Money for the Cause
A Complete Guide to Event Fundraising
Publication Year: 2012
Published by: Texas A&M University Press
Front Cover
Contents
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pp. v-
Foreword by Andrew Sansom
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pp. vii-viii
I first met Rudy Rosen when he was working in Georgia as a senior official of America’s largest conservation organization, the national Wildlife Federation. I convinced him to come to texas and direct all fisheries and wildlife...
Acknowledgments
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pp. ix-
A third of this book was written almost ten years before the last two- thirds, giving me plenty of time to accumulate people to acknowledge. time also blurs details of events—fundraising and otherwise. thus it is no accident
1. Introduction
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pp. 1-4
Time and again, a simple fundraising formula is duplicated. each time it will be a success when done right. it will work in good financial times and bad. Money for a cause will be raised. Fundraising events range from elite affairs in large...
2. Why hold an event?
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pp. 5-13
In the previous example the key to success was to solve the problem that would lead to the solution of all other problems. For many, maybe most, nonprofit charitable...
3. The secret to Successful Event Fundraising
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pp. 14-17
When people enter and event, they may initially arrive with purely social reasons in mind. Many come because they are invited by friends, but within seconds of entering they...
4. Organizing for success
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pp. 18-32
One-person efforts can succeed and an organization’s fundraising event can make money, but only for a time and up to a certain level. With a single person doing all tasks...
Part 1 - Learning the Basics
5. Event Business Plan
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pp. 35-45
An assessment “event efficiency” is one of the key tools in event planning. this is a ratio that measures the cost of the event against revenue raised. it provides a direct measure...
6. Programs, Policies, and Procedures
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pp. 46-56
A printed or online advance event program and printed auction program provide important information intended to help potential attendees and market the event and its fundraising...
7. Negotiating Agreements with Service Providers
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pp. 57-70
"Filling up" a ficility or, as my organization did in reno, “filling up a city,” is an effective way to gain negotiating strength for event planners. this is one of the negotiating techniques described in this chapter, but don’t...
Part 2 - Creating the Perfect Setting
8. Site Selection, Rooms, and Setup
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pp. 73-85
Selection of the proper site for an event is critical to attracting donors. a location too fancy or too run- down can deter people from attending, depending on who is expected to attend. a location too far away or in the “wrong” part...
9. Food Service
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pp. 86-97
Fundraising events almost always feature some form of food and drink service. this may seem like common sense. after all, potential bidders and raffle ticket buyers need to be...
10. Entertainment and the Master of Ceremonies
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pp. 98-106
The silly “talking- bird- on- the- shoulder” was no amateur act. this bird was a trained professional entertainer—a bird for hire—doing a performance. the bird (actually the bird’s owner- trainer) was getting paid for the...
11. The Mission and Strategic Speech Making
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pp. 107-111
Attendees at a fundraising event need to hear about the host organization and the important mission and work to be funded by the proceeds of the event. all speech making to this end needs to be brief, orchestrated, and scripted to ensure it is well presented. it should not be so detailed...
12. Publicity
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pp. 112-124
Publicity provides several benefits. as a form of advertisement, publicity announcing an event can entice people to attend. the type of media carrying publicity and where it is placed will affect who will be influenced and potentially attend. publicity can be internal to the host organization...
13. Donation Acquisition
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pp. 125-144
Auctions underpin effective fundraisers because people are given an opportunity to purchase something that they would like to have and make a donation to their favorite charity at the same time. auction items should be affordable and match the interests of the people...
Part 3 - Conducting the Fundraising
14. Tickets and Other Advance "Sales"
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pp. 147-156
Effective management of an event is facilitated by having an accurate count of attendees in advance. the more accurate the count and farther in advance an accurate count is achieved, the more effectively the host can control expense...
15. The Live Auction
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pp. 157-175
The auction item in the story might have fetched an even higher final bid had event organizers been more careful evaluating donated items and developing corresponding promotional material for display in advance of bidding. they also could have increased net revenue had...
16. The Silent Auction
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pp. 176-182
Silent auctions treated passively by event hosts are passively treated by attendees. Like any fundraising opportunity, silent auctions need to be stocked with items people want or need, and the opportunity to bid and win those wanted...
17. Raffles and Other Moneymakers
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pp. 183-199
Used in an effective fashion, a reverse raffle or any one of dozens of other raffles and fundraising games can be excellent money- raising additions to any fundraising event. this chapter provides information on how to creatively....
18. Putting It All Together
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pp. 200-211
The mix of fundraising activities, length of time for each, and the types, values, and number of prizes can have a significant effect on attendees’ spending as well as enjoyment of an event. at some point in the process of planning...
19. The Big Event
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pp. 212-216
Hundreds of details need to be addressed during an event. everyone who has a role needs to take the responsibility seriously and do what is necessary to make the event successful financially and ensure attendees have an enjoyable...
Part 4 - Applying the Rules and Covering All the Angles
20. Laws, Risks, and Liabilities
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pp. 219-226
Laws, rules, and ordinances governing raffles, games of chance, lotteries, bingo, and other fundraising activities can vary by state, county, and city. Games of chance and raffles are considered gaming and are usually regulated...
21. Tax Matters
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pp. 227-235
A host organization for a fundraising event is ordinarily a nonprofit group, incorporated as such in a state and qualified by the irs under one of the several sections of irs Code covering nonprofit “taxexempt” organizations. For nonprofit organizations chartered and qualified under...
22. Ethics and Security
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pp. 236-246
Yes, there may be crooks among us. as pure and wholesome as most charitable fundraising events are, interest by people with criminal intent must be assumed lurking wherever large amounts of money change hands or valuable...
Part 5 - Honing to a Fine Edge
23. After the Event
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pp. 249-253
People who give time, money, or services to an auction event are committed to the organization and its cause. these staff and volunteer event planners and workers deserve respect, recognition, thanks, and all the support an organization...
24. Advanced Techniques
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pp. 254-266
Tricks, advanced techniques, and special options that can improve any event, and risky ventures in fundraising advisable only to ultra- highperforming event planners, are the subjects of this chapter. presented in...
25. Where to Go from Here
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pp. 267-272
The statistics are sending a clear message: nonprofit organizations are a major and growing force in the economy and today’s sociopolitical landscape. the number of charities and foundations in the United states reached...
Nonprofit resources for nonprofit
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pp. 273-274
The following nonprofit organizations, media, and agencies provide support and offer resources such as books and training to support nonprofit organizations’ fundraising and...
Index
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pp. 275-276
Back Cover
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p. 298-298
E-ISBN-13: 9781603447522
E-ISBN-10: 1603447520
Print-ISBN-13: 9781603446938
Print-ISBN-10: 1603446931
Page Count: 416
Illustrations: 8 figs. 7 tables. Index.
Publication Year: 2012
Series Title: Conservation Leadership Series, Sponsored by the River Systems Institute at Texas State University
Series Editor Byline: Sansom, Andrew
