Getting the Most from Your Fundraiser, Pt. 1: Goals

For board members, volunteers, staff, and other folks focused on putting on a spring fundraising event, I offer a few tips to ensure your getting the best result for your efforts: First, set some goals. Start by determining how much your organization wants to raise (net) from your event. (If yours is a spring event, hopefully, you have already done this already.)          Do not settle for a goal of “as much as possible,” a decision that can result in a variety of unfortunate consequences, such as this: “As much as possible” means $10,000 to board members Ted, Terry, and Tess; and $50,000 to board members Barb, Barry, and Bertha, who bust their butts because they want to reach their goal. Ted, Terry, and Tess work a lot less to attain their more modest goal than do Barb, Barry and Bertha, whose goal demands more effort (at least for this event). There is bickering. Boycotting of board meetings. Backing off of fundraising commitments, and other bad stuff. Here’s an example of another unfortunate consequence: Your board doesn’t decide how much revenue it wants to have raised after all expenses (including staff time!) have been paid. As a result, it is hard for members to agree on how much money they are willing to invest in the event. Problems ensue. (See above for examples.) Second, determine your other goals. You do have at least one other goal, don’t you? In general, for most organizations, there should always be another goal. That goal should be more friendship, by which I mean: -making more organizational friends (donors, volunteers, people who recommend your group to others), and -deepening the involvement in your organization of current friends. Side note: I am going to use the term “friends” to refer to donors, volunteers, and other supporters of your organization; it suggests a more reciprocal relationship between the donor/volunteer/other and the organization than do the terms “donor” and “volunteer.” Why care about reciprocity? In my experience, it promotes a relationship that is more equitable and more effective in serving the interests of both your organization and its supporters (friends).

Back to the discussion at hand – the friendship goal. To attain more friendship, it's   necessary to find and use the overlap between the interests, relationships, skills, and resources of your organization's friends (and potential friends) and the interests, opportunities and resources associated with your organization.  And to find out how to find this overlap, check back: I’ll continue this discussion in my next post.

If You Are Raising Money For Your Local High School, Read This!

Right now, high schools have a prime opportunity to raise quick money: prom season. U.S. families whose kids are going to their prom are expected to spend an average of $1139 - per family - in 2013. 

Here's one example of how to translate that spending into fundraising capital: Make a list of all the businesses that prom-goers will patronize (e.g. florists, restaurants, tuxedo rentals, shoe stores, dress stores, nail and hair salons, car washes...). Contact these businesses, tell them how many kids are expected to attend your school's prom and how much prom-goers are likely to spend, and ask businesses to donate 30% of their profits during the two weeks before prom to your school's PTA/student council/other. Explain that in return, your school PTA/student council/other will urge prom goers to patronize their business via posters placed throughout the school and community, the school paper, community papers, social media, the school website, etc. 

Already had your high school prom? There's always Homecoming ..