If there’s one thing we’ve learned about planning a fundraising event, it’s that it takes a village. If you want a dynamic fundraising event experience, you need a team to help you achieve it.
At Boundless, we know how important it is to deliver a seamless non profit fundraising event that provides your guests with an unforgettable experience that helps to showcase your mission and inspire donors to support your fundraising cause.
Here’s a guide to getting started on the fundraising event planning process:
First, plan a kickoff meeting with all members of your fundraising event team to lay a solid foundation by creating a detailed event timeline, establishing a reasonable budget, and pinpointing your directives and goals for your benefit auction.
We believe that a great meeting starts with a great agenda. Thinking through the key elements that need to be discussed in conjunction with your event timeline will eliminate non-time-sensitive talking points.
It’s also important for one person to maintain control of the meeting throughout the duration of your time together. This includes making final decisions, creating event action items, and keeping everyone on track.
This is a great opportunity to put together an action plan for your fundraising event or virtual event. This could include your budget, preferred vendors, and production schedule!
This will get everyone on the same page and give your team the opportunity to share objectives, set expectations, and establish the event timeline.
It is also a chance to get your team hyped up for all the amazing things they are about to achieve for your non profit organization and community!
Next, host a brainstorming session for all key players. This will give everyone a voice at the table to share their insights and ideas about their vision for the fundraising event, as well as build a strong infrastructure by integrating your key vendors, securing any in-kind support, and developing an inspiring run of show. Integrate key players even further by selecting the right voices to tell your story. Think “who is the right voice to convey the message?” Whether this is a board member, recipient of your services, or professional benefit host and auctioneer, choosing the right people to tell your story will make a big difference in how your donors respond.
After the brainstorming session, look into the overall aesthetic of the event. During this phase, you’ll want to consider how the event will look in terms of design, run of show, and details. While it’s easy to get caught up in the details, you’ll want to focus on making sure your message is clear and your design and communication is the best reflection of your non profit mission.
You’ll want to devote time crafting an exceptional sponsor deck, producing emotional appeal videos, creating engaging design collateral, and setting up your registration and fundraising tools.
Above all else – don’t forget to put together a great communication plan to make it easy for team members and your guests to engage with you!
Stay on top of the details along the way such as minding your budget, managing your in-kind donors, and delivering on your sponsor benefits.
Lastly, tie all the pieces together by conducting a thorough overview of all key elements, pushing out a strong communications plan, and finalize your execution strategy.
As event day approaches, remain calm! You’ve maintained an organized timeline and clearly communicated with your team, and now it’s time to see your hard work pay off!
Did you know we provide Committee Management, Auctioneer, Emcee & Host services, Volunteer Coordination, and Board Activation? Give us a call today to learn more about our Key Player Management Services.
At Boundless, we know how much work is involved here! Give us a call or email us today if you’d like to learn more about how we can support you in your event efforts.
The BOUNDLESS WAY
We love to make a difference in people’s lives. Whether it’s relieving clients of stress, communicating with vendors, or cultivating relationships with causes or donors, we are passionate about creating personal connections in everything we do. Our approach is simple; first we listen, next we strategize, then we perform. We make an Impact.
We will always strive for perfection & unyielding compassion, driving ourselves and each other to be better. We will be persistent in this endeavor, and work as a team to achieve it. We will be quietly ambitious. After all, a person’s reach should exceed his grasp. We will always push ourselves to deliver creativity, awesome personal service, and unique ideas to meet our clients’ needs. We will always look to go above and beyond, and be at the forefront of new ideas. After all, research and discovery are the fuel of advantage.
Our culture is paramount to us. We support, encourage and challenge each other – to be caring, passionate and resourceful. We are a great cause that works for great causes.
The BOUNDLESS Motto
Meaningful Interaction. Inspired purpose. Strategic Impact.
The BOUNDLESS Purpose
Through compassion, storytelling and the understanding of human generosity, we help non-profits showcase their mission, inspire engagement and amplify their voice. Our commitment is to create lasting impact.
