand your audience and grow your supporter base. Research software options and determine which platform meets the needs of your organization and event.

School Fundraising Ideas to Engage Parents: A Mini Guide

Getting parents involved in any school fundraiser can be a challenge. That’s why staying on the ball with fresh, exciting fundraising ideas throughout the year is a surefire way to engage parents. In this mini-guide, we’ll explore how to pick the right idea for your school and share a few of our favorites:

• Tips for Selecting School Fundraising Ideas Parents Will Love

• School Fundraising Idea 1: School Auction

• School Fundraising Idea 2: Read-a-thon

• School Fundraising Idea 3: Talent Show

Parental involvement is essential, especially for elementary school fundraisers. Parents can motivate their kids to participate by helping them choose a costume for a costume fundraiser or by encouraging them to participate in their school’s fun run. 

When planning school fundraisers, the key is to think like a parent. Let’s explore what that looks like in more detail in the next section. 

Tips for Selecting School Fundraising Ideas Parents Will Love

Aim for family-friendliness when weighing your fundraising options. Think about which ideas will generate the most parental involvement, and finalize your fundraising idea list by asking the following questions: 

• Is it relevant? To generate maximum excitement and participation, your school fundraising idea should be relevant to both parents’ and your school’s interests and values. This could mean selecting an idea to further a cause that resonates with the community, like partnering with a local food bank to host a canned food drive.  

• Is it accessible? Parents have busy schedules. If your fundraiser relies on their involvement, make sure they can access pertinent information quickly. This could mean including your fundraiser’s program details, dates, and ways to participate on your school’s website. Additionally, add an email or phone number for a member of your school’s staff who parents can contact if they have any questions. 

• Is it inclusive? School fundraisers should be inclusive to every family, regardless of background or financial situation. To ensure inclusivity, offer multiple ways for families to participate through volunteer opportunities, including methods for participating online.

The final step to predicting your fundraiser’s success is to compare it with previous events. How have families responded to previous fundraising campaigns? What sort of events or causes do they feel passionate about? 

To get you started, we’ve provided a brief list of fundraising ideas to try out.

School Fundraising Idea 1: School Auction

Live and silent auctions are flexible fundraising events that are known for generating revenue and building excitement. As a school, you have several options for hosting an auction. You can host your auction live, online, or through hybrid means. 

Auctions may seem to be complicated, involved fundraisers - and they can be! But you don’t have to start with a big event. If you’ve never done an auction fundraiser before, SchoolAuction.net suggests starting with an online silent auction your first year. These are easy to bring together, especially if you select a software platform designed for schools.  When looking, however, realize that you’ll want to grow your event over time - so select an online auction platform that can grow with you as your auction gets bigger and more successful.

Why Parents Love Them

School auctions are a parent favorite for several reasons. Firstly, they are typically planned with parental preferences in mind as the procured auction items are selected with your school’s community in consideration. Additionally, Double the Donation recommends that your school pairs a live auction with a parent dinner which can be promoted as a fun, date-night event complete with a decorated venue and booked entertainment. 

School Fundraising Idea 2: Read-a-thon

Read-a-thons kill two birds with one stone: promoting student learning and fundraising. They are simple fundraisers where students collect pledges from family and friends based on the number of books or pages they read. 

Students can collect flat donations or pledges based on how many books or pages they read during the read-a-thon. Then, designate a period of time, usually over the span of several days, and encourage students to read as much as possible. Have students log their total books or pages read, then gather pledged donations.  To encourage participation, you can set prizes for students who read or raise the most. 

Why Parents Love Them

Read-a-thons provide the perfect motivation for students to hit the books and cultivate a love of reading. Read-a-thons are also easy to plan, requiring only plenty of books, a few hours to set aside during the school day, and pledge forms students can take home to collect donations.

School Fundraising Idea 3: Talent Show

Hosting a school talent show is a great way for students to show off their skills while also encouraging parent participation. It only contains a couple of necessary steps—securing a venue, selecting a date, and holding auditions. From there, you can promote your talent show and sell tickets to raise funds.

Why Parents Love Them

Talent shows provide parents with a unique opportunity to watch their students perform on the big stage. Unlike regular sports seasons, talent shows let students express themselves in artistic, comical, and unexpected ways, creating a memorable experience for both students and their families

Regardless of which school fundraising idea you choose, be sure to select one that’s relevant, accessible, and inclusive to all families. Consider sending out a survey to parents ahead of time to gauge interest or decide between two competing ideas. To your school fundraising success!

How to Plan a Successful Donation Drive: 6 Top Tips

Guest Post by Jacob Spencer, Customer Success and Account Manager at Donately.

For organizations big and small, a donation drive can be daunting. Achieving success can take months of coordinating, organizing, and soliciting financial donations and in-kind support. 

To make your life easier, we’ve compiled our list of important considerations for planning a donation drive. We’ll cover why you should:

1. Be unafraid to ask for donations.

2. Offer incentives.

3. Quickly reply with thanks when a company or person donates.

4. Keep a donor registry.

5. Use different avenues to market your donor drive.

6. Tell your story.

Yes, the stress a donation drive potentially can have on your organization and staff is intimidating. But with these six tips, you can spend less time and energy on your donation drive and yield higher, more impactful returns.

1. Be unafraid to ask for donations.

What’s the worst that could happen? Making a clear and direct request is the only way people and organizations will know to donate. Your request should answer these questions:

• What need in your community will your donation drive address? What will be the measurable impact of the drive? What is your goal?

• When will the drive take place? What are the dates when supporters can donate? Will there be an opening or culminating event?

• How can supporters get involved? In addition to the donations themselves, will you need volunteers to collect, organize, and/or distribute donations? 

• What exactly can (and can’t) supporters donate? Are you requesting in-kind or financial donations? Are you requesting new or used items? 

In addition to asking individuals for donations, plan to solicit corporate support from relevant for-profit businesses. For example, for a winter clothing drive, you could ask clothing retailers with a local presence for in-kind donations of jackets, caps, and gloves. Companies are often happy to donate to nonprofit community drives—especially when they get public recognition for their donations in return. In these asks, be explicit about how a donation will benefit their organization—often through CSR publicity.

2. Offer incentives. 

Not everyone donates purely out of selflessness. In fact, people and businesses usually have multiple reasons for donating. 

Yes, they’re probably donating because it’s the right thing to do. But they may also be looking to get something out of their participation. For some, it may simply be the feeling of having done something good for someone else. For others, such as businesses, it may be publicity. In general, however, these groups are donating because you’ve already done the work to establish a strong, personal relationship.

But when it comes to lapsed donors or new donors unfamiliar with your cause, they likely don’t have the personal or emotional connection to your organization that drives the core of your donations. To garner their interest, consider offering specific incentives for donating:

• Events. Host events (e.g. a bowling night, gala, or online concert) specifically for active donors.

• Raffles. People love games and winning. Consider holding a raffle (where it is legal to do so) for all monetary donors who give at least a certain amount.

• Merchandise. Offer donors wearable merchandise as a token of your appreciation, such as hats, buttons, or tote bags. You can even customize your merch to your organization or drive’s brand.

If you offer more than one incentive, you can establish tiers with each level requiring a certain donation amount. For instance, your top donors might receive VIP access to your events and a large gift basket, while basic donors might receive a button or shirt.

3. Quickly reply with thanks when a company or person donates.

Don’t burn any bridges by ignoring the donations you receive. You never know when you might need a company or individual to support you again in the future. According to Fundraising Letters’ guide to donor thank-yous, “Only 19% of new donors will give again after their first donation.” One of the major reasons for such a large donor churn is the lack of a simple thank-you.

Send your thank-yous as quickly as possible after a donation is received. With many giving platforms, you can set up emails to automatically go out when a donation is in-put into the system. Additionally, every thank-you should include: 

• The donor’s name. With current technology, it’s easy to add a personal touch to every thank-you you send. Use your donor management software to input the donor’s name (plus other relevant information such as their title or address) into the blanks of a prewritten letter.

• Relevant financial information. Both financial and in-kind support to 501(c)(3) charities can be tax-deductible. Make it easy for donors to claim their gifts as deductions on federal taxes by providing the date and value of their donation as well as your nonprofit’s Tax ID Number. 

• Impact. Your donors just made a positive impact on the world. Remind them what their donation will do for the community and who it will help. Use a combination of anecdotal stories and quantitative facts/figures to show the impact of the drive. 

Recognizing even the smallest gifts with a well-written thank-you email or letter shows your gratitude and helps grow your relationship with each donor. When you reach out to them during your next drive, they’ll be more likely to give!

4. Keep a donor registry. 

You also don’t want to keep asking the same donors to donate to your cause every time you have a new event. Moreover, having a large, diverse body of donors will financially protect your organization from the effects of losing any single donor. 

Thus, try to mix it up and tap into different pools of donors. How do you accomplish this as efficiently as possible? We recommend you:

1. Monitor received donations using donation management software that allows for easy, long-term tracking and reporting.

2. Using filters and search tools, create specific lists of donors based on their donation history and amounts.  

3. Depending on the specifics of your drive, focus your outreach efforts on the most relevant potential donors.

By utilizing a donor registry to track your donors and donations, you’ll retain your supporters and save money on new donor acquisitions. 

5. Use different avenues to market your donor drive. 

According to Donately, over 80% of Americans now own smartphones. As a result, digital marketing can be one of the most effective ways to get your donor drive in front of the right eyes. 

While these days social media receives a lot of attention in digital marketing, Facebook and Twitter aren’t your only opportunities to reach existing and potential donors. Consider using a combination of digital outreach tools, including:

• Text

• Google Ads

• Email

That being said, especially if you’re focused on addressing a local issue, try incorporating traditional outreach methods (in addition to your digital fundraising efforts) into your marketing plan, including:

• Direct Mail

• Local News

• Local Partnerships

• Phone Banking

Even as you use a variety of marketing channels, make sure you’re still focusing all of your organizational efforts and marketing for donations to one drive at a time. This will help you avoid any internal competition for donations or confusion for donors.

6. Tell your story. 

As you can probably see by now, the more a donor can connect with your cause, the more likely they are to (1) donate and (2) donate in generous amounts, and (3) donate again in the future. A touching, cohesive story can solidify that connection. In general, your donation drive’s story should have a clear beginning, middle, and end:

1. The Beginning should introduce a compelling main character (such as a volunteer or community member) and a problem in your community.

2. The Middle should demonstrate the increased stakes if the problem is not addressed and propose a possible action or solution.

3. The End should offer your audience a way to get involved, solve the problem, and be a part of your story’s resolution.

Your story will be the heart of your outreach plan, and you should rely on it in both your physical and digital marketing. When available, such as on social media, plan to enhance it with relevant multimedia elements. For example, for a food drive, you might post interviews with donors, volunteers, and recipients alongside photo updates of incoming donations. Especially online, photos, audio, and video can break up blocks of text and lead to increased engagement and sharing.

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Ultimately, there’s no one way to plan a donation drive, and fundraisers never go exactly as expected. But by using these tips to create a thorough, adaptable plan, you can be successful in your donation drive endeavors no matter the circumstance. Keep your eye on the prize and shoot for the stars!

About the Author

Jacob Spencer | Donately Customer Success and Account Manager

I strive to make every step of our customer journey as enjoyable as possible. My goal is to turn everyone who trusts Donately into a raving fan! Raising funds can be daunting, but we know that with the right tools, it can and should be easy.

Throughout my career, I've been able to help sales and success teams tackle new markets, grow and expand.

Leading with empathy, listening to actually solve problems, and remembering that we are all human are the key elements to growing any business in a meaningful way.

When I'm not working you can find me spending time with my wife, 2 boys and our Border Collie, Abbie. Family>Everything.

10 Things to Know about Volunteer Recruitment and Retention

By Kibrett Facey, Marketing Associate at Mobilize

Organizations of all shapes and sizes rely on volunteers to turn their missions into concrete action. No matter what your organization's volunteers and supporters do to further your mission, you have to provide them with solid management strategies and the right tools. But most importantly, you have to recruit them!

For mission-based organizations that are new to volunteer management or working with volunteers, figuring out where and how to start can be overwhelming. 

At Mobilize, we've hosted more than 8.5 million volunteer actions by over 3 million supporters for organizations of all sizes, and  we want to share a few tips and tricks we've learned along the way.

1. Create volunteer recruitment guidelines. 

To build a recruitment strategy, it is important to understand your organization’s needs and how you will maintain your efforts. Here are some questions to consider: 

• What will our first volunteers do, and what skills are we looking for? 

• How many volunteers do we need right now? 

• Who will handle volunteer recruitment? 

2. Determine how you will recruit your volunteers. 

Think about the specific tactics you'll use to reach and engage potential supporters. These are the most common channels organizations use to recruit new volunteers:

• Volunteer recruitment platforms that allow you to post new opportunities

• Word-of-mouth from staff members, board members, and current volunteers

• Digital marketing, including mass appeals and more targeted campaigns through social media or email

• In-person outreach at community events or at spots where your target supporters might be, like college campuses

• Print marketing, like postings on community bulletin boards or in your monthly newsletters

Many organizations combine multiple tactics in order to reach new volunteers. 

3. Refine your strategy.

As new volunteers begin to trickle in and support your mission, be sure to check in on your current efforts. Review your strategy and ask yourself:

• How effective was our strategy?

• Did we meet our recruitment goals?

• How long did it take to recruit our volunteers?

• What were our most effective outreach tactics?

• How many supporters did we turn away because we couldn't currently use their help or because they didn't fit our job description?

• Are there other areas of our work that need volunteer support?

Reviewing your strategy's performance during and after each new recruitment push is critical if you want to strengthen your effort. Using dedicated volunteer management software will help you do this with ease by providing you with data to analyze. 

4. Offer a wide range of volunteering opportunities.

As your organization and base of volunteers grows, offer a range of ways to get involved. Dedicated supporters will appreciate more options, and offering more types of opportunities will help ensure potential volunteers find a role that suits their skills, abilities, and interests. Event support, virtual opportunities, phone banking, and more can give everyone an opportunity to support your mission.

5. Target specific groups.

Get specific! Targeting groups of your supporters for specific volunteer opportunities can help boost the effectiveness of your recruitment strategies overall. Think about different segments of your base, and what types of opportunities and messages will be most engaging for them. This strategy will help you boost engagement, especially if you have a specific goal in mind like converting volunteers into donors.

6. Tap into existing networks.

For many volunteer opportunities, casting a wider net is the one of the best ways to increase your support. Volunteer recruitment platforms like Mobilize allow you to post new opportunities, tap into existing networks of supporters, and offer a streamlined sign-up process all at once. Our growing network of over 3 million users is home to many individuals seeking out their next cause to support. Reaching those new supporters and retaining their support over time can be game-changing for your organization.

7. Create “job descriptions” for opportunities.

Describe each volunteer opportunity and your mission in detail. It is also important to outline any specific skills and time commitments needed. This description will be useful whenever you're promoting your opportunities, and it gives potential volunteers a clear picture of the role. This information will help them determine whether or not they fit the role. It will also result in more sign-ups from qualified volunteers and less time needed from your team to sort through registrants and match them with appropriate roles.‍

8. Optimize your social media strategies.

Social media is an incredible tool for reaching new audiences and engaging supporters. Create concrete social media strategies to maximize the effectiveness of your organization’s reach on these platforms. Share exciting, engaging content and encourage volunteers to post about their own experiences, too. Peer-to-peer recruiting is a great way to increase sign-ups and boost visibility for your cause. In fact, 14% of all RSVPs on our own platform come from automated bring-a-friend prompts! Use volunteer management software that empowers supporters to easily post about their next opportunity and share custom sign-up links with their friends and family.

9. Offer unique perks and opportunities. 

An extra incentive might be the perfect push that encourages a potential supporter to sign up to volunteer for your events, campaigns, and other opportunities. Perks such as free merchandise and discounted memberships can be effective, but don’t forget to  think of additional exclusive experiences you might offer. Training opportunities and volunteer-only virtual events like roundtable discussions or town halls with your organization's leadership are popular examples of opportunities that your supporters can benefit from. 

10. Put your volunteer recruitment strategy into action with the right tools! 

‍Volunteer recruitment platforms and management software are essential for organizations that want to get serious about taking a strategic approach and continually improving their strategies over time. Today we are seeing organizations of all sizes rely on online recruitment and virtual engagement more than ever. 

The Mobilize platform is the leading choice for mission-based organizations, including nonprofits, political campaigns and committees, labor unions, and advocacy organizations. Organizations using Mobilize have doubled their signup rates for volunteer opportunities and increased event attendance from online signups by 30% or more. Saving your team's time, reaching wider audiences, and empowering more supporters to take action for your cause translates into significant growth for your organization.

Get started with a free Mobilize starter account or a demo from our team to see our platform in action! And to keep things going with your volunteer recruitment and retention research, check out these additional resources:

• Virtual Labor Organizing: The Ultimate Guide for 2020. This guide will come in handy for labor unions hoping to recruit and mobilize supporters for outreach and advocacy projects. 

• Virtual Volunteer Strategies in a Time of Social Distancing. Many organizations are still dealing with the virtual shift due to he COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s our guide for keeping volunteers engaged while following social distancing guidelines.

• Volunteer Training Best Practices: 11 Strategies and Ideas. Need more help training your volunteers? Check out our best practices to help your volunteers transition onto your team seamless. 

San Diego Business & Nonprofit Crisis Support Network

Thank you fo the San Diego Business & Nonprofit Crisis Support Network for aggregating resources for local organizations. Their spotlight video highlighted DonationMatch Co-founder Renee Zau, who is offering pro bono services of up to an hour per organization (business or nonprofit) to assist with in-kind (unpaid) marketing strategy and fundraising event coaching as we adjust and recover from COVID-19. To apply, use the link in the Free Consultants and Coaches section of the San Diego Business & Nonprofit Crisis Support Network website.