ABC’s of Fundraising
- Getting Community Support for Fund Raisers
Getting community support for fund raisers plays a big role in a positive outcome for the fundraiser. There are a few things that you can do that will make getting community support for fund raisers easy.
There are several steps you can take that will prepare the community to get involved with your fund raiser.
You can also find more ideas here:
- Put Out Feelers
Before you ever plan a fundraiser talk to people in the community about it to see what type of response you get. See if you can get an early commitment to attend or to participate in the fundraiser before you plan it. Asking around casually about what people think about a particular fundraiser can help you to gauge the general overall response to your fundraiser.
Ask people when they would be interested in participating in a fundraiser so that you can take an informal poll and see what time frame works best for everyone. Ask local businesses if they can help by donating their time, money, coupons or gift certificates. It is good for their business. Offer to give them credit for their donations in a printed pamphlet.
- Plan Ahead
There are a few times of year when fundraisers just do better. Typically the summer months are the worst time to drum up community support for fundraisers. A lot of people travel during the summer months when the kids are out of school so the summer can be a little testy when it comes to drumming up support.
Planning ahead around things like summer vacation and other times of the year when people are more likely to be out of town can help you have a better turn out for your fundraiser.
Oddly enough between Thanksgiving and Christmas even though everyone is busy is a good time to drum up support because people are in a giving mood during the holiday season.
- Send Out Notices In Advance
Lets say you do pick a date between Thanksgiving and Christmas you want to send out notifications in the beginning of November. Than you want to send out notices again two weeks before the event than again one more time a few days before the event. It is fine to ask for RSVP’s. As a matter of fact you should ask for RSVP’s it will help people to feel committed to the cause and show up.
Community members are busy but you do not want them to forget about your fundraiser so sending a few reminders can go a long way in getting community support for a fundraiser.
One of the ideas that has worked well in the past is to host a large family picnic. Make sure that the grounds are all manicured and immaculate. A local tree company can help you prepare.