A PLATINUM Plan for Special Events Planning
As the director of development at a leading nonprofit agency, I'm intimately familiar with the feelings of anxiety that fund raisers face. These days, even at the most successful organizations, development specialists are challenged to find and launch new "come-up-with-the-cash" strategies to keep the budget in the black.
Are you lying awake at night wondering how you're going to get your agency's fundraising gala off the ground? Trying to put some extra swing into your next benefit golf tournament? Racking your brain to come up with a creative idea? Even in these lean economic times, you can craft special events that meet and exceed your agency's friend-raising and fundraising goals.
When it comes to planning, there are a few simple and essential principles that will send your special event to the top of the charts and help you hit platinum. I like to call it a PLATINUM plan for special events planning. Here's how it works:
P - L - A stands for Passionate Leadership in Action. This cornerstone of the platinum plan is all about people--committed volunteers--so closely connected to your agency's mission and so aware of the obstacles your clients face that they'll take on tasks and projects that even your paid staff may be reluctant to tackle. These are the folks who arrive at the golf course at 5 a.m. to hang signs and set up registration tables. These are the diehards who lick and seal invitations at a kitchen table well past midnight. These are the saints who consistently go above and beyond because they are personally invested in the cause your agency supports. At Catholic Charities, the contagious passion of our volunteer leadership is the bedrock of our success.
So where and how do you come across these passionate people? They're not as hard to find as you might imagine. Chances are, you encounter people every day who would be willing to wrap their arms (and checkbooks) around your agency and the people it serves. The secret to igniting passion among your current and/or would-be volunteers is simple: You must bring your mission to them. That means you, as a fundraiser, need to do more than just talk about your cause - you must SHOW them the need. Invite volunteers to tour your agency to spend time with clients. Help them live your mission. Now, more than ever, people want to be emotionally connected to causes that matter to them. Your volunteers will be eager to accept personal responsibility for creating successful fundraising events when they truly understand how the revenue they generate enriches lives.
At Catholic Charities, our volunteer leadership is the heart and soul of every special event we host. Our staff plays a vital support role, but it's our passionate volunteers who lead the way when an important decision needs to be made or when it's time to step up our efforts. It's our volunteers who are on the phone with friends and family to ensure that the last table at our annual Snowball is filled or rounding up last-minute sponsors and players for our annual golf tournament. Our volunteers' ceaseless passion to meet the needs of clients is what drives them to assume leadership roles and make good things happen.
Next, is T - I and that means Tracking Income (and Expenses). I may not be the world's best bookkeeper, but I always make sure there's someone on our team who is. In all the excitement of planning a special event, it's easy to lose track of those little spur-of-the-moment and unexpected costs. Unfortunately, a lopsided balance sheet is all too often the beginning of the end for well-intentioned fundraisers. My advice is to come up with a plan that everyone can live with, include some contingencies, just in case, and stick to your guns.
If you're planning a first-ever event and you're uncertain about expenses, call an organization that hosts a similar event and ask for guidance. If you don't come out ahead the first year, be patient. I once planned an event that netted just $1,800 the first year; a few years later, with a couple of adjustments, that same event netted $50,000 for our agency. Try to get donations, or at the very least good deals, when you can. Focus your efforts on a few quality events instead of spreading yourself thin.
When determining the cost for attendees or participants, come up with a figure that falls within the comfort level of your agency and more importantly, fits the budgets of your patrons. Seek advice from organizations hosting similar events and compare notes. If your event becomes a sell-out, it may be time to consider raising the ticket price.
Last, but most certainly not least, is N - U - M. N is for Novel, U is for Unforgettable and M is for Magnificent. In a word, make your event FUN! What can I say about fun? It's something we all want to have. Go ahead… Add some sparkle! Strike up the band! Make it a moment to remember! People come to parties and social events to meet friends and mingle. Create an experience that fulfills this promise. Save the speeches and video presentations for the boardroom. Use special events to strengthen the bonds of caring and build community among your patrons.
At Catholic Charities, the fun begins with the planning. As our volunteers gather together for committee meetings and kick-offs, they know they are among friends. Along with some hard work, they know they're in for a lot of good times.
Making money isn't the only way we assess the success of an event. We always take a look at the "fun factor." How full was the dance floor? Did the crowd leave early or stay late? The answers to questions such as these guide our planning for future events.
PLATINUM is a plan that will add razzle and dazzle and send your event soaring to new heights.
Mary Pat Beals is Director of Development and Community Relations for Catholic Charities. She can be reached at 913.621.5255 ext. 106 or by email at: mbeals@CatholicCharitiesKS.org.