How to Plan a Fundraising Campaign

October 24, 2014

Deciding to hold a fundraiser or fundraising event for your nonprofit organization is a great step forward for your group.  Just remember, successful events and fundraisers don’t just happen – they require careful planning and follow through.  To avoid some common fundraising mistakes, here are a few tips to help you plan a fundraising campaign.

How to Plan a Fundraising Campaign

Use these tips and tricks to plan out a fundraising timeline for your organization.

Volunteers

Once your fundraising committee has decided on the type of fundraiser to utilize, as well as the time, date and location, often the next big issue is man power.  Whether your fundraiser is a wine tasting event or a brick campaign, you will still need dozens of volunteers over a period of many weeks.  Consider all the tasks that will need to be accomplished throughout your campaign to avoid those fundraising mistakes, then map those duties out over the upcoming weeks to create your volunteer timeline.

Communication

Throughout your fundraising campaign the communication committee will need to handle both internal and external communication, utilizing both traditional channels and social media.  The communication timeline begins with committee members reaching out to prospective volunteers by phone and email to fill staffing needs.

At about the same time, word will also need to go out to the local community about your upcoming fundraiser through press releases, social media or Save the Date cards.  Next on the agenda, the communication team should create fliers to promote the fundraiser – in hard copy and soft copy.  As the event or kickoff approaches, the communication committee should continue keeping volunteers and the public informed about the upcoming fundraiser through social media and email, while also letting them know about your convenient online ordering system.

Preparations

In the last days before your event or fundraiser kickoff, your volunteers will probably spend a lot of time together in order to:

  • Prepare food
  • Work on last minute publicity
  • Clean or decorate the event space
  • Move furniture/set out tables and chairs
  • Work on songs or skits to present at the event
  • Arrange gift baskets or silent auction items
  • Learn how to use fundraising software such as the Bricks R Us app

The Big Day

The end of your timeline signals the day of your event or the kickoff of your fundraiser, like a brick campaign.  Either way it’s not the end yet.  You’re so close, don’t make any of those silly fundraising mistakes now!  Don’t forget to:

  • Schedule a photographer
  • Get a few extra volunteers on hand for last minute emergencies
  • Thank everyone who has helped so far!

At Bricks R Us, we understand that you want a simple, smooth and successful fundraising process while also avoiding any fundraising mistakes.  If you’re considering holding a brick fundraiser, please contact us today for more information on creating a timeline for your fundraising campaign.

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