Non profit events can be a huge boost for community engagement, and BONUS you get to help people while having a great party. But are you getting as much out of your event as you could be? Review our six tips planning checklist to set your non profit event up for success!
1. Curate your dream team: A great planning committee is a must, whether it’s made up of experienced staff members or passionate volunteers, and whether you brainstorm over Google Docs or at a boardroom table. Don’t underestimate the power of constant motivation, and remember to provide regular feedback, check-ins, and suggestions.
Related: Analog Tools to Organize Your Brain in The Digital Age
2. Work your network: People in your network (and in your team members’) probably all want to help you, but it might take a few tries to catch them at the right time. That’s why reaching out to everyone in the early stages of event-planning is crucial. You never know who has a connection to a public figure who’d love to attend, or who has recently made a goal to give back more to their community.
3. An event is only as good as its promotion: You could have the coolest fundraiser in the world, but if no one knows the event is happening, it’s going to flop badly. Luckily for you, we live in the age of social media, where promotion can be as simple as hitting “Post.” Of course, there’s a bit more to it than that, so if you’re not sure how to use social media to promote your event effectively, you must either learn to do so or appoint someone who can.
4. Print it out: Create extra space in your day-to-day to order all the necessary educational literature on hand to ensure that event attendees are informed about your cause. Chances are, you’ll be too busy to speak to each person personally and elaborate on your organization’s background and recent developments. Even if you are able to educate your event audience through a brief speech, it’s a good idea to have some educational promo materials handy.
5. The devil is in the details: Nothing is more frustrating on event day than technological glitches, so coordinate with the venue to make sure your photo slideshow is compatible with the their equipment, that any microphones or musical equipment are available, that there is adequate lighting, etc. Also don’t forget another mundane-but-essential detail: parking! As awesome as your event might be, your guests won’t be happy if they have to pay $8 for parking in a garage three blocks away.
6. Keep calm and celebrate: On event day, tell yourself that whatever issues arise, you’ll do your best to handle them, which is all anyone can ask. As the event host, if you’re having fun, other people will too! Remind yourself that you’ve worked hard for this, and that’s something to celebrate.
Bottom line: most aspects of event planning take longer than you think they will, so start your planning as far in advance as possible to make sure everything runs smoothly, and that your event is a hit!
Here’s to planning amazing non profit events while making a difference!
Images by Unsplash.