Where's the 'fun' in fundraising?

We've all attended one but we think these four tips will increase your participation the next time you plan your annual fundraiser

1. Don’t call it a Fundraiser

We find that once you have labeled something, you have already created a box and have thus far limited its potential to become anything greater than what it could have intended to become. The expectations of people and past events create a close minded scenario that doesn't allow the event to thrive in the light it once did when the initial thought was discussed. So can we stop worrying about what we are going to name the event and for now what the formal format should be? Let's focus on the concepts and the ideas to cultivate experiences, educate our attendees on the issue and the solution and create something that represents the mission of your organization.

2. Make it Fun

We feel that the word "FUN" is not mistakenly the first three letters in this word for no reason. Whatever the scenario or event that requires a kind of an endowment from your attendees there should be some level of FUN involved.

Now the fun can be whatever you create it to be, but it needs to create excitement, be an experience and overall be purposeful to how you plan on impacting the world with the work and service you are creating to solve your problem. Don't overthink this; it should be something out of the ordinary, something that applies to your attendees and something that leaves a lasting impression.

3. Educate and Inspire

The biggest asset that we find lacking when it comes to fundraising events is the ability to educate AND inspire the attendees. It is not enough to just educate your attendees on the problem in the community you are working to find a solution to solve nor is it sufficient to share just stories of tragedy or success. You must find a way to speak with your audience to involve them and inspire them to action. While every organization has their own voice, this sounds a bit different, and not everyone can enlight this fire within your organization.  

If we were a stranger to your organization and were to walk into your event not knowing the organization, the solution to the problem nor did I know any technical terms or organizations associated with your vision. How would you persuade us that your organization was the best organization to take on this task and to make an effective change? Why would we want to donate to your organization and how do you relate to me as a person versus just a dollar symbol within the room? In the end, it is the fire of one that sparks to ignite a whole room.

4. Humanize it!

We are human, and you are human (we hope!), we are all human..., right? As the world continues on this fast-paced track of life where getting lost in what's trending and if you are "liked" by society is the primary focus. We slowly get trapped in our ideas to remember that people are human and we have emotions (six to be exact), and we so often treat each other like machines. Quick to do anything to get what we want, whether that means a successful event or reaching your goal as an organization. Trust us; we are just as guilty, so we are not judging. :)

So often the people that organizations are working to solve a problem for receive more love and kindness than those that are giving their time and resources. Then we wonder, why your donations go down year after year or why your event was not a success. It does not take a lot to say hello to someone, call the donor by name, remember and be invested in who they are as a person versus the dollar amount they donated. The person who donated $2M should be treated equally the same as the person that gave $2, are their hearts not the same are they not made from the same thread?

If we had it our way, we'd probably ditch the word fundraiser altogether from the event vocabulary. We think the word gets in the way of the work that the organization should be doing. In today's world, B-corps and Benefit Corporations are becoming the new "non-profit" and while their model is a little different we feel that some of them have paved a new way that creates new ideas around the notion of raising funds for their mission and other similar organizations alike.

The idea to be able to do right by a triple bottom line model of being to do business with people, planet, profit all in mind as a new eco-system is why we will continue to focus and fight for events that make an impact and that are intentional.