Starting a Fundraiser

So you are thinking of conducting a fundraiser and need help from local businesses?  Here are my top 11 tips for starting any fundraiser!

1.  Figure out what your goal is - How much do you want to raise and for what cause?  Businesses are asked constantly to give to charities, schools, and many other organizations.  The trick is to provide a cause bigger than simply your program or the short term affects of the monies being donated.  For instance, my Hospitality & Tourism Program puts on an Annual Fundraiser that raises monies for students for scholarships (those going into the Travel Industry Management Industry), pay for unpaid internships, provide transportation to businesses for site visitation, pay for leadership/communication/training camps, and for our annual graduation for students within our program.  Businesses see this as a way of giving to a multitude of opportunities to students for a cause that supports their interests - the future of tomorrow in their industry.

2.  Establish requests for donations - Once you have a target amount in mind, now its time to break down how you are going to get that money from businesses.  Not everyone is going to succeed but gathering 20-30 businesses or a couple big businesses pining to give you big money just because you asked.  Creating Sponsorship Levels (see Sponsorship Level Blog) is one example to making the money you need with less investors.  But take into account your general targets and what they are able to offer.  Sometimes taking a small step one year can lead to greater leaps in the next.

3.  Pick your event (Luncheon, Dinner, Outdoor) - Are you going indoors or outdoors?  Luncheon or Dinner?  I talked to numerous business members before I held my first major event and all agreed "LUNCH".  Lunch was the least invasive on time and the easiest to fill because everyone needs lunch.  Dinner was always considered family time and who wants to go to a dinner after a long day at work (Don't get me wrong, depending on your event dinners are called for - see Awards Ceremony). 

If your looking at a golf tournament, bowling event, or any other sporting event then obviously lunch and dinner come into based on time of event (e.g Golf - Morning, Bowling - Either, You can figure out the rest).

4.  Get a location - Location, location, location!  Be sure to pick a location that is conducive to where your business partners are (if they are attending the event), where your charity is (where you will be holding the event or where the place of charity is), and in an area that is accessible for all of your activities.

5.  Get a date - It is difficult enough to get a business to attend or donate.  It is even harder to get them to commit if you have no idea when something will occur.  Put your best foot forward and be prepared!

6.  Donation Letter - Businesses need to have something in writing in order for them to help your organization.  The letter doesn't need to be long or extensive.  Here are two sites I recently found that should give you an idea about how to write a letter. 

Sample Letter 1 Template

Sample Letter 2 Template

Note:  Two things that both of these sites do not mention:  1) Be sure to include that you will be following up shortly to enlist their support 2) Be sure to call prior to sending a donation letter asking if it is okay to send a letter to their office for their support.  They need to know to be on the look out for it.

7.  Prepare a Short Message and Make the Call - Once you know your Goal, Location, Date, and have Drafted a Letter you are ready to get rolling.  Preparing a short message is important as everyone has things to do and hearing from a charity is not always on their list of things to do.  The message should detail:  1) Who you are? 2) Why you are calling? 3) How they can support 4) Ask to send a letter for their support

8.  Follow-Up in a Timely Manner - Typically I like to give businesses about 2 weeks to consider and respond on their own time.  Otherwise I call them  by the second-third week.  Note:  Timing is everything. Early morning, lunchtime, near the end of the day, Mondays early morning, and especially late on Friday afternoons are just bad times to call.  I prefer right after lunch around 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm as most people are coming back from lunch aren't ready to do work but are happy from lunch.

9.   Update and Adapt - Since when does anything every turn out right on your first attempt?  The idea is to take notes on every phone call, conversation and interaction to update and adapt your message to your businesses.  I always look at it as tailoring a suit; no one is truly the same despite the creation of standard sizing.  So pay attention to the cues and non-commitments, that is your golden ticket to future success.

10.  Calling Lists - Be sure to always keep a list of businesses you targeted each year.  Be sure to take the name of business, address, phone or email, best way to contact them, person to contact, person you contacted last time, or person that approved the support last time (whoever is gonna get this done for you).  Staying in touch with the same individual each year is a golden ticket to getting future support.  Even individuals who could not help in the past could be an asset for the future.  Remember businesses have budgets, like we all should, so you may not be in the budget this year but there's always next year.   

11.  Follow-up - Again?  Yes, again!  Contact supporters through thank you letters and pictures from the event.  Send pictures from the projects that you were able to complete because of the funding you received.  If it bought playground equipment, created a computer lab or something big enough to matter, call local media and get the businesses down for a photo shoot and words of praise to them when it really counts.      

Even better, send a few photos and thank you letters to those companies who weren't able to participate but at least considered helping.  A few photos and letters can be the difference for next years event.

Good luck fundraising!  If you have any comments and suggestions hit us up!

~ isle411 @ fundraising411