The world of fundraising is in charitable giving changing.
This article may be freely distributed as long as it remains intact and with this notice and live links. Copyright (c) 2010-2014 Jay Schiavo & Charity Fundraisers JYG, LLC
With recent trends, new opportunities for success have emerged. Individuals and shifts in the marketplace have led to a quest for finding new and innovative ways to gain exposure, establish credibility, expand networks and capture the attention of donors.
In order to accomplish these tasks on a binding basis, certain steps must be taken in how you choose your non-profit event venue.
In essence, there are four critical variables that need direct attention if a true sense of commitment and understanding is to be achieved.
1. The cause you represent… too often we find venues that are not in line with the objectives, vision and mission of the organization.
2. Your event planning budget… don’t let this kill your intended plan for success. Figure it out before beginning negotiations or even booking the venue.
3. Location always try to get the best deal you can get on your non-profit event venue rentals for your orphan house charity fundraiser.
4 . And most importantly…the reputation of the company that holds the “keys” to your success in renting a perfect compromise of all four variables.
To help illustrate the points of what is needed to ensure that you have a successful event, please see the following example.
In one instance, a large retail chain approached us asking for help in conducting a gala-style fundraiser on behalf of a local children’s hospital. The new concept was going to be an “Auction & Dinner.”
The first question was the cause. Was it directly in line with helping provide funding for research, education and patient care at the hospital? Yes!
What about our budget? The total dollar amount that we had to work with was $250,000. The venue rental needed to be under $25k for this type of event. Perfect!
Location, we conducted a market survey and found that two major cities were in close proximity to the event’s host city. We then identified venues that would meet our needs from those options. Perfect!!
Now comes the most important part…the reputation of the company that holds the keys to your success. An extensive background check was conducted on the company who has its “office in the city where the event would be hosted.” We tested them out by sending feelers out to see what type of feedback we might get. We were then given high compliments by the likes of local hotels, venues and even non-profit organizations.
The result? Great event, well-attended and the charity was viewed as a “superstar!”
In this example, it is evident that not all issues were equal. The factors of a cause being a perfect fit, the distinct budget requiring minimal fundraising to be successful and location played an important role in determining who would hold the keys to success.
And the final result would be, as important as you might think, was the company’s reputation. This is where their commitment and expertise becomes critical to your success! Had we chosen a company that may not have had the resources at hand to execute on our behalf – we would not have been nearly as successful.
When you choose a non-profit event venue for your charity fundraiser, keep these four variables in mind. The cause you represent, the budget you have to work with and how much money can be raised from the event – the perfect location and lastly…the company’s reputation!
