June 10-11, 2010
Special events were held at GILT Restaurant and The Bowery Hotel to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the law firm Richards Kibbe & Orbe LLP. In addition to site selection and contracts, budgets and a timeline were drafted and kept up-to-date, invitations, decor, music and photography were arranged and on-site staff was provided for greeting and check-in of the 600 guests in total.
This October, we’re organizing events for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Family Reach Foundation, two worthy non-profits helping those with cancer. All of these events are going to have thousands of attendees and we need hands to help with registration, giving out food and beverage and other tasks. Will you spend half a day with us helping out?
Here are the dates/places:
Leukemia & Lymphoma Light the Night Walks
Saturday, October 2: Princeton, NJ or Verona, NJ
Saturday, October 9: Camden, NJ or Morristown, NJ or Red Bank, NJ
Family Reach 5K & Family Fun Run
Sunday, October 24: Mahwah, NJ
Contact ginger@gingerdonnanevents.com as soon as possible to sign up for one or more events and please also share this information with friends and family who may be interested in helping out! Thanks in advance for your support!
In preparation for “Tip-Off for a Cure,” an evening to benefit Autism Speaks and The Gillen Brewer School on Wednesday, April 14, we recruited volunteers to work the event. We provide this service to many of our non-profit clients, but if you’re going at it alone, here’s what we suggest:
If you’re just starting your list, try these sources for willing volunteers:
- employees’ friends and family
- associated/similar non-profit organizations
- local colleges
- idealist.org
Begin your volunteer outreach by an initial email stating the who, what, when and where and requesting a response. If it is the first time you’re reaching out to this particular group or certain individuals, be sure to include information about your organization and why it’s such a great cause to support with their time.
Take copious notes from the responses as some volunteers will only be available for certain times and tasks. It also helps to know who they are connected to so they can partner up, if applicable. Friends like to stick together and if you consider that in their roles, volunteers will be more apt to return to help at future events.
Three to five business days before the event, confirm the who, what, when and where along with the how. Clearly outline each volunteer’s responsibilities and let them know your expectations.
Unpaid volunteers are like attendees of a free event – not all show up. So be prepared by requesting a few “alternates.” Ad hoc tasks will always come up to fill their time.
When working with a new group of volunteers, try and balance them with staff or experienced volunteers and take notes after the event about their particular skills, so that you know the best times to ask for their help in the future.
Gold, Silver, Bronze. Patron, Contributor, Supporter. These terms are used over and over to draw attention to the benefits of donating thousands of dollars to many worthy causes. Yet when companies and individuals are receiving hundreds of requests like these, how does yours stand out?
Consider using the mission of your organization or event to describe your sponsorship levels. For this art show fundraiser, we suggested levels from a Master Painter to an Apprentice. For a cancer foundation’s upcoming event, we used the terms from their existing slogan: Hope, Care, Compassion.
To avoid being trite in other writing, including grant applications, review The Communications Network’s jargon finder.
A comprehensive analysis of your action plan may result in targeting specific metrics for a myriad of best practices to roll out.
Or you may just want to change the way you speak to people.
We’re working on a lot of solicitation these days, including donations that aren’t “funds,” but still play an important part of a successful fundraiser. In-kind donations, including event materials and auction items, limit costs for fundraising events and expand the circle of those with a stake in the event. For individuals and organizations who can’t afford that $400 ticket but still care about the cause and want to contribute, in-kind donations provide an alternate means.
Event fundraising requires a system and just a few tweaks takes a sponsor solicitation strategy to an approach for in-kind donations:
• Create a wish list of contacts.
• Research the best way to contact them.
• Write compelling correspondence that includes:
- reasons to get involved
- ways to contribute
- benefits for in-kind donations, just as you would a cash sponsor, such as seats at the dinner or an ad in the journal
• Call to follow-up.
• Take notes during every conversation.
• Consider their input and adjust your outreach based upon those conversations.
• If they offer something that you didn’t ask for but that costs you nothing, say yes!
And remember, this kind of outreach raises awareness and opens doors for further communications and donor development!