Tips For Successful Fundraising Events: The Giving Carnival for March 2008

Welcome to the March 2008 issue of the Giving Carnival. The Giving Carnival provides you with the best blog posts on the topic of Giving.

The theme for March 2008 is: Tips For Successful Fundraising Events.

Check out each of the blog posts listed below. Apply one or more of the tips to make your next fundraising event more successful.

A Tale of Two Special Events

by Joanne Fritz

During the worst special event I ever attended, I excused myself and hung out in the restroom until I thought the guest speaker was probably done with her awful speech.

She was a well-known actress who thought we would all be as interested in her life story as she was, including many lurid details. Her speech seemed to go on forever, making me think the event planners had either not given her a time limit, or that she had ignored it. more>>

Leadership Tips for Successful Fundraising Events

by Christopher Scott

I really like Roger Carr’s topic for this month’s Giving Carnival. I’ve always believed that principles are important, but small tips are just as important when you add them all together. So I’ve put together Six Leadership Tips for Successful Fundraising Events.

Six Tips for Leaders of Successful Fundraising Events

1) Start Early - I started working on the outline for this article a little more than three weeks before it was due to Roger. I easily could have wrote it the night before the deadline, more>>

Successful Fundraising Event? "Share Why You Care"

by Michael Gibbons

Charity Navigator evaluates over 5,300 of "America's largest charities." [that does not include the thousands more local and grassroot organizations let alone bake sales, car washes & candy sales] and you wonder why it's hard to fundraise, hard to set your cause apart!? The point: Almost all of these are worthy causes with good caring people committed to making them successful. The Problem: So many good causes and smart people make it very hard for charities to differentiate and for donors to decide who to support -- in fact some people opt out all together understandably overwhelmed.

So what to do? How do you make YOUR fundraising event successful,  more>>

Tips on Fundraising Events

by Marc A. Pitman

I’m not an “events” person but they do seem a necessary evil in our field.

And to be fair, they do have lots of other benefits: visibility, engaging volunteers, etc.

So when I saw that this month’s Giving Carnival topic was “Tips For Successful Fundraising Events,” I knew I had to chime in.

The best tip I ever got about events (other than don’t do them if at all possible!) was: give the event three years before deciding to continue it or not. more>>

Designing Your Event

by Brenda

You’ll be most successful if you’re always thinking of your main goal as you design your event. Are you trying to thank and recognize, educate and make a case for support or raise money? Again, clearly define your goal and design the event from there.

Let’s say you decide that your major donors should see the facility first hand and understand how their support made it possible. What are some creative ways to reach your audience? more>>

Fundraising, Grant Writing, Mission-Success, Community Building; It's All the Same

by Arlene Spencer

Think back to the last donation that you gave. Some issue or cause concerned you. When you decided which organization, specifically, to give the donation to, what factors did you consider in choosing which organization would receive it? What motivated you to eventually give to the specific organization that you did?

To help you raise more money for your non profit in an ethical, professional, legal, and effective method, consider the following logic. more>>

Comments

[Christopher Scott]

Roger-

I really enjoyed your topic for this month.

Do we know who is hosting for next month?

[Roger Carr]

Hi Christopher,

Thanks for your contribution to the Giving Carnival this month. I am glad you enjoyed the topic. There is not a host for next month at this time. I am currently requesting volunteers.

[Michael Gibbons]

Roger, really nice job with the carnival -- I am off to read and explore the other selected carnival(ers)
Roger is there a topic set for next month yet?
Thanks of making me look so good this March!

[Roger Carr]

Michael,
Thanks for submitting a post this month. I am glad you are checking out the other posts.

I will announce next month's host/topic as soon as it is finalized. I will also post it at the Giving Carnival "Google Group."

[candy bar fundraising tips]

Fundraising events are full of fun and usually variety. There are nonprofit fundraising events that involve entire communities, and some that include a smaller group. Usually these fundraising events are fun for most of the people involved. With some great organization,

[Samuel Omweri]

Dear sir/Madam,
I,m really interested to partcipate in the programm of those who voluuteers thems selves to help others , mostly orphans , disabilities, aged and others,
my is not solved and trusted to be improved and encouraged in anyway,
We hear and see how other people are helped here in kenya by good samaritan or voluteers,
I, doing that locally in Kenya and kisii at Tabaka area, still i,m an able to comprise the work of helpping the children withouth parents who are not yet known and assisted , Academically , clothings , food and shelter.
Since, I,m interested in that work i, hace ceated a project making Beads and handcrafts carvings to see those children who are older that they have something to keep them busy and earn something for their daily bread and even surport their brothers and sisters who are young to surverve or live.
Now i, sreghten my hand for surpot from any one to assist us marking or be partnership with us to sell these product in order to get funds from them to surpot these people and develop our communities at large
we hope to co operate with you in all ways possible to help others.

[Sandy]

Great information! Really helpful fund raising info.
Our nonprofit group is connected to www.nonpfofitshoppingmall.com and it is such an easy way to raise money for our group cause all you have to do is shop. This site is a must-use from anyone in the nonprofit sector!

[candy bar]

Thanks for your six leadership funraising tips. If we follow this tips the fundraising event will be full of fun, interesting and enthusiatic .....

[car donation]

Charity Navigator evaluates over 5300 of "America's largest charities." [that does not include the thousands more local and grassroot organizations let alone bake sales, car donation & candy sales] and you wonder why it's hard to .

[fundraiscandies]

Very informative blog. Good tips on fundraising events.