3 months out: build your audience

Now is the perfect moment to open registration and ticketing. It’s close enough to be exciting, but plenty of time for people to be free.

3 months out:

Open ticketing and registration
Contact local media
Send formal invitations
Arrange appeal presenter or video
Confirm details with sponsors
Plan your follow-up strategy

In preparation for your event, catch our Jam Session Series of quick 5-10 minute videos on all kinds of topics related to your planning.

Start selling your tickets around 3 months before your signature event to make sure you are on donors' radar in plenty of time and you have time to promote all the various fundraising components.

Steve Greanias, VP Account Management, GiveSmart by Community Brands

Information to have on your ticketing and registration page:
• Name of event and organization
• Date, time, venue location
• Mission statement
• Ticket types: cost and what’s included (dinner, scrolling sponsor, etc. whatever recognition is included in a sponsorship package)

Local Media Coverage:
Starting from scratch?

Make a list of local newspapers, tv, radio, facebook communities
Go to their websites and search “contact us”
Depending on the publication, they might have contact information broken down by section, individual reporters, or both

Novice or Super-Experienced:
Remember, these folks are inundated with requests, so make your ask shine:

Contact the department you feel is the best fit, or a particular journalist that you know covers community events
Radio and television often run public service announcements. Contact your local outlets, request a spot, and include information about your event in your “ad”
Write a compelling pitch that includes your organization’s mission, why they should attend your event, all details. A press release should accompany this pitch.
Send off, and follow up if you don’t hear back!

Year-round opportunity:

Set your fundraising up for success by preparing stories and impact reports to encourage frequent giving as donors are buying tickets and registering. By utilizing technology, you are able to engage guests in advance, while also giving supporters who cannot attend a chance to register and bid or donate.

Plan your follow-up strategy.

It might seem far off, but take the time to think about how you’ll follow up with your donors. Our survey shows the message you send—and how you send it—is crucial.

The age of your audience makes a big difference to what they want… but those preferences aren’t what you might expect.

Planning your live presentations

Check off the below items related to your live presentation:

1. Confirm with the venue on Audio/Visual capabilities and with any vendors that are presenting on their needs.

2. Identify whether the mission story will be shared by video, live speaker, or a performance.

3. If you are using a live auctioneer, confirm event details with them and spend some time discussing your mission, story, and goal.

4. Video is the most popular way to share your story at a live event. Utilize this in some way. There are several software companies out there.

Before your live appeal, do you use a live speaker to explain your mission or a video?

We have a live presenter for our appeal
We prefer to use a video
Neither video or live presenter
We don’t make a live appeal at our event

The Live Appeal: don't miss out on this great webinar.