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Doing Special Events To Raise Funds For Your Nonprofit
By: Berwyn Kemp
Special events are one of the most effective ways to raise funds for your organization, increase your donor bases, and get valuable publicity for the work of your nonprofit organization. If done right, if done wrong, your special events won't provide the funds you seek, and will in fact hurt your organization because of the negative word-of-mouth advertising your organization will receive.
Therefore, in doing your special events failure is a luxury your organization quite simply can't afford. Here are some steps you can take to help insure that your special events are done right, so that your organization gets all the benefits that good special events offer. (Article Continues Below)
1. Select a special event chairman for your event. This position should not be held by your board chairman, board members, or your executive director. Because, first these people already have other responsibilities, and second because in selecting your event chairman what you should want to do is to supplement your existing people resources not saddle them with more responsibilities. So don't hesitate to go outside of your organization to find this person, if needed. 2. Carefully plan your special event. One of your key planning tools will be your Event Master Plan, which will cover the kind of event you'll have, when it will be held, and where it will be held. Other important plans you will need are: A Budget Plan; A Funding Plan; A Publicity Plan; A Donor Recognition Plan; A Site Logistics Plan; and a Disaster Plan. (Article Continues Below)
3. Develop an event's timeline to keep your special event on course. For smaller special events you need between 3 to 6 months lead time. And for larger special events you will need between 6 to 9 months lead time, to do your special event right. So be sure you give yourself plenty of time. 4. Set up a special event's committee, as well as all the needed subcommittees.Such committees will include ticket sales committees, a gift solicitation committee, a publicity committee, and others. Because, all fundraising is a people intensive activity and this is nowhere more so than in doing special events, and you will need lots of people to help make your special event a success.
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