7 Things People Want to See at Your Fundraising Event
Events are a really key part of the fundraising process. After all, they’re a great way to engage donors, since they’re highly effective at encouraging contributions. This makes them one of the best ways to help you to raise more money for your cause or group.
However, events are about more than just your organization. To ensure that they are successful and benefit you, you’ll have to work to make sure that you provide a nice experience for any and all attendees.
There are many things that guests will want out of your event.
For instance, they’ll expect that you will showcase the potential and value of your organization.
They likely will also come for the opportunity to build relationships and community with your group, as well as with other supporters.
Plus, they likely want to have a plain good time.
We’ve compiled a list of fundraising tips, so you can make sure to go above and beyond expectations.
The Importance of Clear Pre-Event Communication
Your event will make its first impression on guests before they walk through the door or sign on for the video call.
The communication leading up to the event is going to set the tone for their overall experience. That’s why it’s really crucial that you make sure that you are transparent when relaying details about the event.
However, this can get challenging since there is so much going on in the early planning stages, and event specifics may change or get updated as the date draws closer.
Fortunately, there are tools that can help you manage the exchange of information with guests before your event and ensure that everything is crystal clear and understood.
Maintaining good communication in the pre-event stage often comes down to the software that you use.
You have so many other things to focus on that you should be utilizing a program to help manage the minutia. That’s why great registration software is actually the best thing to help you communicate clearly and simply with everyone attending your event.
You’ll especially want to invest in the right tool because almost all of the things that people really want from your event are actually going to tie back to this software.
If you’re trying to engage donors, you want to be sure to offer a smooth experience from start to finish. Here’s our list of the top 7 things that people will want to see at your event so you can have an easy fundraising experience:
1. User-Friendly Registration Software
To start, people want the registration process to be really smooth.
They likely expect that they will receive a confirmation email with all of the event information as soon as they confirm their attendance. The goal is for guests to be able to arrive without issue and without any question of what they should do and where they should go.
Any instructions for the check-in process, parking, directions to the venue, etc., should all be supplied in a confirmation email so that people can plan accordingly.
So if the program you use doesn’t send this information in emails automatically, then you’re using the wrong software.
Registration systems aren’t just to improve the guest’s experience and engage donors, they also will benefit those running the show.
The right program can help you collect and organize all of the relevant data about attendees, such as their special requests, dietary preferences, and seating preferences.
There are a ton of reasons that a registration system can benefit your event, but the general idea is that they make everything more polished, help things run more efficiently, and aid in helping you develop your donors, not just pull off an accurate guest count.
Fortunately, FundEasy’s Attendance software is an excellent program that can simplify the registration process, automate confirmation emails, and more.
This is an event planning wizard. It offers no-hassle registration, as well as communication tools, a time-saving table assignment feature, quick check-ins, etc. Attendance is ideal for galas, banquets, etc., however, it can aid the planning of many types, including in-person, virtual, and hybrid fundraising events.
In terms of registration, Attendance will allow you to customize the form that gathers information from attendees.
This is great because it ensures that you can make sure anything you need to know is collected. Plus all the data is able to be viewed, sorted, analyzed, and worked into your planning process.
2. Easy Check-in and Arrival
Once the guests show up for the event, you want to start things off on the right foot.
That means you need to have a seamless check-in process, free of long lines and confusion.
Paper sign-ins and manual protocols slow things down, and set the wrong tone for your event.
Fortunately, one of the many perks of Attendance is that it has a live check-in app to really streamline the experience.
With the live check-in app component of Attendance, you’ll be able to stay organized and on top of things.
There won’t be long lines to enter the event because sign-ins will be a breeze.
Plus, if there are any adjustments that need to be made along the way, you can handle that all within the app as needed. There will always be a change or two that you need to make on the fly, but Attendance will help ensure that they never cause the smallest hiccup.
Furthermore, you’ll be able to log all the data on who showed up for easy review at a later date.
No longer will you need to manually input information into a spreadsheet! Attendance will help you analyze the stats that your event generates, such as the number of walk-ins, no-shows, etc.
So when guests arrive, because you were so clear in your earlier communication, they should know where to go to check in immediately.
From there, it shouldn’t be hard to engage donors.
Attendance can help you really start off right because the sign-in process will be seamless and you’ll be able to focus on guiding attendees to the next step of the experience.
3. Straightforward Instructions
Once at the event space, the next steps should always be clear and apparent.
Your guests should never have to question what they should be doing and where they need to go or risk getting lost in the venue.
If you want to really engage donors, you can never have too many resources like signs, greeters, table hosts, etc., at an event.
When deciding what instructions you will provide, and the format they will take, you should put yourself in the shoes of a “first timer”.
Pretend that you know nothing about your organization or event location.
Is the venue confusing to navigate? Are there materials that guests should collect, or actions they need to take before the event begins? You’ll need to guide your guests through every step.
That’s why it’s a very good idea to strategically place signs that help direct attendees. Make sure the language is simple and easy to understand!
Greeters are an additional touch that can really go a long way towards ensuring guests have a good experience. They provide a welcoming atmosphere and can answer any questions that arise upon arrival.
If attendees have further questions once the event starts, there should always be a table host for them to turn to.
Table hosts are vital for both online and in-person events and can help offer a personal touch.
With Attendance, table hosts can even be empowered to further assist. They can manage their own guest lists, so there’s one less thing for you to do when planning and coordinating the event.
Even if you’re using Table Hosts to help recruit new guests at your event, you will also likely have tables of “general registrants” as well. These are guests who weren’t invited by a table host.
If that’s the case, be sure to select a “Table Host” for each general registration table.
This Host should be a staff or volunteer with your nonprofit. Their job will be to foster conversation at the table, represent your organization, and ensure that all donations given that night get to the right person at the end!
4. Updates About Your Organization
Once the event is in full swing, attendees are certain to expect some background information.
They will want to know more about your group, as well as its stances and cause.
Your guests have taken the time and effort to attend your event, so you definitely should help them feel involved by telling them about your organization.
When deciding what knowledge to share, you’ll want to put yourself in the shoes of a guest again. However, this time, you should think about two perspectives: that of someone entirely new to your group, as well as that of a long-time supporter and donor.
If you engage donors by sharing organizational updates, you’re fostering a sense of ownership between them and your organization.
When guests are in the know, they’re more connected - which brings great value to your event.
You don’t want people to walk away wondering what the point of attending was. They should always feel like they have learned something new and have participated in something of significance.
5. Clear next steps to get involved
If you have guests present, that means they are interested in your organization. They have attended because they want to learn more about your group and what you do. There are likely others there who are already invested in your cause.
If you’ve done your job probably explaining your organization and your needs, then they’ll be ready to be mobilized.
Engage donors right away. Take advantage of their immediate interest and desire to get further involved.
If you don’t capitalize on it while they are actively engaged, you may struggle to get them motivated again at a later date. So, you don’t want to shy away from plugging people in with your organization’s needs!
Let them know what they can do to help, whether that’s volunteering, donating, or taking other actions.
Just like with everything else, you’ll want to be really clear and explicit in your instructions. Minimizing any chance of confusion will maximize your results.
6. Value
Never let an attendee walk away wondering if they wasted their time by attending your event.
The value of your fundraiser should always be front and center. This is where you can educate them on your organization’s successes and spending. If they have donated or are considering contributing, they’ll want to know where the money goes.
Spend some time illustrating what your organization has accomplished and what your next objectives are.
This, again, creates connectedness and brings value to your guests. It says that you trust them with your organization's information!
Furthermore, explain how their generosity can help you reach your group’s goals.
You should be detailed enough that they feel informed and satisfied with the answer you provide, but there’s no need to dig into the nitty gritty and minutia.
Simply provide them with a high-level understanding of how your organization hopes to make an impact with their funding.
You can engage donors by helping all guests feel confident that you will make the most of their investment.
7. Fun!
Your organization’s mission and branding likely played a key role in driving event attendance.
However, you still want to make sure that you provide guests with a good time, and more than just a chance to write a check.
If they enjoy themselves, it will help ensure that they come to future events.
Furthermore, providing quality experiences helps reinforce that you are a quality organization.
There are lots of different forms of entertainment that you can center your event around. Auctions, performances, competitions, etc., are all common fundraising activities that are useful in helping you to engage donors.
You’ll want the type of event that you choose to match the tone of your organization and cause, but make sure that guests can have a nice time.
A good theme can also go a long way to making your event an unforgettable experience. It offers guests an opportunity to dress up and make unique memories.
Aspects of the evening, like the catering and entertainment, should all be held to a high standard as well.
It’s not enough to just offer attendees some food and music, it has to be a decisively good meal and pleasant atmosphere for them to really enjoy the event.
If you focus on providing a fun experience for your guests, you can help build loyalty and a strong base of support.
They’ll be more likely to come to future events, which also means you can probably count on further contributions from them as well.
Therefore, keeping your event enjoyable is going to directly impact your fundraising, as well as the overall experience.
In Closing
There are a lot of different factors that contribute to the success of a fundraising event.
You need to make sure that the purpose and benefit of the night are clear, both in terms of what the experience offers the guest and how your organization plans to use any money that is raised.
Furthermore, you’ll want to ensure that the process leading up to the event is smooth sailing if you really want to engage donors.
The actual circumstances of the event are up to you as the event planner, but you can definitely get some help with managing registration, communication, and more.
Programs like Attendance can go a long way toward streamlining your event planning. This software can take care of the busy work, so you can focus on the finer details.
If you'd like to learn more about our Peer-to-peer, Attendance, or Crowdfunding products, please reach out! We'd love to chat.
Also, if you haven't joined already, we have an exclusive Facebook Group just for our customers! If you are a current FundEasy Customer and would like to join, go here to learn more and request to be added!
Crystal Hoag
This article was inspired by our customers and written to encourage your fundraising efforts. Although we work with nonprofits and events daily, our team members are not Event Consultants. We encourage you to consult with your event consultant, executive team, and/or affiliate organization before making any major changes to your events.
