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Planning and producing a successful fundraising event can be stressful and overwhelming. That Sounds Like a Plan! walks you through the process step by step from start to finish. Whether you're an executive director, marketing manager, board member or volunteer, if you need guidance planning and producing a fundraising event for a small nonprofit, this podcast is for you. Host Alicia Baraga brings you strategies, tips, tools, and information from her 14+ years planning fundraising and awareness-building events for a wide variety of nonprofit clients. Along with sharing best practices, Alicia interviews experts in fields related to events such as marketing, sponsorship, A/V, auctions and more. She answers your questions in Q&A episodes and boosts your confidence through Planner Pep Talks (PPT). If you're ready to streamline your event planning process, grow your audience and raise more money at your fundraising event, hit subscribe and let's get started. Now that sounds like a plan!
52 Episodes
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BRIEF SUMMARYHalf the battle when researching venues for your nonprofit event is knowing the right questions to ask. In this episode I share: Eleven questions to ask when looking at venuesLISTENER ACTION ITEMDownload the list of 11 questions. If you’re looking at several venues and want to make an apples-to-apples comparison, create a spreadsheet with the venue criteria that matters most to you so you can see at a glance what each venue has to offer. I call it a compa...
BRIEF SUMMARYGathering event feedback helps you determine what your audience liked about the event and identify areas for improvement. In this episode I share: Why feedback is importantThe best ways to capture feedbackThe types of questions to askHow to use that feedback once you have itTips for how NOT to take negative feedback personally. LISTENER ACTION ITEMDownload the survey template. Edit it as necessary for your event. Copy a link to the surveyAdd a line item to your ...
Live auctions serve a purpose other than just raising more money for your organization. In this episode I share: The purpose of a live auctionThe types of events that work best for live auctionsHow to find live auction itemsWhy it’s important to work with an auctioneerLISTENER ACTION ITEMDetermine if a live auction is right for your organization and your event. Talk to your board about the types of unique, one of a kind experiences you’re hoping to get for the auction. Reall...
The silent auction has ended, guests have checked out and you’re done. Well, almost. There are seven things you need to do to wrap up your auction. In this episode I share: The first thing you should do. It might surprise youThe things you need to document for the organizationThe things you should document for yourself or the future auction chair LISTENER ACTION ITEMGo through each of the seven post-auction duties in order. LIST OF RESOURCES & SOCIAL MED...
There are a number of things you must do in the month or two leading up to and on the day of the auction to make everything run smoothly. In this episode I share: When to open & close your auctionDetermining your layout at the venue Creating a seamless process for check outCommon Volunteer RolesMerchandising items What to do if someone doesn’t pick up their item at the end of the nightPacking up and heading out. LISTENER ACTION ITEMDetermine when you'll open &...
Online, mobile, or virtual auction. No matter the name, they all mean the same thing; an auction conducted over the Internet where people can bid through a website or mobile device. Not paper sheet bidding. In this episode I share: The benefits of an online auctionWhat to look for in a platformHow to structure your planning timeline for an online auctionSuggestions for dividing the work amongst your auction teamTips for adding items to your auction siteLISTENER ACTION ITEMS...
Silent auctions are a popular fundraising activity for nonprofits and their supporters. Sometimes auctions are viewed as easy money. If you’ve ever organized an auction, you know it’s anything but easy. They are a lot of work! When you put processes in place, it makes everything go more smoothly and makes you look more professional. BEFORE you ask for a single donation, you need to prepare to host an auction. Find out what you need to do and how to do it, step b...
Planning a nonprofit fundraising or awareness-building event takes a team! This group of individuals can have a huge impact on your event. In this episode I share: The typical structure of the planning teamWhen you should or shouldn’t have co-chairsWhich roles should be held by organization staff, when possibleThe importance of matching the person to the roleWhat not to do with your planning team volunteers LISTENER ACTION ITEMDownload my free guide to walk you through a step by ...
Event sponsorship is arguably one of the most challenging and stressful aspects of planning a fundraising event. Part of that stress is driven by the fact that there are IRS rules about what you can and cannot do and there’s a fine line where sponsorship can unintentionally drift from sponsorship to advertising. I talk about this and more with my special guest Jess Birken of Birken Law, a Minneapolis law firm that specializes in Nonprofit Law. In this interview Jess and I discuss...
For nonprofits, sponsorship packages all tend to look the same; logos on websites and printed materials, tables at the event, social media mentions, etc. So how does a nonprofit stand out from the competition and create long term relationships with their sponsors? The answer…Sponsor Activations. In this episode I share: What is a sponsor activation? Why a hybrid model of the tiered package + activations is preferred.A step by step process for coming up with activation...
Sponsorship sales is one of the most important, yet most daunting, tasks for your fundraising event. It’s not just something you can dive into. There’s a lot of prep work that needs to happen behind the scenes before you can begin. I break it the prep work down into 7 steps. In this episode I share: Why you should have a clear definition of your target audienceHow to break down creating a budget and set your sponsorship goals into easy steps. The importance of h...
This is an episode called a Planner Pep Talk or PPT. Planning fundraising events is not easy. These pep talks are designed to let you know you're not alone with some of the challenging aspects of planning an event. Whenever you need a little encouragement, check out any of the PPT episodes. Working hard is important but so is taking time off to recharge. When you don't allow yourself time off, both mentally and physically, from work you risk burning out. It may ...
Are you heading into the new year excited and ready to take on your first event? Or are you feeling overwhelmed and anxious? If it’s the latter, it may mean you simply need to do some year-end tasks that will set you up for success for next year’s events. In this episode I share: Why you need a recap for all eventsWhy you should start recruiting your planning team nowThe importance of organizing your digital files and event “stuff”How to create an event kit an...
This is an episode called a Planner Pep Talk or PPT. Planning fundraising events is not easy. These pep talks are designed to let you know you're not alone with some of the frustrating aspects of planning an event. Whenever you need a little encouragement, check out any of the PPT episodes. The last couple of weeks leading up to your event is one of the most stressful periods of event planning. There are lots of last-minute changes and details to take care of. ...
What is an event script? Why would you need one for a small nonprofit event? I answer these questions and more in this week’s episode. In this episode I share: Why you need an event script, no matter how small your event or programWhat should be the maximum length of your programThe format and content of your script Head to the show notes and download three script freebies! You will get a sample script, a list of AV terminology and definitions and t...
Being nervous on event day is understandable. Your mind is filled with all kinds of scenarios of what could go wrong. In this episode I share: The three ways to minimize issuesThe five areas where problems tend to ariseHow to keep your cool on event day Ep. 21_Two ways to stay on track on event day RIpple Event FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/RippleEventMktg Ripple Event Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rippleeventmktg/ Podcast Facebook Community: https://...
There are many lessons learned each time you and your team plan a nonprofit fundraising or awareness building event. An internal recap document is how you capture those lessons and use what you've learned to build on and improve your event for the next time around. In this episode I share: What an internal recap is and why you need oneThe input you need for a thorough recap The structure + dos and don’ts for your recap LISTENER ACTION ITEMHead to the show notes ...
The weeks leading up to an event can be chaotic. There’s a lot happening and there will be lots of questions about what’s happening and when. The easiest way to ensure everyone is on the same page and minimize questions is to create two documents that will keep you on track on event day; a Show Flow or Run of Show and a packing checklist. In this episode I share: What a Show Flow or Run of Show isHow it’s different from a timeline and why you need one. How to create a...
Volunteers are the lifeblood of a nonprofit. They provide staffing and labor in areas where nonprofits typically can’t afford to hire staff. This is especially true when it comes to events. In this episode I share: The types of event volunteers you needThe structure of your planning teamHow to create a volunteer grid for the day of the eventWhy and how you should plan for continuity when changing volunteers LISTENER ACTION ITEMS Head to the show notes and download th...
A theme can turn a ho-hum event into a memorable experience. When done well, a theme can seamlessly tie your mission to something fun and interactive. In this episode I share: The purpose of event themesThe best type of theme for a nonprofit eventA brainwriting process for coming up with a theme The Listener Action Item for today's episode has the exact steps for hosting a brain writing session to come up with an event theme. Click the link to the Show Notes to get the...
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