Transcript FUNDRAISING FOR BEST RESULTS: Marketing & Promotion, Events and A Case Study of a Capital Campaign Presented by Full Circle Marketing &

FUNDRAISING FOR BEST RESULTS:
Marketing & Promotion, Events and A Case Study of a Capital Campaign
Presented by Full Circle Marketing & Design
FUNDRAISING BASICS
THE 5 W’S. WHO?
• Who are you? What does your 60 second elevator speech say?
• What does your mission statement say about who you are?
• What kind of organization are you - educational, historic, artistic, medical,
philanthropic, help youth, help animals, etc?
• What kind of fundraiser is appropriate for who you are?
• What kind of fundraiser will appeal to your audience?
• Using profiles of your ideal volunteer, board member, donor, will this event
help to attract them? Does it capture their imagination? And their dollars?
• Who makes sense for you to partner with? Leverage your relationships with
other organizations or vendors you trust.
FUNDRAISING BASICS
THE 5 W’S. WHAT?
•
•
•
•
What do you stand for?
Does the fundraiser fit your mission and vision?
What will your neighborhood/target market support?
What will your major donors, city, philanthropic groups support and possibly
help fund?
• What can your non-profit handle with your resources - people, time, budget?
• What are you marketing? What’s in it for the audience - fun, entertainment,
education, a new experience, warm fuzzies/feel good about themselves?
FUNDRAISING BASICS
THE 5 W’S. WHEN?
• Schedule - time of year that’s NOT your busiest, when resources are
available: time to plan and execute, money in budget, full staff &
volunteers
• Season - time of year that makes sense for the kind of event. Consider a
slow time when you need influx of dollars.
• Off-season - may get lower pricing at the venue, hotel
• Avoid Conflicting Dates - with other large, popular, established events in
your community or with a similar organization in the area. I.e. Larimer
Humane Society event same weekend as a Denkai Animal Sanctuary
event may split the same audience.
FUNDRAISING BASICS
THE 5 W’S. WHERE?
• Venue - very important to success! Sets tone, affects size & logistics, what
you charge, usually most costly item
• Like planning a wedding, get date at venue reserved and any special
guests (speakers) confirmed first.
• Can venue provide it all - space, food, staff, signage, parking, staff, tents,
shuttles? One-stop shopping is easier, less planning time for you.
• Location - easily accessible at event time of year? Consider weather (&
rain date), access roads, parking.
• Negotiate for non-profit rate, discounts, fair terms. Read contract fine print.
• Insurance - Alcohol covered? Individual event insurance?
• Plan for success or failure: room to expand if high demand or cancel if
slow ticket sales? Are minimum $, #’s required? Cancellation fee?
FUNDRAISING BASICS
THE 5 W’S. WHERE?
• Will venue offer anything gratis? Will they help promote the event to their
guests, mailing list (if have permissions), help with p.r., etc?
• Outside vendors, caterers allowed? Liquor license?
• Does venue have licenses for cooking food or prep kitchen only?
• Parking - enough for your event’s group or shared with other venues,
stores, guests?
• Easy access, transportation for your audience’s age group? Kids, elderly?
Wheelchair access?
• If outdoor event, are pets okay? Clean-up bags, water available?
FUNDRAISING BASICS
THE 5 W’S. WHY?
• What’s the purpose, besides fund development?
• Public Relations - media coverage gives you a higher profile, you become
better known
• Images - capture high res, memorable photos, video of the people,
animals, activities, event to post on web site, Facebook, YouTube, use in
brochures, etc.
• Attract donors & sponsors. Boards and donors are impressed with
successful events, fundraising ability, high visibility, p.r.
• Attract volunteers, donations at the event. Share your dreams, goals!
• Apply for grants. You did your tracking and raised ___ dollars, attracted
___ people. Use info to apply for grants, matching funds. Boards and
donors like success – may give more to help meet requirements.
FUNDRAISING BASICS
THE 5 W’S. HOW?
• Brand your organization with consistently repeated, concise messages
and images that appeal to your target market(s)
• Use multi-channel marketing for holistic marketing plan & create “buzz”
• Survey how your target audience/age group wants to receive information.
The newspaper or emails, Facebook or radio?
• Consider an event web site! Mention in all marketing, p.r.
• Print media: posters, postcards, rack cards, invitations, etc.
• Radio, cable tv, ads are other methods - more costly. Free radio PSA’s.
• Online marketing: email blasts, comments, blogs, videos and photos
posted to your web site, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.
• Interact with clients: on-line contests, quizzes, win something! What does
budget allow? Your email list & on-line marketing are least costly.
EVENT EXAMPLES
• Loveland Garden Tour - with art/artists in every garden
• Corn Roast Festival - with corn-shucking, corn-eating
contest, talent show, street dance
• Sculpture in the Dark - ice & snow carving contest,
illuminated evening parade
• Phantom 4-Miler - dogs & people in Halloween
costumes race or walk to benefit Denkai Animal
Sanctuary. Dogs are also adopted out at event.
9
EVENT CHALLENGES
•
•
•
•
The best person or group to spearhead your event, make decisions
Getting enough volunteers to commit to help
Getting media to pick up your story
Lack of mechanisms (computer systems, trained staff) to track ticket
sales, dollars, expenses accurately
• Funding to pay for the expenses, marketing. Raise the funds!
• Finding other organizations, sponsors, vendors that are compatible to
work with you and help you
• HAVE A DREAM, HAVE A PLAN, AND HAVE
PERSISTENCE!
CASE STUDY OF A CAPITAL
CAMPAIGN
$2 Million for Library Expansion
by Friends of the Loveland Public Library
• Donor/foundations plan
• Brochure - mailed and handed out inside library and at events
• New web site - with better functionality, content management system
• Donations - taken on-line on own web site, not through off-site PayPal
• Fund-raising Events
- Star Wars Movie Event - with costumed characters, photo opp’s
- A Night at the Library Event - 90+ kids enjoyed educational activities, Dr.
Bones, walking dinosaur, live “food show” w/dessert. NOT overnight - liability
issues. Permission slips required. $20 per person – child or adult.
• Paving the Way to the Future - patrons have their name, poem, etc. engraved on
a brick in the new library patio. $50 and $85 for 2.
• Giving back to the community: Loveland Loves to Read author events
Benson Sculpture
Garden
Make
events
event-full :
fine wine, fine art, silent
auction, great music
Clever events,
clever design
& marketing.
Target the kids
and get the
parents, too!
THINK BIG!
Organizations
often think small
– what costs the
least, not what’s
the best!
After your capital campaign, capitalize on your success,
p.r. and excitement in the community. Give supporters
recognition, thanks and new ways to stay involved.
17
Presentation created by
Full Circle Marketing & Design
Loveland, Colorado
www.fullcirclemarketing.net
970.962.9203