Events that are held for the purposes of charity are vital and effective ways of raising funds and awareness. It is crucial to use this tool responsibly and efficiently so that your charity can benefit the most out of it and so that no money is wasted on futile fundraising efforts. Not everyone feels comfortable asking for donations (whether monetary or otherwise). Having something to offer the donor in return for their donation will definitely put you at ease and will be more likely to influence the person to hand over his or her cash. This can be in the form of branding at the event, a special mention, a certificate, or a small (inexpensive) gift.
Here are several ways in which to ask for charity donations:
- Write a letter of request and mail it off to various people and organisations. You can target businesses, homes and shops this way and get a lot of information conveyed in one bulk shot. Your letter should include all the information necessary for them to make the donation in the easiest way possible.
- Draft a well-worded email explaining the nature of the event, inviting them to it, what you need money for and what donators will get in return. Then, send this to everyone in your address book or just to people to whom it will be relevant. Alternatively, get email addresses from your local Chamber of Commerce website and send the email off to each of these. Never reveal the email addresses to the other recipients.
- Phone all or some of your prospective donators to have a personal, one-on-one discussion about your needs. You may make a few notes about what you would like to include, but do not read from a written script. The key is to sound friendly and approachable. Remember that busy people are plagued by telemarketers and may not be that receptive to your call.
- Organise a pledge drive (on a group basis or an individual level) and get your local radio station to broadcast it. As companies pledge their donations, they will receive publicity by having their names mentioned on air. This is of great benefit to them.
- Sell the rights to sponsor the event (or certain individuals partaking in an activity) to large corporate entities that will value the exposure and opportunity to participate. This will alleviate the event costs from your budget and allow you to invest more into the charity donations. Organisations love to sponsor events like golf days, charity marathons, and so on.
- If you have received goods that you are not able to use for the benefit of your charity, auction these off. Get wealthy investors involved by making this auction a particularly elegant affair that offers them added networking opportunities as well as a fun night out.
- If you feel comfortable enough to do so, go from door to door and appeal humbly and appreciatively for donations. These may only be in the form of a few coins, but will soon add up.
- Get the media involved by calling your local newspaper, radio station or television broadcasters and telling them about your cause. In addition, hire a professional to write a press release for you and send this out to as many people as possible. Once it is in the media, you have a far greater chance of success.
