Whether you’re hosting a color run or a fancier affair, fundraising events all have one goal in common: to raise money while providing an engaging event for participants. School fun runs are a great way to raise money while giving runners an experience they’ll never forget. But it’s not the only way to raise money! No matter what type of event you’re hosting, the following fundraising tips are a sure-fire way to make sure it goes off without a hitch.

1. Plan Your Budget

Planning your fundraiser event starts with knowing your limitations and planning your budget. Be realistic with your fundraising goals. By understanding your limitations early, you’ll be able to counterbalance any possible shortcomings, so participants can experience a truly one-of-a-kind event.

When throwing a fundraising event, sponsors can be an invaluable asset. Reach out to local and big businesses to see if they’d like to sponsor part of, or the entire event. It helps to make a comprehensive list of any and all expenses that may pop up so potential sponsors can help cover them if possible. This can save your organization both money and resources while providing sponsors with excellent exposure.

During this phase, estimate how much funding you expect to receive from sponsorships, ticket sales and various fundraising methods. This will help ensure that you don’t go over budget.

2. Determine What Will Attract Participants

Every event, no matter what it’s for, needs to have a hook. As you’re planning, think about what will attract the largest number of participants and volunteers. Is it an exciting speaker or a celebrity honoree? Or maybe it’s a transformational activity that can educate participants about your mission. When you combine an engaging activity or speaker with a true purpose that people can support, supporters will be clamoring to attend your event.

3. Communicate With Volunteers

Having a team of volunteers is a must when hosting a fundraising event. It’s extremely important that you check in early and often with all volunteers, staff and vendors to make sure everyone is on the same page. From the start have all volunteers and staff members provide their cellphone numbers so you can reach them when needed. And be sure to verify that everyone is fully informed and aware of their event day duties.

4. Get Social

If you want to get a lot of attendees (and a lot of money) for your fundraiser, utilizing social media for your fundraising event is vital.

Create social media events, groups and unique hashtags to build a buzz for your event. This will allow you to spread the word fast, as well as communicate with participants about the event. Get creative and have fun with it! Make videos, host pre-events, stream Q&As or hold an AMA (ask me anything) session on Twitter. The possibilities are endless.

5. Practice, Practice, Practice

The key to pulling off a successful event is practice, practice, practice. Have any and all speakers run through their presentations or speeches a few times the morning of the event. It’s also incredibly important to test all electrical or technological equipment the day before and on event day to make sure everything is running properly.

6. Have A Backup Plan In Place

No matter how much you prepare or how much time you put into planning, things always have a way of going wrong. This is why having a contingency plan in place is vital. Be prepared for the unexpected. Plan out what to do if the sound system fails, your keynote speaker backs out or the DJ has the flu.

When hosting an event, there’s no time to wallow. If something comes up, you have to deal with it and move on. Having and sharing a backup plan with your volunteers will eliminate any excess stress come event day.

Let School-A-Thon Help You Plan A Stress-Free Fundraiser

When you choose to hold a School-A-Thon color run fundraiser, a representative will provide fundraising help every step of the way. From walking you through how to organize a color run to ensuring you’re fully prepared come event day, we have you covered. Have a question or need more information about our school fun runs? Reach out today!

The Latest…