Planning Club Fundraisers

Ever wonder why some fundraising events seem to do really well, then the next year no one turns up to exactly the same activity? Sometimes disaster strikes – a school sore plague, or a city-wide blackout – but there are factors fundraising organizers forget to consider when they’re planning an event. Here are some critical factors so you have as many participants as possible.

How many events are you going to run?

Assuming you’re planning a club fundraising calendar for a six month season (as well as some pre- and post-season events), you’re not in a sprint. Even though four big fundraisers sounds really exciting in January, you and your fundraising committee need to remember volunteers get tired and need a break. The Practical Fundraising Directory goes into more detail about which activities are more time consuming than others, but as a starting point, we recommend alternating large and small fundraisers.

Choose Your Event Dates Wisely (AKA don’t make people choose between you and the footy final)

You, or someone on the committee needs to work out what national, local and international events fall on your fundraising dates. Olympic opening ceremonies, local festivals, school events or royal weddings on the same evening as your trivia night – all of these things filter out a few more potential ticketholders. Of course, don’t forget events within your own club either! For your longer-running campaigns, like chocolate fundraisers, consider holding them earlier in the school term when people aren’t too pre-occupied with assignments or end-of-year concerts to remember about your club fundraiser.

As you’re planning club fundraising, look at events you can contribute to – home games for example. If you run a BBQ and cake stall next to the playing field, you’ve attracted extra people (the opposing team) without even trying.

Look at the Practical Fundraising Handbook for more details.

Next article: Common Problems for Club Fundraising