Organize a Benefit
A benefit is an event that helps raise money for a charity. Organizing a fundraising benefit requires a lot of planning time and deliberation. If implemented successfully, you can secure donors for the event and future events. To organize an event, spend time making basic decisions about the event, plan well ahead of time, and keep things running smoothly during the event.
Contents
Steps
Making Decisions
- Learn about the cause you're supporting. The best way to inspire people to donate is to truly care. The more you know about your cause, the more others will be inspired to help.
- You may already know quite a bit about your cause. However, it can never hurt to educate yourself further. Spend some time reading about whatever you're raising money for. Try to stay up to date on all the current research and news article about the issue.
- You might also want to look into research on fundraising and benefits themselves. Try to keep track of what kinds of fundraisers have been successful in the past. What kind of gimmicks, entertainment, auctions, and other common types of benefits have traditionally been successful regarding this type of event?
- Determine the event type. Before you make any other plans regarding a benefit, you need to spend some time determining the type of event you're hosting. Benefits come in a variety of forms. Try to pick a benefit that's doable for you given your resources and is appropriate for your cause.
- Smaller events usually come in the form of bake sales, car washes, craft fairs, beauty pageants, karaoke contests, and other low stakes competitions. Such events are fairly easy to plan and do not cost much to put on.
- If your'e looking for a bigger event, something like a benefit concert, wine and food tasting, raffle, silent auction, or fancy ball. Such events are generally more complicated and expensive but they may draw in bigger money depending on your area and target donors.
- Research before making any plans. See what kinds of events other charities or organizations in your area are throwing. If a charity is throwing a benefit concert around the same time you were planning your event, you might want to pick a different event type to avoid competition.
- Keep the values of the organization you're hosting in mind before making a decision. You do not want to choose an event type that wouldn't mesh with your organization's values. If you're hosting a benefit for a local addiction center, you probably don't want to host a wine tasting. If you're running a benefit for an animal welfare organization, a steak dinner might not be a great idea.
- Look into laws and regulations. Things like taxes, permits, the buying and selling of food and alcohol, and other aspects of running a benefit are all affected by different laws and regulations. Such standards vary by state. Make sure you review local laws. Consider hiring an attorney if you're confused about the legality of any of your choices. Stop by your local courthouse and ask for information about laws and regulations regarding events and benefits. You can also check your state government website.
- Build a team. You cannot run a benefit on your own. Once you've made a decision about the event type, build a team to get your idea off the ground.
- Consider how many volunteers will be needed. A small, simple event like a raffle really only needs a handful of workers. However, bigger events will require more help.
- Look for people with a variety of skill sets. Try breaking down the duties of running your event into a series of categories: fundraising, advertising, public relations, etc., and estimate how many volunteers you'll need on each team.
- You can recruit volunteers in many ways. Colleges and universities have a lot of students looking for experience and resume builders. If you're part of an organization related to the cause, many people would likely be happy to help out. Ask friends you know with specific skills. Say your cousin Michael works as a social media coordinator for a local business. See if he can help you with the online aspects of advertising.
- Also, consider any people you will need to run the benefit the day of. Do you need waitstaff, bartenders, musicians, stage coordinators?
Planning the Event
- Set a date and time for your event. Early on, you should decide on a date and time for your event. This will be vital information down the line as you book a location and advertise.
- Do some research about your audience and event type. If you're hosting a benefit concert with alcohol, it might be a good idea to plan the event on a weekend night. If you're hosting a bake sale and selling foods at a local grocery store, a weekday night might be a better option. Ask the store about their biggest shopping days.
- Choose a date well in advance. It takes a lot to plan a benefit and you want to make sure you have adequate time to plan.
- Take advantage of holidays. People often feel more generous around Christmastime. If possible, try to schedule an event around Christmas.
- Find a location. Once you've set a date, work on finding a location. Unless you're planning an outdoor event, you'll need to find a venue willing to host your benefit. Since you are hosting an event to benefit a charity, you can consider asking whether the venue would be willing to donate use of the space, or offer a reduced booking rate.
- When selecting a location, there are some factors you should consider. How well known is the location with your main audience? Is it easily accessible? Is a politically neutral ground where people of a variety of backgrounds will feel comfortable? Is it big enough for the estimated turn out? Does it have the necessary equipment you'll need for the event type?
- Once you've determined the type of venue that would best suit your needs, make a list of options. It's a good idea to have 3 or 4 top choices as well as a few locations to fall back on. Start making phone calls. See what venues would be willing to host your event, how much they will charge, and what rules and regulations you'll have to adhere to. See what venue bests suits your needs and is the most economically viable.
- Consider cost. What is your budget for the event and what can you reasonably afford? Most organizations have a budget set aside for booking events. Keep that amount in mind when booking an event.
- Advertise. As the event gets closer, you'll need to work on advertising. In addition to traditional means of advertising, branch out into the world of online advertising and social media.
- Traditional means of advertising include fliers, radio ads, handbills, personalized invitations, newspaper ads, and other physical means of getting the word out. Budget for these types of advertising, especially if you live in a smaller area.
- You need to have a social media presence, especially if you live in a larger area. People are increasingly reliant on e-invites and Facebook notifications when it comes to making plans. Have a Facebook page for the event. Interact with your audience before the event. Share updates on your own personal social media platforms as often as possible.
- Determine donation methods. If you're taking donations at a benefit, you need to determine payment methods. Will people be paying in cash? With their cards? Are donations collected ahead of time or are people expected to give money at the event? You should determine this before you host the event. You should also find a way to keep money secure if people are donating then and there. Look into a locked cashbox and make sure you have a staff member willing to guard the money.
- Take safety precautions. Make sure you have a plan in the event of an emergency or accident. Have a first aid kit on hand. Make sure you know the location of your venue's emergency exit and fire extinguisher.
- Consider small details. Remember all the small details involved in your event. If you're organizing a raffle, keep in mind you need to buy tickets. You also need to find a way to get donors to donate small items to be raffled off. If you're hosting a dinner, calculate the cost of food, drinks, staff, and invitations.
- A detailed list, including a menu if your event will have food, will help you keep track of everything.
Throwing the Benefit
- Arrive early to make sure everything's prepared. If you're hosting the benefit, arrive a few hours early the day of the event. You need to make sure everything is prepared.
- Double check all aspects of the event. Are enough chairs and tables out? Are all the performers or speakers still able to attend? Are microphones and other electronics working? Do volunteers know their jobs?
- Help out with the set up at the beginning of the event and the clean up afterwards. Even if you see yourself as primarily an organizer, volunteers doing physical labor will always appreciate a helping hand.
- Keep guests entertained. As the event progresses, make sure guests are entertained. Guests who are having a good time are more likely to donate. Do not be overbearing but check in on occasion to make sure everyone is having a good time.
- Periodically sweep through the event checking on everyone present. If you notice anyone looking bored, chat them up a bit. Try to introduce them to others or suggest something they can do as entertainment.
- Keep track of how the entertainment is going over. You do not want to rehire someone in the future who bored guests or whose act did not go over well.
- Evaluate the event afterwards. After the event commences, spend some time honestly evaluating your work. If you want to host benefits in the future, use this as a learning experience. What went over the best at the event? What went over the worst? What do you think you could have done better to help things run smoother?
Tips
- Make sure that you document the event accordingly. You may want to hire a photographer or ask someone to volunteer their time. You can use these pictures to motivate future success at fundraising.
