1. Elements of a Successful Fundraiser
Toni Bodon
Executive Director

2. The Elements
1. Establish a Goal
2. Select a Theme
3. Set a Budget
4. Create a Check List and Timeline
5. Choose Volunteers and Delegate
6. Select a Venue
7. Find a Celebrity
8. Get a Band For Free
9. Set Ticket Price
10. The Invitation
11. Auction and Raffle
12. Mail Service
13. Marketing and Promotion
14. Venue Décor
15. Ticket Sales and VIPs
16. Event Management
17. Post-Event Thanks

3. Establish a Goal
Should it be strictly to raise money?
• Celebrating the organization’s success
• Thanking volunteers, friends and major supporters
• Promoting the organization
• Branding and spreading good will
• Not an adoption event

4. Select a Theme
Select a theme that inspires donations and attendance

5. “Home for the Holidays” 2012

6. “Home for the Holidays” 2011

7. “Luau Doggy Pool Party”

8. “Luau Doggy Pool Party” 2012

9. Set a Budget
Don’t stick to a number, be flexible while keeping
your overall goal in mind
• Decide on size of event
• Determine revenue to meet goal
• Evaluate results from the past
• Estimate who will attend
• Estimate who will donate
• Estimate average donation

10. Create a Check List and Timeline
Item
The longer the list, the less work and stress
Volunteer
Deadline
Completed
TB
4/1/2013
2/15/2013
Select food
TB, NL, AH
4/1/2013
Design invitation
NC, TB
4/15/2013
Get sponsors
AH, RL
4/15/2013
Research the band
TB
4/1/2013
Coordinate video and photography
NC
5/1/2013
Coordinate auction and raffle gifts
LS, MM
6/1/2013
Set up auction and raffle tables
LS
7/1/2013
Venue décor
AH, TB
6/15/2013
Update mailing list
BM
4/15/2013
Draft and edit text for invitation
BM
4/15/2013
Coordinate printing and mailing of invitation
BM
5/1/2013
Draft press release
RL
5/15/2013
Market and promote the event
RL, AH, TB
Ticket sales
AH
5/15/2013
Advance sales list
AH
5/15/2013
Prepare VIP list
RL, AH, TB
6/15/2013
Door host
NL
7/1/2013
Venue volunteers
NL, AH, BM
7/1/2013
Secure venue
6/1/2013

11. Choose Volunteers and Delegate
Build a team with diverse interests and skills who love
animals but need that extra push to get involved in rescue
• Loyal to your organization’s mission and philosophy
• Team players
• Self-motivated
• Dependable
• Highly organized
• Can take direction and
delegate to others

12. Choose Volunteers and Delegate
Recruit from within
• Contact former fosters and adopters
• Tell them about the upcoming event and
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why you thought of them
Focus on their skills and strengths, and your
need for them to join your team – e.g.,
communication, technical, graphic art skills
Explain how their participation will make it
possible to rescue more needy animals
Explain the level of commitment required
Let them know they are members of a team
with a common goal

13. Choose Volunteers and Delegate
Don’t ask for more than they can handle
• Stay focused on their skills and time commitment
• Smaller tasks go further than you think
• Set reasonable deadlines
Don’t forget to follow-up
• Send updates on a regular basis
• Send friendly email reminders
• Offer help

14. Select a Venue
Wine, cheese, and crackers are not enough
Choose a venue that:
• Offers hot food options and an open bar
• Allows live music and is large enough for a band
• Has good reviews, is trendy and popular
• Is centrally located to public transportation or parking

15. Select a Venue
Inspect venue and staff before signing
• Is it clean and well maintained?
• Is the staff courteous?
• Can they accommodate a band’s equipment?
• Do they allow posters and promotional materials?

16. Select a Venue
Negotiate the Price
• Make the venue a part of your team
• Explain your mission, purpose of event, and how proceeds will
be used
• Offer to pay at cost
• Offer your volunteers to serve the food or assist at the bar to
lower cost
• Ask for 3 or 4 complimentary guests to cover event volunteers
• Reduce or eliminate service fee

17. Find a Celebrity
It’s a lot easier than you think
• Search within - volunteers, adopters and
fosters’ careers and networks
• Keep a list of connections to celebrities,
regardless of their charitable work
• Develop and maintain relationships
• Keep them informed as part of your team
Plan ahead, with a good presentation
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Contact celebrity before planning the event
Choose a date to accommodate celebrity
Organize PR package
Acknowledge on website, social media
Thank celebrity and report on event success

18. Get a Band For Free
A Lot Easier Than You Think
Visit Gigsalad.com and Gigmasters.com
• Consider venue and crowd in selecting a band
• Check on-line reviews, listen to music samples
Offer free promotion
• Explain how event will
promote the band
• Feature band on invitation
• Sell CDs at the event

19. Get a Band For Free
Give them VIP Treatment
Offer free food, liquor, parking and a big hug!
• Coordinate and pay for parking
• Set aside a table with food
• Assign volunteer to bring drinks
Make them part of your team
• Keep in touch, send invitation
• Meet them at the venue at least
one week prior for inspection
• Don’t forget to pay for lunch!

20. Set Ticket Price
Think big, within limits
• Consider your main goal
• Quality and popularity of venue
• Type of open bar and food
• Live music
• Group discount

21. The Invitation
Create a design concept
• Consistent with the event’s theme
• Clean and simple
Branding, marketing and promotion
• Prominently display your logo
• Your own rescued animals as models
• Sponsors show broad reach and appeal
First impressions make a difference
• Professional design
• Paper quality
• Simple, clean text

22. Auction and Raffle
Choose a coordinator
• Highly motivated with good organization, communication skills
• Provide guidance and support
• Monitor progress closely as
event date approaches
• Offer help and other volunteers
Reach out to everyone
• Ask volunteers, adopters and
supporters to request their
employers to sponsor event in
the form of products or services
• Reach out to local artists for art work or photography
• Put an ad on your website and social media outlets for sponsors

23. Auction and Raffle
Contact local businesses for gift certificates
Popular items include:
• Dinner for two at a popular restaurant
• Theater tickets with back-stage tour
• Local sports tickets, sports memorabilia
• Electronics – flat screen TV, iPad
• Weekend stay at a cabin or B&B
• Facial and massage
• Professional photography session
• Doggy day-care and boarding
• Liquor and food baskets
• Pet-related products and baskets

24. Auction and Raffle
Acknowledge sponsors at the event
• List them on a poster at the raffle and auction tables
• Include them in the event program
Send a thank you note
• Sponsors, venue manager, band, and
volunteers
• Send note doon after the event
• Show your appreciation, reinforce good will
• Email ok for volunteers, but sponsors
should be thanked by mail using
organization’s letterhead

25. Mail Service
Use professional mail service to send the invitations
Local mail service does not translate to lower cost
• Shop around nation-wide for best price and service
• Evaluate level of experience with non-profit mailing
• Prompt responses to inquires, good rapport with staff
Apply for non-profit standard mail price
• At least 3 months in advance apply at your local post office branch
• Use mail service bulk mail permit
Don’t worry about the cost of postage
• Average donation will outweigh the cost of mailing
• Timing of mailing is important - not too early or too late
The check is in the mail!
• Most people cannot attend
• Most donations amount to ticket price; many exceed ticket price
• Large donations will often come from previous donors

26. Marketing and Promotion
The invitation is your best marketing tool
• Appealing envelope and insert encourages people to give
• Thank you letter should follow after receipt of donation
• Maintains relationships with supporters
• Helps update mailing list
Rack cards
• Good for mailing and
hand-outs in the community
• Less expensive to print and
easier to mail

27. Marketing and Promotion
Website, social media, and email communications
• E-version of invitation links to event page, donation sites
• Expands reach beyond mailing list and brings in new donors
• Volunteers can help promote event via their networks
• Monitor traffic, confirmed attendance on event page

28. Venue Décor
Beautiful images have positive impact and are memorable
• Focus on happy endings
• Assign a volunteer to collect images
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from adopters
Create slide presentation for screens
at the venue
Create large posters of successful
adoptions and volunteers
Prominently display your logo
Display event poster at venue entrance
Place posters and photos strategically
- behind the bar, onstage, in restrooms

29. Ticket Sales and VIPs
Tickets and donations
• Nycharities.org
• Networkforgood.org
• P.O. Box
VIP list
• Make sure it is current
• Assign volunteer with good presence to welcome guests

30. Event Management
Arrive early to set up
• Meet briefly with venue manager and staff
• Make sure all provisions of agreement are met – inspect bar,
food selection, electronics set up, band space
• Schedule time for food service
• Any last-minute preparations
Have fun while managing
• Manage flow of event
• Mingle with everyone
• Don’t drink too much
• Create an emotional moment
• Acknowledge everyone

31. Post-Event Thanks
The day after
• Email thank you to volunteer team and keep them connected
• Highlight special contributions from individual volunteers
• Share numbers of attendees and total proceeds from event
• Keep them informed of any further accounting updates
regarding donations from mailing of the invitation

32. Elements of a Successful Fundraiser
Thank you!
Visit us on the Web: strayfromtheheart.org
on the Facebook: facebook.com/strayfromtheheart
and in the Twitterverse: @StrayfromHeart
Toni Bodon
Executive Director