Donation drives are important for quickly reallocating resources to community members who need them most. Follow these six tips to make the most of your drive.
Where to Start Your Opening Bids in an Auction
By Renee Zau, CEO of DonationMatch
Every year, Benefit Auctioneer Sherry Truhlar is asked by a few auction chairs, “Sherry, let’s review the opening bids on these live auction items. Where shall we start them?”
In this video and the post that follows it, she addresses why you shouldn’t care about opening bids. The science behind it is just as important for increasing your results from your silent auctions, too.
[Thanks for being so generous about sharing your insider knowledge, Sherry!]
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Benefit auctioneer Sherry Truhlar publishes "Benefit Auction Ideas," a bi-monthly e-zine for auction chairs seeking to improve the financial results of their charity auctions. Get your own copy - and a complementary procurement gift - at www.RedAppleAuctions.com.
Introducing Free Event Help in Bite-Size Pieces
By Renee Zau, Co-founder & CEO, DonationMatch
Recently a new benefit was offered to nonprofits who opt for our DonationMatch Pro Event Page upgrade--a one-on-one coaching session with an expert fundraising event planner. We introduced this largely to assist volunteers who were newer to the world of fundraising events, often without help from former committees.
Over the years, however, I've gathered a trove of clever hacks and fixes from which I think most event committees could benefit. These are now being shared as our new series of "Event Organizer Pro Tips." Follow DonationMatch on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest to receive them. (Thanks to Nailah of social communications agency Donna + Nailah for inspiring this idea!)
Do you have your own list of "must do's"? I'd love to hear what they are in the comments below!
Event Organizer Pro Tip
Using Social Media to Promote Your Event
By Juliet Davenport, Nonprofit Ambassador, DonationMatch Spring fundraising time is among us. How are you planning to promote your event? According to Socialable, one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal should be social media. Because of its wide audience reach, social media can be used to "increase registration, increase buzz, and ultimately increase attendance." However, in considering your social media platform, it's important to keep in mind who your target audience is and how they interact online. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are likely your best options.
Another boost is the new Pro Event page upgrade on DonationMatch. It has built-in extra help for your event to get found by search engines like Google and Bing and Facebook sharing widgets. What makes it super convenient is automatic donor promotion and the ability to export donation details.
For details on using social media to help promote your event, and for useful tools to help you manage it, read more on Socialable's post here.
How are you using social media to promote your event?
Are You Ready for an Event?
6 steps to determine if a fundraising event is what your organization really needs
Guest Post by Krista Berry, Owner & Principal Consultant at KB Consulting
I recently had the pleasure of working with a small, energetic non-profit organization that originally contacted me to plan their first fundraising event. Like any event management professional, my first step before diving into the planning elements was to conduct a needs assessment so I could better understand the job.
After my first conversation with the board of directors it was very clear to me that the organization wasn’t ready for a big fundraising event (yet). I discovered that, like many organizations, the event was their solution to raise funds to sustain programs and operations, but they had some critical planning that needed to be addressed first, so they were uncertain how to proceed. As a non-profit consultant, I quickly adjusted my role and recommended they take the time to organize a board planning session to prioritize what they should do and what they should NOT do this year.
While an event can be a great way for non-profits to fundraise, it’s imperative that younger organizations take the time to complete a needs assessment before they start planning a big event to avoid getting in over their head.
Now it’s your turn! Answer these 6 questions to determine if a fundraising event is feasible for your organization this year:
Why? The purpose of the event – this will be the foundation for any future planning.
What? The desired outcome of the event.
Who? The scope of audience and demographic info on attendees.
When? The desired season, date, day and hour that event will take place.
Where? The desired physical location of event including destination/geographical area.
How? The plan to accomplish all of the event elements above.
After I completed these steps with my client they realized that what the organization really needed was a few “friend-raiser” events to recruit more people to serve on their board of directors and to support the organization’s programming. This was a more realistic next step and is also more in line with their 2012 goals. The needs assessment combined with a board planning session helped them create clear objectives for the organization to achieve before they start planning their first fundraising event. And the ROI (return on investment) will be a successful, sustainable event that will continue to grow every year as the organization grows!
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Krista Berry, MS is the Owner & Principal Consultant at KB Consulting specializing in innovative events, workshops and capacity building solutions for non-profits and communities. She has over 10 years of non-profit experience in both San Diego and New York City.
In-kind Partnerships With Nonprofits, Part I
By Renee Zau, Co-founder, DonationMatch A question posed in a LinkedIn group made me reflect on how many (typically small) businesses don't know how to use cause marketing, specifically in-kind (non-cash) marketing, to their advantage. If you have a great product or service, one experience is all you need to convert newbies into customers, even raving fans. How do you get yourself in front of more potential customers without "paying" for it?
- Donate a package or certificate toward an auction, a raffle, or goodie bags. Most event attendees love these, and donors often get publicized both before and after the event. Look at donation request letters as opportunities to get hundreds, even thousands, of eyeballs on your brand. You can do online searches for event calendars, ask your employees and customers about organizations they support, check out community boards, or use DonationMatch (my site) to save time (we make connecting with events, sending pre-filled donation forms, and gift certificate delivery paperless and quick.) One more reason to like auctions: prize winners are the most willing and able to pay more for it than anyone else. You just found your best customer in the room!
- Provide event amenities (photography, food/beverage, decor, spa treatments, etc). For a furniture dealer, it could be VIP seating. Chocolates are popular party favors. I've seen HP and a photographer partner to make ornaments from photos with Santa. And who wouldn't appreciate mini spa treatments or makeup touch-ups from a local beauty product store, spa, or beauty school?
- Help spread the word. Your communications reach is another asset companies tend to forget about. Employees, customers, followers, subscribers... they count. Be familiar with events you choose to promote, make them a good fit for your customers, volunteer if possible, and the added awareness can add to a charitable fundraiser's attendance and success just as much as any monetary donation.
These opportunities are all tied to nonprofit events, my favorite kind, but may be seasonal or harder to find. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this post that gives more everyday ways to help in-kind.
Why not take one lunch break to reach out and explore possibilities with a particularly interesting local organization? And register on DonationMatch to be notified of event opportunities in your market - it's still free in many cities. I (and your local organizations) will love hearing from you!
The Savvy Behind Outrageously Profitable Fundraising Auctions is coming to San Diego!
REGISTRATION IS OPEN! What better way to kick off our DonationMatch blog than to announce our first local event! In partnership with San Diego Association of Nonprofits, DonationMatch is honored to host Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions in beautiful San Diego on November 9th at 8:30 a.m. She'll be bringing her award-winning expertise and experience on fundraising event and auction success to Neighborhood House Association's centrally located auditorium in Kearny Mesa. Who should attend? Volunteers of fundraising event committees, event planners, nonprofit development departments, business owners and managers who want an inside look at how your in-kind donations are promoted, and those interested in making more San Diego nonprofit industry connections. There will also be a free opportunity drawing for all attendees.
Admission is just $10, complimentary for SANDAN members and DonationMatch registered users (including staff and active volunteers). Register today!
