Whether you are looking to make your non-profit brand stand out or need to raise a large amount of money for a specific cause, organizing a fundraiser can help you reach your goals, but it can also be very stressful. Finding volunteers is one of the first steps but can also be one of the most difficult. If you are in the midst of trying to organize a volunteer-run fundraiser and are feeling like you’re in over your head, here are 4 tips for you.
Have Specific Goals
Having specific goals in mind for your fundraiser, whether it is a dollar amount that you want to raise or a certain amount of buzz you hope to generate, is a smart plan to have when organizing any type of fundraiser. Try and think about how many volunteers you may need and have that goal in mind as well. Reaching your goals will be much easier once you know what they are, but also remember the importance of keeping them realistic!
Treat Volunteers Well
You should treat volunteers just like you would paid employees, with respect and gratitude. Perhaps even more so because they are working for free because they care about your cause. Make sure to give them breaks, feed them meals, and thank them often. Remember that they don’t have to be there volunteering, they are doing it out of the kindness of their hearts. And without them, your fundraiser definitely wouldn’t run nearly as smoothly.
Have Incentives
Having incentives for volunteers is a great way to keep them motivated before, during, and after your fundraiser. Perhaps you should consider handing out prizes to the volunteers who get the most donations, for example. This will make the event even more fun for everyone, plus it will end up benefitting your important cause. It’s a win-win.
Stay Calm
Organizing a fundraiser is sure to cause some amount of stress, but try to stay as calm as possible, especially during the actual event itself. Freaking out about everything won’t help anyone and will just end up causing a bigger problem. Take deep breaths and lean on your valuable volunteers to help you out, because one person can’t do everything themself.
You may have a lot of late nights spent planning and strategizing, but don’t forget the importance of sleep and self care. If you take good care of yourself you will be much better equipped to handle anything that comes your way during both the planning process and the fundraiser itself.
Using these tips will not only help you to have a successful fundraiser but they will also help your brand to stand out among similar ones. Just remember how important you volunteers are and you’ll be just fine.