DiscoverThe Raising with Lisa Clark Podcast
The Raising with Lisa Clark Podcast
Claim Ownership

The Raising with Lisa Clark Podcast

Author: Lisa Clark

Subscribed: 4Played: 68
Share

Description

If you're a nonprofit feeling stuck on how to reach your fundraising goals, tired of hosting events that fall short in financial return or feel too nervous to even try one, then this podcast is for you. Learn the A-Z of Fundraising Events, so you can finally generate 6-figures of revenue and get a real ROI!
53 Episodes
Reverse
Welcome to Season 3! Episode 54: Is A "Friendraiser" a Waste of Time? Is A Friendraiser a Waste of Time? Are you wasting time and money on “friendraisers” that barely generate any donors or volunteers? In this episode, we are going to chat about the goal and purpose of a friendraiser. What is a Friendraiser Let’s first define what a friendraiser is. It’s a non-ask event. No request for funding. It’s a way to educate guests on the great work your organization is doing but in a friendly way, a casual way. And what I am about to say is really important, there is no cost to attend a friendraiser. It’s free. However, while I’m suggesting to you that the event be casual in nature, they do serve a very important purpose for your organization. And there are specific reasons you want to host this type of event. Do you know what they are? Well, i got good news. I’m going to tell you. There are 6 reasons you need to be hosting several “friendraisers” throughout the year. But first let’s talk about what a “friendraiser” looks like in regards to how they are organized and logistics, etc. A “friendraiser” is typically a small, intimate gathering held in someone’s home. Perhaps a board member or supporter host the event. The host invites friends, family and colleagues to attend. The list of attendees is usually small, 15 to 20 people. Maybe there are light appetizers, tea and coffee served. The event is about an hour in length. Fifteen to 20 minutes of the event is spent on someone from the organization, usually the Executive Director, addressing the crowd in an informal on the mission of the organization. Now that we know the logistics, let’s dive into the reasons to host one that will clearly show why they are NOT a waste of time. Reason #1 Build awareness about your organization. I do believe with all my heart that this is the primary reason you should host this type of event. If you attempt to host one of these events with a greedy heart and mind, I think it will be evident to the guests. Your aim is to share your mission, stats, impact stories, and testimonials to those in attendance. The hope is the guests will learn about your organization and the values will be aligned. The next reason has to do with capturing leads to convert leads into donors and volunteers. This leads me to reason #2 Reason #2 Recruit volunteers to help support your programs and services This one is pretty straight forward. If your organization is volunteer run or heavily assisted, hosting a friendraiser can be a fantastic way to grow your volunteer base. During your presentation, you can talk about ways to volunteer and the impact volunteering has on the organization. Tip: Have a way to capture names of those showing interest in volunteering. It can be as simple as a sign-up sheet that gets passed around the room during the presentation. Reason #3 Recruit for board members For this one, it’s not going to be easy to spot a potential board member in the room while hosting one of these friendraisers. For this, you’ll have to rely on the host to provide you information about each guest and ask your host to be sure to tell you if there is a guest that’s going to be present that’s an ideal candidate for becoming a board member. Reason #4 Identify folks willing to host a friendraiser in their home Something I believe strongly is people want to help! There’s no better or easier way for someone to help your organization then by hosting a friendraiser in their home. Again, during your presentation, ask who might be interested in helping to spread the word and host an event “just like this” in their home. Again, send around a sign-up sheet for those who are interested. Remind your potential host that the event they are attending tonight is a great example of how easy it can be and add that they may want to ask the person who invited them for tips and tricks on how to invite and host. In fact, sometimes a host will introduce the ED of
Episode 53: Why Your Fundraising Event ISN’T Generating 6-Figures! Year after year, you recruit volunteers, plan the party, rent the venue, send the invites, but for some reason you only seem to break even or come slightly under that goal of hosting a 6-figure fundraising event. What went wrong? Where did you fall short? Like me, many of you are members of fundraising groups on Facebook. I think I’m a member of 5 or 6 for sure. And, I’ve noticed a theme in the kinds of questions being posted to the groups in regards to fundraising. This prompted me to create this episode to help YOU hear first hand what it takes to host a 6-figure event. PREVIEW If your new to hosting events be sure to check out my FREE mini checklist on how to create a pipeline of new donors for your next big fundraising event. I give you some ideas on where to host mini events. If you haven’t already grabbed it, the link will be provided below. SIMPLE BUT NOT EASY If I know you! I know you did everything I just mentioned and likely you did a ton more. I want you to know that hosting a 6-figure fundraising event is simpler than you think. Notice I didn’t say easier so let’s be clear about that. And for the next 30 minutes or so, I’m going to dive into three things you need to be doing in order to break that 6-figure ceiling. Here’s the good news, these things are economy proof, doesn’t matter what season you’re in, these three things work for getting consistent revenue at your annual fundraising event. Now, many of you know who I am and that’s why you tune in but for some of you, I’m new. For the newbies, I’m Lisa Clark and I’ve been raising money through fundraising events for over 20 years. Not only that, I’ve taught nonprofits how to host their very own 6-figure and high 6-figure fundraising events. So, I’m very excited about what I’m about to share with you right now. I want to help you break that darn ceiling! Step #1: Fundraising. This means you need to be focusing on revenue generation. I mean really focus and have a strategic fundraising plan for your event in order to reach those fundraising goals. Really, Lisa?!? I know you think that’s obvious but if you’re not reaching that 6-figure goal then you aren’t focused ENOUGH on the fundraising. You’re likely too busy planning the party. Now, I’m not sure if you have money blocks or think that simply because you sent out a few emails asking for donations for your event that the funds will appear. I’m not sure if you think because you’re raising revenue on ticket sales the funds will come in. But, I’m here to tell you that while you are focused on the party, money is changing hands all over the world for those who are doing their part to ask for it beyond just a few email invites, a few underwriting letters. There are 4 reasons the money isn’t coming your way: 1) You’re not asking in ALL the ways you can ask for it. Not enough revenue generators. 2) You aren’t presenting the right offer to the right people, the right donors. 3) You aren’t asking ENOUGH people. You are making some money cause you are asking some people but not enough people. If your issue is you don’t have enough people to ask, then stick around cause I’m going to get into how you can change that up. (pipeline events that lead to larger event) 4) You’re simply not asking for more; hence, leaving money on the table as we like to say in the fundraising world. So, if I was to sit with you and if I was working on your event with YOU the first thing I would ask you is “What’s your fundraising plan, your fundraising strategy” for this event and the next question I would ask you is “How many revenue generators do you have for this event?” Cause here’s the thing, let’s say you charge $50 per person for your event. That means you would need to sell 2,000 tickets in order to reach your goal of $100K. That’s ridiculous. If you truly want to reach $100k at your event, you are going to have to ask for more per ticket. $100
The #1 Thing I Did to Reach Our Annual $5.2M Budget! You did ALL THE THINGS that you do annually to reach your revenue goals but somehow fell short of reaching your annual budget. For some reason all those ideas that were buzzing around in your head at the beginning of the fiscal year that you wrote into a high-level strategic fundraising plan didn’t work! Why? Strategic plans are fabulous. They’re a great way to put all those fundraising ideas down on paper. And, let me guess, you likely did more than just write-up a plan. You likely met with your ED to go over ideas and got his/her approval on moving forward with your ideas. And the board likely approved the ideas, too! If you designed this high-level strategic fundraising plan right, it probably included the following: Securing Grants Securing Individual funding such as annual gifts and major gifts Hosting a new fundraising event Participating in the annual online giving campaign of some sort ALL THE THINGS! They were there on paper ready to be……. Executed Upon! Ding, ding! Let’s take a deeper look at the word “Execute.” First of all, It’s a verb! The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it like this: 1 : to carry out fully : put completely into effect execute a command. 2 : to do what is provided or required The cat is out of the bag. The #1 thing I did to reach my annual fundraising goals was “EXECUTE.” Let me ready you some famous quotes: “A Good plan, violently executed now is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.” - George Patton “Most leaders would agree that they’d be better off having an average strategy with superb execution than a superb strategy with poor execution.” Stephen Covey author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People “To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions.” -Steve Jobs And for this episode, I want to use the word “try” and “execute” interchangeably. So back to how I met my annual fundraising goals. I wrote the strategic fundraising plan and all I did was try! That’s it folks. I worked the plan! I executed. To help me make sure I stayed on task, I created tracking sheets and dashboards that I used to track my progress. I used the dashboards to keep my boss up to speed and used the same dashboard to update the board of directors. Now, I’ll remind you that the larger and more detailed information was inside my high-level strategic fundraising plan document that I’d created at the beginning of the fiscal year. It had all the details! And it was inside that high-level strategy document that I wrote down all the ideas, all the plans that I would execute upon throughout the year! Now here’s the thing. Did I accomplish all I set out to do? Was it easy? Truthfully, no. I recall setting a goal to host 10 small mini events between the months of September to the end of November. The hope was to create a pipeline of new prospects that would get funneled into attending our annual marquee fundraising event. I didn’t end up hosting 10 but instead hosted 8. Not bad! Right! Some of the events had 75 people in attendance but one event in particular had 3 people show up. That’s it. Overall, these events averaged about 50 attendees per event. That means these small events added up to about 400 people into our donor database. I was pretty proud of that number! But, hosting an event where 3 people showed up isn’t something I’d call a success. Did that stop me? No way. I kept going. I kept executing on my plan. I kept trying! I want to end by saying I can give you all the tools like tracking documents and dashboards and all the fanciest strategic plans but if you FAIL to execute on these plans then quite simply you might FAIL at reaching your annual fundraising goals. So this next year do me a favor and do 1 thing - Execute! Try! Plan your work and work your plan! Bonus Tip: When I wrote the annual budget, I wrote it for more than our goal knowing that I would lik
Episode #51 The Weirdest but Coolest Fundraising Event I ever planned! What I’m about to share with you on today’s episode is NOT about ANOTHER GALA ( insert eyeroll ) Let’s face it, trying to come up with a cool and unique fundraiser to help your nonprofit raise funds can be challenging. And if you’re like me and you’ve been in this game for a while, you’ve likely hosted or at least attended a big Gala, or a casino night or golf tournament. Am I right! You and I probably agree that there’s nothing wrong with these types of fundraising events. Done well, they can be quite fruitful. But, when I decided to add a second fundraising event to our annual fundraising goals, planning the "go to" gala or casino night didn’t feel quite right. So, what type of event did I come up that was weird and cool and different? Hold UP! I HAVE A GIFT FOR YOU Before I dive into the weirdest fundraising event I ever hosted, I have a gift for you. If you’re trying to build up that pipeline for new donors, I have a free guide to help you get started. I’ve included a link for you in the show notes. https://raisingwithlisaclark.lpages.co/donorchecklist/ THAT’S RIGHT NOT ANOTHER GALA BUT INSTEAD A GOLF TOURNAMENT OR SO WE THOUGHT.. So here’s how the story goes. It was decided that our organization would tack on a second fundraising event during the second half of the fiscal year. I had presented a strong case for the organization being able to host a second event and assured the board we had the budget, the time, and the staff support. I had sold them on hosting a golf tournament. We had a board member who was a member at a very prestigious private golf club. And, he was willing to allow us to use his membership to host the event. I did my due diligence and spoke with the golf course organizer and was able to come up with an entire budget. It would include 90 golfers, lunch and dinner in the private dining room. I convinced the board that it would be easy for them to recruit for foursomes and highlighted the opportunity get sponsorships and have a silent auction. They got VERY excited! The approved it with a very enthusiastic YES! I CHANGED MY MIND That’s right. All the time I was trying to “sell” the board on a golf tournament, something wasn’t quite right. I couldn’t connect how we would educate golf foursomes about the work we do. There was no connection between golf and at risk youth. Something felt off so I started to try to understand how or why a golf tournament was a good fit. This involved me asking myself and others some critical questions. I asked myself these questions: 1) How would I educate golfers about the work we do? 2) Would our donors and volunteers even be interested in underwriting for a golf tournament? 3) What does golf have to do with incarcerated youth? If I feel a strong disconnect between the event and our organization, would others feel it too? And, just because I know how to plan a golf tournament that could likely do very well, doesn’t mean I should. It doesn’t mean it’s right for the organization. COOKING, 49ER SOUS CHEF’S, VOLUNTEER AWARDS, SILENT AND LIVE AUCTION, PROGRAM EXPO So privately, behind the scenes I began masterminding another fundraising event option. And I came up with a list of things that were important to the organization, important to the values of the organization and were aligned with fundraising goals. In line with our donors and volunteers. I also intervIewed some of our closest funders. I needed to learn what made these funders attend fundraising events they had been invited to in the past. What was their “why” for attending? I also wanted to know what a successful event looked like and what it didn’t look like for them. Their input and guidance helped me to create the weirdest but coolest event I had ever planned. Here’s one thing I knew for sure, we had donors and volunteers and foundation supporters that got invited to some very cool fundraising e
Episode 49: Help, My Board Won’t Fundraise for Our Annual Event! Raise your hand if this is a problem in your nonprofit: Your Board doesn’t invite guests to the annual fundraising event, and they don’t fill a table. They don’t contribute to the auction by donating an auction item or purchasing an auction item. Worst yet, you schedule all of these fundraising event planning meetings, and they don’t even come! They simply don’t do their part to help your nonprofit succeed. Does this sound like any of you? Does this resonate with you? If this is you, let’s hear it. Now, I’m going to help you figure out what to do next.
Nobody is buying tickets to your fundraising event! Why?? Tune in to learn why no one is showing up and what you can do to turn that around!
What Comes Before The Ask? Tune in to learn about the 4Rs of the cultivation cycle and how much time you should be spending on each R!
Creating a Story Bank! Ever wondered how to capture stories and images of all the great work your organization is doing? Then check out this episode on how to create a story bank for your organization!
There is tons of information out there in the vastness of the internet. There is so much free content out there that can really be helpful to get you started. But that’s the thing. It’s there to get you started. If you’re someone that is constantly consuming free content, you might just be addicted to the free swag. The free swag will only get you so far my friends. It’s time to think about if it’s time to invest in yourself and your organization! But Who Am I? Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away! Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/112148672944584 What Is Swag? We’ve all received some sort of swag. From little stress balls, cooling packs, to pens, we’ve all gotten little freebies from different organizations or businesses. Companies push out swag in order to attract people to them. They want to attract you so that they can get to know who you are and pitch a product or service to you. Others use it as a thank you and they want to be the brand in your home and in your life. It’s a way to get their name in front of your face so it stays in the forefront of your mind. Sometimes you get things that are super useful and practical. Other times it’s just a bunch of junk collecting in a corner that you never look at. A lot of it just simply provides you very little value. Soaking In The Free Content I know there are a lot of you out there that are taking in a lot of free content or swag out there on the internet. You watch the free webinars, watch all the videos, but don’t commit to buying the product. The free content that people are posting online is to attract you to their community or product, where you’ll get even more tools. Something that will give you incredible value. This free content that you are consuming is great to get you started, but is it really the way to go? Piecing This Together Take all the free content in the world, can be beneficial. DOn’t get me wrong gaining knowledge is something that I can only commend. However, if you’re trying to piece together everything in your nonprofit from free content, it’s going to show. It’s going to be apparent that you’ve pieced this together, and while it has some value it needs more. Investing in your Organization If you’re stuck in this “free zone” within your organization, I have to encourage you to invest in it. Putting money into your organization to move it forward can result in a bigger payoff for your organization in fundraising, or just help you move the needle to make it better. Looking to the experts in this field will help you build strategies to continue to grow and become bigger and better! Also, it’ll take the stress off you feeling like you are missing that missing piece you keep searching for. Look to the people that have been in this game for a while now. You don’t have to make the same mistakes. You can learn from them. You don’t have to keep feeling alone in this. You can invest in yourself and your nonprofit to take the next big step. If you’ve been thinking about investing in my course “Fundraising Events that Deliver” now is the time to do it! The price right now is $497, but that is going to go up SOON! New material and resources are going to be added soon that you will get access to, but once it’s there, there will be an increase in price. Now’s the time to get access to my full system to create successful events, and have the opportunity to pick my brain when it comes to your specific event. I can’t wait for you to join me! Click here for more info: https://raisingwithlisaclark.lpages.co/fed/ --- Want to learn more? Be sure to check out my blog! https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog Don't forget to connect with me on other social media platforms as well! Blog: https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingwithlisaclark/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGyPtskQ-BVPVDoMcRnNaQ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/raisingwithclark/
 We started planning this back in September so it’s been a massive undertaking for everyone involved. This particular event went towards remodeling and making homes safe in the San Francisco Bay area. This includes changing out plumbing, re-roofing the home, fixing the electrical or whatever might be necessary. This is an organization that has been around for 30 years, and this particular event has been hosted by the Stanford Shopping Center for 17 years. Needless to say, there are many key takeaways you can incorporate into your events to make them successful like ours was! But Who Am I? Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away! Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/112148672944584 The Gala Itself I had the honor of helping with this event this year, and I am so proud of the success that we’ve had. Historically, they have used the same set-up and on average has raised $400,000 to $500,000 run by volunteers. There are usually around 300-400 attendants. It didn’t start this way, but this is a longstanding successful event that has slowly evolved to be as successful as they have been. They use five different revenue streams in order to achieve their fundraising goals: Ticket Sales A Raffle An Auction Fund A Need Underwriting Packages They have a great partnership with Stanford Shopping Center and the auction items that they promote. The main feature is life-size playhouses that are absolutely huge and gorgeous. Some even have to be moved by crane! While this is quite an undertaking, this is an incredibly fruitful event for this organization. Changing It Up With Fund A Need In the past, the organization would auction off 12 of these houses, but this year they implemented Fund-A-Need due to the decline of the number of funds raised from auctioning off the playhouses. Decreasing the number of houses on auction, and creating these Fund A Need options allowed there to be more opportunities for people to donate who otherwise couldn’t have. Creating this new source of revenue paid off! Having a Ton of Options Any large auction that I have attended has an option for everyone’s pocketbook. While you could think that it could be overwhelming for your guests, having more options that can appeal to any budget will only bring you more funds for your organization. People will donate if they have the option. Opening up this new revenue stream, allowed the attendees to donate even if bidding on the playhouses wasn’t something that they could afford. Organizing the Fundraiser In the past, this event has been run heavily by volunteers with the Director of Development overseeing things. There were different chairs that took care of the playhouses and maintaining the relationship with the Shopping Center and the builders. Then there were two people that oversaw the decor. There would also be a committee chair that would oversee the auction to make sure that it all ran smoothly and the auction items were organized. The Registration Team would also be in place to get people signed up, pass out name tags, etc. This year, with Fund A Need in place, there was a pre-registration option for people’s credit cards for when they would bid on the playhouses. A team would also be assigned for recruiting auction items and sponsorships from shops within the center. The final team would then go to restaurants to solicit for catering options for the event. In our case, we were able to get McDonald’s french fries, Sprinkles Cupcakes, California Pizza Kitchen and more. Having these different team can sound like a lot, but having different teams assigned to these teams really helped to ensure that things were planned. As this event was mainly run by volunteers in the past, this year they brought me on because there were many volunteers that weren’t able to return to help. This changed things up, but in the end, recruiting help was necessary to have this event run smoothly this year. It was also beneficial to bring help on, as Fund A Need was a new thing they decided to put into place. Sometimes getting help with your event can pay off in a big way! Underwriting Packages For Sale In partnership with the Development Team and the Executive Director, the Underwriting Chair made a home run with selling underwriting packages! This package includes being featured on all the possible places that the event was being promoted. In our case, there were banners in the shopping center, on the event’s website, social media, and more. Not only that, these sponsors received perks that were exclusive to these packages. The sponsors get tickets to invite their own guests, have a VIP table, had access to  Champagne and Wine(Thanks Tesla!), early check-in, and front row access passes to the auction. These kinds of packages are really appealing to businesses and big spenders. Offering them are a nice way for people to be able to simply help your organization and have you thank them for being involved! Marketing The Event This organization took advantage of both the old fashioned and new ways of generating interest in the event. This included: Email Marketing Social Media Facebook Ads Advertising Banners in the shopping center Hard Copy Invitations Local Publications While I don’t have access to the stats from the Facebook Ads, they were able to attract attention to the organization through them. Without these ads, the event may not have reached the locals that it would have otherwise not been in front of. Taking advantage of social media is a great way to get in the face of new people for your organization. If you would like guidance in how to promote your event through social media be sure to check out my course: https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/offers/DhnDgrxn/checkout Investing in Your Event The full scope of this event was huge! Seeing 500 chairs dropped off by a rental company can seem crazy. Then there are the catering fees, beverage fees, etc. to tag on top of everything else. This event cost the organization around $60,000, but they raised $470,000. What I’m here to tell you is that if you invest in an event, you will see the return on investment. I encourage you to make a bold move to try something new!   What I also want to point out, is don’t be afraid of the numbers that I reference. My numbers are going to be different than yours. While I might have had to spend $2,000 for a venue, you might only need to spend $300. Get out there and start getting quotes. Know what’s available to you and don’t be afraid thinking an event is going to cost you a crazy amount! This will be different for each event, based on location and time of the year.   Getting Help This is an established and fairly successful organization, but things have to change with the times sometimes. WIth the lack of available volunteers and then having volunteers need to fulfill other obligations in their life, there was a lot of pressure put onto the event board to help this fundraising event come together. The choice this organization made to get the help they needed, was essential in my opinion to help this event continue to be successful and fruitful. While I think we all are self starters who want to do it all, there are times when changing up how you run things can keep you from floundering in the end.   If you’ve been thinking about investing in my course “Fundraising Events that Deliver” now is the time to do it! The price right now is $497, but that is going to go up SOON! New material and resources are going to be added soon that you will get access to, but once it’s there, there will be a an increase. Now’s the time to get access to my full system to create successful events, and have the opportunity to pick my brain when it comes to your specific event. I can’t wait for you to join me!   FUNDRAISING EVENTS THAT DELIVER Go from barely breaking even to having a sold-out annual fundraising event! …all while creating amazing donor relations, surpassing your goals, and supporting the cause you believe in! OH YES! I WANNA KNOW MORE!   Don't forget to connect with me on other social media platforms as well! Blog: https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingwithlisaclark   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGyPtskQ-BVPVDoMcRnNaQ   Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/raisingwithclark/
I’ve worked with a number of nonprofits raise money through fundraising events, but I also coach nonprofits to help them level up their fundraising game. I wanted to sit down with you all and go over why someone would want to give to your organization. There are strategies that you can use to help you connect with your donors in a real way. I’ve got nine things to go over to help you understand the behavior of your donors. But Who Am I? Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away! Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/112148672944584 Consider your Audience Before I get into the different tactics you can use, I want to remind you to consider who it is that is donating to you. People will have different motivation behind their annual giving. It could be someone who just kind of picks an organization at random every year to give to. There are others that have a family trust that they discuss with the members of their family what organization they are going to give to. Then there are those people that have directly been affected by your organization whether that be through your products and services, or your mission aligns with their values. There are others to consider, but I wanted to list these to get the ball rolling. --- Want to learn more? Be sure to check out my blog! https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog There's also access to the free downloadable there too! Also, here’s my FREE Checklist on How to Create A Pipeline of New Donors for Your Next Big Fundraiser? Click the link to get the instantly downloadable checklist that's easily implementable (is that a word?)! https://risingwithlisaclark.lpages.co/donorchecklist/  Don't forget to connect with me on other social media platforms as well! Blog: https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingwithlisaclark/   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGyPtskQ- BVPVDoMcRnNaQ   Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/raisingwithclark/ 
In my opinion, raffles can be kind of boring. That’s not to say that I don’t appreciate the raffle items that I’ve seen donated over the years or the funds they helped to bring. I genuinely do. I just know that there are definitely ways to make raffles more fun, more inviting, and more exciting! But Who Am I? Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away! Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/112148672944584 It’s Been The Same Since the 90’s... Back in the day, the organization I worked with hosted a raffle. We sent out letters to every restaurant and merchant in the community. Everyone got a letter! What ended up happening is we got tons of gift certificates to put up for raffle, weekend, packages, and over 200 individual items for this raffle! I’m referencing this raffle because people are still doing things the same, and it’s time to shake it up. Tons of Winners We had tons of people winning. Every 15 minutes we would be able to announce a winner! This got the audience into wanting to bid on items. We had the items go so fast that people were excited to bid on the next ones! This got them frantic but in a good way to open their wallets and donate to the cause! Another example is if you are only having one big raffle, why not have a few? This ups how many chances there are to win. Instead of having 1 out of 600 chance of winning, the chances go up to 1 out of 200! We’re currently experimenting with this with the raffle I’m currently working on at Stanford and we’re genuinely excited about it! Having more winners announced also helps people to stay to the end because they want to win. Make Packages We made packages of the items that we received. This makes the items more exciting. For example for a date night you might include: -A spa treatment -Wine gift certificate -Cheeses -Movie Tickets All this could be in one basket to put up for bid. Be sure to get creative to make your items more valuable! You might think you don’t want these small items that companies might give you. But honestly, you do! Just buff them up with a few other items and you have a wonderful item to put up for raffle. When You Have a Large Crowd Now, in the past I helped with an event that had around 800 people. Let me tell you, having 100 items up for raffle and then trying to keep 800 people’s attention is pretty impossible. So what I will say about this is that when you have that large of a crowd, announcing winners every ten minutes does not work as well. People stop paying attention and it just gets a little chaotic. So stick to around 200 or so for this technique. Don’t Be Lazy Fundraisers I know this talk is not necessarily the longest or most in depth but raffles have stayed the same for as long as I can remember. So I want you to change it up! Don’t be afraid to get creative! What are things you’ve seen that are effective? What are the most interesting strategies you’ve seen at events! I want to know! Be sure to watch the video to hear some of the creative events that I’ve been to in the past. --- Want to learn more? Be sure to check out my blog! https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog There's also access to the free downloadable there too! Also, here’s my FREE Checklist on How to Create A Pipeline of New Donors for Your Next Big Fundraiser? Click the link to get the instantly downloadable checklist that's easily implementable (is that a word?)! https://risingwithlisaclark.lpages.co/donorchecklist/ Don't forget to connect with me on other social media platforms as well! Blog: https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingwithlisaclark/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGyPtskQ-BVPVDoMcRnNaQ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/raisingwithclark/
There’s a school of thought that says that you can never have enough event production timelines. Each aspect of an event will have its own production timeline in place. In my opinion, it isn’t necessary. In my experience, keeping it simple while having every one informed in the way to go. So let me share my advice to help you create the best possible event production you can for your fundraising events! But Who Am I? Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away! Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/112148672944584 Committee Timelines Each team should have their own event production timeline made in order to map out their responsibilities. Especially if they have tasks that have nothing to do with anyone else. Everyone needs to do what’s right for them if you have many sub-committees. Even when you are just a one to two person team running this event, having each group of tasks broken down can be helpful. A Two Timeline System This type of system has worked really well for events I’ve been involved in that are for auctions. They will split it up into the tasks that need to be done before the event and then the day of the event. This can be helpful so that you stay focused on task and with auctions, you know if you have hosted one, that there are a lot of moving parts that need to work together the day of the event. It really just depends on what system would work for you. Snapshot Calendar These are just calendars set up with the basics. It helps to have a visual and it’s easy to send out to everyone on your team. You could even have this set up in Google Calendar and share it with everyone! Then they’ll all have the dates in place to know what days that all the different aspects of the event are taking place. Personally, I like this method as it’s an easy visual and keeps everyone informed. Here’s the way I like it… Personally, I prefer an all encompassing document that is easiest to format within Excel or Google sheets. There will be two tabs at the bottom. The first has a master timeline with everything in it. Catering, decor, solicitation, etc. up to 6 to 9 months before the event happens. Then the day of tasks will also be included. The second tab will be that same thing broken up by each committee. This tab will just have it broken down with the tasks assigned with each specific committee. Keep this simple. There doesn’t need to be a lot of details in this. This is supposed to be a document that is quick and easy for everyone to view so that they are informed! Why I find this helpful is because if you’re just getting a question answered and you want to know when a certain thing is happening in regards to your event, you’re able to look at the document and know! It streamlines communication so that other people can coordinate. Everything is mapped out for you so you can see it month by month for everyone. Project Management Tools There are tons of project management platforms that can help you with organizing your events. Here are just a few: Trello Asana Monday If there are things that aren’t able to fit into your master timelines, then you can use one of these project management tools to help you organize each committee. It helps to make checklists and assign people specific tasks with more details. They can also be used to have documents all in one place. I hope that you can take away some advice from this episode to help your events be as easy as possible to coordinate. Don’t be afraid to play around with different tools and timelines to create a system that works best for you and your fundraising events! See you guys next week and be sure to let me know if there are any tools I didn’t cover in this week’s episode that you find helpful!   Want even more details on how to grow your following? Then sign up for my training! This is a three-part video series that will go over how to help you make your website, optimize your Facebook, and so much more. Let’s walk through together and help you feel confident marketing your organization now! https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/offers/3CjFfBGY/checkout?fbclid=IwAR3N6q4gMUg1f0u29D9QR953sJfjv39yqwF4NFOd4z9ZSOHUeW-LbrNBhFs --- Want to learn more? Be sure to check out my blog! https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog There's also access to the free downloadable there too! Also, here’s my FREE Checklist on How to Create A Pipeline of New Donors for Your Next Big Fundraiser? Click the link to get the instantly downloadable checklist that's easily implementable (is that a word?)! https://risingwithlisaclark.lpages.co/donorchecklist/ Don't forget to connect with me on other social media platforms as well! Blog: https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingwithlisaclark/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGyPtskQ-BVPVDoMcRnNaQ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/raisingwithclark/
I’ve been running events for years, and like anyone that’s done anything for a long time, I’ve learned a lot of things during this time. These are just some of the things that can be daunting when planning your first event. Trying to determine how much of beverages you need to purchase, thinking of how people are eating at your event, the time weath, etc. It’s a lot to think about and I hope this episode gives you a nice guide to determining these things! But Who Am I? Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away!   Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/112148672944584 How Much Beer, Wine, and Liquor Do I Need? This is something that boggles the minds of a lot of people, but having a rough estimate of the amount of alcohol that you should buy for your event can help save you money! Here are a few tips: You can base it on per hour, per person, or 2.5 drinks per person per event. If you’re talking wine, then just remember that there are around 4.5 to 5 glasses per bottle if you are filling up glasses with 4 to 5 ounces.   Beer kegs are another option. If you’re filling glasses with around 12 ounces, there are almost 2,000 ounces of beer per keg. This equals around 165 people per keg. A standard bottle of liquor that is around 80 proof contains approximately 25 ounces per bottle. If you do 1.5 ounces per shot that is around 17 drinks. One pound of ice per person and don’t forget weather can play a role so if it’s hot, you’ll need more ice and more white wine then red wine Offer mocktails to those that don’t drink You may need to adjust this estimate since you know your attendees better than any one, but it’s a good start when starting the process of ordering alcohol. You also need to inform your bartenders the amount of alcohol to serve depending on the type. If you don’t, then they will most likely free-pour and your estimates will be off. Also negotiate to purchase liquor by the bottle rather than by the drink. It will be cheaper in the long run to buy the liquor for 20 to 25 drinks in one bottle rather than paying per drink - just like buying a keg of beer is cheaper per glass than buying individual bottles or cans. Agree up front with the catering manager on a system for auditing the used and unused bottles of liquor before and after the event.   Coffee, Tea, Soda, and Water The amount that people are going to drink depends on their environment and time of day! Here’s a breakdown of what that looks like: Average consumption of beverages in the morning will be roughly 65 percent hot (coffee and tea) and 35 percent cold (juice, iced tea, and soda). In the afternoon, beverage consumption will average about 65 percent cold and 35 percent hot. In the evening, this ratio changes if you have alcohol available since most people will head for the bar. Coffee and hot water for tea are purchased by the gallon, which equals about 128 ounces and produces roughly 20 6-ounce cups. Final thoughts on beverages, if that when ordering you need to take into account the time of day, weather, type of event, and the attendees into consideration. My tips are just here to help you guide you through this thinking process so that you order enough for your event! There’s nothing worse than the feeling that you’re running out of beverages while you’re already in the middle of trying to make sure the rest of your fundraising event is running smoothly! Cash Bar vs Open Bar It’s true that people drink less at a Cash Bar so you’ll have to plan for 1.5 drinks per person per hour. When you have an Open Bar the drinking ration goes up to around 2 to 2.5 drinks per person per hour. Makes sense right? While a cash bar might seem like a more cost-effective option for event planners since attendees are purchasing their own drinks, keep in mind that you are still responsible for the cost of the bar setup, any necessary labor, and the bartender (and possibly a bar-back helper). Always Have A Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Option Look, there are a lot of different diet preferences out there in the world. It’s hard to cater to everyone but having at least one vegetarian/vegan and gluten free option is standard. You want for people to not have to worry that they won’t be able to eat at your event! Hungry people aren’t necessarily happy people! Don’t have this be an afterthought. Be intentional with the choice that you make. And be sure to label your foods to designate what dietary needs! It can be as simple as: GF- Gluten-free DF- Dairy Free VG - Vegetarian VEG- Vegan NF - Nut Free Sure, this doesn’t cover all of the allergies and dietary needs out there, but having a few simple options shows you care. This goes a long way with donors. You could even have the option for people to let you know if they need special accommodations with a food oriented email that lets people know what the menu is and a contact button just in case. This way your staff can be informed and a dish can be made for someone that needs that accomodation. Appetizers Some of your events will only be serving appetizers which is completely fine! Finger food can go a long way. But one thing I want to mention when it comes to appetizers is that you should only make them in one to two bite portions. I’m mentioning this since some events don’t have seating arrangements as part of the plan. People don’t want to be walking around with food the whole time! Make them quick munchies that can then be disposed of so that its convenient! Theatre Setups I’m currently planning an event that has theatre style seating. If you’re in the same boat, plan for 8 square feet per person if no AV presentation is involved. If AV will be used, increase the space to 10 square feet per person. Theater setups allow you to pack the most people into the smallest space, and are fine if attendees won't be taking a lot of notes and sessions are short. Classroom Setups Allot 12 square feet per person if you want three people per 6-foot table, or 18 square feet for two people per 6-foot table, allowing 44 inches between each row of tables. For classroom configurations with AV, plan a minimum of 15 square feet per person. Classroom setups are better for serious training sessions or when people need room to take notes. Banquet and Reception Banquets and most receptions with a bar (or multiple bars) and standard buffet tables require 10 to 12 square feet per person. Banquet rounds are best for in-depth, small-group discussions, and they allow for quick room reset for food functions. In my experience 66-inch round tables seat 8 people nicely. 72-inch round tables can fit ten! You can fit 12 people at these, but you need to consider your audience. One time I hosted an event for footballers and there was no way that I could have fit 12-people at the tables.   Calculating Ticket Prices There are a lot of formulas out there on the internet so you definitely can use what works best for you. However this is what I have found to be the most useful solution to this dilemma. To determine your event's registration fee (RF), divide your fixed costs (FC) by the number of anticipated attendees (AA) and add your variable costs per person (VC/P).   Example: If the fixed cost for your event is $200,000, the variable cost per person is $500, and you anticipate 1,000 attendees, the registration fee should be $700.   The formula is: (FC/AA) + (VC/P) = RF (200,000 / 1,000) + $500 = $700   What Are Your Tips? I’d love to hear what advice you would give to other individuals that are planning events! We all learn from different experiences so I’d love to hear your perspective. I really hope that this helps to answer some of your questions when it comes to planning a successful event. These kinds of things can seem mundane, but they can save you money and help you to run a smoother event with no last minutes runs to the grocery or liquor store. I wish you luck and success with you upcoming events!
So, you have the auction all planned. You’ve followed the steps in my last blog post “The Live Auction Blueprint” and now you’re just worried about getting people in the door. Now, this isn’t going to be a quick process. You’re going to want to start marketing you advance around six months in advance, but I promise you’ll see that it’s worth it when you have tons of people attending your fundraising event. But Who Am I? Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away!   Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/112148672944584   Save the Date You want to get it out there on your social media, email, in-person, and any other platform you can think of, the date of your event. Whether it’s a Google Calendar link, or a flyer, you want to motivate people to put it on their calendar. Even make a Facebook or Meetup event so that people can RSVP and get alerted about your event on their phone. Eventbrite is another great resource for this but you might want to research what event platforms are more successful in your area. Auction Items Now, I know your event is going to be fantastic and you should let people know that, but what about your auction items? Are you using those as part of your marketing plan? How are you announcing to your people? Do they know what is up for auction? A mystery is fun and all, but you’re missing out on attendees by not marketing your items. Sending out email blasts letting people know about those amazing auction items will only intrigue them more. It gets people thinking “Wow, that would be a great vacation or item for my family” and they’ll want to show up. Update your social media and your email list as you secure auction items. Write a blurb about the item to let them know what they’re signing up for. I promise you’ll get people excited this way. Proxy Bidding System You may have people that want to buy your items but they won’t be able to attend your event. This is when a proxy bidding system will be put into place. This is when people can’t attend and someone stand in their place to bid on the item they are vying for. This happens all the time so there’s no shame in this game! Let people know this is an option so that they can still support you even if they aren’t there. Survey Says At some point during your marketing, you’ll want to create a survey to segment your email list. This quick survey will help you to identify what kind of person they are. You want to know who wants what kind of content they will appreciate the most and what kinds of events they’ll attend. The more you get to know about your email list the more you know about your email list the better your marketing can become. Marketing is all about knowing your audience and this is a great way to do so. Throughout this process, you’re going to want to let people know how they can get involved, what your organization is accomplishing. Cause let’s be honest, you do great work! And I want to see you succeed in this. If you have any questions don’t be afraid to let me know!     Don't forget to connect with me on other social media platforms as well! Blog: https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingwithlisaclark   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGyPtskQ-BVPVDoMcRnNaQ   Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/raisingwithclark/
Auctions are an amazing way to get money for your organization! But how do you go about beginning the process of planning it? How do you optimize your auction to meet and exceed your goals for your fundraising event? In this episode, I give you a breakdown on how I’ve prepped and set up auctions to get the best possible bids on auction items! But Who Am I? Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away! Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/112148672944584 Want even more details on how to grow your following? Then sign up for my training! This is a three-part video series that will go over how to help you make your website, optimize your Facebook, and so much more. Let’s walk through together and help you feel confident marketing your organization now! https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/offers/3CjFfBGY/checkout?fbclid=IwAR3N6q4gMUg1f0u29D9QR953sJfjv39yqwF4NFOd4z9ZSOHUeW-LbrNBhFs --- Want to learn more? Be sure to check out my blog! https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog There's also access to the free downloadable there too! Also, here’s my FREE Checklist on How to Create A Pipeline of New Donors for Your Next Big Fundraiser? Click the link to get the instantly downloadable checklist that's easily implementable (is that a word?)! https://risingwithlisaclark.lpages.co/donorchecklist/ Don't forget to connect with me on other social media platforms as well! Blog: https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingwithlisaclark/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGyPtskQ-BVPVDoMcRnNaQ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/raisingwithclark/
Through the years I have learned that many organizations don’t have many expectations for fundraisers at an event. But I can't tell you that you’re leaving money on the table by not having a strategy on site at an event. All of you can play a part in the day of your event that allows you to do what I talked back in Episode 36 before the event, during the event, and after the event strategies. However, I want to go more in depth in the different tasks that you can do during an auction to get more money for your nonprofit organization. But Who Am I? Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away! Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/112148672944584 Want even more details on how to grow your following? Then sign up for my training! This is a three-part video series that will go over how to help you make your website, optimize your Facebook, and so much more. Let’s walk through together and help you feel confident marketing your organization now! https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/offers/3CjFfBGY/checkout?fbclid=IwAR3N6q4gMUg1f0u29D9QR953sJfjv39yqwF4NFOd4z9ZSOHUeW-LbrNBhFs --- Want to learn more? Be sure to check out my blog! https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog There's also access to the free downloadable there too! Also, here’s my FREE Checklist on How to Create A Pipeline of New Donors for Your Next Big Fundraiser? Click the link to get the instantly downloadable checklist that's easily implementable (is that a word?)! https://risingwithlisaclark.lpages.co/donorchecklist/ Don't forget to connect with me on other social media platforms as well! Blog: https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingwithlisaclark/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGyPtskQ-BVPVDoMcRnNaQ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/raisingwithclark/
I know many of you in here are founders or director’s of development and have a small staff. This isn’t the stuff you want to be done, but I promise if you start now that you are a young nonprofit you will be so happy! 10 years from now you’ll be thanking yourself! You might be the one to do this marketing stuff now, and I know it’s a lot, but one day you’ll be able to have a social media team or marketing team to do all this stuff. I just want to help you map out a simple marketing plan to help you gain an audience starting now! But Who Am I? Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away! Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/11214... --- Want to learn more? Be sure to check out my blog! https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/... Don't forget to connect with me on other social media platforms as well! Blog: https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingwithl... YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGy... Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/raisingwith...
You’ve worked hard on your event and it’s finally come to fruition. The tables are set! The music is going and your guests have had an amazing time! The efforts of your team are appreciated and everyone feels fulfilled knowing the work they did creating a fantastic fundraising event. While I want you to feel proud of your event, the work doesn’t stop there. This week I when over what should be happening after your event to keep your donors attention!   But Who Am I?   Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away! Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/11214... --- Want to learn more? Be sure to check out my blog! https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/... Don't forget to connect with me on other social media platforms as well! Blog: https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingwithl... YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGy... Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/raisingwith...
When you think about the venue, decorations, food, and so many other aspects of an event it can become overwhelming. On top of that, you have to plan everything else. If you’re feeling lost in the shuffle, I hope you sit down and let me, help you focus in on how your dollars should be spent. But Who Am I? Hi! I'm Lisa Clark and I help nonprofits and fundraisers like YOU raise money through events so you can meet your annual revenue goals! I'm also the host of a free Facebook Group, Raising with Lisa Clark, a free group for fundraisers, NPOs, development team members, volunteers, and supporters. I included a link below so you can request to join right away! Link to Join Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/112148672944584 --- Want to learn more? Be sure to check out my blog! https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog There's also access to the free downloadable there too! Also, here’s my FREE Checklist on How to Create A Pipeline of New Donors for Your Next Big Fundraiser? Click the link to get the instantly downloadable checklist that's easily implementable (is that a word?)! https://risingwithlisaclark.lpages.co/donorchecklist/ Don't forget to connect with me on other social media platforms as well! Blog: https://www.raisingwithlisaclark.com/blog Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raisingwithlisaclark/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGyPtskQ-BVPVDoMcRnNaQ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/raisingwithclark/
loading
Comments 
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store