How can you encourage donations at your fundraising event? You can use these tips to make sure your event raises as much money as it can for your cause: 

• Run a Silent Auction – A sure-fire way to get people to make more or bigger donations is to get them excited about donating. One of the best ways to generate excitement is to have a silent auction. Put different items, trips, or packages on display at your event. Guests can browse the items and put their name and bid down on a sheet to try and win the items they like. You can also local businesses to donate products, gift cards, or special events to promote their business as well as contribute to the cause. Silent auctions are fun and effective for fundraising.  

• Be Specific – Guests at fundraiser events are usually very receptive to making additional donations, but they oftentimes don’t know how or how much. Be clear at your event that you’re open to additional donations, whether that means passing a basket, putting up a sign, or placing receptables at each table. Also specific about the amount you want. Donors oftentimes don’t know what an appropriate donation is, so they will under give or not give at all. Set up a standard donation amount to give guests a general idea of how much they should donate to your cause. This will take some stress of potential donors and can even encourage them to exceed the standard amount.  

• Go Digital – Guests might not want to be distracted by their checkbooks during the event. So, it’s helpful to create digital ways they can give before, during or after the event. Set up a fundraising website, Venmo account or PayPal page to get online donations. If you don’t want to set up online donating, at least have a credit card machine set up at the event so guests don’t have to bring checks or cash.  

• Show Social Proof – People are likely to follow the herd, which makes it easy to get more donations by showing guests that other people have already donated. There are several ways you can do this, from the tried-and-true setting out a bucket with bills already in it to setting up a large display screen that has a life feed showing how many people have already donated or how close you are getting to your goal. 

 

These are just a few ways you can encourage donations at your fundraising event. But before you can get donations you need to plan your event. That’s where Memorial Event Center comes in. We’re a Mission, TX event center with the ambiance, space, staff and amenities to make your event a success. Call us today to learn more.