How well your fundraiser does will depend on how much attention your group can get. Getting the word out about your fundraising need and what you're selling will always improve your results.
Here are some tips for publicising a fundraising event:
Tip #1: Use your website to get the word out.
Get one if you don't have one. You can use it to talk about your goals, thank your sponsors, talk about recurring events, point out successes, thank individual contributors, and so on.
Spread the word about your website everywhere you can.
Tip #2: Take steps to get more publicity
Tell as many people as possible about your fundraiser. Join as many public newsletters and other ways to talk to people as you can.
Send press releases to the local media and ask them to cover your fun events by giving them photo ops.
Tip #3: Use any group to spread the word.
Spread the word by making announcements at other events, displaying products, taking orders, making sales, and finding volunteers.
Take a joint venture approach to marketing your group by giving everyone who joins your team something of value in return.
Publicity Tip #4: Know your goals
In all your communications, especially between sellers and buyers, talk a lot about the goal of your fundraiser. The money goes to a good cause.
Make sure that everyone knows why the money is being raised and how it will be used.
Publicity Tip #5: Talk to people
Use everything you can to get the word out about what your group is doing, such as roadside signs, e-mail lists, a phone calling tree, a newsletter, flyers, posters, bulletin boards, recorded hotline messages, and so on.
Tip #6: Use sponsorship stickers
Give these away for free to merchants who help you. Sell to people who are members. Use the kind that sticks to glass for storefronts and car windows.
This "branding" lets the community know that your group has a lot of strong supporters.
Tip #7: Put bumper stickers on your car.
With every fundraiser, you can sell your organisation by giving out items that say "Proud Supporter of..." Give one to every member of the group and every volunteer.
Tip #8: Put flyers all over the place.
Hit mailboxes in your area (following postal rules) and car windows in shopping centres. Give information about your fundraiser on your flyer in a way that encourages sales and lets people know how to reach you.
Put a coupon or offer of a free gift in the flyer to keep people from throwing it away. Because this is free advertising for them, your merchant base will help provide the deals.
For instance, a flyer with coupons for a car wash, dry cleaners, or an oil change. (Or all of them!)
Tip #9: Put together an email list.
When you're trying to raise money, ask for an email address so you can send out a newsletter. Have links to opt-in on your website.
Build a group of supporters online by giving them things they can only get on your site.
Set up your plan for raising money and getting the word out today. You'll continue to grow and have more success with fundraising for many years to come.
