Fundraising
Apr
Lily Flanagan’s Pub was packed this Sunday with nearly 400 people who showed up to give support to the Babylon Village teenager.
This past Sunday 384 people packed into Lily Flanagan’s to offer support to Catherine Ann O’Malley, a Babylon teenager who survived a cardiac arrest just over a year ago.
The fundraiser was the vision of six young friends who planned the event for months.
“This was the first fundraiser any of us have ever put together by ourselves, so it’s amazing it went so well,” said Caitlin Augustine, one of the event planners.
A crowd full of friends, relatives, teammates of Catherine’s, members of the fire department, school teachers and other well-wishers rubbed elbows in the inside and outside rooms of the restaurant.
In honor of Catherine’s signature color of lime green, everyone wore wristbands in that bright hue, as well as black bracelets with lime green lettering declaring “Keep fighting.”
Meghan and Shannon O’Malley, Catherine’s sisters, wore lime green bows in their hair.
The organizers spent months putting together a huge Chinese auction with an large collection of prizes donated by businesses and organizations from Babylon as well as neighboring towns. Babylon Fire Department Chief Anthony Cardali played emcee to call the numbers and distribute the prizes to the crowd.
The event ran for four hours and included a delicious buffet.
“We had such a great turnout,” said Augustine. “It’s truly amazing how much this community has come together to support the O’Malleys not only [on Sunday] but this entire year. The planning committee and the O’Malleys are forever thankful for everyone’s generosity.”
Augustine said that a total of 400 tickets were sold for the event.
This event news story was originally published at http://babylonvillage.patch.com/articles/catherine-omalley-fundraiser-a-great-success. Got your own event story – get in touch to http://eventsecrets.com/contact/ – bringing you the latest event management news stories from around the world.
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Mar
THE glamour of Bollywood will sweep into Southampton to raise funds for breast cancer sufferers.
A Ladies’ Night III event will see emerging artists from the UK Asian Music scene take to the stage in the city for the first time to raise money for the Breast Cancer Campaign.
This is the third event to be put on in aid of the charity which have so far raised £4,000, but the organisers, event management company AV8 Events, wanted to do something different this time around.
It takes place at the POSH restaurant, on Queens Way, on Saturday.
Host on the night will be Unity101’s Michael Steel and Geeta Uppal, with music provided by Southampton-born DJ Pav Storm and a DJ set by London’s DJ S-Ence.
Live performers on stage will include new UK Asian music talent, Bollywood singer Kishan Amin, Jeet from television series The Family, RnB singer Sham D and Urban Desi artist Chan Has, who will be launching his new single on the night alongside Vinu Jagdev.
Paul Atwal, from organiser AV8 Events, said: “We decided to go for a fresh concept and showcase some of the brightest new talent that is emerging on the UK Asian music scene, and feature artists that cover all genres of music as the ladies attending are from all ages and cultures within the community of Southampton.”
The Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat the disease by funding research to understand how breast cancer develops, with a view to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure.
Tickets cost £25, which includes a full three-course meal, raffles, free giveaways.
This event news story was originally published at http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/leisure/8936561.Bollywood_glamour_charity_night_that_is_just_for_the_ladies/. Got your own event story – get in touch to http://eventsecrets.com/contact/ – bringing you the latest event management news stories from around the world.
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Dec
Tom Turner
Holding the perfect fundraising event can be a challenge without the right planning in place. Planning your event can even be much more important than the actual event itself. One of the biggest problems that many smaller organizations will face is they try to put everybody in charge. The old adage keep it simple has never been truer when it comes to holding a fund-raising event.
One of the keys when holding any type of fundraiser is to make sure that you have the proper people placed. Often times, there are several people that want to be in charge, but you simply must limit this to only one or two people who make the majority of the decisions.
You may have heard of the many disasters that happen within a planning committee for any type of event let alone an event. A planning committee usually goes wrong when they have everybody feeling that they are in charge. This may sound good in theory, but it is not a good plan.
The most successful planning committees for a fund-raising event will be one that is set up with a group of people who are simply there to give suggestions and ideas. If you want to have more success with your event then leave the final decisions up to only two or three people within the planning committee to have the final say.
When planning out your fundraising event you want to make sure that you developed a good theme that blends well with your cause. The theme is very important to your success and will often times. Be the closing element that many people decide to donate to your organization.
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Nov
Angela Cahill
Thinking about sponsoring an event to raise money for your favorite non-profit charity? It’s important to consider ideas that will generate as much profit as possible with minimal expense. There are many ways to go about doing this. Having corporate sponsors or individuals willing to donate their time, money, or supplies will make your job even easier and more successful. Here are just three ideas; with a little creative thinking, you can come up with more of your own.
Movies
Hosting a movie premiere can generate a large amount of money in a single evening. You may be able to convince a movie theater to donate the space and movie, with all profits going to your non-profit. Alternately, you might be able to charge a ‘surcharge’ on ticket prices, with the extra money donated to a worthy cause. Perhaps you can share in the concession stand profits for the night or offer a special combo or item, with all proceeds from it going to your charity. An alternate to a movie premiere is having a special night where you screen several movies related to your cause. For instance, show several documentaries showing cancer survivors to raise fund for medical research. You could combine such a night with short presentations by people helped by the charity to reinforce the good donations to the cause will do. You could also have a yard sale with donated movies and related memorabilia to raise even more money.
Auctions
Auctions and raffles, whether live or online, are another great way to raise funds. Typically, you can get individuals and organizations to donate a variety of items or experiences (such as a sailing trip or special dinner), so that all funds go to your non-profit charity. With just a few special, valuable items, you can generate lots of interest and raise significant money. Having the auction online adds an interesting twist and can save you the time and expense of finding an auctioneer and auction hall and setting up the space. Auctions also offer a simple, fun, way to raise funds in your workplace. You can set up a silent auction in a meeting room, with items donated by employees or local businesses. Employees can then decide which charity or charities to donate the funds to.
Casual Day – or Dress Up Day
An innovate fundraiser – and one that’s quite simple to organize – involves having a special attire day at work. If you normally dress in suits and dresses, have a special day where people can where jeans and t-shirts. If you normally dress casually, encourage everyone to wear fancy formal wear. The catch is that everyone who participates by wearing special clothing must donate a small amount of money to charity. To encourage participation, consider ‘fining’ those who don’t dress up or down. Alternately, have a contest with special prizes for best dressed, cleanest jeans, or other categories. This will create a fun atmosphere and encourage people to raise money for their favorite charities.
Proper Tie-Ins
Whatever sort of event you choose to sponsor, make sure it has an obvious connection to the charity you are raising funds for. For instance, a gym membership could be auctioned off to support a cause promoting good health, but a big box of candy would be a bad fit. Make sure any materials promoting the event and anything handed out or said at the fundraiser reflects positively on the charity and gets out the right message. Also, be considerate to those who are affected (both by the charity and the event) and consider their feelings when planning the event.
With a little planning, you can organize a fun, entertaining event that people will want to participate in. You’ll raise funds for a good cause and maybe even entice new volunteers or donors to provide long-term support.
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Jan
1. Write to ONE person – When you start writing the fundraising letter, imagine you are writing to only one person, not a group of people. This will help you get into the best frame of mind to write the letter. It also will help your letter sound more personable.
Use singular word forms, not plural – avoid words and phrases like “some of you” when addressing the reader. Instead use the personal, singular form “you.” This mirrors the way that the letter will be read by the recipient.
2. Be Specific – When writing fundraising letters the more specific you can be, the better your message will be understood and the greater the response rate. Ask your reader to make a specific response, such as a donation of money, goods or services. You can offer several specific dollar amounts include a specific date that you need the response by.
If your appeal will benefit a specific project, mission or program, say so. Describe how the donations will help with this particular project. Include a few brief details about where the donation will be used and the positive results it will bring.
3. Stay Focused – When writing a fundraising letter stay focused on the outcome you would like to see. Make one request and communicate this message clearly. Avoid discussing topics that are not directly related to your appeal or that do not support the message of your letter.
4. Descriptive Phrases – Use the most descriptive adjectives and adverbs in your letter to clarify your message. However, when writing fundraising letters be especially careful not to over embellish or exaggerate.
5. Keep it Simple – It’s important to include information about your organization and why you’re writing. However, a fundraising letter is not the place to include lengthy official mission statements or a long description of your future plans.
When writing fundraising letters don’t go overboard with extremely detailed numbers and jargon that the reader may not be familiar with. Remember to focus on information that is relevant and compelling to the potential reader.
6. Personalization – If you are writing a fundraising letter to a specific donor, include specific information related to them. If it’s a repeat donor, discuss ways that his or her previous contributions have made a difference in your organization.
7. Narratives & Success Stories – One of the most successful ways that you can get your message across is to describe a story of a specific person or situation that your organization has helped.
If your group has made some major achievements and successes these can also be of use. When writing a fundraising letter remember to include stories that will engage the reader, not just show off accomplishments.
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Jan
Sales Contests – prizes for volunteers who sell the most raffle tickets, have the highest sales in a product fundraiser or otherwise raise the most money with your campaign. Prizes can be anything from a gift certificate, a plaque, free tickets to an event or a trip.
Thank you gifts for donors – Provide small thank you tokens depending on the level of giving. Thank you gifts could be items such as books or DVDs or event oriented such as a cocktail party, concert or other special gathering just for donors.
2. Multiple Fundraisers – Event fundraisers should always have several ways to bring in revenue. Examples include silent auctions, raffles, advertising in programs, food, corporate sponsors, booth rental, entry fees or souvenirs.
3. Partnerships – Partnering with other organizations, businesses and individuals can help in your fundraising efforts. For example, a fundraising event may be easier to plan and have greater attendance when it is sponsored by two organizations. Creating a sponsorship or advertising program will help involve businesses and individuals and underwrite the costs of your fundraiser.
4. Donations – When planning a fundraising event get as much donated as possible, this includes food, facilities and supplies. Prizes for silent auctions, raffles, door prizes and incentives should always be donated.
5. Increase Publicity – Just like in the business world, people need to be exposed to an opportunity multiple times before “buying.” Fundraising events should increase publicity during the weeks leading up to an event using press releases, banners and other advertising. Letter campaigns are most effective with multiple contacts including follow up letters, postcards and/or telephone calls.
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Jan
Fundraising Is A Team Effort
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Leaders will help set a positive direction for the group through their attitude, decisiveness and actions. Leaders often research fundraising ideas and strategies, and find the best ones to present to the group for consideration. They lead the discussion of the planning sessions and gently steer the group away from potential problems and toward ways that the group can maximize its effectiveness.
2. Set Goals as a Team
Everyone on the team should have a clear idea of what results are to be anticipated from the fundraising project and what volunteers will be expected to do. What is the monetary goal of the fundraiser? What are the important dates for getting everything done? Make sure everyone is aware of these important facts.
3. Define Responsibilities
Creating committees with sub committee chair persons helps define responsibilities and spread out the work load of planning the fundraiser. Each sub committee chair knows what he or she is in charge of and then can make appropriate progress in that area. For example, a dinner fundraiser would have sub committees for decorations, food, ticket sales, etc.
4. Communicate Effectively
Planning out meeting dates for the entire fundraising campaign in advance will help the team to communicate regularly and make progress. As you get closer to the event, additional meetings may be necessary.
It’s helpful for leaders to understand which method of communication works for individual members and for the group as a whole, whether it is by telephone, e-mail, in person meetings or a combination.
5. Be Flexible
While you may try your best to plan everything out in advance for the fundraiser, changes are inevitable. Some volunteers may need to drop out for personal reasons, or you may find that the fundraising plan needs to be revised. When team members, especially leaders, are open and flexible your group can adapt to the changes and regroup in time to still make the fundraiser a success.
Positive Teamwork Brings Results
By organizing and running the fundraising program with a group of people, supporters can combine talents and resources to raise more money. When your fundraising drive is over, each person who participated can feel a sense of accomplishment that their contributions, no matter how small, made a difference.
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May
Ron Strand
Staging a special event is a reliable method for fundraising and a good way to publicize your organization and your cause. This article contains some practical advice for event planning, promotion and management.
1. Decide on the Right Type of Special Event
There are several types of special events. Each has its own purpose and can be very effective if used for that purpose. Confusing the type of event can result in disaster. There are fundraising events, in other words, events that are run to make a profit for the organization. People pay to attend, buy something at the event, or gather pledges and then participate in the event. Similar to these types of events are what is often called third party events. These events are staged by someone or some organization other than the charity for the benefit of a charity. Another form of event is used for cultivation of prospects, recognition of donors or volunteers and to make announcements, such as the launch of a campaign. The purpose of this type of event is not to raise money at the event but to publicize the charity and inform potential donors about something new, with the intention that they will follow-up with a donation.
2. Make Appropriate Decisions Based on Type of Event
If you are running a fundraising event, you need to decide how you will make money with the event. This may seem obvious, but it is sometimes overlooked. Ask yourself if the funds will come from admission tickets, sponsors, sales of items in additional to the admission cost, a silent or live auction, door prizes, and so on. For third party events take these things into consideration. If you are working on the charity side, make sure that you have an understanding of what your role will be. It is easy to get asked to do more than your organization may have the resources to do. If you are the third party, understand how exactly how your event will benefit the charity. If the main purpose of your event is to make announcements and cultivate prospects, you will make more if you offer something for free and make the request for a donation later. Pay attention to how the media are managed at the event
3. Planning the Event
Cover the basics first – secure the venue, have enough food and drinks, book entertainment or speakers, look after details like parking, coat check, security, and washrooms. Prepare a budget based on these basics then adjust as more things are added or sponsors are secured. Prepare a detailed checklist of everything you will need – invitations, RSVP, who orders what and do it well in advance. Make a timeline working back from the day of the event and mark the deadlines for getting invitations out, placing ads in media, payments of deposits, to suppliers and entertainers, and when the RSVP must be received. Walk through the venue and imagine how people will move as they come to the event. Anticipate people’s needs and if at all possible, don’t have people waiting in lines at any time, get them a drink ASAP, and get them seated or involved. Double check everything.
4. Promoting Your Event
Brand your event. Even if it is a relatively small event, a unique name, slogan and logo can help to sell the event. Consider building a special website for the event, with a link from your organization’s website. A unique URL can help to brand the event and this can also make tracking registrations easier. If you are sending invitations to your mailing list, usually about six weeks to a month is an appropriate time to mail invitations. Use email lists and email invitations and have people register for the event on your website. If the event is open to the public, advertise in the media, using the media that will target your audience. As an example, if your event is upscale, advertise in business media or if your event is family oriented, advertise in community newsletters. Issue press releases when the date of the event is set, about a week before the event and just after the event.
5. The Day of the Event
Rehearse the program – time speakers and make sure they know where to stand and what to say. Test the audio visual equipment and have backup systems in place. If you are doing something that requires some technical skill, like a video presentation or sound feeds for media, hire a technician to be on standby. Always have a contingency plan for bad weather, late speakers, and emergencies.
6. If You Are in Charge of the Event
Never forget that you are working. It can be easy to relax with a few drinks and get into the mood of the event, especially if things are going well. Never forget that you are working. Be prepared to deal with the unexpected. Keep review your check list. Remember that key people – celebrity guests, speakers, entertainers – want to be taken care of and told what to do. Never leave them alone or ask them to decide something. Meet people where they arrive, assign someone to be with them at all times and respond to whatever they request. The most common breakdowns at an event are poor venue (too small, inadequate parking, not enough washrooms), poor food service, a/v breakdowns, and key people who don’t show up or show up late. Try to anticipate these problems and solve them if they occur.
7. Wrap – up
Do a final accounting for the event as soon as possible. If a fundraising event, take all costs and revenue into account but also all take other benefits into account, such as an assessment of the value of the publicity you gained, new people you met and so on. If the event is for an announcement or donor cultivation, make sure you have follow-up planned – follow-up calls and letters to participants and to media. Get thank-you letters out to sponsors, suppliers and volunteers as soon as possible.
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Sebastian Fox
First and foremost you need full size authentic casino tables, which you can hire from fun casino companies. The two most popular fun prize casino games worldwide are blackjack and roulette, as the rules are fairly simple. In fact we believe that our ” Wheel Of Fortune” fun casino game is so easy to play, it’s an office favourite. The wheel of fortune is a game so fast, that it’s becoming a great American Export to Britain. Your fun prize fundraising casino will be best received if it includes at least one of each of the games mentioned.
At your fun casino fundraising event, guest’s are sold fun casino vouchers which are personalised to your charitable cause and should be sold at an exchange rate (perhaps £5.00 cash for 20 playing chips converts into 0.25p per playing chip ]. Also at your fundraising event make sure you cover the basic cost of your fun casino from the sale of tickets, as you would with a band or a disco. This then ensures that all proceeds from the sale of fun casino vouchers goes directly to your charity or association. Another way of paying for casino table hire is to seek and secure corporate or local business sponsorship.
The fun casino tables are opened for play and the fun casino vouchers are exchanged at the casino tables for playing chips and the fun and winning commences!! All of the fun casino tables are staffed with our professional croupiers so your whole event will be organised and run for you.
Your tables should be open for between two and three hours and either start your fun casino after your meal or break for everyone to eat! Even “FUN GAMBLING” is very addictive and you do not want anyone to miss out on dinner. The action will really hot up towards closing time as people try to get among the prize-winners, so allow fifteen minutes or so to count up and compile the list of prize-winners.
Prizes can and do vary from a bottle of bubbly to a trip around the world and can be presented to the “best” or “worst” gamblers. For successful fund raising, a selection of prizes that are well publicised ahead of your event, will always improve the take! Often businesses may be interested in donating items.
http://www.knightstemplarevents.co.uk/fun-casino.php
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Apr
Sebastian Fox
We have supplied numerous Charitable fund raising events with our fun casino entertainment and it has always been an extremely successful event. For the fun casino to be used as a fund raising activity, the basic principle is to cover the costs reasonably incurred in organizing the event. For example the fun casino cost can be paid either by securing corporate or local business sponsorship or from the sale of tickets, as you would with a band or a disco. This then ensures that all proceeds from the sale of fun casino vouchers to entitle guests to participate in the fun gambling, go direct to your charity.
The fun casino can operate alongside a buffet or as after dinner entertainment but be ware that under the gambling act of 2005, that sums raised by other persons will not form part of the proceeds of the event and so may be appropriated for private gain.
Your tables should be open for between two and a half to three hours maximum depending upon numbers. The two most popular fun prize casino games worldwide are blackjack and roulette, as the rules are fairly simple and the games are fast and great fun. Your fun prize casino will be best received if it includes at least one of each of them.
Non-commercial gaming may be an ancillary activity or the only or principal purpose of the event. To qualify as prize gaming, the prizes (whether in cash or in kind) should be put up in advance, and must not be dependent on the number of players taking part or the amount of money staked. The players participating in non-commercial gaming must also be told what “good cause” is to benefit from the profits from the gaming. There are no statutory limits on stakes, prizes, participation fees or other charges for this type of non-commercial gaming. No license, permit or other form of permission is required to operate this kind of gaming provided that the statutory conditions are complied with. Prizes can and do vary from a bottle of bubbly to a trip around the world and can be presented to the “best” gamblers. If you are fund raising, a selection of prizes, well publicised, will always improve the take! (Often businesses may be interested in donating items).
HOW IT WORKS
For fund-raising events the fun Casino Vouchers , which we supply to your event free of charge, can help to raise funds via secured local business or corporate sponsorship. The fun casino vouchers will be sold to players throughout the event by your own members. You can decide how much the fun casino vouchers are to be sold for but fund raising the fun casino vouchers should be sold at an exchange rate. From our experience we recommend that £5.00 – £10.00 cash for each fun casino voucher being 20 fun Casino Chips which players are given at the fun casino tables in return for their fun casino voucher.
The croupiers explain the games in simple detail. Guests can then play on the gaming tables of their choice for up to three hours. It must be stated that they are playing for prizes and that all monies raised go to the fund. You can cover the cost of the Casino table hire by securing local business or corporate sponsorship.
You can pay for additional entertainment by selling tickets for the event and to include an initial amount of gaming chips, perhaps 5. Guests can then purchase more fun casino vouchers from your volunteers at an exchange rate of £5.00 – £10.00 as they need to. Our MC / Casino Manger along with our professional croupiers will run the games and find the top players for you for the end of your event.
GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES FOR FUND-RAISERS
You do not need a gaming license to have a fun casino. However under the gambling act of 2005, casino gaming includes games like roulette and blackjack where players compete against the “house” or a banker, rather than against one another on equal terms.
Non-commercial casino gaming
Organizations that wish to provide casino games for charitable or other non-commercial purposes (e.g. to raise funds for a club or society) may do so under the prize gaming provisions in Part 14 of the Gambling Act 2005. Non-commercial gaming of this kind may only take place at events where none of the proceeds from the event itself are used for private gain. For these purposes, the proceeds of an event constitute the sums raised by its organizers (including sums raised by way of participation fees, sponsorship, commission from traders, or otherwise) minus the costs reasonably incurred in organizing the event. That the whole proceeds of the entertainment, after deducting the expenses of the entertainment, shall be devoted to purposes other than private gain.
http://www.knightstemplarevents.co.uk/fun-casino.php
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