How To Publicize Fundraising Events

The most successful fundraising events are those with huge attendance and active participation. Success, however, is sometimes elusive. You might have the noblest cause, like funding chemotherapy for a neighbor cancer patient, but fail to draw fundraising participants. The kids fundraising for a jersey uniform down the street, however, are accumulating large sums of dollar. Why is that?

Publicity efforts spell the difference between successful fundraisers and big-time flops. At the preparation level, attracting people to support your fundraiser and actually causing them to donate are two of your primary concerns. In other words, you should build awareness within your community and sphere of influence.

To do that, you should carefully devise your publicity plan. The following guides might help you.

1. Write a press release. It should have the basic who, what, why, when, where, and how. But remember that news outfits are perennially looking for stories with interesting elements, so make sure to highlight the most newsworthy angle of your fundraising event. For instance, write if there is a celebrity coming or unique raffle prizes. It's much better if you can also include photos. Then, start sending the press release to your local news organizations. Make follow-up calls if necessary.

2. Use your website extensively. If you don't have an official website, make one, although this can be a little pricey. You can, however, make use of blogs or social networking sites. The idea here is to get the most out of the online media since people are most reachable through the Internet. Again, post all the details of your fundraising event. You can create mini-articles that detail your cause and how you specifically intend to use the money. The latter is important because donors are interested to know where their money would go. You can also use your site to post regular updates and thank you notes. Over time, you can build an online community of supporters and donors.

3. Make flyers. You can pay someone to create them for you, or you can resort to do-it-yourself flyers. Fortunately, there are available templates on the web. You only have to choose which type and design fit your event, but just make sure the general appearance calls attention. This time, the details should be presented concisely and could be read at one glance. Avoid putting lengthy sentences; get to the point at once. Then, distribute the flyers where there is large passerby traffic.

4. Send newsletters. This requires an e-mail list though, so you have to work on building one. You can always start with your online community supporters, and if you've effectively made some noise through other publicity tools, it's easier to gather e-mail addresses.

5. Distribute bumper stickers. You can give them to supporters, sponsors, and volunteers. They need not be loaded with details; a brief but strong statement will do. For instance, if you support an education foundation, you can put “I help send a child to school.” Then, put your fundraiser or organization logo. Be creative. Think of a statement that will ignite attention and recall.

6. Make some more noise. Call your family and friends. Attend other events that can be your platform to advertise your cause. Make sign roads, statement shirts, and bookmarks. Use all possible means. This is a time to be assertive, proactive, and creative. In the end, you wouldn't regret a single second of having to support a noble cause through your fundraising events.