No matter how worthy your nonprofit’s cause, you won’t automatically attract funds.  Sometimes you have to start with the basics; fundraising. Successful fundraising requires organization, a simple implementation strategy, a plan to motivate your volunteers and something to offer in return for the “donor” support.

Many nonprofits are sitting on a pile of gold and they don’t even realize it.  There are numerous volunteers, private foundations, businesses and individuals interested in helping, but it’s up to your organization to network and engage the community in your mission with proven fundraising strategies.

Below are 5 simple fundraising events that can get you started!

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It’s summertime, and it’s a great time for any organization to really push their fundraising efforts! Car washes, walk-a-thons, chicken bbq’s… all of these are great ideas and they can really aid in bringing in a few dollars; but wouldn’t you rather they bring in a few hundred dollars? Any organization can easy walk away from a simple summer fundraiser with well over $1,000, if they go the extra mile to publicize the event. 

This does not mean you have to spend a ton of money on paid advertising.  There are actually many ways to promote your organization’s event that will cost you just about nothing but time. The following tips will help you get the knowledge and understanding of simple promotional tactics that can get you on your way to a successful summer fundraising event!

Promotional Tactics that won’t Bust the Budget!

Send out a Press Release: Having a press release for your event could possibly be one of the most important things any organization should do.  Not only can you submit your event’s press release to your local media (TV stations, newspapers, radio stations etc.), but you can also use it to find donors and vendors for the event at local grocery stores for supply stores.

Use your Social Networking Skills: Social Networking has added new ways to conduct business and build your organizations awareness. By utilizing it, you have the ability to form communities, groups and events with others interested in your cause.

Go Back to the Roots of Marketing, Word of Mouth: Mixing new methods of marketing and PR with more traditional methods will highly benefit the results of any campaign.  Still today, over 90% of customers identify word of mouth as the best, most reliable and trustworthy source about ideas and information on products, services and events. So tell everyone one you know, then tell them to tell everyone they know.

Update Current Constituents with an Email Blast: By maintaining a constant stream of communication with your current members and donors, not only will you form a better relationship with them, but you will keep them on the radar with your current happenings!

The importance of Public Relations is often under-minded as something only for large organizations and corporations.  The truth is, PR comes in many shapes and sizes for everyone, and any organization with a message to share should be using PR to promote that message.

More and more organizations are using charity auctions to supplement their fundraising. Charity auctions can be profitable and fun, however to ensure success organizational administrators must undertake careful planning and maintain an eye for details. The amount of time necessary to plan such an event will vary depending on how large scale an auction your organization wants to undertake. For a major event with widespread awareness, a minimum of 6 to 9 months is required.

Before beginning, it must be determined that the organization possesses adequate funding to cover up-front costs associated with the auction. These will include items such as invitations, advertising, food, drinks, decorations, location, entertainment, lighting, gift bags, the auctioneer, and more. Once the budget is set, a fundraising goal should be calculated. The fundraising goal should include the costs associated with the event, as well as the additional amount that is needed to be raised to cover necessary program expenses.

Volunteers will need to be recruited to be responsible for decorations, publicity, coordinating volunteers, the auction itself, cleaning up after the event, and of course procuring items for the auction. Without exciting items on auction, the chances of you reaching your fundraising goal are slim. Event coordinators should try to put together packages and items that are unique-something you can’t find just anywhere. Make sure the items will appeal to the audience you are inviting. Use whatever connections you and your constituents have to bring in quality items for your auction.

One major contributor to a successful charity auction is publicity. Publicize! The more people hear about your charity auction and get excited about it, the better your chances of selling more tickets and reaching your goals. Depending on the budget, you can utilize direct mailing, TV ads, radio ads, newspaper ads, or anything else that will reach your target audience. Reach out to local media to utilize free PSA time.

Keep in mind that to be successful you’ll also need to concentrate on drawing an appropriate crowd. If you expect quality people to attend your auction every year and donate to your organization, you need to make it an event worth attending. It should be referred to as “the party of the season”, or “the event not to be missed!” Stay focused on the guest list. You don’t have to convince your core supporters to attend since they will always be there for you. Rather, you are after the “swing” attendees in the community – the movers and shakers who make the rounds to the best events. These people are going to attend someone’s party; they just haven’t decided whose. All things being equal, they tend to focus on the fundraiser that offers something better than the rest. Create an atmosphere that is impossible to resist, and they’ll arrive ready to spend.

Finally, be prepared to give quality information to your donors about their contribution. Donors who purchase items at a charity auction may claim a charitable contribution deduction for the excess of the purchase price paid for an item over its fair market value. The donor must be able to show, however, that he or she knew that the value of the item was less than the amount paid. For example, a charity may publish a catalog, given to each person who attends an auction, providing a good faith estimate of items that will be available for bidding. Assuming the donor has no reason to doubt the accuracy of the published estimate, if he or she pays more than the published value, the difference between the amount paid and the published value may constitute a charitable contribution deduction.